The Continental Clash: Roadrunners vs Ducks | Rise of the Roadrunners Ep. 16

Postgame Blog by Frankie “The Horn” Calderón — Voice of the Roadrunners
UTSA Roadrunners vs Oregon Ducks | Peach Bowl Semifinal | CFP 12-Seed vs 1-Seed

⚠️ Series Disclaimer

The following post is a work of fiction created purely for entertainment within the College Football 26 universe. All characters, events, and storylines — including Coach Clay “Stonewall” Merritt, Frankie “The Horn” Calderón, and the UTSA Roadrunners — are entirely fictional and not affiliated with the NCAA, UTSA, Oregon, the ACC, or any real institution. Viewer and reader discretion is advised.

UTSA 77, Oregon 8 — The Most Dominant Semifinal in College Football Playoff History

77 to 8.

Say it again. Slowly.

This wasn’t a typo. This wasn’t an algorithm glitch. This wasn’t a video game on rookie mode. This was the UTSA Roadrunners, the 12-seed AAC Champions, marching into the College Football Playoff semifinals and producing one of the most shocking blowouts the sport has ever seen.

The Roadrunners didn’t just beat No. 1 seed Oregon.
They dismantled them. Atomized them. Ended the doubt once and for all.

Oregon arrived as the Big Ten champions, fresh off a Rose Bowl escape over Clemson, fueled by national hype and armed with a week of rest. UTSA arrived as the 12-seed “Cinderella,” the program everyone expected to finally crumble under the bright lights.

Instead, they built their brightest moment yet.

From Underrated to Unstoppable: The Numbers Tell the Story

This wasn’t an upset. It was a recalibration.

Team Comparison — Peach Bowl Semifinal:

• First Downs: UTSA 26, Oregon 5

• Total Offense: UTSA 511 yards (46 plays), Oregon 102 yards (47 plays)

• Yards Per Play: UTSA 11.1, Oregon 2.8

• Turnovers: UTSA 0, Oregon 3

Oregon didn’t just get outplayed; they got outclassed.

UTSA began the year unranked. Now they’re undefeated, conference champions, and fresh off a 69-point win over the top seed in the country. They’ve knocked off contenders and champions from:

• The SEC

• The Big 12

• The Big Ten

This isn’t luck.
This isn’t Cinderella.
This is a powerhouse the country ignored for too long.

The Opening Shockwave: Oregon’s First Drive Ends in Panic

Oregon took the opening kickoff. Three plays later, they were punting — rattled, pressured, and out of rhythm.

UTSA’s defense hit Dante Moore on the first snap and never let off the gas. The Ducks’ opening series produced:

• No first downs

• No rhythm

• No confidence

Then Mekhi Anderson flipped the field with a clutch punt return, and the UTSA offense trotted out looking like they owned the place.

On that opening touchdown drive:

• Owen McCown found TE Houston Thomas twice, including an incredible layout catch over the semifinal logo.

• Then on fourth-and-goal, McCown hit David Armador II for the first UTSA CFP semifinal touchdown in program history.

Fourth down. Early in the game.

UTSA didn’t come to settle.
They came to seize.

Owen McCown & Robert Henry Jr. — The Best Backfield in the CFP

QB Owen McCown: Almost Perfect

McCown delivered one of the most efficient CFP performances ever recorded:

• 19-of-21 passing

• 297 yards

• 4 touchdowns

• 19 rushing yards

Two incompletions all night.
Total control from start to finish.

This wasn’t managing the moment.
It was mastering it.

RB Robert Henry Jr.: A Career-Defining Night

Sixth-year senior. Locker-room general. Certified force.

• 9 carries, 99 yards, 3 rushing TDs

• 2 catches, 8 yards, 1 receiving TD

• 4 total touchdowns

Henry Jr. ran angry, ran decisive, and ran like a man fully aware of the stakes. That 30+ yard touchdown where he slipped a tackle and exploded upfield? That was the soul-snatching moment of the night.

When UTSA needed attitude, Henry supplied it.
When they needed toughness, Henry delivered it.
When they needed points, Henry punched them in.

