UTSA Roadrunners (4-3, 2-1) at Florida Atlantic Owls (1-1, 1-1)
11 a.m. CT | Saturday, Oct. 31
FAU Stadium | Boca Raton, Fla.
TV: Stadium
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA and Florida Atlantic will meet for the third time on Saturday.
• The Owls have won both previous meetings with the Roadrunners.
• The Roadrunners are one of only five FBS teams with seven games under their belt.
• UTSA leads Conference USA and ranks third in the FBS with 13 takeaways, including eight interceptions (1st/C-USA; 7th/FBS).
• Sophomore RB Sincere McCormick leads the FBS in rushing yards (867) and is sixth in rushing yards per game (123.9).
• Junior CB Corey Mayfield Jr. and sophomore S Rashad Wisdom stand second in C-USA and 14th in the FBS with two interceptions.
• Senior PK Hunter Duplessis paces the FBS with 14 field goals and ranks fifth with 2.0 field goals per game.
• Sophomore P Lucas Dean tops C-USA and stands 12th nationally in punting average (45.9).
• Saturday's game will air on Stadium, marking the 92nd straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Setting the scene
Fresh off a thrilling, 27-26 come-from-behind victory over Louisiana Tech, UTSA will travel to the Sunshine State to face Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Roadrunners (4-3, 2-1) will face the defending Conference USA champion Owls (1-1, 1-1) for the third time in program history in a game slated for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff at FAU Stadium. FAU has won both previous meetings with UTSA, including a 41-37 decision on Sept. 27, 2014, in the only other matchup in Boca Raton.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised by Stadium and is available in Texas on Fox Sports Southwest. Check local listings or visit https://watchstadium.com/cusa/ for availability in your area. Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Max Starks (analyst) have the call. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call all the action. The pregame show will begin at 9 a.m. CT and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The radio broadcast also can be heard online at goUTSA.com and Ticket760.com and via the free iHeartRadio app or TuneIn.
Taking schedule changes in stride
The 2020 college football season has been anything but normal and like many other teams, UTSA has felt the effects of schedule changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, UTSA is one of only five FBS teams with seven games under its belt as of Oct. 24, joining Army (6-1), Middle Tennessee (2-5), Pittsburgh (3-4) and Texas State (1-6). The Roadrunners, who have faced three of those four teams, originally were scheduled to open the campaign on Sept. 5 against defending national champion LSU in Baton Rouge, but SEC-wide schedule changes eliminated that game from the fall lineup. UTSA also was due to host Grambling on Sept. 19, but the Southwestern Athletic Conference postponed its football season to the spring, forcing the Roadrunners to replace that nonconference clash with Stephen F. Austin. UTSA also lost a Conference USA home game when Old Dominion opted out of the 2020 football season. The Roadrunners filled that open Oct. 17 home date with Army and also added a road date with BYU (Oct. 10) to get back to 12 regular season games. On Sept. 19, Memphis announced it would be unable to travel to San Antonio for a Sept. 25 matchup, but UTSA was able to quickly replace the Tigers with Middle Tennessee for a C-USA contest that resulted in a 37-35 triumph for the Roadrunners.
TV birds
All 12 of UTSA's scheduled regular season games this fall have been selected for broadcast, including six for national television. The Roadrunners, who have seen their last 91 outings appear over the airwaves, will make it 96 straight televised/streamed appearances by the end of the regular season. In fact, the last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
2020 marks 10th season of UTSA football
UTSA is celebrating its 10th season of football in 2020. The Roadrunners started their football program from scratch and, following a practice season in 2010, played their first season as an FCS Independent in 2011 before joining the Western Athletic Conference for the 2012 campaign. UTSA moved into its current league home — Conference USA — in 2013 and became a full-fledged FBS member starting with the 2014 season. The Roadrunners set NCAA modern startup program records in 2011 by drawing 56,743 fans to their inaugural game against Northeastern State and by averaging 35,521 fans for their six home contests that season. UTSA made its first postseason appearance at the 2016 New Mexico Bowl in its sixth season of play and registered its first win against a team from a Power 5 conference the following season with a 17-10 victory over Baylor.
