UTSA Roadrunners (5-4, 3-2) at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (2-6, 1-3)
2 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 21
Roberts Stadium | Hattiesburg, Miss.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA and Southern Miss will meet for the seventh time on Saturday.
• The Golden Eagles lead the series 4-2 and have won the last three meetings.
• UTSA is one of only six FBS teams to have played at least nine games as of Nov. 15.
• With at least two regular season games remaining, the Roadrunners already have notched five wins, their most since 2017.
• UTSA leads Conference USA and ranks seventh in the FBS with 15 takeaways, including eight interceptions (1st/C-USA; 16th/FBS) and seven fumble recoveries (2nd/C-USA; 9th/FBS).
• Sophomore RB Sincere McCormick ranks second in the FBS in rushing yards (921).
• Senior PK Hunter Duplessis is tied for the FBS lead with 16 field goals.
• Sophomore P Lucas Dean leads C-USA and stands 11th nationally in punting average (46.1).
• Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, marking the 95th straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Setting the scene
Fresh off a 52-21 rout of UTEP, UTSA will hit the road to face Southern Miss on Saturday, Nov. 21. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Roberts Stadium and the game will air on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM. The Roadrunners ran their record to 5-4 overall — the most wins in a season since 2017 — and 3-2 in Conference USA with the triumph over the Miners. The Golden Eagles (2-6, 1-3) own a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series, have won the last three meetings and are a perfect 2-0 against UTSA in Hattiesburg.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, which can be viewed at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN app (a subscription is required to stream the game). Jason Baker (play-by-play) and Dustin Almond (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 12 p.m. 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.
About ESPN+
Saturday's game will stream live on the ESPN+ digital network, the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney's Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN app (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month. ESPN+ is not included with your cable/satellite subscription, and ESPN+ does not include other ESPN content (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3, etc). It is a completely standalone subscription.
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, the Roadrunners are one of only six FBS teams with at least nine games under their belt as of Nov. 15, joining Texas State (10 games), Boston College, SMU, Tulane and WKU. The Roadrunners originally were slated 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 an Oct. 10 road date with BYU 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. The Roadrunners postponed their Nov. 7 league game with Rice due to coronavirus-related issues within the program. A makeup date has not been announced.
TV birds
All 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 93 outings appear over the airwaves, can 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.
Who's counting?
Now in their 10th season of play, the Roadrunners will play their 116th game in program history and 58th road contest on Saturday. The Roadrunners are 50-65 all-time and 20-37 away from home, including a 1-3 mark this season. By comparison, Southern Miss has been playing football since 1912 and boasts an all-time record of 603-437-27 in 104 seasons.
Scouting Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles fell to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in Conference USA with a 10-7 road setback to WKU on Saturday. Southern Miss is averaging 23.5 points and 357.4 yards per game and allowing 33.6 points and 423.4 yards per contest. Jack Abraham has completed 97 of 149 passes for 1,224 yards and seven touchdowns, while Frank Gore leads the ground attack with 527 yards and a score on 99 rushes. Jason Brownlee is the top receiver with 29 catches for 474 yards and four TDs. Hayes Maples paces the defense with 75 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Series history
This will be the seventh meeting between UTSA and Southern Miss and the third in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 4-2, including a 2-0 mark in games played at Roberts Stadium. Southern Miss has won three straight matchups with the Roadrunners, who posted a 12-10 win in 2014 and a 55-32 triumph in 2016.
Last meeting
Lowell Narcisse turned in the seventh 300-yard passing game in UTSA history but Southern Miss outscored the Roadrunners 20-7 in the second half in a 36-17 victory in Conference USA on Nov. 16, 2019, at the Alamodome. The Golden Eagles tallied 493 yards of offense — 290 through the air and 203 on the ground — in winning for the third straight season against the Roadrunners. Narcisse completed 21 of 40 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns to lead UTSA to 422 yards of offense. Jack Abraham completed 22 of 34 passes for 290 yards and a pair of touchdowns and De'Michael Harris rushed for a game-high 121 yards and two TDs on 16 carries to lead Southern Miss. Quez Watkins had seven receptions for 137 yards and a TD, while Tim Jones caught eight for 97 yards and a score for the Golden Eagles.
Roadrunners from the Magnolia State
UTSA's roster lists five players who hail from the state of Mississippi, including Hattiesburg High School product Demetris Allen. Lorenzo Dantzler is from Starkville and began his career at Southern Miss in 2016, while Jalyn Galmore (Batesville), Peter Gray (Tupelo) and Josh Oatis (Gulfport) also call the Magnolia State home.
