SAN ANTONIO – UTSA will make the program's second-ever trip to the state of Florida and its first outside the state of Texas this season on Saturday, Nov. 4, to face FIU in a Conference USA contest. Kickoff in the second all-time meeting between the Roadrunners and Panthers is set for 6 p.m. Central at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Fla. UTSA is one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the second straight season under head coach Frank Wilson.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on STADIUM (KMYS-CW 35 in San Antonio). Ron Thulin (play-by-play), Max Starks (analyst) and Madi Morris (sideline) will call the action. The contest also can be heard live in San Antonio on Ticket 760 AM. Andy Everett (play-by-play) and Jay Riley (analyst) will handle the call. The pregame show will begin at 4 p.m. CT and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The broadcast also can be heard live online at http://ticket760.com and via the free all-in-one iHeartRadio app.
Game 79
Saturday's contest will mark the 79th game in UTSA football history and the 40th away from the Alamo City. The program holds a 37-41 overall record, including a 16-23 road ledger.
A look at FIU
FIU ran its record to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in C-USA play with a 41-30 road victory at Marshall on Oct. 28. The Panthers are averaging 22.6 points and 390.1 yards of offense per game and they are allowing 26.3 points and 396.9 yards per contest. Quarterback Alex McGough has completed 121-of-196 passes for 1,513 yards and seven touchdowns and his favorite target is Thomas Owens, who has caught 40 passes for 728 yards and five TDs. Alex Gardner is the top rusher with 456 yards and a pair of scores on 111 carries. Linebacker Treyvon Williams leads the defense with 46 tackles, including four for loss and a sack, while defensive lineman Fermin Silva has registered a team-best 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. Head coach Butch Davis is in his first season with the Panthers and owns an 84-45 overall career record.
Series history
Saturday will mark just the second meeting between UTSA and FIU. The Roadrunners won the only previous matchup, 16-13, on Oct. 11, 2014, in San Antonio. UTSA has played only one other game in the state of Florida, a 41-37 setback at Florida Atlantic on Sept. 27, 2014. Additionally, the Roadrunners have a 2-3 all-time record in games played in the Eastern Time zone.
Last meeting
UTSA forced five FIU turnovers, including a fumble on a kickoff return that led to Sean Ianno's game-winning field goal with 50 seconds remaining, and the Roadrunners slipped past the Panthers, 16-13, on Oct. 11, 2014, at the Alamodome. UTSA took advantage of three fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The final turnover turned out to play the biggest role in the outcome. After Ianno knotted the score at 13 with a 27-yard field with 1:54 left to play, Duke Wheeler forced and recovered a fumble by Glenn Coleman at the FIU 26 on the ensuing kickoff. Ianno split the uprights from 39 yards out with 50 seconds left to give UTSA its first lead of the night. The Panthers then moved the ball to near midfield after a 19-yard pass from Alex McGough to Dominique Rhymes and a 5-yard run by McGough. However, with only nine seconds on the clock, McGough was forced to throw deep and Triston Wade picked off the Hail Mary attempt as time expired to secure the win.
Last time out
UTSA used a ball-controlling offense and a stiff defense to cruise to a 31-14 victory over UTEP in Conference USA action on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl. The Roadrunners rushed for 205 yards and threw for another 188 in tallying more than 34 minutes in time of possession. UTSA's defense held the Miners to 243 total yards and came up with a pair of interceptions in winning for the third time in the series in El Paso. Nate Gaines and Devron Davis each recorded a pick and helped the Birds limit UTEP quarterback Zack Greenlee to just 8-of-29 passing for 133 yards. La'Kel Bass and King Newton posted five tackles apiece to lead the defense. Meanwhile, Tyrell Clay (71 yards), Dalton Sturm (67 yards) and Jalen Rhodes (66 yards) provided a potent ground attack for the visitors. Sturm, a senior quarterback from Goliad, also threw for 188 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-30 passing. Greg Campbell Jr. led all receivers with five catches for 40 yards, whileJosh Stewart had four for 46 yards and Kerry Thomas Jr. had two receptions for 49 yards and a TD.
