FRISCO, Texas — UTSA finally got the bowl victory it has been looking for as the quarterback reign of Frank Harris came to an end.
The Roadrunners spotted Marshall a 14-0 lead, then took over and outscored them 35-3 the rest of the way for a 35-17 victory in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas, on Tuesday night.
Redshirt freshman Owen McCown recovered from a shaky beginning to his first start of the year to complete 22 of 31 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.
Robert Henry had touchdown runs of 3 yards and 1 yard and Rocko Griffin one for 17 yards for UTSA (9-4), which won a bowl game for the first time following four bowl losses in program history, including in each of the past three seasons.
Joshua Cephus caught a 44-yard TD pass and David Amador II caught one for 19 yards.
Marshall (6-7) lost seven of its final nine games to finish with its first losing season since 2016.
McCown, a transfer who started three games for Colorado last year, stepped in after senior Frank Harris, who recorded 39 wins in 51 starts over seven years in the program, was declared out about an hour before kickoff because of a shoulder injury suffered in UTSA’s previous game on Nov. 24.
The Thundering Herd also played without the quarterback who led them most of the season. Sophomore Cam Fancher, who started 10 games, announced on Dec. 6 that he’d entered the transfer portal. Redshirt freshman Cole Pennington, who made two starts, passed for 257 yards and was sacked six times.
Ethan Payne’s 1-yard touchdown run following the first of McCown’s two first-period interceptions and a 64-yard touchdown run by Rasheen Ali on the first play of the second quarter put Marshall ahead 14-0.
Marshall’s Rece Verhoff kicked a 44-yard field goal.
McCown and Pennington are the sons of former NFL quarterbacks Josh McCown and Chad Pennington.
Prior to their victory in this year's Frisco Bowl, UTSA dropped a 31-24 decision to No. 16 Louisiana in the 2020 First Responder Bowl, a 38-24 contest to No. 24 San Diego State in the 2021 Frisco Bowl and an 18-12 matchup against No. 23 Troy in last year’s Cure Bowl. The Roadrunners made their first bowl appearance in the 2016 New Mexico Bowl, falling to New Mexico, 23-20.
