UTSA escapes early hole, pounds FIU in First Responder Bowl

Owen McCown passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns, Will Henderson III scored three times, and UTSA rallied from an early 14-point deficit Friday night to pound Florida International 57-20 in the First Responder Bowl at Dallas.

McCown, who finished the season with 2,995 passing yards, finished 18 of 28 for the Roadrunners (7-6), who tallied 38 unanswered points during one stretch and outscored the Panthers 57-6 over the final 54 minutes.

Henderson totaled 59 yards on 14 carries with two rushing scores, and he caught a touchdown pass. Devin McCuin (six catches, 73 yards) and Patrick Overmyer added TD receptions as the Roadrunners won a bowl game for the third year in a row.

Joe Pesansky went 11-for-31 for 102 yards with two scores and an interception for the Panthers (7-6), who were playing in their first bowl game since the 2019 Camellia Bowl.

Florida International's Keyone Jenkins completed 7 of 14 passes for 49 yards and an interception.

The Panthers tallied on a 54-yard opening drive that ended with Pesansky firing a 19-yard strike to Kyle McNeal.

Maguire Anderson doubled the margin to 14-0 and shocked UTSA by fielding a punt at the Florida International 3, eluding the first few defenders and sprinting away for a 97-yard punt return with 9:26 left in the first quarter.

It was the longest punt return touchdown in FBS bowl history and it matched the longest punt return in Panthers history, a mark set by T.Y. Hilton against Florida Atlantic in 2011.

However, Henderson soon scored twice, from 2 yards on a run and 40 yards on a pass, to knot the game at 14-all.

On the first play of the second quarter, Michael Petro booted a 37-yard field goal to end a drive set up by Jimmy Wyrick's interception.

The Roadrunners scored on their fourth straight possession when McCuin hauled in a perfect 23-yard lob from McCown for a 24-14 advantage.

A'Marion Peterson powered his way in from 10 yards out with 1:17 left in the second quarter as UTSA notched 31 straight points for a 31-14 halftime lead.

Henderson notched his third touchdown in the third quarter on a 5-yard run.

Pesansky broke UTSA's scoring spree with a 22-yard pass to Dallas Payne. The Roadrunners responded with two points when Ahamad Chapman intercepted Pesansky's two-point attempt and returned it the distance to make it 40-20.

McCown struck paydirt again with a 34-yard toss to Overmyer in the fourth quarter. Petro's 36-yard kick and Bryson Donnell's 12-yard run rounded out the scoring.