SAN ANTONIO — UTSA (3-7, 2-4 C-USA) will make the trip to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall (6-3, 4-2) in a Conference USA contest on Saturday, Nov. 17. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT and the game will air on Stadium on Facebook and Ticket 760 AM in San Antonio.
The Roadrunners are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, while the Thundering Herd have won three of the last four. The two teams are meeting for the third time and each team has been victorious at home. UTSA posted a 9-7 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 18, 2017, while Marshall won the inaugural matchup, 34-10, on Oct. 5, 2013.
UTSA Roadrunners (3-7, 2-4)
at
Marshall Thundering Herd (6-3, 4-2)
1:30 p.m. CT | Nov. 17, 2018
Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,144) | Huntington, W.Va.
TV: Stadium on Facebook
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• Saturday's game will mark the third meeting between UTSA and Marshall.
• The two teams have split the first two matchups with each winning at home.
• The Roadrunners posted a 9-7 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 18, 2017.
• The Thundering Herd won the inaugural matchup, 34-10, on Oct. 5, 2013.
• Saturday's game will air on Stadium on Facebook, marking the 71st straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Tuning in
The game will air on Stadium on Facebook and the live stream can be found on facebook.com/watchstadium (a Facebook account is NOT required to watch the game). Chris Hassel (play-by-play), Bucky Brooks (color analyst) and Kristen Balboni (sideline reporter) have the call. The contest will air live on the Roadrunners Sports Network and can be heard in the San Antonio area on Ticket 760 AM. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (sideline reporter) will call all the action. The pregame show will begin at 11:30 a.m. CT and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The broadcast also can be heard live online at goUTSA.com and Ticket760.com and via the free iHeartRadio app.
Game 93
Saturday's matchup with Marshall will mark the 93rd game in UTSA football history and its 47th home contest. Now in their eighth season of play, the Roadrunners are 41-51 overall and 17-29 away from home. By comparison, this will be the 1,130th game in the Thundering Herd's history, which dates back to 1895. Marshall owns a 564-518-47 all-time record.
A look at Marshall
The Thundering Herd improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Conference USA action with a 30-13 home victory over Charlotte on Nov. 10. Marshall has won three of its last four games and is 3-2 at home this fall. The Thundering Herd is averaging 28.7 points and 369.7 yards per game and allowing 22.0 points and 338.3 yards per outing. Redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Green has completed 114-of-208 passes for 1,455 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior receiver Tyre Brady leads the team with 53 catches for 683 yards and six TDs, while sophomore running back Tyler King is the top ground threat with 655 yards and four scores on 108 carries. Senior linebacker Chase Hancock headlines the defense with 73 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four pass breakups. Head coach Doc Holliday is 67-45 in his ninth season at the helm.
Series history
UTSA and Marshall will meet for the third time on Saturday afternoon. Each team has been victorious at home in the series. Jared Sackett's three field goals, including the game-winner with two seconds left, helped lift the Roadrunners to a 9-7 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 18, 2017, at the Alamodome. The Thundering Herd won the inaugural matchup, 34-10, on Oct. 5, 2013, in Huntington, W.Va.
Last meeting
Jared Sackett made three field goals, including the game-winner with two seconds left, to lift UTSA to a 9-7 victory overMarshall and secure bowl eligibility on Nov. 18, 2017, at the Alamodome. Sackett was good on all three of his attempts and his 40-yarder in the waning seconds was the first game-winner by a Roadrunner since Daniel Portillo's 22-yard boot in overtime in a 30-27 decision at Charlotte on Nov. 14, 2015. Meanwhile, the UTSA defense held Marshall to 229 yards of offense. The Thundering Herd managed just 40 yards on the ground. UTSA held a 6-0 lead at halftime and for most of the second half before a late touchdown pass by the visitors. Marshall quarterback Chase Litton hit Hyleck Foster on a 20-yard pass in the corner of the end zone and Kaare Vedvik's extra point barely sailed over the crossbar to giveMarshall a 7-6 advantage with 1:31 left to play. The Roadrunners quickly marched 52 yards on the ensuing possession to set up Sackett's game-winner.
Last time out
FIU posted 453 yards of offense and held UTSA to 245 in a 45-7 victory in Conference USA action on Saturday night at the Alamodome. James Morgan passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Golden Panthers. He completed passes to eight different receivers, with four each to Tony Gaiter (49 yards) and Bryce Singleton (39 yards). UTSA's defense saw three players post double-digit efforts in tackles, led by Darryl Godfrey's career-high 13. Les Maruo registered 12 stops, while Josiah Tauaefa turned in 10 for his 15th career game with double figures in stops. MarquezMcNair hauled in five passes for 48 yards and Brenden Brady rushed for 42 yards on nine carries to pace the Roadrunners offense.
