SAN ANTONIO – UTSA football looks to get back in the win column on Saturday as the Roadrunners travel to Denton to face North Texas. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Mean Green's Apogee Stadium.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on KCWX-TV in San Antonio. Mike Lefko (play-by-play), Chuck Miketinac (analyst) and Gary Striewski (reporter) will call the action. The contest also can be heard live in San Antonio on 92.5 and 93.3 FM The Bull. Andy Everett (play-by-play) and Jay Riley (analyst) will handle the call. The pregame show will begin at 4 p.m. and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The broadcast also can be heard live online at thebullcountry.iheart.com and via the free all-in-one iHeartRadio app.
Game 76
Saturday's contest will mark the 76th game in UTSA football history and the 28th away from the Alamo City. The program holds a 35-40 overall record, including a 15-22 road ledger.
A look at North Texas
North Texas enters Saturday's contest with a 3-2 overall record and the Mean Green sit atop the C-USA West Division with a 2-0 mark. North Texas raced past Southern Miss, 43-28, in their last outing on Oct. 1. The league's top offense statistically, the Mean Green are averaging 510.8 yards and 38.8 points per game. Sophomore quarterback Mason Fine has passed for 1,442 yards and 11 touchdowns and is completing 62.6 percent (102-163) of his passes. Senior running back Jeffery Wilson has rushed for 692 yards on 93 carries (7.2 ypc) and nine TDs, while Jalen Guyton leads the receiving corps with 24 catches for 444 yards and five scores. The defense is yielding 400.8 yards and 34.0 points per contest. Sophomore safety Khairi Muhammad leads the team with 44 tackles, while junior linebacker E.J. Ejiya has 37 stops and a team-high four sacks. Head coach Seth Littrell is 8-10 in his second season at the helm.
Series history
Saturday will mark the fifth meeting between UTSA and North Texas. The Roadrunners hold a 3-1 lead in the all-time series. The teams have split the two previous meetings at Apogee Stadium.
UTSA/North Texas All-Time Meetings
| Date | Location | Result |
| 11/23/13 | Denton | UTSA 21, NT 13 |
| 11/29/14 | San Antonio | UTSA 34, NT 27 |
| 10/31/15 | Denton | NT 30, UTSA 23 |
| 10/29/16 | San Antonio | UTSA 31, NT 17 |
Last meeting
Jalen Rhodes and Jarveon Williams rushed for 74 yards apiece to help lead UTSA to a 31-17 victory against North Texas on Oct. 29, 2016, at the Alamodome. The defense forced four turnovers (two fumbles/two interceptions) and was led by La'Kel Bass, Marcus Davenport and Nate Gaines, who each recorded eight tackles.
Staying close to home
The 2017 schedule is keeping the Roadrunners close to home. UTSA will not leave the state of Texas until the month of November, when the Birds fly to Miami, Fla., for a Conference USA contest against FIU on Nov. 4 in what will be their eighth game of the fall. In fact, the Roadrunners are only scheduled to leave the state one other time during the regular season when they travel to Ruston, La., for a Nov. 25 matchup against Louisiana Tech. UTSA has won four of its last five games played in the Lone Star State, including three of its last four on the road. The Birds own a 27-23 all-time record inside the state borders and are 12-10 against teams from Texas.
Last time out
Greg Campbell Jr. and Josh Stewart each had 100-yard receiving games, but Ito Smith rushed for 178 to help lead Southern Miss to a 31-29 victory against UTSA last Saturday night at the Alamodome. Smith had 140 of his yards in the second half to help the Golden Eagles rally from a 13-7 halftime deficit and hand the Roadrunners their first loss of the season. The running back's 89-yard dash to paydirt early in the fourth quarter helped give the visitors a 28-13 lead before UTSA mounted a furious comeback. Dalton Sturm hit Marquez McNair for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 48 seconds left to pull UTSA to within 31-29, but the two-point conversion attempt and ensuing onside kick failed as the Golden Eagles secured the win.
Offensive explosion
UTSA has emerged as an offensive force this season, as the Roadrunners rank second in C-USA and 22nd among FBS teams in total offense with 478.8 yards per game. The offense exploded for 502 yards in the 51-17 win against Southern on Sept. 16, as the Roadrunners racked up 335 yards through the air and added 167 more on the ground. UTSA scored on its first seven possessions — a program first — in rolling to a 48-0 halftime lead, the most points scored in a half in school annals. The Roadrunners provided quite the encore one week later with a school-record 569 yards of offense in the 44-14 win at Texas State. UTSA churned out a program-best 357 rushing yards and added 212 passing on its way to posting back-to-back 500-yard outputs for the first time in school annals. The Roadrunners tallied 469 yards, including 367 through the air, against Southern Miss in their last outing. UTSA ranks second among league schools in scoring offense (35.3) and passing yards per game (267.3) and stands third in rushing offense (211.5).
Controlling the clock
UTSA has controlled the clock in each of its first four games this season. In the season-opening win at Baylor on Sept. 9, the Roadrunners possessed the ball for 38 minutes and 52 seconds, including 20:53 of a possible 30 minutes in the first half. UTSA held the ball for 31:45 in the 51-17 victory over Southern, 35:21 in the 44-14 triumph over Texas State and 36:07 against Southern Miss. The Birds are averaging a league-leading 35:31 in time of possession per contest, a mark that ranks third among all FBS teams, and they have a combined advantage of 44:10 this season.
Effective in the red zone
The Roadrunners have scored on 13 of 14 trips inside the red zone this season. That equates to a 92.9-percent conversion rate, a mark that stands second in C-USA and 16th nationally. UTSA has made the most of its chances with nine touchdowns and four field goals on trips inside the 20-yard line.
A force on defense
Using an attacking style, the UTSA defense has been a force this season. The Roadrunners lead Conference USA in six different statistical categories and they rank in the top 10 nationally in seven. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding's group is giving up a league-best 269.8 yards per game and have held two of their four opponents to less than 200 yards. The Roadrunners limited Southern to just 149 yards, breaking the school record for fewest yards allowed, and they yielded just 198 to Texas State a week later.
Up next
The Roadrunners will host Rice in their annual Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome.
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