UTSA Roadrunners (6-4, 4-2) vs. North Texas Mean Green (3-3, 2-2)
2 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 28
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: Stadium (Fox Sports Southwest in Texas)
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA will recognize 23 student-athletes for Senior Day on Saturday.
• The Roadrunners have reached six wins for the fifth time in the 10-year history of the program and the first since 2017.
• With a 4-2 league record, UTSA will look to stay in a tie atop the C-USA West Division with UAB (2-1).
• UTSA and North Texas will meet for the eighth time on Saturday.
• The Mean Green lead the all-times series, 4-3, and have won the last three meetings.
• UTSA is one of only four FBS teams to have played at least 10 games as of Nov. 21.
• UTSA leads Conference USA and ranks eighth in the FBS with 16 takeaways, including nine interceptions (1st/C-USA; 17th/FBS) and seven fumble recoveries (2nd/C-USA; 13th/FBS).
• Sophomore RB Sincere McCormick ranks second in the FBS with a UTSA-record 1,094 rushing yards.
• Senior PK Hunter Duplessis stands second in the FBS lead with 16 field goals.
• Sophomore P Lucas Dean leads C-USA and stands eighth nationally in punting average (46.3).
• Saturday's game will be televised by Stadium, marking the 96th straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Setting the scene
Winners of two straight games, UTSA will look to stay in a tie atop the Conference USA West Division when it hosts North Texas on Saturday, Nov. 28, for Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised by Stadium. The Roadrunners ran their record to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the league with a 23-20 road victory over Southern Miss last Saturday that pushed them into a tie by winning percentage with UAB (2-1) for the West Division lead. UTSA, which has reached six wins for the fifth time in the 10-year history of the program and the first since 2017, will recognize 21 seniors prior to the home finale against the Mean Green (3-3, 2-2).
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised by Stadium, which is available on numerous regional sports networks around the country including Fox Sports Southwest in Texas. 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 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.
Senior Day
UTSA will recognize 23 student-athletes prior to Saturday's home finale versus North Texas. That list includes Andrew Acosta, Myles Benning, B.J. Daniels, Lorenzo Dantzler, Brennon Dingle, Hunter Duplessis, Jalyn Galmore, SaVion Harris, Jaylon Haynes, DeQuarius Henry, Clarence Hicks, Kadari Johnson, Andrew McGowan, Dexter Myers, Josh Oatis, Matthew Ojeda, Bosah Osakwe, Antonio Parks, Dominic Pastucci, Dominic Sheppard, Leroy Watson, Charles Wiley and Solomon Wise.
In the hunt
With at least one game remaining on the league schedule, UTSA is in the hunt for the Conference USA West Division crown and a chance to play in the league's championship game on Dec. 18. The Roadrunners enter Saturday's contest with a 4-2 league record, good for a tie by winning percentage (.667) with UAB (2-1). The Blazers have conference games left against Southern Miss and Rice and they own the head-to-head tiebreaker with UTSA based on the 21-13 decision on Oct. 3 in Birmingham. Louisiana Tech (3-2) is still scheduled to face FIU and North Texas and, like UTSA, had a game versus Rice postponed. North Texas (2-2) has the matchups with UTSA and LA Tech remaining, while Rice (1-2) is slated to play UTEP, Marshall and UAB. Undefeated Marshall sits on top of the East Division with a 4-0 record. The 2013 UTSA team set the program record for the most conference wins in a season with a 6-2 mark, while the 2016 Roadrunners posted a 5-3 ledger.
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 four FBS teams with at least 10 games under their belt as of Nov. 21, joining Texas State (11 games), 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 94 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. Following last Saturday's win over Southern Miss, UTSA now has posted at least six wins in five of the 10 seasons in program history. The 2012 team won a program-record eight games, while the Roadrunners notched a 7-5 record in 2013 and posted six wins in both 2016 and 2017.
Who's counting?
