Roadrunners steamrolled FIU 57-20 in the First Responder Bowl on Friday night.
SAN ANTONIO — Things change by the minute these days in college football but as of Friday night, after the First Responder Bowl in Dallas, UTSA redshirt junior QB Owen McCown says he’ll be back next season to play for Head Coach Jeff Traylor.
KENS 5’s Vinnie Vinzetta had an opportunity to visit with McCown after the bowl win over the Florida International Panthers.
The game MVP was asked if he was okay after that huge first quarter hit he took while trailing 14-0 at Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
“Yeah I am.” said McCown. “Ironically, I had a conversation this week with Shad Banks that this was the first week that our bodies started to feel normal again and fully healthy. But that’s what bowl season is, you know, you get some time off and get some guys back from injury and things like that, and that obviously showed by the way we played.”
McCown has now started three straight bowl games, the Frisco Bowl two years ago, the Myrtle Beach Bowl last year and Friday night’s First Responder Bowl—and he’s won all three.
“Obviously those last three years we’d rather be competing for championships and that’s the standard here, but obviously the bowl games are the cards we were dealt and we obviously executed these last three years,” he said.
The Roadrunners, like they did two years ago at the Frisco Bowl against Marshall, trailed 14-0 before completely taking over and dominating each game.
Friday night in Dallas, UTSA outscored FIU 57-6 after spotting the Panthers that 14-0 lead.
“Like Coach Traylor said this game was really a reflection of how our year went all year with the ups and downs,” he said. “We obviously came out of the gates a little bit slow but nobody blinked on the sidelines offensively, defensively and even special teams after the big play. They were locked into the game really all night. Just a credit to the leaders we have and the program we have here.”
McCown reiterated that he wished the program had competed for the AAC Championship this year but that the bowl win would certainly be a springboard into the new year.
“It gives up huge momentum leading into the offseason to try and get better,” he said.