Similar startups
Now in their 10th season of play, the Roadrunners will play their 114th game in program history and 57th road contest on Saturday. The Roadrunners are 49-64 all-time and 20-36 away from home, including a 1-2 mark this season. Similar to UTSA, Florida Atlantic started its football program from scratch under a former Miami head coach, doing so in 2001 under Howard Schnellenberger. The Owls are 104-130 all-time and have won two of the last three Conference USA crowns.
Scouting Florida Atlantic
The Owls dropped to 1-1 on the season with a 20-9 road setback to Marshall on Saturday. Florida Atlantic has played just one other game, a 21-17 home victory over Charlotte on Oct. 3, as games against Minnesota and Stony Brook were canceled, while contests against Georgia Southern, Southern Miss and USF have been postponed. Nick Tronti has completed 29 of 52 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, while Malcolm Davidson leads the ground game with 80 rushing yards and a TD. TJ Chase is the top receiver with seven catches for 77 yards and a score. Chase Lasater leads the defense with 24 tackles, while Leighton McCarthy has registered four tackles for loss and three sacks as part of 12 total stops. Head coach Willie Taggart is in his first season at the helm and he owns a 57-63 career record in 11 years.
Series history
This will be the third meeting between UTSA and Florida Atlantic. The Owls have won both previous matchups, including a 41-37 decision on Sept. 27, 2014 in Boca Raton and a 40-26 triumph on Nov. 23, 2019 in San Antonio.
Last meeting
Zakhari Franklin and Carlos Strickland II combined for 183 receiving yards, but Harrison Bryant caught 10 passes for 182 yards to help lead Florida Atlantic to a 40-26 victory over UTSA on Nov. 23, 2019, at the Alamodome. Franklin hauled in seven passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Strickland caught five balls for 85 yards and a score to lead the Roadrunners. Brenden Brady rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries and Sincere McCormick added 76 on 12 totes. Meanwhile, Rashad Wisdom registered 10 tackles to guide the UTSA defense. FAU stormed out to a 27-3 advantage only to see UTSA climb to within 33-18 with 8:42 left to play. A TD pass from Jordan Weeks to Strickland followed by a Weeks keep on the two-point try helped pull the Roadrunners to within 40-26 with three minutes remaining, but the Owls recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock to secure the win.
A Florida homecoming
A pair of Roadrunners will be returning to their home state when UTSA travels to Boca Raton to face Florida Atlantic. Senior outside linebacker Clarence Hicks hails from Pensacola, where he attended Pine Forest High School, while senior running back B.J. Daniels is a native of Melbourne and a product of Palm Bay High School.
Last time out
Sincere McCormick registered his fourth 100-yard game of the season and UTSA held Louisiana Tech to 35 second-half yards in a 27-26, come-from-behind victory in Conference USA action on Saturday night at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners trailed by 13 points twice in the second half, but they piled up 269 yards of offense over the final 30 minutes and used a stingy defense to snap a six-game losing streak against the Bulldogs. LA Tech held a 26-20 lead with time winding down in the final frame before McCormick, who rushed for 165 yards and three TDs on a school-record 37 carries, broke loose for a 45-yard dash up the middle to knot the score. Hunter Duplessis drilled the extra point to hand UTSA its first lead of the night at 27-26 with 6:16 remaining. The Bulldogs had two more tries to reclaim the lead but the UTSA defense forced a punt and later sealed the win after Antonio Parks picked off a pass in the final minute.
Traylor makes history with 3-0 start
Jeff Traylor became the first head coach in UTSA history to win his first three games, which also marked the third 3-0 start in program annals and the first since 2017. The Roadrunners pulled out a thrilling 51-48 double-overtime victory over Texas State in Traylor's debut on Sept. 12 and then defeated his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin, 24-10, in the home opener the following Saturday before making history with the 37-35 victory over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. Traylor boasts 30 years of coaching experience, including a highly successful 15-year career as head coach at Gilmer High School, where he led his hometown Buckeyes to three state championships and two state runner-up finishes and posted a 175-26 (.871) record. Named the third head coach in UTSA history on Dec. 10, 2019, Traylor previously was the associate head coach and running backs coach at Arkansas (2018-19) and SMU (2017) after two seasons at Texas serving as associate head coach for the offense and receivers coach in 2016 and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2015.
