SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will host North Texas in the season finale 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.
The Roadrunners (3-8, 2-5 C-USA) will face the Mean Green (8-3, 4-3) for the sixth straight season and the third time at the Alamodome. UTSA leads the all-time series, 3-2, and has won the previous two home matchups. Prior to the game, UTSA will honor 22 seniors during a ceremony on the field.
UTSA Roadrunners (3-8, 2-5)
vs.
North Texas Mean Green (8-3, 4-3)
6 p.m. | Nov. 24, 2018
Alamodome (36,582) | San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 93.3/92.5 The Bull San Antonio
Opening drive
• UTSA will honor 22 seniors during a pregame ceremony on Saturday.
• Saturday's game will mark the sixth meeting between UTSA and North Texas.
• The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 3-2, including a perfect 2-0 mark at home.
• The Mean Green won the last meeting, 29-26, on Oct. 14, 2017.
• Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, marking the 72nd straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Tuning in
The game will air on ESPN+ (subscription required). Lincoln Rose (play-by-play), LaDarrin McLane (color analyst) and Tina Nguyen (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 93.3/92.5 FM The Bull. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (sideline reporter) will call all the action. 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 goUTSA.com and thebullcountry.iheart.comand via the free iHeartRadio app, as well as SiriusXM Internet channel 981.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is a direct-to-consumer (no cable or satellite subscription needed) streaming service that will cost $4.99 per month. As part of the launch, ESPN+ was integrated as part of a completely redesigned ESPN app (and also via http://ESPN.com). Subscribers will receive thousands of additional live events, and original shows and films, and an on-demand library, which is not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. ESPN+ is not included with your cable/satellite subscription, and ESPN+ does NOT include other ESPN content (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3, etc). It is a completely standalone subscription. For more information and to subscribe, please visit http://plus.espn.com.
Game 94
Saturday's matchup with North Texas will mark the 94th game in UTSA football history and its 47th home contest. Now in their eighth season of play, the Roadrunners are 41-52 overall and 24-22 at the Alamodome.
Senior salute
UTSA will honor 22 seniors in a ceremony on the field prior to Saturday's contest against North Texas. Eleven seniors have appeared in 25 or more games, including six who have played in 40-plus contests. In fact, C.J. Levine and Yannis Routsas currently are tied for the most games played (47) in program history, while Darryl Godfrey, Jalen Rhodes and Kevin Strong Jr. each have 45 games under their belt and Larry Stephens has 41. The rest of the senior class includes David Anzaldua, Ronnie Benavidez, Greg Campbell Jr., Anastacio Carino, Stanley Dye Jr., Brandon Garza, D.J. Gillins, Peyton Hall, Les Maruo, Marquez McNair, Emmanuel Oluga, Zach Pare, Manuel Ramirez, Alex Snow, Alfred Wande and Jordan Wright.
A look at North Texas
The Mean Green enter Saturday's contest with an 8-3 overall record and they are 4-3 in Conference USA play. North Texas is averaging 37.5 points and 468.9 yards per game and yielding 21.9 points and 355.8 yards per outing. Mason Fine paces the offense, as the junior quarterback has completed 289-of-421 passes for 3,414 yards and 25 touchdowns against four interceptions. His favorite target is junior Rico Bussey Jr., who has 66 catches for 990 yards and 12 scores. Sophomore running back DeAndre Torrey is the top rusher with 787 yards and 13 TDs on 137 carries. Senior linebacker E.J. Ejiya leads the defense with 102 tackles, including 19 for loss and seven sacks, to go along with 11 QB hurries, while fellow senior linebacker Brandon Garner has 59 stops, 16 TFL, 5.5 sacks and eight pressures. Head coach Seth Littrell is 22-16 in his third season in Denton.
Series history
UTSA and North Texas have met in each of the past six seasons. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 3-2, and have won both previous meetings at the Alamodome, including a 31-17 decision in 2016. The Mean Green rallied for a 29-26 triumph in the last matchup on Oct. 14, 2017, in Denton.