Now in their 10th season of play, the Roadrunners will play their 117th game in program history and 59th home contest on Saturday. The Roadrunners are 51-65 all-time and 30-28 at the Alamodome, including 4-1 this season. By comparison, North Texas has been playing football since 1913 and owns an all-time record of 523-517-33.
Scouting North Texas
The Mean Green improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA with a 27-17 home win over Rice on Nov. 21. It marked the first game in more than one month for North Texas, which also owns victories against Houston Baptist and Middle Tennessee. The Mean Green are averaging 37.2 points and a league-best 559.5 yards of offense per game, while surrendering 39.7 points and 520.5 yards per contest. Jason Bean has taken over the starting quarterback role and has passed for 547 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 325 yards and five TDs in four games. Jaelon Darden leads the FBS in receiving yards (739) and DeAndre Torrey is the team's top rusher with 546 yards and five scores. KD Davis paces the defense with 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries. Head coach Seth Littrell is 30-28 in his fifth season at the helm.
Series history
This will be the eighth meeting between UTSA and North Texas. The Mean Green have won the last three matchups and own a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The Roadrunners have won two of the three previous meetings at the Alamodome. This will mark the third time the two teams have met on Thanksgiving weekend.
Last meeting
Lowell Narcisse came off the bench to register 222 yards of offense, but it was not enough in a 45-3 setback to North Texas on Sept. 21, 2019, at Apogee Stadium. The Mean Green took advantage of four turnovers by the Roadrunners and converted those into 28 points while piling up 501 yards of offense. North Texas quarterback Mason Fine passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns while Tre Siggers rushed for 143 yards and a pair of scores to help the Mean Green total 290 yards on the ground. Narcisse completed 16 passes for 124 yards and ran for a team-high 98 yards on 15 carries to pace the UTSA offense. Sincere McCormick added 62 yards on 16 attempts, while Sheldon Jones led all receivers with six catches for 41 yards.
Last time out
Sincere McCormick broke the UTSA single-season rushing yardage record after piling up 173 yards on the ground to help lead the Roadrunners to a 23-20 win over Southern Miss in Conference USA action on Nov. 21 at Roberts Stadium. McCormick's fifth 100-yard rushing output of the season highlighted the sixth win of head coach Jeff Traylor's first season at the helm of the Roadrunners, who improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference while reaching six victories for the fifth time in the program's 10-year history and the first since 2017. McCormick carried the ball 32 times and reached the end zone twice in eclipsing Jarveon Williams' previous school standard of 1,042 yards set in 2015. Trailing 10-9 at the half, UTSA put together back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 23-10 lead in the third quarter. Southern Miss would not go away quietly, cutting the deficit to three points after a 27-yard field goal from Briggs Bourgeois late in the third and a 51-yard touchdown reception by Frank Gore Jr. with 10:19 left to play in the game. The defense came up with a stop on what turned out to be the final possession of the game for the Golden Eagles. On third down and seven from the UTSA 42, Southern Miss quarterback Tate Whatley was pressured and saw his pass deflected by Trumane Bell II, which Whatley caught for a 19-yard loss, forcing a punt. From there, the Roadrunners ran out the clock with a pair of first downs to secure their first win against Southern Miss since 2016 and their first-ever triumph in Hattiesburg.
Traylor making history in first season
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. With the 23-20 road win over Southern Miss on Nov. 21, UTSA has notched six wins for the fifth time in the 10-year history of the program and the first since 2017. A seventh win would make Traylor the first UTSA coach to reach that plateau in his debut season. 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 eight of the 10 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. The Roadrunners held off Southern Miss 23-20 on Nov. 21 for their first win in Hattiesburg.
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 has collected eight Conference USA Player of the Week awards this season, four more than the previous program standard of four in 2014. Sincere McCormick has earned the weekly offensive honor three times, while Hunter Duplessis (special teams), Frank Harris (offense), Jamal Ligon (defense), Antonio Park (defense) and Rashad Wisdom (defense) each have garnered the award once this fall.