Down to the wire
UTSA is no stranger to close contests, as all seven this season have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners opened the season with a double-overtime decision at Texas State that saw the Bobcats rally to tie the score with 1:16 left to play before UTSA escaped with a 51-48 win after Hunter Duplessis' field goal in the second extra frame. UTSA's home opener versus Stephen F. Austin saw the Roadrunners storm out to a 17-0 advantage only to have the Lumberjacks climb back to within 17-10 until a Frank Harris TD run with 7:08 left to play secured a 24-10 victory. UTSA held a 37-29 fourth-quarter lead over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25 before a Blue Raiders touchdown with 1:04 left on the clock made it a two-point contest. The pass attempt on the two-point try fell incomplete, sending UTSA to its first 3-0 start since 2017. On Oct. 3, the Roadrunners trailed UAB by a 21-6 count early in the final stanza before Sincere McCormick's touchdown dash and Duplessis' PAT pulled UTSA to within 21-13 with 10:31 remaining, but the Blazers held on for the win. On Oct. 10 in a road matchup with No. 15 BYU, the Roadrunners cut a 21-6 deficit to one score after a 32-yard TD pass from Lowell Narcisse to Zakhari Franklin early in the fourth. After the Cougars pushed their lead to 27-20 with 2:18 left to play, Narcisse found a wide-open Brennon Dingle for a 34-yard scoring connection that helped make it 27-20 with 1:17 left, but BYU held on for the win after recovering an onside kick. Against Army West Point, Franklin hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Frank Harris with 14:06 left to play to cut the deficit to 21-16, but the Black Knights answered with a TD of their own less than two minutes later to help seal a 28-16 win. In its last outing, UTSA rallied from a 13-point deficit with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 27-26 triumph over Louisiana Tech.
Roadrunners up for national awards
Eight Roadrunners have been named to or nominated for national award watch lists. Lucas Dean was added to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award for the nation's top punter, while Hunter Duplessis is UTSA's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Frank Harris was added to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Midseason Watch List after the first week of the season, while Ahofitu Maka appears on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's most outstanding center. Sincere McCormick appears on the watch list for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which is given to the top offensive player in college football with ties to the state of Texas. Solomon Wise is on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service." Most recently, Christian Clayton and Jamal Ligon were named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American Watch List.
C-USA weekly awards roll in for Roadrunners
Sincere McCormick was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and Antonio Parks was voted the league's co-defensive player of the week on Monday. Those selections give UTSA six weekly C-USA this year, two more than the previous standard for most in a season of four in 2014. McCormick gashed Louisiana Tech for 165 yards and three touchdowns on a school-record 37 carries, while Parks registered six tackles and had a hand in a pair of second-half takeaways, including a forced fumble late in the third quarter and an interception in the final minute that iced the 27-26 victory. Following the season-opening, double-overtime victory against Texas State on Sept. 12, Hunter Duplessis received the C-USA special teams weekly award after making all three field-goal attempts, including the game winner from 29 yards, while McCormick was tabbed C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a program-record 197 yards and a TD on 29 carries. On Sept. 21, Frank Harris collected the program's second straight C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award after accounting for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Stephen F. Austin. The following Monday, Jamal Ligon was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following his record-setting performance in the 37-35 victory over Middle Tennessee. The true freshman linebacker broke the school's single-game tackles record with 19, the second-most in a game by any FBS player this season.
First-time starters
UTSA has seen 16 players make their first career start through the first seven games this season. That total is tied for the seventh-most first-time starters in the FBS. Roadrunners who have made their first career start in 2020 include Demetris Allen, Peter Gray, Makai Hart, Terrell Haynes, DeQuarius Henry, Clarence Hicks, Jamal Ligon, Tyler Mahnke, Brandon Matterson, Kevin Nelson, Josh Oatis, Bosah Osakwe, Antonio Parks, Ken Robinson, Brandon Rolfe and Charles Wiley.
