UTSA Roadrunners (4-0) vs. UNLV Rebels (0-4)
5 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 2
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA is 4-0 for the second time in school history, joining the 2012 team that won its first five games.
• Head coach Jeff Traylor ran his record to 7-0 in games played in the month of September.
• UTSA has won seven of its last eight contests dating back to last season.
• The Roadrunners are receiving votes in both the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches (11) and AP Top 25 (4) Polls.
• Saturday will mark the inaugural meeting between UTSA and UNLV.
• Of UTSA's 115-man roster, 90 (78%) are from the state of Texas.
• Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, marking the 102nd straight UTSA game selected for broadcast.
Setting the scene
Off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2012, UTSA will close out the non-conference slate against UNLV (0-4) on Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff for the inaugural meeting with the Rebels is set for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome, where the Roadrunners are riding a five-game winning streak. UTSA has won six of its last seven games dating back to last season and is coming off a historic come-from-behind victory over Memphis that saw the Roadrunners overcome a 21-0 first-quarter deficit and complete a 31-28 triumph on Hunter Duplessis' 42-yard field goal as time expired.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+. Doug Anderson (play-by-play) and LaDarrin McLane (analyst) have the call. Fans can stream the broadcast at Watch ESPN or on the ESPN app. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 984. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 3 p.m. and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The radio broadcast also can be heard online at Ticket760.com and via the iHeartRadio and The Varsity Network apps.
Roadrunners receiving votes
For the first time in school history, UTSA currently is receiving both in both major polls. For the third week in a row, the Roadrunners are receiving at least one vote in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. UTSA is listed with 11 votes this week after two straight weeks of having one vote. UTSA received four votes in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll, marking the second time in program history the Roadrunners have been recognized in that poll. Last year, the Roadrunners received two votes in the AP Top 25 Poll for the week of Sept. 20. UTSA is the only Conference USA team receiving votes in either poll this week.
UTSA completes historic comeback in Memphis
Sincere McCormick broke his own school record with 41 rushes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, Clarence Hicks posted six tackles and a pair of sacks and Hunter Duplessis kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to help UTSA rally from a 21-point deficit for a 31-28 victory over Memphis, snapping the Tigers' 17-game winning streak at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Roadrunners found themselves trailing 21-0 a little more than nine minutes into their first meeting with the Tigers but stormed back to tie the score at 28-all with 10 and a half minutes left to play. UTSA completed the comeback with Duplessis' game winner, sending Memphis to its first home non-conference loss in 23 games. UTSA finished the first quarter with zero total yards, but outgained the Tigers 399-230 over the final 45 minutes in the school-record comeback. Hicks' strip sack of Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan with a little more than 10 minutes left resulted in a Lorenzo Dantzler fumble recovery and 12-yard return to the Tigers 7-yard line. Four plays later on fourth-down-and-goal from the 1, McCormick found the end zone for the third time to help the Roadrunners knot the score. UTSA's defense forced a punt and with 2:46 remaining the Roadrunners began their game-winning drive. McCormick carried seven times on the possession, including a 22-yard dash to the Memphis 24 for a first down, setting up the game-winning kick.
Scouting UNLV
The Rebels fell to 0-4 on the year after a narrow 38-30 road setback at Fresno State last Friday night. UNLV is averaging 19.0 points and 265.3 yards of offense per game while allowing 39.5 points and 468.8 yards per contest. Jacoby Windmon leads the defense with 34 tackles, 2.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Austin Ajiake has 32 stops on the season. Charles Williams is the top rusher with 356 yards and three touchdowns on 79 carries, while Steve Jenkins and Kyle Williams have nine catches apiece for 103 and 117 yards, respectively. Doug Brumfield has completed 17 of 39 passes for 320 yards and two TDS, while Cameron Friel also has seen time in two contests under center, throwing for 205 yards on 17-of-28 passing. Head coach Marcus Arroyo is 0-10 in his second season at the helm.
Series history
Saturday will mark the first meeting between UTSA and UNLV, a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Roadrunners have faced two other Mountain West teams in Colorado State (0-2) and New Mexico (1-2). UTSA also previously played two current MWC squads in San Jose State and Utah State, dropping both meetings when the teams were fellow members of the Western Athletic Conference in 2012.
Who's counting?
Now in their 11th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 122nd game in program history on Saturday when they face UNLV for the first time. UTSA is 56-66 all-time and 33-28 at the Alamodome while riding a five-game home winning streak. By comparison, UNLV has been playing football for more than 50 years and owns an all-time record of 254-350-4.
