FRISCO, Texas — For the second time in the 10-year history of the program UTSA will play in a bowl game, as the Roadrunners on Sunday accepted an invitation to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl to face SMU on Saturday, Dec. 19. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Toyota Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
UTSA's first-ever meeting with the Mustangs will mark its first bowl appearance since the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 17, 2016, in Albuquerque. The Roadrunners, who matched an NCAA modern startup program record by playing in a bowl game in just their sixth season, dropped a 23-20 decision to New Mexico in their inaugural bowl appearance four years ago.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Jeff Traylor, who was SMU's associate head coach and running backs coach in 2017, the Roadrunners have posted a 7-4 overall record in 2020. UTSA finished second in Conference USA's West Division with a 5-2 mark (.714), percentage points behind UAB, which beat Rice 21-16 on Saturday to close out a 3-1 (.750) league ledger. The Roadrunners' five conference wins are the most by any C-USA team this fall and their seven overall victories are tied for the most in the league along with East Division champion Marshall (7-1).
"We're excited to accept an invitation to play in the Frisco Bowl," Traylor said. "I'm thrilled for our players, coaches and staff that we will get to showcase our #210TriangleOfToughness brand on national TV yet again. They are very deserving of this opportunity and we can't wait to get up to the Metroplex and compete against another in-state program in SMU."
UTSA has posted its most wins and best conference record since the 2013 team went 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the league. The Roadrunners are riding a three-game winning streak, including a 49-17 home triumph over North Texas in their last outing on Nov. 28, and they are one victory shy of matching the program standard for wins set by the 2012 squad that went 8-4.
SMU finished the regular season with a 7-3 record and placed fifth in the American Athletic Conference with a 4-3 mark. The Mustangs, who are coached by Sonny Dykes, were ranked as high as No. 16 in both major top 25 polls. This will mark SMU's second appearance in the Frisco Bowl (2017) and its third bowl game in the last four years.
"We are excited to have two outstanding teams participate in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, the SMU Mustangs and the UTSA Roadrunners" said Sean Johnson, Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Executive Director. "We are looking forward to kicking off the Bowl Season with this great matchup and to welcoming the teams and their fans to Frisco, Texas. The Frisco Bowl is known for having exciting games with lots of professional talent – over the last six years, the bowl is the third highest scoring bowl game, and 24 Frisco Bowl alumni were drafted or signed free agent pro football contracts in 2020."
Tickets to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl can be purchased by visiting thefriscobowl.com/tickets/ or calling (855) 492-8053. Phone orders may be placed Sunday before 6 p.m. or Monday through Saturday (9 a.m. – 9 p.m.). All tickets will be mobile tickets through the AXS App, available for iOS and Android. Seating will be assigned in a socially distanced manner with ticket blocks being limited to accommodate a safe game experience.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
About Toyota Stadium
Opened in 2005, Toyota Stadium is one of the first soccer-specific stadiums built in the United States. It hosts MLS and international soccer matches, high school and college football games, as well as concerts and other events. The 145-acre Toyota Soccer Center also includes 17 regulation-sized, tournament-grade soccer fields and is also home to the organization's nationally-renowned youth development system. It is home to MLS' FC Dallas, the FCS championship game, the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl and the National Soccer Hall of Fame which opened in 2018.
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