Owls fall short in bid for 1st win
SAN ANTONIO — After UTSA’s first two drives of the second half, quarterback Lowell Narcisse said he delivered a message to his teammates: “Settle in.”
Rice held an eight-point lead in the third quarter of what had already been a back-and-forth game, leaving an inexperienced quarterback to mount a comeback. Narcisse, a sophomore, was making his third start with the Roadrunners, having failed to eclipse 100 yards in his previous two starts.
But Narcisse was confident, ready to cash in on his first Division I starting opportunity after a redshirt year at LSU and a difficult season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Narcisse led the Roadrunners to 75- and 79yard touchdown drives on their final two possessions, lifting UTSA to a 31-27 win against Rice on Saturday in the Alamodome.
“I’ve faced adversity my whole life,” Narcisse said. “I look at it the same way all the time: ‘You’ve been here before. You know how to rally the guys around you.’ I felt like we did a great job of that.”
Narcisse finished 19-of-29 passing for 212 yards with two touchdowns and an interception — his most prolific passing total in four games as UTSA’s primary quarterback in place of injured starter Frank Harris.
Narcisse connected with freshman Zakhari Franklin for an 8yard touchdown with about five minutes remaining, which proved to be the decisive score in a game that had five lead changes. The nine-play, 79-yard drive was sparked by a 30-yard run from Sincere McCormick.
“The game slowed down for Lowell Narcisse, especially it was epic that last drive,” UTSA coach Frank Wilson said.
The Roadrunners also drove 75 yards in six plays at the end of the
third quarter, highlighted by a 32yard run for McCormick, a 26-yard pass from Narcisse to Strickland, and a 14-yard run during which Narcisse hurdled a defender.
Rice made a final push to secure a win, driving inside UTSA’s 25yard line before DeQuarius Henry notched a sack and Eric Banks recovered a fumble to seal the win.
Wilson admits that the players heard rumblings of discontent from fans on social media after hosting the lowest attendance in program history during last week’s 33-14 loss to UAB. Wilson remained focused on the positive, and the Roadrunners (3-4, 2-2 CUSA) responded by knocking off the winless Owls (0-7, 0-3).
Rice proved difficult to contain throughout the game, converting 9 of 14 third downs to hold the ball for nearly 35 minutes.