UTSA-North Texas Series History
Date Location Score
11/23/13 Denton W, 21-13
11/29/14 San Antonio W, 34-27
10/31/15 Denton L, 23-30
10/29/16 San Antonio W, 31-17
10/14/17 Denton L, 26-29
Last meeting
Rico Bussey's 22-yard touchdown catch with 10 seconds left to play lifted North Texas to a 29-26 victory over UTSA in Conference USA action on Oct. 14, 2017, at Apogee Stadium. Facing third down and one from the Roadrunners' 22-yard line, Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine hit Bussey on a short crossing pattern, and Bussey tiptoed down the right sideline and into the end zone for the go-ahead score. UTSA had one final chance but was flagged for an illegal forward pass on a lateral play as time expired, as North Texas won for just the second time in five tries in the all-time series. Marcus Davenport recorded eight tackles, four for loss, including a career-best 2.5 sacks, while Josiah Tauaefa also posted eight stops and one TFL to lead the UTSA defense. Offensively, Jalen Rhodes rushed for 71 yards and added a pair of catches for 45 yards, including a 46-yard TD reception with a little more than five minutes remaining that gave the Roadrunners a 26-22 lead. The UTSA defense got the ball back to the offense with 1:28 to play after forcing a turnover on downs. However, the Mean Green forced a three-and-out and took over after a punt at their own 2-yard line with 1:07 on the clock. Fine completed a 49-yard desperation heave to Michael Lawrence that put the ball at the UTSA 31. A 9-yard pass to Jaelon Darden then helped set up the game-winning TD.
Last time out
Marshall posted more than 500 yards of offense and held UTSA to 137 in a 23-0 victory in Conference USA action on Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Thundering Herd (7-3, 5-2 C-USA) tallied 505 yards of offense, including 387 through the air, and limited the Roadrunners to a season-low offensive output, including minus-26 rushing yards. Isaiah Green completed 19-of-36 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns. A pair of Marshall players topped the 100-yard receiving mark, as Tyre Brady caught six balls for 162 and a TD and Obi Obialo had five grabs for 103. UTSA sophomore quarterback Bryce Rivers came off the bench and threw for 158 yards on 16-of-31 passes. Greg Campbell Jr. was his favorite target, as the senior wide receiver turned in season highs of seven catches and 84 yards. Defensively, C.J. Levine posted a career-high 14 tackles, his fourth double-digit performance of the fall, while Josiah Tauaefa turned in his fifth double-figure effort of the season and 10th of his career with 12 stops.
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 25 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 99 total tackles, 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 five times, including in four of the last five contests.
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 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.
The Power (5) open
UTSA opened the season with three consecutive games against Power 5 conference opponents. The Roadrunners debuted at Arizona State on Sept. 1 and hosted Baylor one week later before closing the stretch with a road matchup against Kansas State on Sept. 15. BYU is the only other non-Power 5 team that opened the season with three straight Power 5 opponents (at Arizona [Sept. 1], vs. California [Sept. 8], at Wisconsin [Sept. 15]). Additionally, this marks the second time in four seasons that UTSA faced three consecutive Power 5 teams to open the season, as the 2015 squad played No. 22 Arizona, Kansas State and No. 25 Oklahoma State during the first three weeks.
Pair garners preseason all-conference recognition
Senior defensive lineman Kevin Strong Jr. and junior linebacker Josiah Tauaefa were named to the Preseason All-Conference USA Team in a vote by the league's 14 head coaches. Strong Jr. was a second-team all-conference selection in 2017 after posting 27 tackles (12 solos), seven tackles for loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries. Tauaefa, a Freshman All-American, the C-USA Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league choice in 2016, posted 29 stops, two tackles for loss, a sack, two PBUs and a fumble return for a touchdown despite missing most of four contests during his sophomore campaign.
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.
