SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking 37-35 loss in triple overtime to No. 24 Houston when it travels to New York to face Army West Point (0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 10. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. Central time at Michie Stadium and the game will air on CBS Sports Network and Ticket 760 AM. This will mark the first trip to the Empire State for the Roadrunners' third meeting with the Black Knights, who won the previous two matchups in San Antonio.
UTSA Roadrunners (0-1)
at
Army West Point Black Knights (0-1)
11 a.m. CT | Saturday, Sept. 10
Michie Stadium | West Point, New York
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA will hit the road for the first time in 2022 to face Army West Point.
• The Roadrunners and Black Knights are meeting for the third time overall and first in West Point.
• Army has won the first two meetings, both in San Antonio.
• The Roadrunners have won their last two road openers and are 6-5 all-time.
• UTSA is 19-8 under 2021 Conference USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor, the best 27-game start by any UTSA head coach.
• The Roadrunners are 7-4 in true road games under Jeff Traylor.
• UTSA has won 15 of its last 19 contests dating back to November 2020.
• Frank Harris was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and Jared Sackett earned C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors following the season opener against No. 24 Houston.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Jason Knapp (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst) and Tina Cervasio (reporter) have the call. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 986. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 9 a.m. Central time 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 in road openers
UTSA has won its last two road openers and is 6-5 all-time in such contests. After dropping their first-ever road game to Southern Utah on Sept. 17, 2011, the Roadrunners reeled off three straight victories against South Alabama, New Mexico and Houston. UTSA beat Baylor in 2017 to notch the program's first win over a team from a Power Five conference, and it has opened the Jeff Traylor era with two consecutive road-opening victories, a 51-48 double-overtime thriller at Texas State in 2020 and a 37-30 triumph over Illinois last year.
UTSA's All-Time Road Openers (6-5)
Date Opponent Score
9/17/11 Southern Utah L, 22-45
8/30/12 at South Alabama W, 33-31
8/31/13 at New Mexico W, 21-13
8/29/14 at Houston W, 27-7
9/3/15 at #22 Arizona L, 32-42
9/10/16 at Colorado State L, 14-23
9/9/17 at Baylor W, 17-10
9/1/18 at Arizona State L, 9-47
9/7/19 at Baylor L, 14-63
9/12/20 at Texas State W, 51-48 (2OT)
9/4/21 at Illinois W, 37-30
Scouting Army
The Black Knights dropped their opener at Coastal Carolina 38-28 on Saturday night. Army tallied 344 yards of offense, including 2020 on the ground, but allowed 437 to the Chanticleers in the 10-point setback. Cade Ballard completed 3 of 5 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Tyrell Robinson piled up 135 rushing yards and a score on just nine carries. Defensively, Marquel Broughton posted 12 tackles and Leo Lowin added 11 stops. Head coach Jeff Monken is 58-44 in his ninth season at the helm.
Series history
UTSA and Army are meeting for the third time on Saturday and the first time in West Point. The Black Knights have won both previous matchups, 31-13 in 2019 and 28-16 the following season.
UTSA/Army All-Time Series
Date Result Location
9/14/19 Army 31, UTSA 13 San Antonio
10/17/20 Army 28, UTSA 16 San Antonio
Last Meeting
Zakhari Franklin set a program record for receptions in a game with 12 for 138 yards and two touchdowns, Sincere McCormick rushed for 133 yards and Kelechi Nwachuku registered 16 tackles, but Army used a potent ground attack to outlast UTSA 28-16 on Oct. 17, 2020, at the Alamodome. The Black Knights gained 305 of their 358 yards on the ground and completed just one pass — a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter — to escape Military City USA with their second straight victory against the Roadrunners. Anthony Adkins led the way with 101 yards on just eight carries, while Tyhier Tyler added 95 yards on 19 totes. Making his first start of the season, Lowell Narcisse completed 16 passes for 155 yards and a TD and also rushed for 47 before suffering an injury early in the fourth quarter. Facing fourth down and short at the Army 31 and staring at a 21-10 deficit, the junior quarterback rumbled up the middle for 20 yards to the 11 but was injured on the tackle. On the next play, Frank Harris hit Franklin on a fade route in the end zone for the wide receiver's second score of the day. The Black Knights blocked the extra-point attempt, leaving the score at 21-16. Army responded, covering 75 yards in just four plays with a 53-yard pass from Cade Ballard to Camden Harrison setting up a 5-yard TD rush by Ballard.
