Behind Enemy Lines (Opponent Preview): UTSA Roadrunners - Game #11
FAST FACTS:
Location: Alamodome – San Antonio, TX
Kickoff Time: 3:30 PM Eastern/2:30 PM Central
Surface: AstroTurf Magic Carpet II
Weather: Dome – Irrelevant
TV: ESPN+
UT San Antonio Team Name: Roadrunners
Conference Affiliation: American
Head Coach: Jeff Traylor (52-25 in his 6th season at UTSA)
2024 Record: 6-5/4-3 American
Program History: In 2011, UTSA started its inaugural season playing its first-ever game against Northeastern State on September 3, 2011, at the Alamodome. With attendance of 56,743, UTSA set a record for the highest-attended game for an NCAA Division I FBS start-up program. UTSA finished their first season with a record of 4–6 and set a record for the largest average home attendance for a new football program with 35,521.
Under head coaches Larry Coker and Frank Wilson from 2011-2019, UTSA experienced varying degrees of success and failure as a member of Conference USA. They successfully transitioned to FBS play and even received a bowl berth in 2016. In the same year, Tight End David Morgan was the first Roadrunner drafted by the NFL. At the end of the day, though, neither Coker nor Wilson could sustain success at UTSA, and both were fired with career losing records.
Everything changed at UTSA when Arkansas RB coach Jeff Traylor became head coach in 2020. In Traylor’s first season, UTSA went 7-4 and they haven’t looked back. In 2021, UTSA finished 12-2, defeated Western Kentucky in the conference championship game, and was ranked in all 3 polls (AP, Coaches’ Poll, CFP). In 2023, UTSA went 9-4 and beat Marshall 35-17 in the Miami Beach Bowl.
UTSA went 7-6 in 2024 including a perfect 6-0 record at home. In two years, the Roadrunners have yet to lose an American Conference home game.
Series History: Army’s first tilt against the Roadrunners took place in the Alamodome in 2019. Army and UTSA have squared off every year since with the exception of the 2021 season. Army is 4-1 against the Roadrunners. The odd statistic in this new series is that the road team is 4-1. Army captured the first home win in the series at Michie Stadium last November. UTSA’s lone win against the Black Knights came in 2022 when UTSA defeated Army in overtime at Michie Stadium.
Last Meeting: Army won a tight contest at Michie Stadium last November on Senior Day, 29-24. The Corps of Cadets was home on Thanksgiving leave so the Black Knights’ home field advantage was minimized. Army outscored UTSA 13-7 in the final stanza to escape with a hard-fought victory.
Bryson Daily threw for a season-high 190 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns, including a 42-yard run that gave Army a 29-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Safety Casey Larkin sealed the victory with a late interception. The win secured Army an undefeated 8-0 conference record, giving them the right to host the conference championship game.
UTSA Offense: The Roadrunners’ offense starts and stops with superstar Junior QB Owen McCown (son of NFL journeyman QB Cade McCown). McCown has thrown for 2,434 yards this season and leads the Roadrunners’ explosive passing attack with 25 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. McCown’s QBR is 54.2 primarily due to the “bipolar” nature of UTSA. While they are one of the best teams in America in the Alamodome, they are equally as dismal on the road.
Since UTSA throws much more effectively than they run the ball, let’s start with McCown’s weapons in the passing game. Junior WR Devin McCuin leads the Roadrunners with 52 receptions for 567 yards, 7 touchdowns and a 10.9 average.
Junior WR AJ Wlson transferred from Houston Christian and is second on the team with 25 receptions for 466 yards, 4 touchdowns and an 18.6 average. TE Houston Thomas has 32 catches for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 10.5 average.
UTSA is not afraid to put it up and take chances. They run a fast-paced spread offense and will “chuck it all over the yard” seeking the big play. They have some pretty effective running backs as well although they primarily run to set up the pass. If Army doesn’t make the Roadrunners one-dimensional by stopping the run, they’re in for a long day.
Senior RB Robert Henry Jr. leads the Roadrunners rushing attack with 138 carries for 983 yards, 9 touchdowns, and a 7.1 yards per carry average! Army’s LB’s better bring the lumber and the defensive line needs to learn how to destroy blocks in a hurry.
The Roadrunners have been scoring video game-like numbers in the Alamodome this season. The Roadrunners put up 48 points against Incarnate Word, 61 against Rice, 48 against Tulane, and 58 against a very stout East Carolina defense. Army either needs to control the clock and shorten the game or try and win a shootout.
UTSA Defense: UTSA’s defense has improved a ton since last season. Both OC Cody Worley and Head Coach Jeff Monken said they are one of the most athletic defenses Army has faced all year. Coach Worley specifically called out the 2 ILB’s as the two most athletic Linebackers Army has seen this year.
Senior LB Shad Banks Jr. (TCU transfer) leads the Roadrunners in tackles with 74 and 46 solo. He has 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 3 interceptions. 5th year Sophomore Safety (not a typo?) and Stanford transfer Jimmy Wyrick adds 52 total tackles (36 solo) along with 1 forced fumble and 7 interceptions. Alabama transfer/Senior LB Kendrick Blackshire has 49 total tackles (31 solo), a sack and an interception. Blackshire is a first day NFL draft level talent. These 3 superstars will be flying to the line of scrimmage to stop Army’s option and run game attack. What makes UTSA’s defense dangerous is they can probably put 7-8 in the box and still protect against play-action.
Prediction: ESPN FPI gives UTSA a 77.4% chance of winning. The spread opened at UTSA -6.5 and is now 7.5.
This is a tough out for the Black Knights no matter how you slice it. UTSA is awesome at home, they have an explosive offense, a coach who has faced Army 4 times now, a hard-hitting, athletic defense, and they’ll be looking for payback after the close losses the last two years.
Army is coming off one of their most devastating losses of the season against Tulsa in a game they absolutely should have won before they flinched late. Those are the kinds of losses that take team’s souls if they aren’t tough enough. Some teams never recover.
However, this Army team had something similar happen to them in week 1’s loss to Tarleton State in overtime and came back the very next week to put together their most impressive win of the season against Kansas State. They lost a heart breaker to Tulane as the Green Wave scored twice in the last two minutes to beat Army 24-17. The next week, Army beat one of their rivals at Air Force, 20-17. Army is 3-4 in one-score games this season. They’ve played probably too many close games and lost too many.
On paper, this looks like it could be a big win for UTSA. If Army doesn’t play their absolute best, it absolutely could be a blowout. That being said, when Coach Monken’s teams are up against a wall as Army will be on Saturday, they usually come out fighting. This Army team has shown they can play with anyone on their schedule. The lingering question is, can they win?
Army hangs tough but loses their fifth one-score game of the season in “Thunder Dome.”
Army – 26
UTSA – 29
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