UTSA’s Weapons: A Mismatch Lab Oregon Couldn’t Solve

TE Houston Thomas — Unstoppable Until the Last Whistle

• 6 catches, 117 yards

Thomas dominated early, beating Oregon linebackers and safeties on everything from crossers to seam routes. Even through heavy contact, he kept UTSA’s offense on schedule.

WR Devin McCuin — The Professional

The most dependable target in the country.
Touchdowns when needed, yards when needed, leadership always.

WR De'Corian Clark — The Kill Shot

Clark’s deep post touchdown was the beginning of the Ducks’ unraveling. Three steps of separation. One perfect ball. And the crowd felt the wave crash.

WR Willie McCoy — Limited Snaps, Unlimited Chaos

Every touch is panic.
Every motion stresses a defense.
Every play is a threat.

UTSA’s receiver and tight end room is a fully operational mismatch generator — and tonight Oregon was the victim.

The Stonewall Defense: Oregon Held to 102 Yards

This is where the semifinal became a statement.

Dante Moore’s Final Line

• 10-of-15

• 100 yards

• 1 TD

• 1 INT

Oregon Rushing

• Noah Whittington: 23 yards on 9 carries

Oregon Receiving

• Kenyon Sadiq: 43 yards on 2 catches (1 TD)

And the total offense?
102 yards on 47 plays.

Oregon averaged 2.8 yards per play.
That’s not struggling — that’s suffocating.

EDGE Brandon Tucker — The Defensive MVP

• 4 tackles

• 4 tackles for loss

• 2 sacks

Tucker spent all night crashing the pocket, blowing up RPOs, and making life miserable for Dante Moore. Oregon had no answer for his speed or leverage.

Safety Tyan Milton — The Consistent Closer

• 6 tackles

• 1 TFL

• 1 INT

His interception in the second half signaled the beginning of the end.

UTSA Battled Through Real Adversity

Even in a blowout, the Roadrunners faced serious setbacks:

• OLB Owen Pewee broke his fibula after replacing injured starter Kendrick Blackshire.

• All-conference center Ben Rios exited again with a rib injury.

• TE Houston Thomas absorbed huge hits before finally leaving the game.

This wasn’t easy. UTSA just made it look easy.

That is culture.
That is identity.
That is UTSA football.

The Backups Finish the Job

When the ones checked out, the twos kept scoring.

• QB Jamie Rhett scored on a read-option keeper.

• RB John Emery Jr. delivered explosive runs.

• WR DJ Allen scored on a perfectly timed slant.

The defense added a late sack-fumble, courtesy of Nana Anuanu, and the Roadrunners closed out the most dominant CFP semifinal ever played.

Final score:
UTSA 77, Oregon 8

Margin of victory: 69 points.

Unheard of.
Unmatched.
Unforgettable.

It’s Not a Fluke. It’s a Movement.

For weeks, the national conversation has been the same:

“UTSA hasn’t seen a team like Oregon.”

Tonight proved:
Oregon hasn’t seen a team like UTSA.

This is not a Cinderella story.
This is a blueprint.
A standard.
A rising powerhouse built on discipline, toughness, and identity.

UTSA isn’t sneaking into relevance.
UTSA is crashing through the front door of college football’s elite.

National Championship: #3 Duke vs #12 UTSA

The next stage is set:

#3 Duke vs #12 UTSA — College Football Playoff National Championship

Duke punched their ticket by beating:

• #6 Florida 33–21

• #2 Penn State 28–23

They are hunting for ACC respect.

But they are facing the most dangerous and disrespected powerhouse in America — a UTSA program that just annihilated the No. 1 seed by 69 points and held them to 102 yards.

Duke is good.
But UTSA is something else entirely.

Bird Nation, Roadrunner Nation — You Are Witnessing History

To everyone listening on 94.3 The Bird, watching the Far End of the Bench YouTube channel, or reading along at FeOTBpod.org:

This is more than football.
This is a program rising in real time.

Stay locked in:

• 📺 Watch the full Rise of the Roadrunners series

• 🎙️ Follow @FeOTBpod for breakdowns, reactions, and behind-the-scenes updates

• 🌐 Bookmark FeOTBpod.org for National Championship week

The Continental Clash wasn’t the end of the Roadrunners’ story.
It was the beginning of a new chapter.

And as always…

If you don’t stay down and you never quit,
come on over here and sit on
the Far End of the Bench.