Who's counting?
Now in their 12th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 134th game in program history on Saturday when they face Army. UTSA is 64-69 all-time and 26-38 in road games. By comparison, Army has been playing football since 1890 and owns three national championships, a trio of Heisman Trophy winners and an all-time record of 715-533-51.
On Eastern time
The Roadrunners will play their 10th game in the Eastern time zone when they face Army on Saturday in West Point, New York. UTSA is 3-6 all-time in games played in the Eastern time zone with wins against Georgia State in 2012 in Atlanta, Charlotte in 2015 and Old Dominion in 2019.
UTSA in the Eastern Time Zone (3-6)
Date Result Location
9/15/12 UTSA 38, Georgia State 14 Atlanta, Ga.
10/5/13 Marshall 34, UTSA 10 Huntington, W.Va.
9/27/14 Florida Atlantic 41, UTSA 37 Boca Raton, Fla.
11/14/15 UTSA 30, Charlotte 27 (OT) Charlotte, N.C.
9/24/16 Old Dominion 33, UTSA 19 Norfolk, Va.
11/4/17 FIU 14, UTSA 7 Miami, Fla.
11/17/18 Marshall 23, UTSA 0 Huntington, W.Va.
11/9/19 UTSA 24, Old Dominion 23 Norfolk, Va.
10/31/20 Florida Atlantic 24, UTSA 3 Boca Raton, Fla.
Last time out
UTSA quarterback Frank Harris passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 63 yards and a score, but Clayton Tune threw for 206 yards and three TDs and scored on a two-point conversion in the third overtime to lift Houston to a 37-35 victory last Saturday in front of 37,526 fans at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners built a 21-7 lead that lasted into the fourth quarter, but the Cougars rallied to tie things up with 12:26 left to play. Houston took a 24-21 lead in the final minute after a Bubba Baxa 35-yard field goal. Harris then marched the Roadrunners 55 yards down the field in less than 20 seconds, keyed by a 25-yard completion over the middle to Oscar Cardenas that set up Jared Sackett's 37-yard field that knotted the score as time expired. Both teams settled for field goals in the first overtime period. Tune found the end zone on a 1-yard keeper and then hit Nathaniel Dell on the sideline on the required 2-point conversion attempt to make it 35-27. The Roadrunners answered with a 13-yard TD catch by De'Corian Clark followed by a Harris plunge to paydirt that forced triple overtime. UTSA's boisterous crowd helped forced a false start on Houston, but Tune scrambled to his right and dove into the end zone to put the visitors up by two. The Roadrunners had one more shot to tie it up but the pass sailed incomplete.
Harris, Sackett collect C-USA weekly awards
Following the season opener against No. 24 Houston last Saturday, UTSA senior quarterback Frank Harris collected Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in his career, while senior place-kicker Jared Sackett was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time as a Roadrunner. Harris accounted for 400 yards of offense and four touchdowns in the 37-35, triple-overtime setback. The senior from Schertz Clemens High completed 28 of 43 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns and added 63 yards and a score on the ground. He had a 38-yard touchdown dash in the second quarter to give UTSA its first lead of the afternoon and he later led the Roadrunners on a 55-yard drive in less than 23 seconds to set up the game-tying field goal. Sackett made the most of his return to the Roadrunners, drilling the 37-yard field goal as time expired to tie the score at 24-all and force overtime. In the first extra period, the Fort Worth native split the uprights from 39 yards out to send the contest into double overtime, and he also made all three extra-point attempts on the afternoon.