A balanced approach
Under the direction of offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., the Roadrunners have featured a balanced offensive attack this season. UTSA is averaging 399.3 yards per game, passing for 214.4 yards per outing and rushing for 184.9 yards per contest. UTSA tallied 499 yards of offense in the season opener versus Texas State and followed that with a 498-yard effort against Stephen F. Austin, marking the second-most yards gained in a two-game span in program history. The Roadrunners racked up 330 yards on the ground in the double-overtime win at Texas State, the third-best rushing output in school annals, and they passed for a season-high 303 yards in the 37-35 triumph over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. The Roadrunners chalked up 287 yards through the air against No. 15 BYU, which entered that game leading all of FBS in total defense, and then turned in near-equal totals of 197 rushing yards and 186 passing yards against Army on Oct. 17 and again with 188 on the ground and 197 through the air in the win over Louisiana Tech last Saturday.
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the best debut campaigns in program history last fall, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is enjoying a successful sophomore season with 867 yards and seven touchdowns on 155 carries through the first seven games. The 2019 Conference USA Freshman of the Year opened the year by breaking his own school record with 197 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries to help the Roadrunners outlast Texas State in double overtime. McCormick ripped off a pair of career-long 58-yard runs and helped UTSA tally 330 yards on the ground for the third-best total in program annals, earning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list member followed that by tallying 98 yards on the ground in the 24-10 win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before rushing for 82 yards and another score in the win against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. The Converse Judson High School product tallied 150 yards and a TD on 22 totes against UAB on Oct. 3 in what was a matchup of two of the top rushers in the nation. McCormick topped the century mark for the third time this season with 133 yards on 18 attempts versus Army on Oct. 17. In his last outing, he gashed Louisiana Tech for 165 yards and three touchdowns on a school-record 37 attempts for his seventh career 100-yard rushing game, and he was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time for his performance. The 2019 Freshman All-American leads the FBS in rushing yards and he ranks sixth nationally with 123.9 rushing yards per game, 10th with seven rushing TDs, 19th with 137.0 all-purpose yards per contest and 35th with a 5.59 yards-per-carry average. McCormick owns three of the top five rushing performances in C-USA and is tied with Spencer Brown (UAB) and Brenden Knox (Marshall) with the most 100-yard games this fall.
Chasing records
Sincere McCormick already is closing in on several single-season and career rushing records during his short time at UTSA. In just 19 career games, he has piled up 1,850 yards on the ground, good for third in program history and 543 yards behind all-time leading rusher Jarveon Williams' 2,393 yards. He also ranks fifth in both rushing attempts (332) and rushing touchdowns (15) on the career charts. Through seven games this fall, McCormick is on pace to shatter three single-season rushing standards. With 867 yards on 155 attempts, he is within range of Williams' marks of 1,042 yards and 207 carries from 2015 and 2016, respectively. His seven TDs also sit just two shy of Jalen Rhodes' record of nine set in 2016. He has topped the century mark four times this season and seven times during his career, just one shy of Williams' UTSA record.
Welcome back, Zakhari
UTSA sophomore wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has picked up where he left off in his debut 2019 campaign. After missing the first two games this season, the Cedar Hill High School product caught six passes for 119 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Roadrunners to a 37-35 win over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. He was on the receiving end of a 25-yard TD pass from Frank Harris in the first half and he nearly had his second score of the night on a season-long 48-yard catch-and-run to the 1-yard line. He was limited to two catches for 10 yards in the UAB contest on Oct. 3, but he hauled in seven passes for 79 yards, including outjumping a pair of BYU defenders for a 32-yard TD reception the following Saturday. He broke UTSA's single-game record with 12 receptions for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns against Army on Oct. 17 and after catching two balls for 24 yards versus Louisiana Tech, he now has a team-best 370 yards and four touchdowns (2nd/C-USA, 19th/FBS) on 29 catches this year. Franklin had 491 yards and three TDs on 38 catches in 2019 and with 435 of those yards during the final five contests, he now has 805 receiving yards in his last 10 games. He owns three career 100-yard receiving games, which is tied for the most in program history, and his current 61.5 yards-per-game average is the best in UTSA annals.