Staying close to home
The 2017 schedule is keeping the Roadrunners close to home. UTSA will not leave the state of Texas until this weekend when the Birds fly to Florida for the Nov. 4 matchup against FIU in what will be their eighth game of the season. 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, including three of four on the road this season. 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 14-8 in games played during the month of November. Despite having to play three road games, the Roadrunners were 2-2 in November last season, including a 45-25 upset of Middle Tennessee nearly one year to the day from this Saturday's matchup at FIU.
UTSA pair collects C-USA weekly awards
Marcus Davenport and Josiah Tauaefa both have been named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week this season. Tauaefa shared the weekly award on Sept. 25 after the sophomore all-conference linebacker registered five tackles, one quarterback pressure, one pass breakup and a fumble return for a touchdown to help lead UTSA to a convincing 44-14 victory at Texas State. Davenport garnered his first career C-USA Defensive Player of the Week certificate on Oct. 23 after the senior all-league defensive end turned in a career-high-tying 11 tackles — including three for loss and a pair of sacks — and a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the 20-7 win against Rice.
Defensive attack
The UTSA defense has made its mark with an attacking style this season. The Roadrunners lead C-USA in eight different defensive statistical categories and they rank in the top 10 nationally in four. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding's group is giving up just 294.7 yards per game, which leads the league, and has held five of seven opponents to 300 yards or less, including a pair to fewer 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. UTSA also tops C-USA in defensive touchdowns (3), first downs allowed (101), passing yards allowed per game (172.4), red zone defense (62.5%), rushing defense (122.3), scoring defense (17.4), and third-down conversion percentage defense (.277).
Creating havoc
Part of the reason for UTSA's defensive success has been the ability to create pressure. UTSA has registered 53 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 19 quarterback pressures, nine interceptions and 25 pass breakups through its first 28 quarters of the season. The Roadrunners rank second in C-USA and 17th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with an average of 7.6 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 6.5 and senior linebacker La'Kel Bass and junior defensive lineman Kevin Strong Jr. have posted 5.5 and five, respectively.
Scoring defense
Not only does UTSA lead C-USA in scoring defense by yielding just 17.4 points per game, a statistic that ranks 14th nationally, the Roadrunners have scored three times on defense themselves this season. That number leads C-USA and stands fifth among all FBS teams. UTSA has a pair of fumble return touchdowns from Marcus Davenport and Josiah Tauaefa and an interception return for a TD by Devron Davis.
Mr. Reliable
UTSA senior La'Kel Bass has been a reliable contributor on the second level of the defense this fall. The linebacker leads the team with 40 tackles and he has tallied 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery. The St. Louis, Mo., native has stepped up his game with the start of C-USA action, as he has registered 28 tackles, including three TFLs, through the first four league contests. Bass, who tied a then-program single-season record with 11 tackles for loss as a junior last season, has posted 127 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, six sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and a pass breakup during his two-year career.
Offensive balance
UTSA has displayed a balanced offense this season. UTSA ranks third in C-USA and 30th among FBS teams in total offense with 449.3 yards per game. Further, the Roadrunners are averaging 219.9 yards per game on the ground (2nd/C-USA) and 229.4 yards per contest through the air. UTSA is one of just three FBS teams averaging at least 220 yards passing and 220 yards rushing along with Auburn and Ohio State. 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 and they turned in their second 300-yard rushing game of the season with 314 as part of a 448-yard output in the 20-7 win against Rice.
Controlling the clock
UTSA has controlled the clock in each of its first seven 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, 36:07 against Southern Miss, 31:41 versus North Texas, 30:25 in the 20-7 win against Rice and 34:25 in the 31-14 victory at UTEP. The Birds are averaging a league-leading 34:05 in time of possession per contest, a mark that ranks fifth among all FBS teams, and they have a combined advantage of 57:12 this season.
Sustaining drives
One of UTSA's keys to controlling possession has been the ability to sustain drives. The Roadrunners already have logged 18 drives of four minutes or longer through the first seven games this season. UTSA had three of its six longest drives by time in the 17-10 win at Baylor, including a 16-play, 75-yard march that resulted in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sturm to Josh Stewart just before halftime. UTSA put together a 17-play, 85-yard scoring march that chewed up 8:28 off the clock in the 31-14 victory at UTEP, the longest drive by plays and time this fall. All totaled, UTSA has registered 12 drives made up of 10 or more plays this fall.