Traylor off to resounding start at UTSA
Head coach Jeff Traylor is off to a resounding start to his tenure at UTSA. The Gilmer, Texas, native has turned around the program by instilling his 210 Triangle of Toughness culture, producing results on and off the field. Taking over a team that won a combined seven games in the two seasons prior to his arrival, he has led the Roadrunners to a 19-8 record, the best 27-game start by any UTSA coach. He already has mentored five All-Americans and a pair of NFL Draft picks during his time in San Antonio. In his first season, Traylor guided the Roadrunners to a 7-5 overall record, a runner-up finish in Conference USA's West Division with a 5-2 mark and an appearance in the First Responder Bowl. The Roadrunners received votes in a national poll for the first time in program history and the seven wins are the most by a first-year UTSA head coach. The Roadrunners enjoyed a record-setting campaign in his second season. The Roadrunners won their first 11 games, were nationally ranked (as high as No. 15) for the first time in school history and captured the program's first league title by winning the 2021 C-USA Championship with a 49-41 victory over WKU. UTSA capped the season with its second straight and third overall bowl appearance. Traylor was honored for his success as the 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year, the AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year for Region 4 and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, AFCA National Coach of the Year and George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. A member of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Coach of the Year watch list, he was chosen as the 2021 San Antonio Express-News Sportsman of the Year.
Season No. 12
UTSA is playing its 12th season of football in 2022. The Roadrunners started their 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. The Roadrunners captured their first conference championship by claiming the 2021 C-USA crown and capped a 12-2 campaign with their third bowl game. UTSA has posted at least six wins in six of the 11 seasons in program history and it has reached the seven-win plateau four times, including in both years of the Jeff Traylor era.
Packing the Dome
UTSA fans have packed the Alamodome for the program's last four home games. The final three home contests of last season all topped the 30,000-fan plateau, and the Roadrunners drew 37,526 for the 2022 season opener versus Houston on Sept. 3. On Nov. 20, 2021, a total of 35,147 fans saw the Roadrunners pull out a 34-31 thriller against UAB to claim the Conference USA West Division title. Two weeks later, UTSA secured its first league crown with a 49-41 triumph over WKU in front of 41,148 fans, the third-largest crowd for a UTSA game at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners also beat Southern Miss in front of 30,105 fans on Nov. 13 and led C-USA in average home attendance last fall with an average of 26,643 for seven home games. Three of the Roadrunners' seven largest home crowds have occurred over their last four contests in the Alamodome. UTSA set NCAA modern startup program records in its first season by drawing 56,743 fans to the inaugural game against Northeastern State on Sept. 3, 2011, and by averaging 35,521 fans for six home contests that season.
UTSA picked to win C-USA crown
The defending Conference USA champion UTSA Roadrunners have been picked to finish first in the conference this season. The Roadrunners received 14 of a possible 22 first-place votes from a panel of media members that covers all 11 C-USA schools. UAB received the remaining eight first-place votes and is slotted second in the preseason poll, followed by WKU, which UTSA beat 49-41 to claim the 2021 conference crown.
C-USA PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. UTSA (14)
2. UAB (8)
3. WKU
4. Florida Atlantic
5. North Texas
6. UTEP
7. Charlotte
8. Middle Tennessee
9. Louisiana Tech
10. Rice
11. FIU
UTSA senior duo earns C-USA preseason accolades
UTSA seniors Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom have been named Conference USA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Harris and Wisdom join C-USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year Brayden Narveson of WKU as preseason superlative award winners in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Roadrunners reel in preseason honors
UTSA has reeled in numerous honors leading into this season, as seven Roadrunners have landed on preseason lists. Senior quarterback Frank Harris leads the way after earning a spot on five lists — the Davey O'Brien, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Manning, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards — and the Schertz Clemens high product also is a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy. Meanwhile, senior safety Rashad Wisdom appears on watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik and Paycom Jim Thorpe Awards and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The Converse Judson High graduate also is a nominee for the Allstate Good Works Team. Senior center Ahofitu Maka is a member of watch lists for the Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, while senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin is on the Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists. Oscar Cardenas (John Mackey Award), Lucas Dean (Ray Guy Award) and Jared Sackett (Lou Groza Award) also made preseason watch lists.