Sure-handed Cephus emerges at receiver
UTSA sophomore Joshua Cephus has emerged as one of the team's top receiving targets this season. The Spring, Texas, native made waves with his highlight-reel touchdown catch in overtime of the 51-48 season-opening win over Texas State on Sept. 12. With a defender draped all over him — defensive pass interference was called — the 6-3 wide receiver made a diving, one-handed grab in the end zone, a catch that earned the No. 1 spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day. Cephus finished with six receptions for 44 yards in the season opener and followed that with a career day in the 24-10 win over Stephen F. Austin, hauling in eight passes for 89 yards and his second TD of the season on a 4-yard pass in the final minutes of the first half. Cephus caught his third TD pass of the young season on a 7-yard throw from Josh Adkins late in the third quarter of the win against Middle Tennessee and he added three receptions for 42 yards versus UAB the following week. He had four grabs for 58 yards, including a 32-yard grab in tight coverage, versus No. 15 BYU and five more catches for 46 yards against Army. Cephus leads the Roadrunners in receptions (35) and stands second in receiving yards (323) and receiving TDs (3).
QB room loaded with starting experience
UTSA's quarterbacks room entered the season as one of the most experienced groups of signal callers in the nation. Josh Adkins (20), Frank Harris (4), Lowell Narcisse (7) and Jordan Weeks (4) boasted a combined 35 starts at the FBS level prior to 2020, making UTSA one of just five teams with four QBs who all owned FBS starts. The others were Arkansas, Northwestern, Old Dominion and Tennessee. Through seven games, UTSA has seen three different quarterbacks earn starts, while all four of the above QBs have seen playing time.
Bouncing back
For the second straight season, UTSA quarterback Frank Harris enjoyed a memorable debut after bouncing back from injury. The junior from Schertz Clemens High School ran for a school record-tying three touchdowns and threw for another to help lead the Roadrunners to a 51-48 double-overtime triumph over Texas State. Harris completed 23 of 31 passes for 169 yards and carried 11 times for 51 yards and three scores in a turnover-free afternoon to guide the offense to 499 yards, the most since the 2017 win against Texas State. A member of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Midseason Watch List, Harris accounted for 373 yards and three TDs in the 24-10 win against Stephen F. Austin the following Saturday. He became the first UTSA signal caller to register two career 100-yard rushing games after he rushed for 104 yards and two scores on 17 attempts. He also completed 23 of 36 passes for a career-best 269 yards and a TD against the Lumberjacks and collected Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, Harris certainly has displayed the toughness that warrants the No. 0 jersey he earned after a vote by his teammates. The lefthander has battled back from two knee injuries, including one that knocked him out for the 2018 season, and a shoulder injury that ended his 2019 campaign. Harris left the Middle Tennessee contest late in the first half with an injury after throwing for 70 yards and ripping off a 20-yard run, but he made his return to the field with a start in the BYU contest on Oct. 10. He came off the bench against Army and fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin on his first throw for his fourth passing TD of the year before earning his ninth career start in the win over Louisiana Tech, throwing for 189 yards on 18-of-33 passing. Harris has 786 yards and four TDs through the air and has rushed for 192 yards and five scores, which places him sixth in C-USA and 25th nationally.
Familiar faces return on offensive line
UTSA welcomes back several familiar faces on the offensive line, including a trio of returning starters in Spencer Burford, Kevin Davis and Ahofitu Maka. Burford has 28 games and 26 starts under his belt and the junior from San Antonio Wagner High School earned honorable mention all-conference accolades last season after being named to the 2018 Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Following a redshirt year in 2017, Davis, who hails from Angleton, Texas, stepped into the starting center role in all 12 contests two seasons ago before making the move to guard as a sophomore when he started all 10 games in which he was available. Davis made his first appearance in 2020 with a start at right guard versus Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25 and has started the last four games at the same spot. Maka had an immediate impact on the line in his first season with the Roadrunners in 2019. UTSA's first player from the state of Hawai'i, he has started the last 19 contests at center and was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which honors the nation's most outstanding center. The most experienced offensive lineman on the roster is Dominic Pastucci, who has 39 games under his belt. A versatile senior from Pflugerville Hendrickson High School who can play guard or tackle, he has earned 11 starts during his career and a reputation as one of the team's strongest performers in the weight room.
