SAN ANTONIO — Unable to fend off the Troy Trojans in a matchup of scorching-hot teams, the UTSA Roadrunners will continue seeking for their first bowl game win after falling 18-12 in Friday's Cure Bowl in Orlando.
Both Troy and UTSA entered the game riding 10-game winning streaks and the momentum of victory in their respective conference championships. But it was the Sun Belt champs who emerged from a low-scoring affair victorious, improving their bowl record to 6-3 after causing five UTSA turnovers.
UTSA now falls to 0-4 in bowl game appearances, and finishes the season with an 11-3 record—one game off the mark of last season's program-best 12-2 mark. The Roadrunners' 12 points amounted to their lowest offensive output all season, and Troy won despite tallying only 153 yards of offense to UTSA's 345.
Inside the 10-yard line with less than eight minutes on the clock and facing an 18-12 disadvantage, UTSA turned it over on downs after failing to score. Their last shot at taking the lead came with two minutes left, when quarterback Frank Harris tossed incomplete passes on third and fourth down to ensure a Troy victory.
"We were losing a lot of one-on-one battles," Traylor said after the game about the Troy defense, one of the strongest in the country. "They're really good."
>See Traylor's postgame comments below.
One of the country's most dynamic FBS quarterbacks all season long, Harris had an uncharacteristically shoddy performance, throwing for 194 yards and two interceptions. UTSA's lone TD came on a completion from Harris to Zakhari Franklin early in the second frame.
The Roadrunners took a 12-7 lead into halftime, having amassed a 12-0 advantage before the Trojans reached the endzone with a minute left in the frame.
Driving again after a Frank Harris interception on the Roadrunners' next possession, the UTSA defense responded with a big play of their own, picking off Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson in the endzone to stall the Trojans' momentum.
UTSA falls to Troy in Cure Bowl
Looking ahead
UTSA will look to continue to build as a new Texas football powerhouse when they leave Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference next season.
Harris has already announced his intent to return for a final season under center, and Traylor said Friday night that there's much for UTSA fans to look forward to with the group he has, pointing to their composure amid personnel losses.
“It’s the longest season I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve never seen a team lose an all-conference safety, an all-conference tackle, starting running back… and these kids just kept finding a way, man. They’re unbelievable.
"The future's very bright for the Roadrunners," he continued. "It's just really dark tonight."
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