Wilson in third year at helm
Frank Wilson is in his third season as head coach of the Roadrunners. The New Orleans native has guided UTSA to back-to-back seasons of being bowl eligible, including leading the program to its first-ever postseason appearance at the 2016 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, as UTSA tied the NCAA modern startup program by reaching a bowl game in its sixth season of play. He has coached 13 All-Conference USA selections and a pair of Freshman All-Americans in his first two years at the helm. Wilson came to San Antonio after a six-year stint as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU, where he also was the associate head coach in 2012-15. Armed with more than a decade of coaching experience in the Southeastern Conference, Wilson also has been an assistant coach at Tennessee (2009), Southern Miss (2008) and Mississippi (2005-07). He has coached or recruited 36 individuals who have made it to the NFL, including 2018 NFL First Round Draft pick Marcus Davenport of the Saints.
Youth movement
UTSA boasts a youthful team in 2018 with 66 underclassmen, which equates to 60.6 percent of its roster. The Roadrunners have 38 freshmen (21 true/17 redshirt) and 28 sophomores on the 109-man squad list. In the season opener at Arizona State, 24 players made their UTSA debut, including eight who started. There were 13 first-time starters (8 offense/5 defense), while 15 total freshmen (8 true/7 redshirt) saw action in the contest. UTSA has seen a total of 24 first-time starters and 29 debuts this season. Eighteen total freshmen have seen action this season, including 10 true freshmen. Additionally, left guard Spencer Burford is one of just 16 true freshmen in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to have started on the offensive line this season.
Tauaefa named Butkus Award semifinalist
UTSA junior Josiah Tauaefa is one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award honoring the nation's best collegiate linebacker. He leads the Roadrunners with 87 total tackles, 53 solo stops, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries this season. The Corinth, Texas, native has registered double-digit tackles four times, including in three of the last four contests. Finalists for the Butkus Award will be unveiled on Nov. 19 and the winner will be announced on or before Dec. 4.
Honors roll in for Sackett
UTSA sophomore Jared Sackett was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award for the second straight season and he also recently was announced as a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on. The Fort Worth native is 14-for-18 on field goals, including 9-of-13 from 40-plus yards, and he has made all 15 extra-point attempts this season.
UTSA quartet on national award lists
Four Roadrunners have earned their way onto several national awards lists. Senior running back Jalen Rhodes appears on three different lists: Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and Wuerffel Trophy. Josiah Tauaefa was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award for the nation's best collegiate linebacker and the junior linebacker joins Rhodes on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list and also is a candidate for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Jared Sackett was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist for the second straight season on Nov. 1 and the sophomore place-kicker also is a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on. Yannis Routsas was added to the Ray Guy Award watch list on Sept. 20 and he was one of 10 semifinalists for the award last season. The senior punter also was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy on Sept. 26.
Filling the turnover bucket
The UTSA defense has shown a knack for creating takeaways this season, as the Roadrunners have come up with 18 for the turnover bucket through the first 10 contests. The Roadrunners rank third in Conference USA and 28th nationally in turnovers gained and they are fourth in the league in turnover margin (+3). UTSA has recovered 10 fumbles — which leads the league and stands 12th among all FBS teams — and has picked off eight passes, a figure that ranks eighth in the conference. Brenndan Johnson, Andrew Martel and Les Maruo have recovered two fumbles apiece and they are in a tie for second in C-USA and 16th in the nation. Junior cornerback Cassius Grady leads all Roadrunners with three interceptions, good for seventh in the league and 21st in the FBS.
Dropped for a loss
The UTSA defense has continued a trend from the last two seasons of dropping opponents for a loss of yards. Through 10 games, the Roadrunners have posted 68 tackles for a loss of 220 yards. Their average of 6.8 tackles for loss per game ranks fifth in Conference USA 33rd among all FBS teams. Junior linebacker Josiah Tauaefa leads the way with 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, while sophomore defensive end Lorenzo Dantzler has seven and senior defensive tackle Kevin Strong Jr. and sophomore defensive end DeQuarius Henry have five apiece. In all, 22 Roadrunners have been involved in a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Of those 68 TFL, 21 have come in the form of a sack. Henry paces the unit with four for 28 yards, while Tauaefa and Dantzler have 3.5 and three, respectively. Last year, UTSA posted 73 tackles for loss (6.6 TFL/game) and 23 sacks, while the 2016 squad set program records with 77 (5.9 TFL/game) and 27, respectively.
Red zone success
The UTSA offense has been successful on 85.7 percent of its visits to the red zone this season. The Roadrunners have scored 12 touchdowns and six field goals on a total of 21 trips inside their opponents' 20-yard line through the first 10 contests. UTSA, which was perfect through the first eight games and 17 trips, ranks fifth in Conference USA and 55th nationally in red zone offense.