Wreaking havoc
The UTSA defense has a new look in 2020 with the arrival of defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix's 3-4 front. The new alignment has helped to wreak havoc for opposing backfields, as the Roadrunners rank second in Conference USA and 22nd in the country with 7.6 tackles for loss per game. In the season-opening win over Texas State, the Roadrunners recorded 14 tackles for loss, a total that is tied for the second-most by an FBS team in a game this season and broke the school record of 12 set in the 2019 season finale at Louisiana Tech. UTSA hit the double-digit mark once again with 10 in the 24-10 win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before posting nine stops behind the line of scrimmage in the 37-35 victory against Middle Tennessee and seven versus UAB. The Roadrunners have turned in 13 in the last three contests and their 53 tackles for loss this season have cost opponents 198 combined yards, including 87 on 15 sacks.
Give me that
The UTSA defense has emerged as one of the best units in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers. The Roadrunners have come up with 13 total takeaways through seven games, which leads Conference USA and stands third nationally. Eight of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, including two apiece by Corey Mayfield Jr. and Rashad Wisdom and one each from Trevor Harmanson, Antonio Parks, Donyai Taylor and Tariq Woolen. UTSA's eight picks pace C-USA and rank seventh in the FBS, while Mayfield Jr. and Wisdom are tied for second in the league and 14th in the country in interceptions. Meanwhile, Jamal Ligon is tied for second in the FBS with two fumble recoveries, which also is good for a share of the No. 2 spot on UTSA's single-season list. On the strength of the 13 takeaways, the Roadrunners also rank third in the conference and 23rd in the nation in turnover margin (+6).
Senior standout paces defensive front
In its short history, UTSA has made a name for itself by producing defensive linemen who have moved on to the professional ranks. Headlining that list is 2018 NFL first round draft pick Marcus Davenport, the 2017 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a current member of the New Orleans Saints. Jaylon Haynes could be the next Roadrunner to join the likes of Davenport, Eric Banks, Ashaad Mabry, Jason Neill, Brian Price and Kevin Strong Jr. The senior from Wharton, Texas, enjoyed a breakout 2019 season that saw him lead all UTSA defensive linemen with 40 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries en route to honorable mention all-conference accolades. The 2017 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection has continued to be a force in the middle this season with five tackles for loss, including a trio of sacks, and a pair of quarterback hurries. Haynes, who missed the UAB and BYU contests due to injury, returned to the lineup and registered three tackles — and a sack that was negated due to a penalty — against Army before adding a stop and a pressure for a defense that held Louisiana Tech to 247 yards, including 35 after halftime. Haynes has recorded 20.5 career TFL, good for a tie for fifth place on UTSA's all-time list.
Freshman linebacker turning heads
True freshman Jamal Ligon has turned heads in his short time as a Roadrunners. A two-time district utility player of the year after playing tight end, fullback and defensive line at Tyler Lee High School under Kurt Traylor, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor's brother and current Roadrunners tight ends coach, he has appeared in all seven games and earned a start at inside linebacker in each of the last six contests. After registering four stops in the season-opening win at Texas State and a pair of tackles in the triumph over Stephen F. Austin, Ligon exploded for a school-record 19 tackles in the 37-35 victory against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. He turned in eight solo stops and 1.5 sacks as part of his record-setting tackles total to go along with a pair of quarterback hurries and he was named Athlon Sports' Defensive Freshman of the Week and Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Blue Raiders. His 19 tackles eclipsed the previous program standard of 16 set in 2011 by Cody Rogers and it marks the second-most tackles made by an FBS player in a game this season. Ligon added five tackles and he forced and recovered a fumble against UAB before making three stops at No. 15 BYU and nine versus Army. In his last outing, he tallied seven stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack and one pass breakup. He ranks second on the team with 49 total tackles, to go along with five tackles for loss, three sacks, two quarterback hurries, one PBU and a forced fumble. Ligon also has a pair of fumble recoveries, tied for the second-most by an FBS player this fall.