UTSA's C-USA Player of the Week honorees
Offense
9/14 — Sincere McCormick
9/21 — Frank Harris
10/26 — Sincere McCormick
11/23 — Sincere McCormick
Defense
9/28 — Jamal Ligon
10/26 — Antonio Parks
11/16 — Rashad Wisdom
Special Teams
9/14 — Hunter Duplessis
First-time starters
UTSA has seen 17 players make their first career start through the first 10 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, Oscar Cardenas, 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 201.0 yards per game through the air and 191.9 yards per contest on the ground, with a play breakdown of 323 passes and 408 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 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 a school-record 1,094 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. 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. He turned in a record-setting performance in the 23-20 win at Southern Miss on Nov. 21, rushing for 173 yards and a pair of scores on 32 attempts to eclipse UTSA's previous single-season rushing mark of 1,042 set by Jarveon Williams in 2015 and also match the single-season standard for rushing TDs of nine established by Jalen Rhodes in 2016. Two days later, he collected his third C-USA weekly award of the year for his effort in Hattiesburg. The 2019 Freshman All-American ranks ninth nationally with 121.6 rushing yards per game and 15th with nine rushing TDs. McCormick owns four of the top eight rushing performances in C-USA and his five 100-yard games are tied for the most in the league this fall.
Chasing records
Sincere McCormick already has broken or is closing in on several UTSA rushing records during his short time at UTSA. In just 21 career games, he has piled up 2,077 yards on the ground, good for second in program history and 316 yards behind all-time leading rusher Jarveon Williams' 2,393 yards. He also ranks fourth in both rushing attempts (380) and rushing touchdowns (17) on the career charts. Despite missing the UTEP game due to the birth of his daughter, McCormick still eclipsed the school's single-season rushing yardage record, as he has piled up 1,094 yards in just nine games to surpass Williams' previous mark of 1,042 set over 12 contests in 2015. He also has 203 rushing attempts this fall, just four shy of Williams' record of 207 from 2016, and his nine rushing TDs are tied with Jalen Rhodes' record established in 2016. McCormick has topped the century mark five times this season and eight times during his career, matching Williams' UTSA career standard for 100-yard rushing performances.
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 10 games, UTSA has seen three of those quarterbacks earn starts — Harris (8), 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 season 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 1,278 yards and eight TDs through the air and he has rushed for 324 yards and seven scores, which places him fourth in C-USA and 24th nationally.
Sophomore sensation
UTSA sophomore wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has established himself as one of the top pass-catchers on the roster through 22 career games. After missing the first two contest this season, the Cedar Hill High School product made a memorable debut with six receptions 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. Franklin hauled in seven passes for 79 yards, including outjumping a pair of BYU defenders for a 32-yard TD reception on Oct. 10 and he followed that showing by breaking UTSA's single-game record with 12 receptions for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns against Army the following Saturday. He 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 before catching his sixth TD pass of the year against Southern Miss one week later. He now has a team-best 530 yards and six touchdowns (2nd/C-USA; 19th/FBS) on 41 catches this year. Franklin had 491 yards and three TDs on 38 catches in 2019 and with 435 of those yards coming during the final five contests, he now has 965 receiving yards in his last 13 games. His six TD receptions this fall place him in sole possession of second place on UTSA's single-season list — two behind Kerry Thomas Jr.'s standard of eight set in 2016 — and his career 60.1 yards-per-game average currently ranks as the best in UTSA annals. Franklin became the fifth Roadrunner to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards with his 3-yard TD catch versus Southern Miss and he now ranks fifth in program annals with 1,021 yards.
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, five for 58 in the win over UTEP and five for 44 in the road victory over Southern Miss, Cephus now leads the Roadrunners in receptions (50) and stands second in receiving yards (488) and receiving TDs (3). He currently sits in third place on UTSA's single-season receptions list, eight shy of Greg Campbell Jr.'s record of 58 set in 2018.
