SAN ANTONIO – UTSA will open a two-game home stand on Saturday, Nov. 11, when it hosts UAB for the annual Military Appreciation Game. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome in what will be the second meeting between the Roadrunners and Blazers. UTSA won the only previous matchup, a 52-31 home triumph on Oct. 26, 2013. Saturday's contest will be the first of two straight at the Alamodome for the Birds, who will host Marshall on Nov. 18 in the home finale.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on KCWX-TV in San Antonio. Mike Lefko (play-by-play), Bobby Stautzenberger (analyst) and Aerin Carreno (sideline) will call the action. The contest also can be heard live in San Antonio on The Bull 93.3 FM. 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 https://thebullcountry.iheart.com/ and via the free all-in-one iHeartRadio app.
Game 80
Saturday's contest will mark the 80th game in UTSA football history and the 40th at the Alamodome. The program holds a 37-42 overall record, including a 21-18 home ledger.
A look at UAB
UAB improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in C-USA with a 52-21 home victory over Rice last Saturday. The Blazers are in their first season of football after a two-year hiatus and have won four of their last five games. Freshman running back Spencer Brown leads the ground attack with 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns on 180 carries (5.8 ypc). Junior quarterback A.J. Erdely has passed for 1,692 yards and 12 TDs on 144-of-236 passing and he also has rushed for 264 yards and 10 additional scores. His top target is junior receiver A.J. Wilson, who has caught 41 passes for 564 yards and six TDs. Senior linebacker Tevin Crews has a team-high 70 tackles, including 10 for loss, while senior defensive lineman Shaq Jones has posted 46 stops and a team-leading 10.5 TFLs. Head coach Bill Clark is 12-9 in his second season.
Series history
Saturday will mark just the second meeting between UTSA and UAB. The Roadrunners won the only previous matchup, 52-31, on Oct. 26, 2013, at the Alamodome.
Last meeting
UTSA reeled off 24 consecutive points to open the game en route to a 52-31 victory against UAB on Oct. 26, 2013, at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners racked up a then-school-record 523 yards of total offense, including 331 in the first half, and UTSA's 52 points are its most-ever against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent. Eric Soza completed 14-of-21 passes for 235 yards and he found 11 different receivers. Kenny Bias led all pass catchers with two receptions for 54 yards, while Brandon Armstrong added a career-best 51 yards. David Glasco II led all rushers by gaining 73 yards on 11 carries. UTSA's defense was led by Nic Johnston, who finished with 10 tackles, and he also recorded the team's first interception of the season and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
Last time out
Dalton Sturm had 187 yards of offense and La'Kel Bass and Marcus Davenport combined for 15 tackles, but it was not enough in a 14-7 setback to FIU in Conference USA action on Nov. 4 at Riccardo Silva Stadium. Sturm rushed for a game-high 82 yards and added 105 through the air for the Roadrunners. The senior quarterback completed 13 passes to seven different receivers, including three apiece to Josh Stewart and Kerry Thomas Jr. Meanwhile, Bass led a defense that held the Panthers to 315 yards of offense with eight tackles, including five solos and a tackle for loss. Davenport added seven stops and his third forced fumble of the season, which led to one of three FIU turnovers on the night.
Staying close to home
The 2017 schedule is keeping the Roadrunners close to home. UTSA has played outside the state of Texas just once through the first eight games when they traveled to Miami, Fla., for the Nov. 4 contest against FIU. 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 six of its last eight games played in the Lone Star State. The Birds own a 29-24 all-time record inside the state borders and are 14-11 against teams from Texas.
Remember November
UTSA owns an all-time record of 14-9 in games played during the month of November after dropping a 14-7 decision at FIU last Saturday. Despite having to play three road games, the Roadrunners were 2-2 in November last season.
Creating havoc
Part of the reason for UTSA's defensive success has been the ability to create pressure. UTSA has registered 59 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 21 quarterback pressures, 10 interceptions and 26 pass breakups through its first 32 quarters of the season. The Roadrunners rank second in C-USA and 22nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with an average of 7.4 TFLs per game. That statistic has been the result of a team effort, as 22 different players have taken part in a stop behind the line of scrimmage for a total loss of 205 yards. Marcus Davenport leads the way with 12 tackles for loss, while sophomore defensive end Eric Banks has 8.5 and senior linebacker La'Kel Bass and junior defensive lineman Kevin Strong Jr. have posted 6.5 and six, respectively.
Sack attack
UTSA is getting to the opposing quarterback on a regular basis this fall. The Roadrunners have posted 18 sacks for an average of 2.25 per game, which ranks fourth in C-USA. Marcus Davenport leads all players with 6.5 sacks, while senior linebacker Marcos Curry has 2.5 and Kevin Strong Jr. has a pair. Additionally, UTSA has turned in 21 QB pressures in the first eight contests, led by Davenport's seven.
Tough sledding
UTSA opponents have found rushing yards tough to come by this fall. The Roadrunners lead C-USA and rank 14th nationally by allowing a mere 119.5 yards per game on the ground. UTSA has held four of its eight foes to 100 or fewer rushing yards, including a season-best 37 allowed in the 44-14 win at Texas State.
In good hands
UTSA senior slot receiver Brady Jones is one of the team's most reliable pass catchers. The George West native has hauled in 18 passes for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which have come in the last three contests. Jones, who was a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, had three catches for 65 yards in the home-opening triumph over Southern and three receptions for a season-high 75 yards in the road victory at Texas State one week later. He caught four balls for 57 yards, including a 26-yard TD, in the home win against Rice and had the lone touchdown on a 12-yard reception at FIU in his last outing.
Up next
The Roadrunners will close out their home slate on Saturday, Nov. 18, when they host Marshall (6-3, 3-2) at 6 p.m. at the Alamodome.
