SAN ANTONIO -- UTSA football held its eighth full team practice on Wednesday morning at the UTSA Practice Fields.
"A day today where we improved in short yardage, goal line, two-point conversions, where the defense said not so fast, not on this day," Coach Frank Wilson said. "They were very stingy in allowing the offense to advance for those two-point conversions. Monday, the offense had an advantage but Wednesday the defense had the advantage. A very competitive spring camp we are in right now. Our team continues overall to get better. Placekicking standpoint is better than we have had in the last couple of weeks. Very proud of our special teams as well. We continue to get better. I like the progress we are making."
The Roadrunners wrapped up their eighth practice of the year on Wednesday and return to the field on Saturday for a scrimmage.
"It is a big scrimmage for us," Wilson said. "So much in practice is individual, in sub groups and we come together at the back end of it. The other hour and 40 minutes, it's refining what you do, your individual position, your technique and then at the back end we come together and that still is not a live drill. But on Saturday, it will be. That evaluation is a big one for us."
The team will also practice on April 8, 10, 13, 17 and 19.
The spring practice season will conclude with the ninth annual UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game, which will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Dub Farris Athletic Complex (8400 North Loop 1604 W). Admission and parking are free.
The Roadrunners will open the 2019 season on Saturday, Aug. 31, against UIW at the Alamodome.
Season tickets are on sale now by calling or texting 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.
Secondary returns
A strength of the UTSA defense is its returning starters in the secondary.
The Roadrunners welcome back 2018 starters at safety, Brenndan Johnson, and corners Cassius Grady and Clayton Johnson, a pair of seniors who made their UTSA debuts in 2018.
Johnson, a native of Waco, Texas, totaled 41 tackles in 2018 with 4.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and four passes broken up.
"We get Clayton Johnson back this year," Wilson said. "He's back in the spirit of things, fighting, to get what he believes is his rightful place, position where he was a starter before injury. We moved Brenndan Johnson (to corner) and he continues to excel as well as Cassius (Grady) who continues to excel. We have some veteran players in those three guys for sure and then some guys that complement them as well."
A product of Arlington, Texas, Grady totaled 45 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions in 2018. He had five pass break-ups and a team-best nine passes defended.
UTSA must replace senior safety C.J. Levine due to graduation from a year ago, but welcome back the return of senior Carl Austin III, who made eight starts at safety in 2017 before season-ending injury that forced him to miss the 2018 campaign.
"From the safety position, I like the guys back there," Wilson said. "I like Carl Austin back there. I like Dadrian Tayor. I like Kelechi Nwachuku. Love Rashad Wisdom and his maturity, toughness and his winning attitude in how to play tough and how to play fast. He adds value to us at that position as well. We have several guys in our secondary who are doing exceptionally well for us."
Levine ranked second on the team in 2018 with 94 tackles, adding six pass break-ups, seven passes defended and 4.5 tackles for a loss.
The Roadrunners also broke several newcomers into the rotation in the secondary in 2018, including sophomore corner Corey Mayfield Jr.
"The interesting thing, we finished the year at the back end with a young core, with (Corey) Mayfield being thrust into the fire that he may not have even been ready for," Wilson said. "I tell you what, he competed with all of his heart and did a good job for us."
Wisdom, a freshman early-enrollee out of Converse's Judson High School, totaled 218 tackles, seven interceptions and four fumble recoveries during his three-year career.
"You know (Rashad) is 17 years old," Wilson said. "That's crazy. It does (surprise me that's he's been good in the spring), but it doesn't. When we were recruiting him, we thought he was one of the better safeties in our state, a state we believe that has the best recruits in the country, therefore one of the better guys in the country. We are very fortunate to have him. He is a very humble, hard-working, hungry young man who is vying for time right now."
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