Tackling machine
Recently named one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, UTSA linebacker Josiah Tauaefa has been a tacklingmachine for the Roadrunners since bursting onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2016. The 6-2, 245-pound junior set a school record with 115 tackles en route to being tabbed a Freshman All-American, the 2016 Conference USA Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference performer. Despite missing nearly half of his sophomore season, the Lake Dallas High School product still registered 29 stops, two tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble return for a touchdown for a defense that led C-USA in seven statistical categories and ranked in the top five nationally in five. This season, the preseason all-conference pick leads UTSA with 87 tackles (53 solos), 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries. He has registered double-digit tackles in four games with 10 tackles (eight solos) in the opener at Arizona State, a season-best 13 stops versus both Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss and 10more against FIU in his last outing. Tauaefa ranks third in program history with 231 tackles and 10.5 sacks, fourth with 21 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hurries and fifth with 112 solo stops.
Senior standout next in line
Despite its young history, UTSA has developed a long line of accomplished defensive linemen; four who moved on to the professional ranks, including 2018 NFL First Round Draft pick Marcus Davenport. UTSA senior Kevin Strong Jr. has his sights set on being the next on that list. The Cleveland, Texas, native collected second-team all-conference accolades in 2017 after posting 27 tackles (12 solos), seven tackles for loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries. The preseason All-Conference USA selection now has 98 career tackles, including 25 for loss (2nd in UTSA history) and 7.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a school-record two blocked kicks, one fumble recovery and the third safety in program history when he dropped Texas State quarterback Tyler Vitt in the end zone on Sept. 22.
Senior safeties a steady hand in secondary
UTSA boasts a steady safety duo in seniors Darryl Godfrey and C.J. Levine. The pair has combined for 136 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a sack through the first 10 contests. Levine ranks third on the squad with 69 tackles, including a share of the team lead with 53 solo stops — currently second in C-USA and third on UTSA's single-season list — and 3.5 TFL, to go along with a team-best six PBUs, three QB pressures and an interception. The Port Arthur, Texas, product registered a game-high 10 tackles and three pass breakups in the 20-3 win at Rice and posted a season-best 12 stops and an interception that was returned eight yards for a TD against Southern Miss. With 12 tackles against UAB and four versus FIU, Levine has produced 45 stops in the last five contests and he now owns 156 tackles, 10 pass breakups and a pair of picks for his career. Godfrey ranks fourth on the team with 67 tackles, including 46 solo stops, four TFL and a sack. The San Antonio O'Connor High School product registered a team-high eight tackles against Kansas State, 11 stops at Southern Miss and a career-high 13 versus FIU in his last outing.
Reliable receiver
Greg Campbell Jr. has emerged as a reliable receiver for the UTSA passing game this season. The senior leads the team with 40 catches and 393 yards, and he is averaging 9.8 yards per reception and 43.7 yards per game. Campbell opened his final campaign with four receptions for 34 yards at Arizona State and he followed that with 62 yards on four catches in the home opener versus Baylor. The Humble Atascocita High School product hauled in six passes for 41 yards, including his first career touchdown on a 10-yard catch in the fourth quarter at Kansas State, before producing season highs of seven receptions and 71 yards in the 25-21 win against Texas State and four catches for 61 yards in the UTEP victory. He had five catches for 44 yards, including a two-yard TD reception, at Southern Miss and six for 62 yards at UAB. Campbell, who tied a school record with 10 receptions for 108 yards against Southern Miss last fall, already has surpassed his junior season totals of 27 catches for 300 yards.
Rushing up the charts
Senior running back Jalen Rhodes is rushing his way up several of UTSA's career charts. The Rowlett, Texas, product ranks second in program annals with 1,952 career rushing yards. Rhodes, who set the program's single-season rushing touchdowns record with nine in 2016, also ranks third in UTSA history with 18 career rushing TDs, just two shy of Glasco's record of 20, and he is tied for second all-time with 20 total scores, a pair behind Glasco's 22. Rhodes also has 412 career carries, the second-highest total in school history. He owns three 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 174 on 15 totes in the 44-14 win against Texas State last fall.