Player — Watch List(s)
Oscar Cardenas — John Mackey Award
Lucas Dean — Ray Guy Award
Zakhari Franklin — Biletnikoff Award, Reese's Senior Bowl
Frank Harris — Davey O'Brien Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Wuerffel Trophy nominee
Ahofitu Maka — Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year
Jared Sackett — Lou Groza Award
Rashad Wisdom — Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Allstate Good Works Team nominee
Leader under center
During the course of his UTSA career, senior quarterback Frank Harris has developed into one of the team's unquestioned leaders. The Schertz Clemens High product, who owns a 20-9 record as the starting QB, has thrown for 5,630 yards and 45 touchdowns on 516-of-782 passing (.660) and rushed for 1,283 yards and 16 TDs as a Roadrunner. In fact, he is one of only 12 active FBS quarterbacks with 5,000 or more passing yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards, and his career completion percentage ranks eighth among active players. The 2022 Conference USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year guided UTSA to the most successful season in program history last fall, helping lead the Roadrunners to a 12-2 record, their first conference championship and top-25 ranking and to their second straight and third overall bowl game. A two-time national player of the week, he set school single-season records for passing yards (3,177), completions (398), touchdowns (27), attempts (263), completion percentage (.661), passing efficiency (152.5), total offense (3,743) and touchdowns responsible for (33). He also rushed for 566 yards — a program record for a QB — and six scores and caught three passes for 36 yards and a TD en route to Dave Campbell's Texas Football Offensive Player of the Year and second-team all-conference accolades. A member of preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Manning, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards, Harris has overcome multiple season-ending injuries sustained earlier in his career to emerge as one of the top signal callers in the country. Harris opened the 2022 campaign by piling up 400 yards of offense and four TDs, passing for 337 yards and three scores and rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown in the triple-overtime loss to No. 24 Houston. He earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance against the Cougars.
Experience up front
UTSA brings back one of the most experienced offensive lines in the FBS this fall. The quartet of Kevin Davis (42 starts), Makai Hart (21), Terrell Haynes (21) and Ahofitu Maka (38) have combined for 122 career starts, which ranks fourth among all FBS schools. That foursome also has combined to play in 140 games, good for 10th nationally. With four starters returning, UTSA is tied with several other schools behind nine squads that returned all five starters this season.
Maka makes it happen on and off the field
Ahofitu Maka is back for his fourth season as UTSA's starting center, leading the way on a veteran offensive line. A second-team all-conference selection in each of the last two seasons, the Honolulu, Hawai'i, native has started 38 career games — including 37 at center — as a Roadrunner after transferring from Independence Community College prior to the 2019 campaign. Over the last two seasons, the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy preseason watch list member has allowed only two sacks in more than 500 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, helping pave the way for a record-setting offense. In 2020, UTSA broke single-season program records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). Maka surrendered just one sack and three hits on the quarterback in 430 pass-blocking snaps that season. Last fall, Maka — who landed on the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch list — started all 14 contests, allowing just one sack and three hits on the quarterback in 471 pass-blocking snaps to help UTSA set school records for total yards (6,146), total yards per game (439.0), passing yards (3,577), passing yards per game (255.5), points scored (516) and points per game (36.9). In the 2022 season opener, Maka did not surrender a sack or hit on the quarterback in 55 pass-blocking snaps. Also an excellent student, Maka is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, a 2021 C-USA All-Academic Team pick and a C-USA Academic Medal recipient.