Wisdom in the secondary
Despite being on the UTSA campus for less than two years, sophomore safety Rashad Wisdom has emerged as one of the team leaders. The Converse Judson High School product enrolled in January 2019 and immediately had an impact on the program on and off the field. He earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors after racking up 44 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and an interception that he returned 34 yards for a touchdown in his debut campaign. He provided quite the encore in his 2020 debut, recording a team-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 TFL, and returning an interception 81 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He again led the defense in tackles with nine in the win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before posting nine in the 37-35 triumph over Middle Tennessee. He recorded five solo stops and his second interception of the fall before being ejected for targeting in the second half of the UAB contest. In his last outing, he tallied a team-high 10 tackles and broke up a pass in the 27-26 win over Louisiana Tech. Wisdom leads the team with 50 tackles, and his two picks place in a tie for second in C-USA and 14th nationally. Wisdom's family captured the hearts of the UTSA football program and the San Antonio community over the past year by sharing the story of Rashad's younger brother, Bryce, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and passed away at the age of 17 in July of this year. UTSA is wearing a "Bryce Strong" helmet sticker this season in his honor.
Safeties stepping up
Kelechi Nwachuku and Antonio Parks have stepped up as regulars in UTSA's rotation at the safety position this fall. Nwachuku has played in all seven contests and drawn a pair of starting assignments against BYU and Army. The redshirt sophomore ranks fourth on the team with 41 total tackles and he also has broken up a pair of passes. He tallied seven stops, including six solos, at BYU before breaking out with a team-high 16 tackles (nine unassisted) versus Army. In his last outing, Nwachuku — who earned six starts last fall — had six tackles in the 27-26 win over Louisiana Tech. Meanwhile, Parks has recorded 31 tackles, including four tackles for loss, while appearing in all seven games with five starts this year. The senior turned in five tackles in back-to-back games against Middle Tennessee and UAB before posting seven at BYU. Parks added six stops and had a hand in a pair of second-half takeaways against Louisiana Tech, as he forced a fumble late in the third quarter that was recovered by Christian Clayton and picked off a pass in the final minute to ice the win. The Reserve, La., native earned Conference USA co-Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance against the Bulldogs.
A dependable option
UTSA place-kicker Hunter Duplessis has emerged as a dependable weapon with his right leg. The senior place-kicker has made 14 of 15 field goals this season, placing him atop the FBS for total field goals and second in Conference USA in field goal percentage (.933). He made his last nine kicks of the 2019 campaign and the first 14 this season before he saw his consecutive field goals made streak end at 23 with a block in the second half of the 27-26 win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24. He made all three of his attempts in the season opener, including the game-winning 29-yarder at the end of the second overtime, to help lift UTSA to a 51-48 triumph over Texas State on Sept. 12, and he earned Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for his performance. Duplessis drilled his only field-goal attempt in the win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before making all three kicks in the win over Middle Tennessee. He booted a pair of field goals versus UAB and drilled 39- and 36-yard field goals against BYU. UTSA's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy made a career-long 50-yard field goal, the fifth-longest in program history, on his only attempt in the Army contest before going 2 for 3 versus Louisiana Tech. Duplessis' 23 career field goals rank third in school annals and he also has made 20 of 21 extra-point attempts this fall and 45 for his career, which puts him third on the school's career chart.
