UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 8, 2026

Owen McCown

Press Conference

UTSA 31, South Florida 24

Q. Owen, what was it like in the locker room?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, it was awesome. You know, soon as -- once again, another late drive like that, something we worked on all offseason. Coach Traylor hit his little dance like he normally does after our win, so super fun, super electric in the locker room.

Q. Was it a different dance or the same one?

OWEN McCOWN: No, he's got a little go-to. I won't spill the beans too much. It's Coach Traylor's dance, we all do it, so that's our thing for sure.

Q. Owen, take me through that last drive. What did you see from South Florida and just what was going through your head?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, you know, we knew they were going to mix up a bunch of different coverages, so wasn't so much about what they were doing. It's just executing the plays that were called. I thought Coach Bowie did a great job really timing when to run the ball, because they were such light boxes. You know, those safeties and DBs are out of there thinking it's a bunch of pass.

But Coach Bowie did a great job calling that and kind of giving me a heads up on if this run, maybe we can get to this run, and we did that throughout the whole week.

Really just trusting our backs and our line up front and that really got the job done.

Q. (No microphone.)

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, it was a play we hit David kind of before halftime, that little option with David over the middle. They covered it well and matched it well. Protection was great, but at that point I was -- just didn't see anything there. Was ready to go make a play and did.

Q. Against Texas State Traylor told us he told you on the last drive, go win it. Was there a similar message on the sideline in this one?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, I keep telling people there wasn't too much that was said. We all knew the scenario. Went South Florida went up, took the lead, there was just a bunch of looking at each other and a bunch of nods. Like we knew what the scenario was. Let's go do it, and that's what we did.

Q. What does it do for your confidence to keep stacking these late-game comeback wins?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, it's huge. That's what this team is made up. Our Ubuntu mindset is we really grasp onto that and it's huge. Last week defense had our back. This week the offense scored late to win the game.

So just kind of piggybacking off one another like that that is huge for a team and leads to a ton of success.

Q. Coach Traylor said he was so happy that we finally get to see you healthy and moving around. Just talk about your health a little bit and how much that played into your performance tonight.

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, I'm very happy, too. I feel super great, super healthy. Obviously had the surgery and then came back from that. All credit to the trainers.

But to be able to be myself like I know I can be, and athlete that I am, is super comforting just moving around. Once again, my job is to distribute the ball to those guys tonight. They're the real playmakers.

Q. You talked after the Texas State game about how important it was for you to deliver a comeback drive in the closing minutes and get that monkey off your back a little bit. Did it feel different today being in that scenario again today now that you've done it?

OWEN McCOWN: Not really. I think we worked on it so much this offseason. Like I said, the second South Florida went up we all knew what the scenario was, knew what we worked on all offseason in practice.

You can say it's a little different pressure in the game because the lights are on and it's a game scenario, but it all starts with the guys up front. We ride their backs 100 percent so take us where we want to go.

Q. You have played four games now in the season that were within one score in the fourth quarter and pulled them all out. What does that say about this team?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, huge. Once again, that's Coach Traylor's message. He said nowadays it's always going to be like this. They're just a bunch of good teams. So it's just going to be able to -- who can play one play longer. That's a saying he says a lot, so really we're just trying to execute that, and like I said something we worked on all offseason.

Q. Frank Harris is known as a pretty legendary scrambler in this program. Felt like you were challenging him for the title tonight. What is it about your scrambling ability that you know or feel or can see when a play comes to an ad lib?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, I appreciate that. Frank is a legend, so to even be compared to that is honoring.

Man, just trying to be the athlete I am. Once again, being healthy helps a ton. So just if it calls for me to go scramble and make a play, then that's what I've been coached to do and that's what I will go do.

Q. How does it feel to be 5-1?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, feels great. You know, once again, the same message as last week. We kind of have to have the 12-hour, 24-hour rule. I know we are on an earlier Thursday game, but we still have to celebrate this one tonight and a little bit tomorrow, learn from it, and then get ready for another really good conference opponent next week in Navy. So that's what we'll do.

Q. Talk to Owen Pewee earlier. He said that Brian Hartline's comments energized the team throughout practice on a short week.

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah.

Q. What did those comments do for you?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, not too much. You know, some guys are motivated that way. I think our motivation is through or motto, like I said Ubuntu, having each other's backs. That's mainly where our motivation comes from.

Sure, a little external noise like that doesn't hurt, but, man, it was just purely out of the love for one another that we have for each other in the locker room. That's really what we're motivated on.

Q. Second straight year a coach has come in here and said that same type of sentiment. Why do you think they feel comfortable saying something like that, and does it make it sweeter when you're able to defend your fans and pick up the win?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, I guess because of our ridiculous home record, so I guess they find some type of thing. Once again, we're not worried about that too much. Just worried about playing our game, our style of football, and continuing to win at home.

Q. Was there something you saw in that first direct snap that you thought you could have success later in the game?

OWEN McCOWN: Which one?

Q. The one where AP gets the 53-yard touchdown.

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah. Yeah, that's a short yardage play we been working on all year. AP, a big back, one of the three really elite backs that we have. So any time he's in we trust him 100 percent to get that one or two yards.

And in that scenario with all the guys hunched down with it being short yardage situation there, a gap could pop like that and that's happened. We're proud of AP, but ultimately the guys up front also.

Q. Did that final drive feel like Texas State where a field goal will do it, but was the whole mission just a touchdown the entire time?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, I think it's just go win the game, whether it's a field goal or a touchdown. Sure enough, we were popping those runs enough to where Will gets the edge and he's gone. So I'm down on the one yard line and then that same direction that play won the game for us.

Obviously we were in field goal range also, but that scenario if it you can score a touchdown, yeah, go do it.

Q. Being in these constant late-game situations, how much confidence have you gained in yourself and your teammates to just go out there and execute?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, you have to have confidence in your teammates, and it starts with our offseason program, learning about one another, learning ourselves first and foremost, and then continuing to pour into one another.

But I've always been confident in myself in these late-game scenarios. I just think it hasn't gone our way the past couple years. But this year it happening twice, because of all the work we put in in the offseason through getting to know one another and also executing in these situations in practice.

Q. Is this the most confident you felt in this team the whole time you've been here at this program?

OWEN McCOWN: Yeah, for sure. I think every time I step out there, especially step on the field this year, I'm super confident. Confident just because of the mindset I know the guys have with one another.

Yeah, I think winning definitely helps. Just continue to gain our swagger and our confidence.