Terrific trio
UTSA boasts arguably the top pass-catching trio in the FBS. Senior wide receivers Joshua Cephus, De'Corian "JT" Clark and Zakhari Franklin have teamed up to provide the Roadrunners with a formidable air attack. The trio has combined for 389 receptions, 4,825 receiving yards and 45 receiving touchdowns during their career. No other FBS team has a trio of active players with more receptions, receiving yards or touchdown catches. All three receivers were voted into the coveted single-digit jersey numbers by their teammates this season, with Cephus wearing No. 2, Clark in No. 1 and Franklin donning No. 4.
Keeping the streak alive
The UTSA receiving duo of Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus both rank near the top of the chart for consecutive games with a reception entering the 2022 campaign. Franklin has caught a pass in all 33 career contests in which he has been available dating back to 2019, good for the second-longest streak in the FBS behind Minnesota's Chris Autman-Bell, who has a reception in 39 straight games. Cephus has at least one catch in 27 consecutive games dating back to the 2020 season opener, putting him in a tie for ninth nationally.
Franklin rewriting record book
UTSA senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has rewritten UTSA's record book for receivers. The Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch list honoree smashed UTSA single-season standards for receptions (81), receiving yards (1,027), receiving yards per game (79.0) and receiving touchdowns (12) last fall en route to first-team all-conference and second-team Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College honors. The Cedar Hill High product also matched his own school mark from 2020 with four 100-yard receiving games last fall, including a season-high 155 yards on 10 grabs in the 37-30 road win over Illinois. He also owns the program's single-game record for receptions with 12, which he turned into 138 yards and a pair of scores versus Army in 2020. He started the 2022 campaign off with a bang by registering his program-record 10th career 100-yard game, catching 10 passes for 100 yards against No. 24 Houston. Franklin continues to sit atop the UTSA all-time charts for receptions (178), receiving yards (2,312) and TD catches (22). In fact, he ranks fifth among active FBS players in receptions, receptions per game (5.39) and receiving yards per game (70.1), stands sixth in receiving touchdowns and eighth in total receiving yards.
Sure-handed Cephus
Joshua Cephus has built a reputation as a wide receiver who does not drop anything thrown his way. The senior from Houston has been tagged with only six drops during his career for a drop rate of 4.0% according to Pro Football Focus. He started 2022 with his second 100-yard game as a Roadrunner, piling up 106 yards on seven receptions, including a 51-yard catch-and-run that opened the scoring for UTSA. The Dekaney High product now has turned 144 catches into 1,625 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career, marks that rank him in the top three on the program's all-time chart.
Clark creating highlight-reel catches
De'Corian "JT" Clark has emerged as one of UTSA's top receiving targets, often making catches worthy of a spot on any highlight reel. The senior from Fort Worth caught six passes for 70 yards and a pair of spectacular touchdown grabs in the season-opening setback to No. 24 Houston last Saturday. Clark, whose middle name is John Thomas, hauled in a 15-yard pass from Frank Harris that gave the Roadrunners a 21-7 advantage in the third quarter, and he made a diving catch between two defenders on a 13-yard TD in the second overtime that helped force a third extra period. A product of O.D. Wyatt High School, he is fast approaching the 1,000-yard mark for his career, as he now has 888 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 67 catches in 34 contests.
Cardenas a dual threat at tight end
UTSA junior Oscar Cardenas has emerged as a punishing blocker and reliable pass-catcher from the tight end position. The San Antonio Brandeis High graduate earned a spot on the John Mackey Award preseason watch list this summer after a breakout 2021 campaign. He appeared in all 14 games and made four starts last fall, catching 16 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Cardenas played a role in one of the iconic moments in UTSA's history, hauling in the game-winning TD reception after a tipped pass with three seconds left in the 34-31 victory over UAB last November. He also had a 28-yard catch on the game-winning drive in the final minute versus the Blazers to help the Roadrunners clinch the Conference USA West Division title. Cardenas, who has 31 career contests under his belt, came up big in a key road triumph over WKU last season, as well, catching a pair of passes for 19 yards, including an 11-yard TD. He caught a pair of passes in the 2022 opener against No. 24 Houston including a key 25-yard reception that set up the game-tying field goal as time expired.