Overcoming deficits
UTSA's rally from a 21-point deficit in the 31-28 victory over Memphis on Sept. 25 marked the largest comeback win in school history. In 2011, the Roadrunners overcame a 14-0 deficit in a 17-14 overtime win over Georgia State, which stood as the program record until last Saturday. UTSA has rallied from 13-point deficits three times, most recently in a 27-26 triumph over Louisiana Tech last October at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners trailed Louisiana by a 24-7 count in the third quarter of the 2020 First Responder Bowl before rallying to tie the score at 24-24 in an eventual 31-24 setback last December.
September success
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor remained undefeated in the month of September following the 31-28 come-from-behind victory over Memphis last Saturday. The Roadrunners improved to 7-0 under their second-year head coach in the ninth month of the calendar year after storming out to a 4-0 start this season. Traylor guided UTSA to a 3-0 mark in September in his debut campaign, as the Roadrunners defeated Texas State, Stephen F. Austin and Middle Tennessee a year ago.
Historic win to open 2021
UTSA's 37-30 road win over Illinois in the season opener marked the program's second win against a team from a Power Five conference and the first against a Big Ten Conference school. The Roadrunners' first win versus a Power Five program was a 17-10 triumph over Baylor on Sept. 9, 2017, in Waco. UTSA also improved to 9-2 overall in season openers with that victory.
Records fall in home opener
Several program records fell in the 54-0 victory over Lamar in the home opener on Sept. 11. It marked the first shutout in school history, as the previous standard for fewest points allowed was three done three times, the last against Rice in 2018. UTSA also registered the largest margin of victory, nipping the previous mark of 53 set in the 56-3 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State in 2012. The Roadrunners limited Lamar to just 122 yards of offense, eclipsing the previous program record for fewest yards allowed of 149 established against Southern in 2017. UTSA's point total is the third-most scored in a game.
Celebrating 10th anniversary of inaugural season
This fall, UTSA is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its inaugural 2011 season. The Roadrunners started their football program from scratch and, following a practice year 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. UTSA has posted at least six wins in five of the 10 seasons in program history and it has reached the seven-win plateau three times, including in Jeff Traylor's debut campaign last fall. The 2012 team won a program-record eight games, while the Roadrunners notched seven victories in 2013 and again last year.
Traylor aims to build on first-year success
Second-year UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor made history in several ways in his first season at the helm in 2020, and his second campaign is off to a resounding start. The Roadrunners opened the season with the program's second triumph over a team from a Power Five conference in the 37-30 road win over Illinois and then posted a 54-0 rout of Lamar, the program's first shutout and largest margin of victory. He became the first coach in program history to post back-to-back 3-0 starts after the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 18. Last Saturday, Traylor guided the Roadrunners to the largest comeback win in school history, as UTSA overcame a 21-0 deficit for a 31-28 road triumph over Memphis. Last fall, he became the first head coach in program annals to win his first three games and to notch seven victories in his debut season. Traylor boasts more than 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.
UTSA collects more C-USA weekly awards
For the fourth straight week, UTSA players have earned Conference USA weekly awards, as the Roadrunners have collected five through their first four weeks of action. Hunter Duplessis picked up his second C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honor of the year after drilling the game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired while Clarence Hicks grabbed a share of the defensive award after registering six tackles, three tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in the 31-28 comeback win over Memphis. Last week, Trumane Bell II was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week after posting four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a pair of quarterback hurries and a forced fumble to help the Roadrunners hold the Blue Raiders to 199 yards of offense, including only eight on the ground. Sheldon Jones was honored as C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in the 54-0 victory over Lamar, while Duplessis received special teams recognition the previous week after going 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 of 4 on extra points in the season-opening victory over Illinois.
UTSA's C-USA Player of the Week Honorees
Defense
9/20 Trumane Bell II
9/27 Clarence Hicks
Special Teams
9/6 Hunter Duplessis
9/13 Sheldon Jones
9/27 Hunter Duplessis
McCormick honored by Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award
Following his record-setting performance in the 31-28 win over Memphis, Sincere McCormick was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week on Tuesday. The junior All-American rushed 42 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns to help the Roadrunners post the largest comeback win in school history. The 2020 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award finalist also caught three passes for 33 yards, totaling 217 all-purpose yards on the day. This marks the second time McCormick has been honored as the award's player of the week, as he received the honor on Oct. 27, 2020, after rushing for 165 yards and three TDs on a then-school-record 37 carries in UTSA's 27-26 come-from-behind win over Louisiana Tech.
