Marcel Reed passed for four touchdowns and KC Concepcion had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 31-yard TD catch as No. 19 Texas A&M was too much for UTSA in a 42-24 win on Saturday in the season opener for both teams in College Station, Texas.
Reed was 22 of 34 for 289 yards through the air in the win while Mario Craver, a transfer from Mississippi State, had eight catches for 122 yards and two TDs for the Aggies. Reed also finished as Texas A&M’s top rusher with 39 yards on eight carries.
The Roadrunners stayed close in the first half and were withing four points early in the third quarter thanks mostly to the rushing of Robert Henry Jr., who racked up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown (19 of 32) had just 121 passing yards.
Wide receiver Concepcion, a transfer from North Carolina State, raced untouched with a punt for a touchdown to stake the Aggies to a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Roadrunners garnered their first points of the campaign when Michael Petro booted a 36-yard field goal with 1:55 to play in the first quarter after a 12-play, 56-yard drive.
A&M’s attack finally got on track early in the second quarter as it marched 63 yards in seven snaps, as Reed connected with Craver on a 24-yard TD pass that made it 14-3.
UTSA was undaunted, moving 75 yards in nine plays to a 15-yard scoring run by Henry to pull back to within 14-10 with 8:33 left in the second quarter.
Reed connected with the mercurial Concepcion on the ensuing drive for a 31-yard catch and run to put the Aggies up 21-10 with 5:38 to play before halftime.
Henry stunned A&M on the first snap of the third quarter when he blasted through a hole in the middle of the line and raced 75 yards for a TD that brought the Roadrunners to within 21-17.
The Aggies answered midway through the quarter as Reed hit Theo Melin Ohrstrom from a yard out on fourth-and-goal from the UTSA 1 to build the margin to 28-17. A&M broke open the game on its next possession, with Reed punctuating the drive it the second scoring hookup with Craver, this time for 22 yards.
The Aggies added an EJ Smith 3-yard TD run with 7:16 to play. UTSA finished the scoring with a 34-yard TD pass from backup Brandon Tennison to AJ Wilson in the final seconds.