Wisdom in the secondary
UTSA senior safety Rashad Wisdom has been one of the team leaders since he stepped foot on campus in the spring semester of 2019. A two-time first-team all-conference performer, the Converse Judson High graduate has paced the Roadrunners in total tackles in each of the past two seasons, helping guide UTSA to 19 wins, a conference championship and a pair of bowl games during that timeframe. Last season, he recorded 88 tackles, 67 solo stops, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. The 2022 C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year logged 10-plus tackles three times, including a season-high 13 in the 52-46 road win over WKU, giving him eight career games with double-digit stops. A member of preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik and Paycom Jim Thorpe Awards, he opened 2022 with five tackles, including four solo stops, against No. 24 Houston and now has 232 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery in 39 career contests. Wisdom is ninth among active FBS players with 162 solo tackles and two interception returns for touchdowns, which also is good for a share of the school record.
Mayfield comfortable on an island
UTSA cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr. was thrown into the fire, so to speak, as a true freshman in 2018, seeing action in 10 games and drawing two starts. The Forney, Texas, native has made the most of that early playing time, developing into a steady presence at the position during the course of his career with 36 starts in 48 contests. The son of former Oklahoma and NFL defensive lineman Corey Mayfield, he has received honorable mention all-conference accolades in each of the past two seasons. Last fall, he registered 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, three pass breakups one forced fumble and an interception that he returned 49 yards for a touchdown in the 45-0 shutout of Rice. In 2020, he had a pair of interceptions and broke up a team-best six passes to go along with 37 stops and three TFLs. He started this season with six total tackles, four solo stops and a key pass breakup deep in UTSA territory against No. 24 Houston.
Linebacker leaders
The Roadrunners will not be short on leadership in the second line of defense this fall, as three players who earned one of the coveted single-digit jersey numbers are slated to line up as starters at linebacker. The tandem of Trevor Harmanson, who will wear No. 1, and Jamal Ligon, who will don No. 8 for the second straight season, provides UTSA with two veterans in the middle. A super senior from Dickinson, Texas, Harmanson has recorded 187 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries in 38 career contests. Ligon, a junior out of Tyler Lee High, has registered 145 tackles, nine TFLs, five sacks, two forced fumbles, a pair of recoveries and an interception in 24 games as a Roadrunner, and he owns the program single-game tackles record with 19. Meanwhile, Dadrian Taylor is back in his No. 7 jersey for his final year manning the SAM linebacker spot. In 46 career appearances, the Shiner, Texas, native has logged 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six versus Louisiana Tech last season.
D-line rotation keeps Roadrunners fresh
UTSA defensive coordinator Jess Loepp uses a deep rotation up front to keep the Roadrunners fresh throughout the course of a game. The Roadrunners played nine defensive linemen in the season-opening 37-35, triple-overtime loss to No. 24 Houston. Brandon Brown, Brandon Matterson and Asyrus Simon drew starts and combined to register 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Simon led that trio with seven stops, while Brown made 1.5 sacks and caused the fumble. Joe Evans (3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks), Lamonte McDougle (2 tackles), Trumane Bell II (0.5 TFL, QBH), Christian Clayton (tackle), Zach Causey and Ronald Triplette also saw snaps against the Cougars.