Duplessis named Campbell Trophy semifinalist
UTSA senior Hunter Duplessis has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy for the second straight year. Celebrating its 32nd year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
UTSA pair garners preseason All-America accolades
Sincere McCormick and Lucas Dean both earned spots on preseason All-America squads. McCormick was named a preseason second-team All-America running back by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA TODAY and Walter Camp, while Dean is a preseason second-team choice at punter by Sporting News.
Nine Roadrunners land on watch lists
The preseason honors have piled up for UTSA, as an unprecedented nine Roadrunners have landed on watch lists for national awards. Leading the way is All-America running back Sincere McCormick, who appears on four different watch lists, while Hunter Duplessis, Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom each have made a pair of lists.
Watch List - Player
Chuck Bednarik Award - Rashad Wisdom
Biletnikoff Award - Zakhari Franklin
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award - Frank Harris
Doak Walker Award - Sincere McCormick
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award - Sincere McCormick
Jim Thorpe Award - Rashad Wisdom
John Mackey Award - Leroy Watson
Lou Groza Award - Hunter Duplessis
Manning Award - Frank Harris
Maxwell Award - Sincere McCormick
Outland Trophy - Spencer Burford
Polynesian Player of the Year Award - Ahofitu Maka
Ray Guy Award - Lucas Dean
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award - Sincere McCormick
Wuerffel Trophy - Hunter Duplessis
Roadrunners picked second in C-USA West
UTSA has been picked to finish second in Conference USA's West Division in a vote by media members who cover the league. The Roadrunners received nine first-place votes and have been projected second behind defending conference champion UAB, which collected 15 first-place votes. Louisiana Tech is predicted to finish third in the West Division, followed by Southern Miss, Rice, North Texas and UTEP.
2021 Conference USA Predicted Order of Finish
WEST DIVISION
1. UAB (15)
2. UTSA (9)
3. Louisiana Tech
4. Southern Miss
5. Rice
6. North Texas
7. UTEP
EAST DIVISION
1. Marshall (17)
2. Florida Atlantic (6)
3. WKU (1)
4. Charlotte
5. Middle Tennessee
6. FIU
7. Old Dominion
(first place votes in parentheses)
UTSA duo collects C-USA preseason honors
UTSA punter Lucas Dean has been named Conference USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year and running back Sincere McCormick has been chosen as C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Both players won their respective conference superlative awards following their sophomore seasons in 2020, marking the first time UTSA picked up two such honors in the same year, while McCormick also was named C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2019.
Burford, Woolen pegged for pair of pre-draft lists
UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford and cornerback Tariq Woolen have been named to the 2021-22 NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl Big Board, as well as the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List. Burford, a San Antonio Wagner High School product, earned second-team all-conference honors last season after appearing in 11 games and drawing 10 starts at right or left tackle. He allowed just three hits on the quarterback and four sacks in 388 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Woolen, a Fort Worth native, appeared in 11 contests and made seven starts at cornerback last fall in his first full season on the defensive side of the ball. He registered 35 tackles, including 20 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and also posted four pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one interception
Dozen Roadrunners back for super senior season
A dozen UTSA football seniors elected to return to the Roadrunners for an extra year of eligibility in 2021, taking advantage of an NCAA blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 12 Roadrunners who are back for their super senior season are:
Myles Benning, TE
B.J. Daniels, RB
Lorenzo Dantzler, DL
Hunter Duplessis, PK
Jalyn Galmore, OL
Jaylon Haynes, DL
DeQuarius Henry, OLB
Clarence Hicks, OLB
Antonio Parks, S
Dominic Pastucci, OL
Leroy Watson, TE
Charles Wiley, OLB
Playing in a fifth year
UTSA boasts 10 players who now have played in a game for a fifth year, marking the fourth-highest total in the FBS. The Roadrunners are tied with Colorado State, Texas Tech and Toledo on the list that is paced by WKU's 14, followed by Louisiana Tech (13), Houston (11) and Pitt (11). Below is a list of Roadrunners who have appeared in a game for a fifth season:
B.J. Daniels (2017-20)
Hunter Duplessis (2017-20)
Denzel Feaster (2015-16, '18, '20)
Jaylon Haynes (2017-20)
DeQuarius Henry (2017-20)
Lamonte McDougle (2017-20)
Antonio Parks (2017-20)
Dominic Pastucci (2017-20)
Dru Prox (2017-20)
Charles Wiley (2017-20)
Defense proving dominant
Under the direction of co-defensive coordinators Jess Loepp and Rod Wright, UTSA's defense has emerged as one of the best in the nation. In the home opener on Sept. 11, the Roadrunners posted the first shutout in school history in a 54-0 rout of Lamar. UTSA allowed just 122 yards of offense, also a school record, and held the Cardinals to 89 rushing yards. For an encore, the Roadrunners limited Middle Tennessee to 199 yards, including just eight on the ground, which is tied for the third-fewest rushing yards allowed in a game in program annals. UTSA currently ranks 17th in the FBS in total defense, giving up a conference-best 282.8 yards per game. The rushing defense has been stout, allowing only 78.0 yards per contest to rank 14th in the nation. UTSA also leads the league and ranks 28th in the country in scoring defense (17.8 ppg). The defense has scored a pair of touchdowns themselves on fumble returns in back-to-back weeks by Charles Wiley and Lorenzo Dantzler, and they are one of 17 FBS teams with multiple defensive scores this season.
