Under duress from twisting defensive linemen and linebackers charging forward off delayed blitzes, UTSA quarterback Owen McCown spent his time between series looking for answers to a few unexpected challenges.
He didn't know how often he'd be on the field against Navy's ball-control offense, and he was surprised UTSA had the luxury of running 73 offensive snaps, providing plenty of time for adjustments.
"I think it was just kind of learning from our mistakes early on," McCown said. "I just thought we did a great job learning as the game went."
UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said Navy utilized a few early blitzes that hadn't shown up on film, but he knew McCown and the Roadrunners' offensive line would adapt. Now in his third year as UTSA's starting quarterback, McCown understands how to adjust to what he sees when he and the coaches study the defense on digital tablets between series.
By switching up the approach to offensive line protection and diverting more targets to short perimeter passes, UTSA found enough answers to outlast Navy 38-34 on Saturday in the Alamodome. Traylor said the Roadrunners' previous experience was critical to their adaptability.
"They're a veteran group. All those guys have played together a long time," Traylor said. "They have a great belief in each other. They're smart kids. They're veterans. Really happy how they've played so far."
A'Marion Peterson. TO. THE. HOUSE! 💨 #210TriangleOfToughness | #Ubuntu https://t.co/ZT5SNP2jdK
- UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) October 18, 2026
Traylor said he anticipated UTSA's rushing attack might not match up well against Navy's front, and the Roadrunners finished with just 110 rushing yards - their lowest total of the year outside of a 72-yard output against then-No. 1 Texas.
Instead, UTSA aimed to involve the running backs in the short passing game, as the trio of Will Henderson, A'Marion Peterson and Brandon High combined for six receptions. Peterson delivered the game-winning score with less than three minutes to play when he lined up at receiver, caught a short hitch route to the right and slipped past two defenders to set up a 41-yard sprint to the end zone.
"We were very intentional of trying to find ways to get our best players the football when we didn't know if we were going to be able to hand it off and have the success we've had all year," Traylor said.
McCown finished 28-of-38 passing for 359 yards and three touchdowns, with most of his targets aimed toward short perimeter routes. Per stats tracking site Game on Paper, McCown was 20-of-27 passing for 179 yards on passes that were listed as short left or right in the play-by-play data, compared to 8-of-11 passing for 180 yards to all other zones.
TRIANGLE BUTTON #210TriangleOfToughness | #Ubuntu https://t.co/vPaihS7WMf
- UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) October 18, 2026
The Roadrunners looked to various targets in that aspect of the passing game, even lining tight end Brandon Young up at a fullback position before throwing to him in the right flat for what became a 14-yard touchdown after he hurdled a defender and landed in the end zone.
"They just kept changing up their looks. They were giving us trouble with certain things they were doing," Traylor said. "We didn't have answers. We got some answers. We had a really good answer there late. Kids made adjustments."
UTSA's defense was also forced to alter its approach during the game as Navy's rushing attack targeted the perimeter far more often than the Roadrunners anticipated.
Per Pro Football Focus, Navy carried 29 times for 183 yards on jet sweeps and runs targeting the perimeter, compared to just 12 attempts for 76 yards on runs off tackle or behind the offensive line. Removing Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez's 53-yard sprint up the gut on the opening drive, the Midshipmen gained just 23 yards across 11 rushes through the middle.
"Them circling the defense a little bit at the beginning of the game, trying to get on the edges, it was something that I guess you could say we didn't see it much in practice," UTSA linebacker Darion White said. "So, we had to make some adjustments during the game, and we got right."
Once UTSA shifted to better contain Navy's rushes to the outside, Traylor said he wasn't surprised to see the Midshipmen turn to more "tricks" and play-action passes to keep the Roadrunners off balance.
Navy attempted just eight passes but found Jordan Collins for a 25-yard touchdown over the top of UTSA's defense late in the second quarter, then hit Collins again for a 92-yard explosive score early in the fourth quarter.
RIGHT ON TARGET. RIGHT INTO THE END ZONE. #GoNavy | #RollGoats | @ESPNU https://t.co/G5o3RJIR6W
- Navy Football (@NavyFB) October 18, 2026
JORDAN COLLINS TAKES OFF FOR 92 YARDS. #GoNavy | #RollGoats | @ESPNU https://t.co/ciANBXU1oZ
- Navy Football (@NavyFB) October 18, 2026
Gutierrez, a Jay grad, did most of the damage, hitting 3 of 7 passes for 120 yards with two touchdowns while running 21 times for 139 yards and two scores. But Braxton Woodson, who was Navy's Week 1 starter at quarterback prior to an ankle injury, was another X-factor the Roadrunners had to adjust to.
Lining up in the backfield, Woodson carried the ball five times for 73 yards with a touchdown and completed his only pass attempt on a trick play. Gutierrez tossed the ball to Woodson and then leaked out to the left, allowing Woodson to throw the ball back to him for a 63-yard gain.
Woodson's impact was an unexpected curveball, but Traylor and the Roadrunners found just enough answers to preserve the win.
"He's a freak of an athlete. He's hard to get down," Traylor said. "It was a nice little changeup. They got our attention. I bet it got y'all's, too."
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at UTSA film study: How Roadrunners used in-game adjustments to preserve win against Navy.