When the First Responder Bowl between FIU and UTSA takes place at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 26 in Dallas, it will feature a matchup between sons of former NFL players.
UTSA redshirt junior quarterback Owen McCown is the son of Josh McCown, who played 16 seasons in the NFL and is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings. The elder McCown’s final NFL season was 2019 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for 17,731 career yards and 98 touchdown passes.
FIU redshirt senior cornerback Brian Blades II will attempt to stop the passes of McCown. Blades is the son of receiver Brian Blades, a two-time national champion at the University of Miami, who spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
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The elder Blades’ final season was 1998. He earned a Pro Bowl nod during his second season in 1989 and finished his career with 581 receptions for 7,620 yards and 20 touchdowns.
As of this writing, Owen McCown and Brian Blades II were both expected to play in the bowl game, according to officials from both schools.
Both McCown and Blades have taken different paths to get where they are.
McCown began his college career at Colorado in 2022, appearing in four games with three starts. He completed 57 of 100 passes for 600 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
During his first year at UTSA in 2023, McCown appeared in seven games with one start, throwing for 442 yards and four touchdowns. He has been the starter the past two seasons.
This year, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound McCown had completed 67.5% of his passes for 2,700 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He hasn’t been much of a running threat, having rushed for one touchdown.
The highlight for McCown and UTSA (6-6) was a 48-26 home win over eventual American Conference champion Tulane on Oct. 30.
McCown was on fire that game, completing 31 of 33 passes for 370 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Not surprisingly, he was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
On Nov. 22, UTSA became bowl-eligible with a 58-24 home win over East Carolina. That was another big game for McCown, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 248 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Blades has been at FIU his entire career since beginning as a walk-on in 2021.
This season, Blades was an All-Conference USA honorable mention for the 7-5 Panthers. In 10 games this season, he has 26 tackles, six pass breakups, one interception, and one fumble recovery. His best game came in a 56-30 win at Middle Tennessee. Blades had a season-high five tackles along with one interception and two pass breakups.
That victory started the Panthers’ current four-game win streak.
Blades patiently waited his turn. He appeared in just eight total games during his first two seasons, but he has appeared in 33 games over the last three years and has become one of the leaders of the secondary.
McCown brings extensive bowl experience. This will be his third bowl game. His first start for UTSA came during the 2023 Frisco Bowl when he led the Roadrunners to a 35-17 victory over Marshall. McCown completed 22 of 31 passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Last year, he was named the MVP of the Myrtle Beach Bowl as UTSA beat Coastal Carolina 44-15. McCown completed 23 of 30 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also ran for a 35-yard touchdown.
Conversely, Blades will be appearing in his first bowl game. This is the first bowl game for FIU since 2019.