Last time out
UTSA shattered the school record for total offense with 600 yards and the defense held UTEP to 71 yards as part of a second-half shutout in a 52-21 victory in Conference USA action on Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome. Frank Harris registered his first career 300-yard passing performance, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-26 passing to help lead the Roadrunners to their fifth win of the season, their most since winning six games in 2017. Brenden Brady rushed for a career-high 124 yards on 26 carries and Zakhari Franklin had six receptions for 118 yards and a score to help the offense eclipse the previous program standard of 569 yards set in the 2017 win against Texas State. Meanwhile, the defense put the clamps on UTEP after halftime, surrendering 71 total yards, including only 14 on the ground, while holding the Miners off the scoreboard in the final 30 minutes. For the game, UTSA limited the visitors to 246 total yards and just 77 rushing yards, while forcing two turnovers in beating UTEP for the fourth straight time. Rashad Wisdom led the way with nine tackles and a pair of forced fumbles, while Jamal Ligon added seven stops. Lorenzo Dantzler had 1.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, while Trumane Bell II and DeQuarius Henry also added sacks.
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 seven of the nine 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. UTSA rallied from a 13-point deficit with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 27-26 triumph over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24.
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 UTSA's nominee 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
UTSA sophomore safety Rashad Wisdom collected the seventh Conference USA weekly award when he was tabbed the league's defensive player of the week after registering nine tackles and forcing a pair of fumbles in the 52-21 win over UTEP on Nov. 14. 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. Sincere McCormick was named C-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 Oct. 26. McCormick gashed Louisiana Tech for 165 yards and three touchdowns on a school-record 37 carries, and he also was tabbed the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week on Oct. 27. 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. UTSA's seven C-USA weekly awards this season are three more than the previous program standard of four set in 2014.
First-time starters
UTSA has seen 16 players make their first career start through the first nine games this season. That total is just outside of the FBS top 10 for most first-time starters this fall. 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 215.4 yards per game through the air and 187.3 yards per contest on the ground, with a play breakdown of 304 passes and 361 rushes. 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 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, before turning 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 the following week. The offense turned in a record-setting performance in the last outing with 600 total yards — a season-best 312 passing and 288 rushing — in the 52-21 win over UTEP, eclipsing the school's previous single-game record of 569 set in 2017.
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the best debut campaigns in program history last fall, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is in the midst of a successful sophomore season, as he leads Conference USA and ranks second in the FBS with 921 rushing yards despite missing the UTEP contest due to the birth of his daughter. The 2019 C-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 accumulated 150 yards and a TD on 22 totes against UAB on Oct. 3 in what was a matchup of two of the top rushers — along with the Blazers' Spencer Brown — in the nation. McCormick topped the century mark again with 133 yards on 18 attempts versus Army on Oct. 17 before gashing Louisiana Tech for 165 yards and three touchdowns on a school-record 37 attempts for the fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and seventh of his career. He was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week, as well as C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time, for his performance. The 2019 Freshman All-American ranks 14th nationally with 115.1 rushing yards per game and 21st with seven rushing TDs. McCormick owns three of the top seven rushing performances in C-USA and his four 100-yard games stand third in the league 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 20 career games, he has piled up 1,904 yards on the ground, good for third in program history and 489 yards behind all-time leading rusher Jarveon Williams' 2,393 yards. He also ranks fifth in both rushing attempts (348) and rushing touchdowns (15) on the career charts. Through eight games this fall, McCormick is on pace to shatter three single-season rushing standards. With 921 yards on 171 attempts, he is within striking distance 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.
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 nine games, UTSA has seen three of those quarterbacks earn starts — Harris (7), Adkins (1) and Narcisse (1) — while all four 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. 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 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 before earning the start in the win over Louisiana Tech, throwing for 189 yards on 18-of-33 passing. The Schertz Clemens High School product turned in arguably his most impressive performance in the 52-21 win over UTEP on Nov. 14, completing 22 of 26 passes (84.6%) for a career-high 312 yards and three TDs while also rushing for 43 yards and two more scores. Harris, who made the Davey O'Brien Great 8 list for the second time this season after his career game versus the Miners, has 1,207 yards and seven TDs through the air and he has rushed for 301 yards and seven scores, which places him third in C-USA and 21st nationally.
Sophomore sensation
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. Franklin notched his name in the record book yet again with his fourth career 100-yard receiving game — the most by any Roadrunner — with 118 yards and a TD on six catches in the 52-21 win over UTEP on Nov. 14. He now has a team-best 508 yards and five touchdowns (2nd/C-USA) on 38 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 943 receiving yards in his last 12 games. His five TD receptions this fall are tied for second in program history and his career 62.4 yards-per-game average currently ranks as the best in UTSA annals. Franklin is just one yard shy of reaching 1,000 receiving yards for his career.
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 the following Saturday. After catching five passes for 63 yards versus Florida Atlantic and five for 58 in the win over UTEP, Cephus now leads the Roadrunners in receptions (45) and stands second in receiving yards (444) and receiving TDs (3). He currently sits in a tie for third place on UTSA's single-season receptions list.