Experience on the edge
UTSA boasts a ton of experience throughout its 2021 roster, especially at both outside linebacker positions. The defense made the switch to a 3-4 base alignment prior to the 2020 campaign and the dividends paid off, as the Roadrunners led the conference in sacks (25), tackles for loss (85), interceptions (11), takeaways (19) and turnover margin (+7) a season ago. Most of that production returns this fall. On one edge, a pair of super seniors are back at the "Will" spot in Charles Wiley and DeQuarius Henry. Wiley, a native of Stockbridge, Georgia, who transferred from Mississippi last year, earned honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades after posting 43 tackles, a team-high 10 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and four quarterback hurries. Henry, a Houston native, owns 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 43 career contests. On the other side at the "Sam" position, super senior Clarence Hicks and the Taylor brothers — senior Dadrian and sophomore Donyai — now boast a combined 23.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and three interceptions during their careers.
A disruptive force
Outside linebacker Clarence Hicks has developed into a disruptive force on the edge for UTSA this season. The super senior has registered five tackles for loss and three sacks through four games, and he ranks in the top four in the conference in both categories. A native of Pensacola, Fla., he opened the campaign with three stops, including a TFL, in the 37-30 road victory over Memphis. He notched four tackles, including a sack for a 5-yard loss in the win against Middle Tennessee before turning in arguably his top game as a Roadrunner in the comeback win at Memphis last Saturday. Hicks led UTSA with six tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage and a pair of sacks. His strip sack in the fourth quarter led to a 12-yard fumble return by Lorenzo Dantzler that set up the game-tying score, and he was named Conference USA co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Tigers. For his UTSA career, he has tallied 84 tackles, 19.5 TFL, five sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception.
A wily veteran
UTSA outside linebacker Charles Wiley has emerged as one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball. The super senior has registered 11 tackles, including four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, as well as two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. He had three stops and returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown in UTSA's 54-0 rout of Lamar before registering five tackles, including 1.5 sacks for a total of 12 yards, and a pair of pressures in the 27-13 victory against Middle Tennessee. A native of Stockbridge, Wiley has piled up 111 tackles, including 26 behind the line of scrimmage, during his collegiate career with 54 stops, 14 TFL and 3.5 sacks coming in his two seasons at UTSA.
Wisdom in the secondary
UTSA safety Rashad Wisdom has emerged as one of the team leaders during his two-plus years on campus. One of seven Roadrunners who starred at Converse Judson High School, he has played in 28 games and drawn 26 starts at safety during his career. He has landed on preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards after a sensational sophomore season that saw him earn first-team all-conference and Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College honors. Wisdom led the Roadrunners and ranked second in C-USA with 95 tackles and he picked off a league-high four passes, which tied the program's single-season record. He also recorded a team-best 60 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles and a pass breakup in 2020 and he returned an interception 81 yards for a touchdown for his second career pick-six, which is tied atop the program's all-time list, in the 51-48 double-overtime victory against Texas State last September. He started off his third year as a Roadrunner by making three tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass in UTSA's 37-30 season-opening victory over Illinois. He added three more stops despite playing less than a half in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar before pacing the defense with six stops in the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee. In his last outing, he tallied five tackles, including one behind the line, and a PBU in the 31-28 comeback win over Memphis. He is tied for the team lead with 18 tackles this season and ranks second with 11 solo stops and his two PBUs. Wisdom's family captured the hearts of the UTSA football program and the San Antonio community over the past two years 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 2020.