Effective in the red zone
The Roadrunners have scored on 20 of 21 trips inside the red zone this season. That equates to a 95.2-percent conversion rate, a mark that stands second in C-USA behind this week's opponent, FIU (100.0 percent), and sixth nationally. UTSA has made the most of its chances with 12 touchdowns and eight field goals on trips inside the 20-yard line.
Steady Sturm
Dalton Sturm has provided a steady hand for the offense this fall. The senior quarterback is completing passes at 65.4 percent clip (121-185), which ranks second in C-USA and 19th in the nation, and he also stands 13th among FBS players with a league-leading 157.4 passing efficiency rating. Sturm has thrown for 1,563 yards and 13 TDs this season and those numbers include a school-record 367 yards and three touchdowns against Southern Miss. The Goliad native also has proven dangerous with his feet, as he has rushed for 382 yards and a score, including a career-high 98 rushing yards in the season-opening win at Baylor. Sturm is the Roadrunners' career leader for passing TDs (47), passing efficiency (139.5) and completion percentage (59.8) and he ranks second on the school's career lists in pass attempts (699), completions (418), passing yards (5,146), passing yards per game (166.0), total offense (6,210), total offense per game (200.3) and touchdowns responsible for (53).
Rushing up the charts
Junior running back Jalen Rhodes is rushing up several UTSA career charts. The Rowlett native registered his third career 100-yard game on the ground with a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the 44-14 win at Texas State. The Rowlett, Texas, native also topped the century mark with 102 yards on 20 carries in the 17-10 road win against Baylor on Sept. 9. Rhodes leads UTSA with 562 yards and five rushing TDs on 104 totes this season and he is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 80.3 yards per game. He has piled up 1,631 career rushing yards, which ranks third on the all-time list behind Jarveon Williams (2,393) and David Glasco II (1,752). Rhodes has averaged 52.6 yards per game, good for second behind Williams (55.7), and he has racked up 17 rushing touchdowns and 19 total scores, both of which stand third all-time.
Splitting the uprights
UTSA place-kicker Jared Sackett is off to memorable start to his college career. The freshman is 12-for-13 on field-goal attempts, including 4-of-5 from 40 yards or longer. He leads C-USA in field-goal percentage (.923) and field goals per game (2.0), marks that rank second and third, respectively, among FBS players. Sackett, who did not kick in the season opener at Baylor, drilled his first collegiate attempt from 28 yards out in the 51-17 win against Southern. The Fort Worth native was good from 21, 27 and 43 yards out in the 44-14 triumph over Texas State and he split the uprights on all three attempts against Southern Miss, including a season long of 44, which is the ninth-longest field goal in program history. He was 2-of-3 at North Texas with his first miss of the year sailing just wide left from 46 yards out as time expired in the first half, and he made both attempts in the 20-7 victory over Rice and his only try from 20 yards in the road win at UTEP. Sackett also has made 21 PATs to give him a team-high 57 points on the year and is second in C-USA and 11th in the country with 9.5 points per game.
Special teams weapon
UTSA punter Yannis Routsas has proven to be a valuable special teams weapon for the Roadrunners. The junior from Houston is averaging 40.7 yards per punt and he has booted six of 50-or-more yards, including a season-long 61-yarder against North Texas. Routsas, who was added to the Ray Guy Award watch list on Oct. 26, has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 17 of his 29 punts. He has helped UTSA's punt return defense yield just five returns for a total of 11 yards. That equates to an average of 2.2 yards per return, which ranks first in C-USA and 13th nationally. Routsas, who also serves as the Roadrunners' holder, stands second in program history with a 40.61 career punting average and owns the single-season standard with his 42.0 average in 2016.
Up next
The Roadrunners will open up a two-game home stand next Saturday, Nov. 11, when they host UAB. Kickoff between the C-USA West Division foes is slated for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised on KCWX-TV in San Antonio.
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