Punter from Down Under
In its brief 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. 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. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Sporting News in 2020. Last fall, Dean punted 47 times for a 45.2 average that ranks second on the program's single-season chart, earning second-team all-league accolades. The Ray Guy Award preseason watch list member owns three of the four longest punts in UTSA history, highlighted by his school-record 73-yard bomb against UAB last November. Dean opened 2022 by averaging 41.7 yards on three punts with a long of 58 and one inside the 20. He is 10th among active FBS punters with his UTSA-record 43.7 career average.
Welcome back, Sackett
Not often does a college football player finish his career where he started after transferring out, but UTSA senior Jared Sackett is doing just that this season. As a true freshman in 2017, he made 19 of 22 field goals (.864) to rank third in the FBS in field goals per game (1.9) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.864) in 11 contests despite not appearing in the season opener. Those stats helped him become the second Freshman All-American in program history and UTSA's first Lou Groza Award semifinalist. The Fort Worth native connected on 14 of 19 field goals en route to his second straight season as a Groza Award semifinalist. After transferring to Arkansas to kick for a coaching staff that included Jeff Traylor, he sat out the 2019 season and then moved on to USF following a coaching change. Sackett made 5 of 7 field goals and all 10 extra points he tried in limited action in 2020 for the Bulls. After not kicking in any games last fall, he transferred back to UTSA for his final campaign, entering the season as a member of the Lou Groza Award watch list. He opened his second stint as a Roadrunner by drilling a pair of field goals, including a 37-yarder as time expired to send the game into overtime, and also made all three extra points and had two touchbacks on four kickoffs. Sackett was tabbed C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort against the Cougars.
Transfers make immediate impact
UTSA saw several first-year transfers make an immediate impact in the season opener last Saturday against No. 24 Houston. Nicktroy Fortune, who last played for West Virginia, started at cornerback and registered six tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Venly Tatafu, who came from Independence Community College, played more than 77 snaps for an offense that piled up 441 yards. LSU transfer defensive lineman Joe Evan posted three tackles, 1.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks, Arkansas transfer running back Trelon Smith rushed for 34 yards and LSU transfer defensive back Pig Cage logged one tackle. Jared Sackett rejoined the Roadrunners from stints at USF and Arkansas, and he made both field goal attempts and all three extra point tries.
Down to the wire
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 18 of the 27 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 12-6 record in those games. Dating back to last season, UTSA has seen three consecutive and five of the last six contests decided in fourth quarter or later. The Roadrunners broke a 17-17 fourth-quarter deadlock against Southern Miss last November with two late scores in a 10-point victory before upending UAB 34-31 on a TD pass with three seconds remaining one week later. UTSA used an interception on the final play of the game to secure a 49-41 C-USA Championship Game win over WKU on Dec. 3 and then pulled to within seven points of No. 24 San Diego State in the Frisco Bowl before dropping a 38-24 decision in the 2021 finale. The Roadrunners also saw games against Illinois (37-30), Memphis (31-28), UNLV (24-17) and WKU (52-46) come down to the final minutes last fall. In 2020, UTSA's matchups against Texas State (51-48/2OT), Stephen F. Austin (24-10), Middle Tennessee (37-35), UAB (13-21), No. 15 BYU (20-27), Army (16-28), Louisiana Tech (27-26), Southern Miss (23-20) and No. 16 Louisiana (24-31) all were one-score games in the final stanza.
FBS graduates
UTSA boasts 22 graduates on its 2022 roster, a total that is tied for the third-most among FBS teams. Nebraska leads the way with 26, followed by Liberty and Rice with 23. The Roadrunners are equal with Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, North Texas, Pitt and Texas State.
UTSA's Graduates
Trumane Bell
Tre'Von Bradley
Brenden Brady
Quincy Cage
Caleb Cantrell
Clifford Chattman
Kevin Davis
Trevor Harmanson
Frank Harris
Makai Hart
Terrell Haynes
Payne He'bert
Ahofitu Maka
Brandon Matterson
Lamonte McDougle
Dru Prox
Jared Sackett
Gavin Sharp
Trelon Smith
Dadrian Taylor
Tony Wallace
Julon Williams
Brotherly duos
UTSA has three sets of brothers on the 2022 roster in safety Pig Cage and wide receiver Quincy Cage, offensive lineman Kevin Davis and wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with outside linebackers Dadrian and Donyai Taylor.