Riq the Freak
Tariq Woolen's development into one of UTSA's starting cornerbacks is unique. The Fort Worth native, whose nickname is Riq, started his college career as a wide receiver, catching 24 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown over his first two seasons. Late in his redshirt sophomore campaign, Woolen made the switch to the defensive side of the ball and posted a pair of tackles as a cornerback in the season finale against Louisiana Tech. Prior to the 2020 campaign, Woolen decided to make the position change permanent. That decision paid off as he emerged as one of the team's top defensive backs with 35 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception last fall. Earlier this year, he made Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List, landing at the No. 6 spot out of 101 college football players after turning in eye-opening numbers during summer strength and conditioning testing. He leaped 11 feet, five inches in the broad jump and clocked a time of 4.34 second in the 40-yard dash, in which he hit 23.33 miles per hour. Woolen started off his senior season with a bang, recording a career-high nine tackles and a pass breakup in the 37-30 road triumph over Illinois. He added his second PBU of the year in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar before posting a TFL and a PBU in the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee and two more stops in the 31-28 comeback win at Memphis. He leads the Roadrunners with three pass breakups this season and he has eight for his career.
Tackling machine
UTSA inside linebacker Trevor Harmanson has emerged as one of the team's top tacklers during his time as a Roadrunner. The Dickinson High School product transferred to UTSA in 2019 following one season at Blinn College, and he made an immediate impact with 48 tackles, including 8.5 behind the line of scrimmage in his debut campaign. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, earning honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades after ranking second on the team with 73 tackles, including nine TFL, to go along with seven quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Harmanson, a preseason all-league pick by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele, opened his 2021 campaign by tying for the team high with nine tackles, which included a team-best seven solo stops, in the 37-30 road win over Illinois. Despite playing less than a half in the 54-0 rout of Lamar, he tallied three stops. He then made a pair of tackles, including being part of a fourth-down stop, in the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee before posting four tackles in the 31-28 comeback win at Memphis. Harmanson now has 139 total tackles and 17.5 TFL in 28 games as a Roadrunner.
D-line factory
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. Several current Roadrunners have their eyes on joining the likes of Davenport, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Eric Banks, Ashaad Mabry, Jason Neill, Brian Price and Kevin Strong Jr., a third-year defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions. Leading the way is super senior Jaylon Haynes, a two-time honorable mention all-conference performer with 22.5 tackles for loss — tied for fourth on UTSA's career chart — and seven sacks in 41 career games. The Roadrunners' experienced line also includes super senior Lorenzo Dantzler, who earned honorable mention all-league recognition a year ago and boasts 20.5 TFL and nine sacks in 40 games as a Roadrunner. Brandon Matterson, a fourth-year player from San Antonio Brandeis High School, also made C-USA's honorable mention list in 2020 and he has logged 12 stops, including 0.5 TFL, this season.
A balanced attack
Under the direction of second-year offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., the Roadrunners have featured a balanced offensive attack. UTSA opened the 2021 season by piling up 497 yards of offense with 280 passing and 217 rushing in the 37-30 road win over Illinois. In the 54-0 rout of Lamar, a trio of quarterbacks combined to attempt 32 passes, completing 26 for 321 yards, while the offense ran 29 times for 106 yards. In the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee, UTSA piled up 277 passing yards on 26-of-45 passing while rushing 44 times for 175 yards before posting 205 rushing yards and 194 passing yards in the 31-28 comeback win at Memphis. On the season, UTSA is averaging 268.0 passing yards and 175.8 rushing yards per outing. A season ago, UTSA gained a program-record 2,585 yards on the ground, an average of 215.4 per game, and tallied 2,399 yards through the air (199.9/game) en route to a 7-5 record and an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The offense surpassed the school record for total offense in each of the last two home games in 2020, registering 600 total yards — a season-best 312 passing and 288 rushing — in the 52-21 win over UTEP on Nov. 14, only to eclipse that with 624 yards, including a program-best 443 on the ground, in the 49-17 victory over North Texas two weeks later.
