“Garcia Shines with 3 TDs and Perez’s Perfect Kicks Propel East Carolina to 30-20 Victory over UTSA in AAC Opener!”

Jake Garcia led East Carolina to a 30-20 victory over UTSA on Saturday night in both teams’ American Athletic Conference opener, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another.

Garcia’s 3-yard touchdown run just 36 seconds before halftime cut the deficit to 13-10. The Pirates then seized the lead on their first drive of the second half with a 40-yard touchdown connection from Garcia to Winston Wright Jr.

After throwing one of his two interceptions, Garcia quickly recovered, hitting Anthony Smith for a 53-yard touchdown.

East Carolina (3-2) also benefited from three field goals by Noah Perez: a 21-yarder to start the scoring, a 42-yarder to extend the lead to 27-13, and a 24-yarder with just 13 seconds remaining to seal the win.

The Roadrunners (2-3) initially took a 13-3 lead, with Chase Allen kicking two field goals around a 5-yard touchdown pass from Owen McCowan to Oscar Cardenas. Brandon High’s 66-yard touchdown run brought UTSA to within 27-20, but they struggled to gain a first down on their next four possessions.

Garcia finished the game with 17 completions on 35 attempts for 294 yards, while McCowan completed 24 of 49 passes for 251 yards.