Award/Team Player
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Watch List Jalen Rhodes
Burlsworth Trophy Jared Sackett
Butkus Award Semifinalist Josiah Tauaefa
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List Jalen Rhodes
Lou Groza Award Semifinalist Jared Sackett
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Candidate Josiah Tauaefa
Ray Guy Award Watch List Yannis Routsas
William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist Yannis Routsas
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List Jalen Rhodes, Josiah Tauaefa
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 11 contests. The Roadrunners rank fifth in Conference USA and 41st nationally in turnovers gained. UTSA has recovered 10 fumbles — which stands second the league and 18th among all FBS teams — and picked off eight passes. Brenndan Johnson, Andrew Martel and Les Maruo have recovered two fumbles apiece and they are in a tie for second in C-USA and 17th in the nation. Junior cornerback Cassius Grady leads all Roadrunners with three interceptions, good for ninth in the league and 36th 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 11 games, the Roadrunners have posted 74 tackles for a loss of 236 yards. Their average of 6.7 tackles for loss per game ranks fifth in Conference USA and 39th 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 eight and senior defensive tackle Kevin Strong Jr. has 5.5. In all, 22 Roadrunners have been involved in a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Of those 74 TFL, 22 have come in the form of a sack. Henry paces the unit with four for 28 yards, while Tauaefa and Dantzler have 3.5 apiece. 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 11 contests. UTSA, which was perfect through the first eight games and 17 trips, ranks third in Conference USA and 53rd nationally in red zone offense.
Tackling machine
Recently named one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, UTSA linebacker Josiah Tauaefa has been a tackling machine 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 99 tackles, the second-highest total in school annals, to go along with 54 solo stops (T-3rd/UTSA), 10 tackles for loss (T-4th/UTSA), 3.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries. Tauaefa has registered double-digit tackles in five games this season, including in four of the last five contests, and 10 for his career. He opened the campaign with 10 tackles (eight solos) at Arizona State, and also reached double figures with a season-best 13 stops versus both Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss, 10 against FIU and 12 at Marshall in his last outing. Tauaefa ranks second in program history with 243 tackles and 130 assisted tackles, third with 10.5 sacks, fourth with 21 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hurries and fifth with 113 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 has turned in 21 tackles, 5.5 TFL, a sack, three pressures and a PBU this season. He registered five stops against Marshall in his last outing and now has 103 career tackles, including 25.5 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 156 tackles, nine tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a sack through 11 contests. Levine ranks second on the squad with 83 tackles, including a team-high 57 solo stops — currently third in C-USA and second on UTSA's single-season list — and 4.5 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 12 stops and an interception that was returned eight yards for a TD against Southern Miss. With 12 tackles against UAB, four versus FIU and a career-best 14 at Marshall, Levine has produced 59 stops in the last six contests and he now boasts 170 tackles, 10 pass breakups and a pair of picks for his career. Godfrey ranks fourth on the team with 73 tackles, including 49 solo stops, 4.5 TFL, one sack and a PBU. 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. Godfrey has turned in 36 stops in the last four contests.
Reliable receiver
Greg Campbell Jr. has emerged as a reliable receiver for the UTSA passing game this season. The senior leads the team with 47 catches, the second-most in a season in school history, and 472 yards, and he is averaging 10.0 yards per reception and 47.2 yards per game, which would be tied for third on the program's single-season chart. Campbell, who tied a school record with 10 receptions for 108 yards against Southern Miss last fall, 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 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. In his last outing at Marshall, he matched his season high with seven receptions for a season-best 84 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, 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 249 punts. This season, he is averaging 42.9 yards on 70 punts, and he has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 23 times, has boomed 17 punts of 50-plus yards and has induced 18 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 33rd 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 85 punts inside the 20, 43 of 50-plus yards and 77 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 is 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 third in Conference USA and 23rd in the FBS in field goals per game (1.4) and fifth in the league and 40th nationally in field-goal percentage (.778). Sackett also has made 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 71 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 figure marked 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-time mark inside the Alamodome, joins Syracuse (Carrier Dome) as the only FBS programs to play in enclosed facilities.
-UTSA-