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the most heralded seasons in program history in 2020, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is looking to continue that success in his third year. The Converse Judson High School product started 2021 off on the right foot by piling up 117 yards on 31 carries in the 37-30 road win over Illinois on Sept. 4. He followed that outing with a two-touchdown performance in the 54-0 rout of Lamar, moving him atop the program's career rushing TD chart. He posted 105 yards on 23 carries in the 27-13 triumph over Middle Tennessee before breaking his own school record with 41 carries with 184 yards and three TDs in the 31-28 comeback win at Memphis. His third 100-yard game of the season and 13th of his career earned him Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week accolades. He now has 452 yards and five scores on 102 rushes this fall and he ranks 11th in rushing yards and 21st in rushing TDs in the FBS. A preseason All-American by five national publications (Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA TODAY and Walter Camp), he has been pegged as the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and the Best Running Back in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He also appears on preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards. The honors are nothing new for McCormick, as he earned a long list of accolades in 2020 including being named a second-team All-American by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He also was one of five finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. After rushing for 1,467 yards and 11 touchdowns on 249 carries — all UTSA single-season records — McCormick was tabbed Dave Campbell's Texas Football Texas College Player of the Year and an All-Texas College First Team selection, as well as the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference performer. He led the league and ranked second nationally behind Iowa State's Breece Hall in rushing yards while logging a conference-best seven 100-yard rushing games. The 2019 C-USA Freshman of the Year and FWAA Freshman All-American registered the top two and five of the top 10 rushing games in the league last fall.
Rewriting the record book
With just 27 games as a Roadrunner to his name, Sincere McCormick has rewritten the program's record book. UTSA's career rushing leader with 2,902 yards, he currently owns the best averages for rushing yards per attempt (5.5) and game (107.5). His 13 career 100-yard rushing games and 121.1 all-purpose yards per outing also stand at the top of the program's career chart. McCormick eclipsed David Glasco's UTSA standard of 20 career rushing TDs with two scores in the 54-0 rout of Lamar on Sept. 11, and he now has 24 after his three-score showing versus Memphis. A week later, he broke Jarveon Williams' career rushing attempts mark of 474, as he now has 528. He also is the program's all-time leader in points scored by a non-kicker with 150. Last fall, he smashed the school's single-season standards with 1,467 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs and 249 carries. The 2020 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year also set single-season marks with seven 100-yard rushing games and 133.4 rushing yards per contest, and he shattered his own all-purpose mark with 1,598 yards.
Sincere McCormick's UTSA Records
Game
251 rushing yards (vs. North Texas, 11/28/20)
3 rushing TDs (vs. Louisiana Tech, 10/24/20; vs. Memphis, 9/25/21)
41 rushes (vs. Memphis, 9/25/21)
Season
1,467 rushing yards (2020)
11 rushing touchdowns (2020)
249 rushes (2020)
133.4 rushing yards/game (2020)
7 100-yard rushing games (2020)
1,598 all-purpose yards (2020)
145.3 all-purpose yards/game (2020)
Career
2,902 rushing yards
24 rushing touchdowns
25 total touchdowns
150 points (non-kicker)
528 rushes
5.5 yards/rush
107.5 rushing yards/game
13 100-yard rushing games
121.1 all-purpose yards/game
QB room loaded with experience
UTSA is in rare company when it comes to the experience found in the quarterback room. The Roadrunners were one of only 15 teams with three or more QBs who had an FBS start entering the season. Frank Harris has started 18 games under center during his UTSA career, while Josh Adkins made 20 starts at New Mexico State before transferring to UTSA prior to a 2020 campaign that saw him make one start for the Roadrunners. Lowell Narcisse has earned the starting nod in eight contests over the last three seasons as a Roadrunner.
Overcoming adversity
UTSA quarterback Frank Harris has overcome a series of challenging setbacks due to injury over the past half-decade to emerge as one of the top dual threats in the nation, as he has been named to preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback and Manning Awards. The lefthander has battled back from two knee injuries, including one that knocked him out for the entire 2018 season, and a shoulder injury that ended his 2019 campaign after four games to appear in 19 contests with 18 starts (12-6 record). He opened this season by throwing for 280 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-32 passing, and he also ran for 33 yards and a score to help UTSA score a 37-30 road victory over Illinois. He followed that by completing 13 of 15 passes for 118 yards in the 54-0 rout of Lamar. Harris threw for 264 yards and a pair of scores on 24-of-39 passing and he added 56 rushing yards in the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee before hitting on 18-of-28 passes for 186 yards and a TD in the comeback win at Memphis. For the season, the Schertz Clemens High School product has completed 75 of 114 passes for 848 yards and four touchdowns, while he has thrown for 2,964 yards and 19 touchdowns on 300-of-455 as a Roadrunner. He currently owns UTSA's career record for completion percentage (.659), while he ranks third all-time in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency (130.0). An honorable mention all-conference selection a season ago, Harris played in 11 contests and drew 10 starts, setting the program's single-season standard by completing 63.6% (159-250) of his passes for 1,630 yards and 12 TDs while also rushing for 528 yards and nine scores on 95 carries.