Punter from Down Under
In its short history, UTSA has developed consistent success in the punting game with the likes of Kristian Stern and Yannis Routsas, a 2017 Ray Guy Award semifinalist. Sophomore punter Lucas Dean has emerged as the next in that punting lineage. A product of Prokick Australia and the first Roadrunner regardless of position from Down Under, Dean has used an Australian Rules Football background to help provide UTSA with a weapon in the kicking game since his arrival on campus in 2019. As a true freshman, he averaged 40.8 yards on 65 punts and booted 12 of 50-plus yards. He also pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 16 times and induced 28 fair catches. Through seven games this season, Dean leads Conference USA and ranks 12th in the FBS with a 45.9 average. Of his 37 punts, 13 have sailed 50-or-more yards, 18 have been downed inside the 20 and eight have resulted in fair catches. Dean averaged 49.2 yards on six punts — including a 57-yard bomb that was downed at the 9-yard line — in the 37-35 win against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 19. He punted six times for a 45.0 average with five pinning UAB inside its own 20, including a 55-yarder that was downed at the 1, and was named Ray Guy Punter of the Week for his performance. Dean averaged 45.2 yards on five punts with two downed inside the BYU 20, including a career-long 59-yard bomb that bounced out of bounds at the 2. He had four punts for a 46.5 average, including a 47-yarder that went out of bounds at the 8-yard line late in the win over Louisiana Tech.
Another program first
UTSA made history on Sept. 20 after receiving votes in that week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Now in their 10th season of football and ninth as a member of an FBS conference, the Roadrunners received two votes, marking the first time UTSA has collected a vote for either of the weekly top 25 polls.
Brotherly duos
UTSA has two sets of brothers on the 2020 roster in junior offensive lineman Kevin Davis and freshman wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with junior safety Dadrian Taylor and freshman safety Donyai Taylor. That makes the Roadrunners one of 27 FBS teams with at least two brotherly duos.
UTSA roster breakdown
UTSA's 116-man roster features 21 seniors, 27 juniors, 30 sophomores and 38 redshirt or true freshmen. The roster lists 87 players — 75% — who hail from the state of Texas, while the next-closest state is Louisiana with eight. There are five players from both California and Mississippi, while three call Florida home and a pair are from Georgia. UTSA has one player each from Hawai'i, Maryland, Michigan and Tennessee, while Lucas Dean is the first Roadrunner from Australia.
Representing the 210
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and his staff have placed an emphasis on recruiting the 210 area code, which covers the city of San Antonio and surrounding areas. The current roster already includes a lengthy list of 25 local players:
Name (High School)
Josh Adkins (Smithson Valley)
Jabari Aiken (Johnson)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Spencer Burford (Wagner)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
JayVeon Cardwell (Steele)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Hunter Duplessis (Cole)
KJ Elder (Warren)
Shaquan Flagg (Brennan)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Jaden Jones (East Central)
Magnus Kirby (Sam Houston)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Sincere McCormick (Judson)
Matthew Ojeda (Int'l School of the Americas)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Daniel Santallana (East Central)
Jordan Smith (Brennan)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Wiliam Turner (Randolph)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA Triangle of Toughness
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has installed many new ideas since his hiring, including his Culture Pillars: Integrity, Passion, Mental & Physical Toughness, Selfless and Perfect Effort. As part of that new culture, the players voted after fall camp on who would earn single-digit jersey numbers, a reward for representing mental and physical toughness on and off the field. Nos. 0-9 were unveiled in a series of tweets and the numbers 2, 1 and 0 were chosen for the players voted to represent the 210 Brand, the UTSA Triangle of Toughness. Below are the single-digit jersey numbers as voted by their teammates:
0 – Frank Harris, Rashad Wisdom
1 — Jaylon Haynes
2 — Sheldon Jones
3 — Sincere McCormick
4 — Antonio Parks, Leroy Watson
5 — Brenden Brady
6 — Brennon Dingle
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Solomon Wise
9 — Clarence Hicks
Trevor Harmanson also was voted into the single-digit group but elected to stay in No 15, while offensive linemen Spencer Burford, Ahofitu Maka and Dominic Pastucci also received the necessary votes but cannot change to a single-digit number due to their position.
Leadership Council elected
UTSA has elected a Leadership Council made up of representatives from each position group.
QB — Frank Harris
RB — Brenden Brady
WR — Sheldon Jones
TE — Leroy Watson
OL — Dominic Pastucci
DL — Jaylon Haynes
LB — DeQuarius Henry, Tyler Mahnke
DB — Rashad Wisdom
ST — Hunter Duplessis, Myles Benning
Up next
UTSA will make the short trek east along I-10 to face Rice on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Houston. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. at Rice Stadium and the game will air on ESPN3 and Ticket 760 AM.
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