You can't spell RoUTSAs without UTSA
UTSA punter Yannis Routsas has established himself as one of the best at his trade in the conference. The Houston native and Ray Guy Award watch list member owns a pair of school records with a 41.4 career punting average and 239 punts. This season, he is averaging 43.1 yards on 60 punts, and he has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 21 times, has boomed 15 punts of 50-plus yards and has induced 16 fair catches. He punted five times in the home opener against Baylor for a 43.0 average, including a career-long 63-yarder, his fourth of 60-or-more yards and the second-longest punt in UTSA history. In the Texas State victory, the Clear Brook High School product averaged 45.7 yards on six punts and booted three of 50-plus yards, including a 53-yard effort that was downed at the 2-yard line and led to a safety on the next play. Routsas was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week on Oct. 25 after he averaged 47.3 yards on nine punts, pinned Southern Miss inside its own 20 six times (three inside the 10) and boomed five punts of 50-plus yards, including a long of 58. A 2017 Ray Guy Award semifinalist, he ranks second in Conference USA and 32nd nationally in punting average. Routsas, who also serves as the Roadrunners' holder, is on pace to eclipse his own UTSA single-season punting average standard of 42.0 set in 2016 and he owns three of the four longest punts in program history. He has 83 punts inside the 20, 41 of 50-plus yards and 75 punts that have resulted in fair catches for his career. Already armed with his bachelor's degree after graduating with a 3.51 GPA in mechanical engineering in May, he was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the absolute best football scholar athlete in the nation, on Sept. 26.
Splitting the uprights
After a successful debut campaign in 2017, UTSA place-kicker Jared Sackett has put together another season worthy of recognition. The Fort Worth native, became the program's second Freshman All-American when he was honored by USA TODAY last fall after setting the school's single-season record with 19 field goals despite only kicking in 10 games. He finished the season ranked third in the FBS in field goals per game (1.9) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.864). This fall, Sackett has earned a spot on the Lou Groza Award semifinalist list for the second straight season. He has made 11 field goals in the last seven games and is now 14-for-18 on the year, including 9-of-13 from 40-plus yards. He was 3-for-3 in the 25-21 victory against Texas State and was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort. Sackett also drilled three field goals in the 30-21 triumph over UTEP, including a career-long 51-yarder as time expired in the first half that is tied for the second-longest kick in school history, en route to being named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week. A former walk-on, the Burlsworth Trophy nominee currently ranks fourth in Conference USA and 23rd in the FBS in field goals per game (1.4) and sixth in the league and 36th nationally in field-goal percentage (.778). Sackett also hasmade all 15 extra-point attempts this season and he ranks second on UTSA's all-time list for field goals with 33 and for points by a kicker with 137.
UTSA trio has NFL ties
Three UTSA players have significant family ties when it comes to relatives who have played in the National Football League (NFL). Junior defensive tackle King Newton is the son of Nate Newton, who was a three-time Super Bowl Champion (1992-93, '95) and six-time Pro Bowl offensive guard (1992-96, '98) for the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, senior wide receiver Marquez McNair is the nephew of the late Steve McNair, who played quarterback in the NFL from 1995-2006 after winning the 1994 Walter Payton Award (NCAA Division I-AA's top player) and finishing third in the Heisman Trophy balloting at Alcorn State. True freshman cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr.'s father was a defensive lineman for the 49ers, Buccaneers and Jaguars.
Roadrunners roster makeup
UTSA's 109-man roster features 20 seniors, 23 juniors, 28 sophomores and 38 redshirt or true freshmen. Eighty-two Roadrunners hail from Texas. There are six players from both Florida and Mississippi along with three from California, Louisiana and Tennessee. The squad is rounded out with a player each from Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nigeria and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Degree in hand
Six current Roadrunners already have earned their undergraduate degree. That list includes safety Carl Austin III, cornerback Stanley Dye Jr., quarterback D.J. Gillins, linebacker Les Maruo, running back Jalen Rhodes and punter Yannis Routsas.
TV birds
All 12 of UTSA's regular season games this fall have been selected for broadcast across a total of seven networks, including CBS Sports, ESPN and Fox Sports networks. The Roadrunners, who have seen their last 70 outings appear over the airwaves, will make it 72 straight televised/streamed appearances by the end of the season.
Filling seats
UTSA welcomed 42,071 fans to the Alamodome for the home opener against Baylor on Sept. 8. The attendance figuremarked the second-largest home crowd in UTSA history behind the 56,743 fans who watched the inaugural game on Sept. 3, 2011. It also ranks as the largest home attendance figure in Conference USA this season. The next closest is 32,349 for Marshall's home game against North Carolina State on Sept. 22. It also was the biggest crowd to take in a UTSA game at the Alamodome since the 2013 contest against Oklahoma State when 40,977 fans filed into the facility. UTSA leads Conference USA with an average home attendance of 25,677. The Roadrunners now have drawn 1,247,982 fans for 46 all-time home games, an average of 27,130 per contest.
Few can call a dome home
The Roadrunners are one of only two FBS teams to play their home games indoors. UTSA, which boasts a 24-22 all-timemark inside the Alamodome, joins Syracuse (Carrier Dome) as the only FBS programs to play in enclosed facilities.
Up next
UTSA will conclude the regular season when it hosts North Texas on Saturday, Nov. 24. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air on ESPN+ and 93.3/92.5 FM The Bull in San Antonio. Tickets are available by calling or texting 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting http://goUTSA.com.
-UTSA-