Dynamic duo
Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin have paired up since 2019 to give UTSA a dynamic receiving duo. They have made their presence known through the first four games this season, as both rank in the top 25 in the FBS in receptions per game. Franklin racked up a career-best 155 receiving yards — the second-best single-game total in school history — and a touchdown on a game-high 10 catches in the 37-30 season-opening victory over Illinois. He followed that with four receptions for 77 yards and his second TD of the year in the 54-0 rout of Lamar before registering his school-record seventh 100-yard showing with 114 yards and a score on eight catches in the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee. After catching seven passes for 51 yards and a score in the 31-28 win at Memphis, he now ranks 17th in the nation in receiving yards per game (99.2) and 12th in receptions per contest (7.2). The Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list member has caught a pass in all 23 career games — the 19th-longest active streak in the FBS — and now has 116 receptions for 1,582 yards (48 yards shy of the UTSA record) and 14 TDs. Meanwhile, Cephus caught six passes for 73 yards against the Fighting Illini and followed that with six catches for 51 yards in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar. He hauled in eight receptions for 84 yards and his first TD of the season in the 27-13 win over Middle Tennessee before posting six catches for 82 yards versus Memphis. He stands 22nd in the country in receptions per game (6.5) and he now has 92 receptions for 990 yards in 28 career games.
Experience up front
UTSA boasts one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. Entering this season, nine Roadrunners owned at least two starts, the second-best total in the country behind Minnesota's 10. Leading the way is the senior trio of Spencer Burford, Kevin Davis and Ahofitu Maka, who now have combined for 96 starts during their UTSA careers. Burford, a San Antonio Wagner graduate and member of the Outland Trophy watch list, has made 33 starts at both guard and tackle. Maka, a Hawaiian who appears on the watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, has drawn 27 starts with all but one at center. Those two Roadrunners earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades last fall after helping UTSA set school records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). Davis a native of Angleton, Texas, leads all UTSA offensive linemen with 36 career starts, including 14 at center.
Dependable Duplessis
UTSA place-kicker Hunter Duplessis has developed as a dependable option with his right leg. A member of the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, he started his super senior season by making all three field-goal attempts and going 4 for 4 on extra points in the 37-30 road win over Illinois and he was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. He turned in his second straight and fourth overall three-field-goal game after connecting from 46 yards twice and again from 41 in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar. Duplessis went 2 for 4 on field goals and 3 for 3 on PATs in the win over Middle Tennessee and in his last outing, he made all four PATs and drilled the game-winning 42-yarder as time expired in the 31-28 win over Memphis, earning him his second C-USA weekly award. He now has made 35 career field goals and 82 extra points for 187 points, totals that stand second in school history. The San Antonio Cole High School product was a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American, Lou Groza semifinalist and first-team all-conference selection in 2020 after he made 17 of 20 field goals and 40 of 41 PATs, marks that both rank second on the school's single-season chart. Duplessis ranked ninth nationally in field goals made, 21st in field-goal percentage (.850) and 25th in field goals per game (1.42), and he scored a UTSA-record 91 points. Also an excellent student, he was the 2020-21 C-USA Football Scholar Athlete of the Year, a C-USA All-Academic Team selection, a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. Duplessis earned his bachelor's degree as a double major in cyber security and information systems, graduating with a 3.78 GPA in August 2020, and he currently is studying technology management in postgraduate work.
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. Lucas Dean has emerged as the next in that strong punting lineage. A product of Prokick Australia and the first Roadrunner 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. Dean provided quite the encore in 2020, shattering UTSA's single-season punting average record with a 46.0 mark to lead Conference USA and rank sixth nationally. A semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, he was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Sporting News. Dean registered 27 punts that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line, including 15 inside the 10 and seven inside the 5, and he recorded 21 punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-best 67-yarder against Florida Atlantic, during his sophomore season. Dean opened his third season by averaging 44.2 yards on five punts with one inside the 20 and a long of 55 in the 37-30 road victory over Illinois. In his last outing, he averaged 50.8 yards on five punts with three inside the 20 and a long of 63 in the 31-28 win at Memphis. Dean, who is on the Ray Guy Award watch list and has been tabbed a preseason second-team All-American by the Sporting News, currently ranks 19th in the nation with a league-best 45.8-yard average.