TV birds
Saturday's road opener will be televised on CBS Sports Network, marking 112 straight televised/streamed appearances for the Roadrunners. The last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
Sixteen Roadrunners set for super senior season
A total of 16 UTSA seniors have elected to take advantage of their extra year of eligibility this fall as a result of an NCAA blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brenden Brady
Caleb Cantrell
Clifford Chattman
Kevin Davis
Trevor Harmanson
Frank Harris
Makai Hart
Ahofitu Maka
Brandon Matterson
Corey Mayfield Jr.
Dru Prox
Jared Sackett
Gavin Sharp
Trelon Smith
Dadrian Taylor
Tony Wallace
Duo entering seventh season of college football
UTSA seniors Clifford Chattman and Dru Prox are in rare company as two of only 23 FBS players who are in at least their seventh season of college football. In fact, that duo makes UTSA the only school on the list with two current seventh-year players.
A focus on recruiting Texas
UTSA's 112-man roster features 87 players — 78% — who hail from the state of Texas. Louisiana stands second with five players, while there are three each from California, Florida and Mississippi and two apiece from Georgia and Tennessee. Hawai'i, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Virginia each have produced one current Roadrunner, while Lucas Dean is the lone UTSA player 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 thesurrounding area. The current roster includes 26 players from Greater San Antonio with a team-high five hailing from perennial power Converse Judson High School.
Player (High School)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Caden Holt (New Braunfels Canyon)
Xion LaGrant (Cornerstone Christian)
Ethan Laing (Boerne Champion)
Caleb Lewis (Steele)
De'Anthony Lewis (Judson)
Deandre Marshall (Central Catholic)
Frankie Martinez (East Central)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Trey Moore (Smithson Valley)
Matthew O'Brien (New Braunfels)
Xavier Player (Steele)
Jalen Rainey (Brandeis)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Robert Rigsby (Judson)
Ben Rios (Central Catholic)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Kamron Scott (Judson)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Dre Spriggs (Harlan)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA's 210 Triangle of Toughness
Since his arrival in December 2019, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has instilled into the program his 210 Triangle Of Toughness Culture Pillars: Integrity, Passion, Mental & Physical Toughness, Selfless and Perfect Effort. As part of that 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 — De'Corian Clark, Trevor Harmanson
2 — Joshua Cephus, Corey Mayfield Jr.
3 — Brandon Matterson
4 — Clifford Chattman, Zakhari Franklin
5 — Brenden Brady, Lucas Dean
6 — Kelechi Nwachuku
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Jamal Ligon
9 — Brandon Brown, Oscar Cardenas
Offensive linemen Kevin Davis (61), Makai Hart (77), Terrell Haynes (58) and Ahofitu Maka (55) also received the necessary votes but cannot change to a single-digit number due to their position.
Leadership Council elected
Prior to the season, UTSA elected a Leadership Council made up of representatives from each position group.
Quarterbacks — Frank Harris
Running Backs — Brenden Brady
Wide Receivers — Joshua Cephus
Tight Ends — Oscar Cardenas
Offensive Line — Ahofitu Maka
Defensive Line — Brandon Brown
Inside Linebackers — Jamal Ligon
Outside Linebackers (S) — Dadrian Taylor
Outside Linebackers (W) — Trey Moore
Safeties — Kelechi Nwachuku, Rashad Wisdom
Cornerbacks — Corey Mayfield Jr.
Specialists — Caleb Cantrell, Lucas Dean
Up next
UTSA will make the short drive north on I-35 to face Texas on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the game will air live on Longhorn Network and Ticket 760 AM.
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