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 10 games, UTSA has used nine 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 nine games this season and 21 in his career. Davis has made 30 career starts, including eight this season with six at right guard and a pair at center. Spencer Burford has started 29 career games and made 31 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 41 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 six 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 four 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 lead Conference USA and rank 19th 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 tallied eight in the win over Southern Miss in their last outing. Their 79 tackles for loss this season have cost opponents 301 combined yards, including 128 on 22 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.
Tough against the run
The Roadrunners have been tough against the run for much of the season, particularly in the last four games. UTSA has held three of its las four opponents to fewer than 80 yards on the ground, including 75 in the Southern Miss victory, 77 in the triumph over UTEP and 78 in the win against Louisiana Tech. UTSA allowed just 106.5 yards per game on the ground during that four-game stretch. The Birds also yielded just 59 rushing yards in the win over Stephen F. Austin and 123 in the season-opening victory over Texas State. For the season, UTSA is surrendering 149.6 rushing yards per game, good for fifth in the conference, and 4.0 yards per rushing attempt.
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 16 total takeaways through 10 games, which leads Conference USA and stands eighth nationally. Nine of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, including a team-best three by Rashad Wisdom (2nd/C-USA; 10th/FBS), two by Corey Mayfield Jr. and one each from Trevor Harmanson, Antonio Parks, Donyai Taylor and Tariq Woolen. UTSA's nine picks pace C-USA and rank 17th in the FBS. Meanwhile, UTSA has recovered seven fumbles this fall, good for second in C-USA and 13th 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 16 takeaways, the Roadrunners also stand second in the conference and 34th 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 10 games and started the last nine, posting 34 total tackles and three quarterback hurries. Wiley stands second on the team with eight tackles for loss to go along with one sack and a fumble recovery on the year. His production has grown over the last six contests with 25 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.
An active presence in the middle
Junior inside linebacker Trevor Harmanson has emerged as an active presence in the middle of the UTSA defense this season. The Dickinson, Texas, native leads all Roadrunners with nine tackles for loss and he ranks third on the team with 59 total tackles to go along with five quarterback hurries, one sack, one interception and a pass breakup. Harmanson has registered five or more tackles in all but one contest, including a season-high-tying eight stops in the 23-20 road win over Southern Miss in his last outing. He also recorded eight tackles, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage, in the triumph over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. Harmanson, who joined UTSA in 2019 after one season at Blinn College, logged seven stops, including 1.5 TFL, and a pair of QB pressures in the victory against Stephen F. Austin. He came up with his first career pick in the road setback to UAB and he tallied two tackles for loss as part of seven total tackles at Florida Atlantic. Harmanson has totaled 107 total tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in 22 career games as a Roadrunner
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 10 games and earned a start at inside linebacker in eight 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 came up with seven stops to help UTSA limit UTEP to 246 yards of offense. In his last outing, Ligon posted a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a strip-sack, in the 23-20 road win over Southern Miss. He ranks second on the team with 68 total tackles, to go along with 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, a trio of quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a PBU. Ligon also has a pair of fumble recoveries, tied for the fourth-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 and collected C-USA Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance. Wisdom, who totaled seven stops and his third interception of the season in the 23-20 road win over Southern Miss, ranks third in C-USA and 11th in the FBS with a team-high 79 tackles, and his three picks place in a tie for second in the league and 10th 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.
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 for second in the FBS for total field goals and first in Conference USA in both field goals per game (1.6) 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, three behind the record of 19. He also has made 30 of 31 extra-point attempts this fall and 55 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 10 games this season, Dean leads Conference USA and ranks eighth in the FBS with a 46.3 average. Of his 52 punts, 20 have sailed 50-or-more yards, 25 have been downed inside the 20 and nine 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. In the 23-20 road win over Southern Miss, Dean averaged 47.7 yards on six punts with five inside the 20 and three going for 50-plus yards, including a 55-yarder that was downed at the 16 in the fourth quarter.
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
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