Jones emerges as punt return threat
Sheldon Jones has emerged as one of the top punt returners in the nation this season. The New Orleans native currently leads Conference USA and ranks fifth in the FBS with an average punt return of 17.1 yards. Jones, whose nickname is Sticks, has returned 10 punts for 171 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown return in the 54-0 rout of Lamar on Sept. 11. He had five returns for 68 yards, including 33- and 22-yarders in the second half of the 27-13 victory over Middle Tennessee. Jones is one of 23 FBS players with a punt return TD this year and he became just the second Roadrunner to return a punt for a score, joining Kenny Harrison (2012 vs. Texas State). He owns UTSA career records for punt returns (53) and has amassed 290 punt return yards as a Roadrunner.
Down to the wire
UTSA is no stranger to close contests dating back to last season, as 11 of its last 16 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. In the season opener, UTSA held off Illinois 37-30 in a game that saw the Illini have a chance to tie things up with two throws into the end zone in the final seconds. Last Saturday, UTSA rallied from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit for a 31-28 victory over Memphis, as Hunter Duplessis' 42-yard field goal as time expired sealed the win. The Roadrunners opened the 2020 campaign 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 touchdown 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 score 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 a Sincere McCormick touchdown dash pulled UTSA to within 21-13 with 10:31 remaining. In a road matchup with No. 15 BYU the following Saturday, 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 27-13 with 2:18 left to play, Narcisse found 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 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 and held off Southern Miss by a 23-20 count on Nov. 21 in Hattiesburg, while the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl saw the Roadrunners erase a 24-7 deficit to No. 16 Louisiana and knot the score at 24-all early in the fourth quarter before a late Ragin' Cajuns touchdown proved to be the difference.
TV birds
Saturday's game against UNLV will air on ESPN+, marking 102 straight televised/streamed appearances for the Roadrunners. All 12 of UTSA's regular season games have been selected for broadcast, which will extend that streak to at least 108. The last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
Brotherly duos
UTSA has two sets of brothers on the 2021 roster in offensive lineman Kevin Davis and wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with outside linebackers Dadrian and Donyai Taylor.
A focus on recruiting Texas
UTSA's 115-man roster features 90 players — 78% — who hail from the state of Texas. The next-closest state is Louisiana with seven, while there are five players from Mississippi. California and Florida are considered home for three players apiece and two are from Georgia. UTSA has one player each from Iowa, Hawai'i, Tennessee and Virginia, while Lucas Dean is the first Roadrunner from Australia.
Keeping them home
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and his staff have placed an emphasis on recruiting the city of San Antonio and surrounding area. The current roster includes 29 players from Greater San Antonio with a team-high seven hailing from perennial power Converse Judson High School.
Player (High School)
Josh Adkins (Smithson Valley)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Spencer Burford (Wagner)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
JayVeon Cardwell (Steele)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Hunter Duplessis (Cole)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Caden Holt (New Braunfels Canyon)
Jaden Jones (East Central)
Ethan Laing (Boerne Champion)
Caleb Lewis (Steele)
De'Anthony Lewis (Judson)
Frankie Martinez (East Central)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Sincere McCormick (Judson)
Trey Moore (Smithson Valley)
Xavier Player (Steele)
Jalen Rainey (Brandeis)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Robert Rigsby (Judson)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Daniel Santallana (East Central)
Kamron Scott (Judson)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Dre Spriggs (Harlan)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA's 210 Triangle of Toughness
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has installed many new ideas, 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. The numbers 2, 1 and 0 — San Antonio's area code — 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, Leroy Watson
2 — Joshua Cephus, Charles Wiley
3 — Sincere McCormick, Tariq Woolen
4 — Zakhari Franklin, Antonio Parks
5 — Brenden Brady, Hunter Duplessis
6 — Lorenzo Dantzler
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Josh Adkins, Jamal Ligon
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, Makai Hart and Ahofitu Maka 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.
Quarterbacks — Josh Adkins, Frank Harris
Running Backs — Brenden Brady, Sincere McCormick
Wide Receivers — Joshua Cephus
Tight Ends — Leroy Watson
Offensive Line — Spencer Burford, Ahofitu Maka
Defensive Line — Lorenzo Dantzler, Jaylon Haynes
Inside Linebackers — Jamal Ligon
Outside Linebackers (S) — Dadrian Taylor
Outside Linebackers (W) — Charles Wiley
Safeties — Rashad Wisdom
Cornerbacks — Ken Robinson
Special Teams — Myles Benning, Kelechi Nwachuku
Specialists — Hunter Duplessis
Up next
UTSA will return to Conference USA play against WKU on Saturday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ky., and the game will be televised on Stadium (KMYS-TV/CW 35 in San Antonio).
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