McCown, UTSA end Memphis winning streak at 4 with 44-30 victory

SAN ANTONIO — Owen McCown threw four touchdown passes and UTSA beat Memphis 44-36 on Saturday.

Memphis (7-2, 3-2 American Athletic Conference) scored on its first four possessions and led 24-14 midway through the second half before the Roadrunners (4-5, 2-3) scored 30 straight points.

UTSA, which gave up a 28-point lead in a 46-45 loss to Tulsa last week, watched Memphis get within eight with two touchdowns in the final two minutes, the last one coming after an onside kick. A second onside kick with 48 seconds remaining went out of bounds and UTSA ran out the clock.

A week after throwing for a school-record 434 yards with four touchdowns, McCown went 20-of-37 for 280 yards and four scores against the Tigers.

In the final six minutes of the first half, UTSA got a program-record 54-yard field goal by Tate Sandell followed by McCown’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer for a 24-all tie. McCown's 4-yard TD toss to Houston Thomas early in the third quarter gave UTSA the lead for good.

Memphis trailed by 10 with 9:39 remaining when it failed to convert on fourth-and-5 from its own 36-yard line and five plays later Brandon High went over from the 2 to give UTSA a 41-24 lead.

Thomas had a pair of TD catches while Chris Carpenter had 108 yards receiving for the Roadrunners.

Seth Henigan was 35 of 52 for 454 yards — 9 yards shy of his career high — four touchdowns and an interception for Memphis. DeMeer Blankumsee matched his career high of 142 yards with two touchdowns, all in the first half, before apparently injuring his left leg while celebrating his second touchdown, a 69-yarder. Roc Taylor had 111 yards receiving. The Tigers had only 62 yards rushing.

Memphis received votes in The Associated Press poll but saw a four-game win streak snapped.