Versatility shines on O-line
UTSA has been bitten by the injury bug on the offensive line this season, but thanks to a versatile group of linemen, the Roadrunners still have managed to pave the way for the nation's second-leading rusher. Through the first nine games, UTSA has used eight different lineups along the offensive line. The only time the same five players started at the same positions in multiple games occurred in back-to-back weeks when Spencer Burford (LT), Dominic Pastucci (LG), Ahofitu Maka (C), Kevin Davis (RG) and Josh Oatis (RT) lined up for the first series against both Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25 and UAB on Oct. 3. Maka, a Rimington Trophy watch list member, has started eight games this season and 20 straight for his career. Davis has made 29 career starts, including seven this season with the first five at right guard before moving to center for the last two outings. Spencer Burford has started 28 career games and made 30 appearances at both guard and tackle, including making the move from right to left tackle after the first two contests this fall. Pastucci, the most experienced lineman on the team with 40 career games under his belt, made starts at left guard in the first four weeks, while Brandon Rolfe has started at both left guard and left tackle in 2020. Josh Oatis, who has played in 22 career contests, owns starts at left and right tackle, while Makai Hart returned to the lineup against UAB and has started the last five games at either left or right tackle. Bosah Osakwe started the first two games at right guard, Terrell Haynes earned starts at guard in each of the last three contests and Demetris Allen made his second start of the fall at guard in the win over UTEP.
Wreaking havoc
The UTSA defense has a new look in 2020 with a 3-4 front and that new alignment has helped to wreak havoc for opposing backfields, as the Roadrunners rank second in Conference USA and 23rd in the country with 7.9 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 matched the school record with 14 TFL against Florida Atlantic and their 71 tackles for loss this season have cost opponents 261 combined yards, including 115 on 20 sacks. This year's unit has its sights set on the school's single-season record for tackles for loss of 96 established last season.
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 15 total takeaways through nine games, which leads Conference USA and stands seventh 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 16th in the FBS, while Mayfield Jr. and Wisdom are tied for third in the league in interceptions. Meanwhile, UTSA has recovered seven fumbles this fall, good for second in C-USA and ninth nationally. Christian Clayton and Jamal Ligon are tied for second in the FBS with two fumble recoveries apiece, which also is good for a share of the No. 2 spot on UTSA's single-season list. On the strength of the 15 takeaways, the Roadrunners also stand second in the conference and 29th in the nation in turnover margin (+6).
Wiley a welcome addition
Graduate transfer Charles Wiley has been a welcome addition to the defensive front seven this season. A native of Georgia, he joined the Roadrunners this summer after appearing in 33 career games at Mississippi and immediately worked his way into the rotation at outside linebacker. He has played in all nine games and started the last eight, posting 33 total tackles and three quarterback hurries. Wiley is tied for the team lead with eight tackles for loss to go along with one sack and a fumble recovery on the year. His production has exploded over the last five contests with 24 tackles and 4.5 TFL, including six stops apiece against No. 15 BYU and Army, as well as eight tackles and 3.5 TFL versus Florida Atlantic.
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, who missed the Florida Atlantic game, returned to help the Roadrunners hold UTEP to 246 yards of offense, including just 77 on the ground. 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 nine games and earned a start at inside linebacker in seven 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. He tallied seven stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack and one pass breakup in the win over Louisiana Tech and three more tackles at Florida Atlantic before making seven stops to help UTSA limit UTEP to 246 yards of offense. He ranks second on the team with 59 total tackles, to go along with 6.0 tackles for loss, three sacks, a trio of 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. He tallied a team-high 10 tackles and broke up a pass in the 27-26 win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24 and then registered a game-high 13 stops, including nine solos and one behind the line, against Florida Atlantic. He made a team-best nine tackles and forced a pair of fumbles in the 52-21 rout of UTEP in his last outing, and he collected C-USA Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance. Wisdom ranks third in C-USA and 12th in the FBS with a team-high 72 tackles, and his two picks place in a tie for third in the league. 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 nine contests and he drew a pair of starting assignments against BYU and Army. The redshirt sophomore ranks fourth on the team with 46 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. Nwachuku — who earned six starts last fall — had six tackles in the 27-26 win over Louisiana Tech and added five more against Florida Atlantic. Meanwhile, Parks has recorded 35 tackles, including four tackles for loss, to go along with one forced fumble, one recovery and a PBU while appearing in all nine games with seven 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 option with his right leg. The senior place-kicker has made 16 of 17 field goals this season, placing him in a tie atop the FBS for total field goals and first in Conference USA in both field goals per game (1.78) and field goal percentage (.941). 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. He made his only attempt — a 49-yarder in wet conditions on grass surface — at Florida Atlantic and then drilled another 49-yard attempt in the 52- 21 win against UTEP. Duplessis' 25 career field goals rank third in school annals and his 16 this fall currently rank third on the single-season list, four behind the record of 19. He also has made 27 of 28 extra-point attempts this fall and 52 for his career, which puts him second on the school's all-time 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 nine games this season, Dean leads Conference USA and ranks 11th in the FBS with a 46.1 average. Of his 46 punts, 17 have sailed 50-or-more yards, 20 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 59-yard boot 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 and then averaged 47.9 yards on eight punts, including a career-best 67-yarder that ranks as the second-longest in program history, versus Florida Atlantic.
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 host North Texas on Saturday, Nov. 28. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised by Stadium.
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