UTSA Roadrunners (3-3, 1-1) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1)
7 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 24
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA and Louisiana Tech will meet for the ninth time on Saturday night at the Alamodome, making it the most-played series in Roadrunners history.
• The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 7-1 and have won the last six meetings.
• The Roadrunners' lone victory against LA Tech was a 30-10 decision on Nov. 30, 2013, at the Alamodome.
• UTSA leads Conference USA and ranks fourth in the FBS with 11 takeaways, including seven interceptions (1st/C-USA; 5th/FBS).
• Sophomore RB Sincere McCormick leads the FBS in rushing yards (702).
• Sophomore WR Zakhari Franklin stands second in C-USA and 11th nationally with four receiving touchdowns.
• Senior PK Hunter Duplessis has made 21 consecutive field goals, the longest active streak in FBS, and he leads the nation with 12 field goals this season.
• Sophomore P Lucas Dean ranks second in C-USA and 10th in the FBS in punting average (45.8).
• Saturday's game will air on ESPNU, marking the 91st straight UTSA game to be broadcast and the sixth this season on national TV.
Setting the scene
UTSA will look to get back on the winning track when it hosts Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Roadrunners (3-3, 1-1 C-USA) will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they the face the Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1) for the ninth time, making it the most-played series in UTSA history. LA Tech has won six straight and seven all-time meetings, including a 31-3 decision in the last matchup in the Alamodome. The Roadrunners' lone win in the series was a 30-10 home triumph on Nov. 30, 2013.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, which also can be viewed on the on the ESPN app or online at watchESPN.com (cable/satellite provider credentials are required to stream the game). Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Jay Walker (analyst) have the call. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call all the action. The pregame show will begin at 5 p.m. and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The radio broadcast also can be heard online at goUTSA.com and Ticket760.com and via the free iHeartRadio app or TuneIn.
UTSA fan safety plan in place for 2020 home slate
UTSA has implemented a comprehensive fan attendance safety plan for all six home games at the Alamodome due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, which will allow attendance at a reduced capacity of 17% and with physical distancing measures, follows all state and local health directives and focuses on risk mitigation strategies that promote the safety of student-athletes, fans and staff. For more information, please visit goUTSA.com/fanguidelines.
Few call a dome home
The Roadrunners are one of only two FBS teams to play their home games indoors. UTSA, which boasts a 28-28 all-time mark inside the Alamodome, joins Syracuse (Carrier Dome) as the only FBS programs to play their home games in indoor venues.
Taking schedule changes in stride
The 2020 college football season has been anything but normal and like many other teams, UTSA has felt the effects of schedule changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Roadrunners originally were scheduled to open the campaign on Sept. 5 against defending national champion LSU in Baton Rouge, but SEC-wide schedule changes eliminated that game from the fall lineup. UTSA also was due to host Grambling on Sept. 19, but the Southwestern Athletic Conference postponed its football season to the spring, forcing the Roadrunners to replace that nonconference clash with Stephen F. Austin. UTSA also lost a Conference USA home game when Old Dominion opted out of the 2020 football season. The Roadrunners filled that open Oct. 17 home date with Army West Point and also added a road date with BYU to get back to 12 regular season games. On Sept. 19, Memphis announced it would be unable to travel to San Antonio for a Sept. 25 matchup, but UTSA was able to quickly replace the Tigers with Middle Tennessee for a C-USA contest that resulted in a 37-35 triumph for the Roadrunners.
TV birds
All 12 of UTSA's scheduled regular season games this fall have been selected for broadcast, including six for national television. The Roadrunners, who have seen their last 90 outings appear over the airwaves, will make it 96 straight televised/streamed appearances by the end of the regular season. In fact, the last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
2020 marks 10th season of UTSA football
UTSA is celebrating its 10th season of football in 2020. The Roadrunners started their football program from scratch and, following a practice season in 2010, played their first season as an FCS Independent in 2011 before joining the Western Athletic Conference for the 2012 campaign. UTSA moved into its current league home — Conference USA — in 2013 and became a full-fledged FBS member starting with the 2014 season. The Roadrunners set NCAA modern startup program records in 2011 by drawing 56,743 fans to their inaugural game against Northeastern State and by averaging 35,521 fans for their six home contests that season. UTSA made its first postseason appearance at the 2016 New Mexico Bowl in its sixth season of play and registered its first win against a team from a Power 5 conference the following season with a 17-10 victory over Baylor.
Who's counting?
Now in their 10th season of play, the Roadrunners will play their 113th game in program history and 57th home contest on Saturday. The Roadrunners are 48-64 all-time and 28-28 at the Alamodome, including a 2-1 mark this season. By comparison, Louisiana Tech has been playing football since 1901 and is in its 118th season with an all-time record of 631-467-38.
Scouting Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs fell to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA with a 35-17 home setback to Marshall on Saturday. Louisiana Tech is averaging 342.6 yards and 29.8 points per game and allowing 415.0 yards and 33.0 points per contests. The Bulldogs have used two quarterbacks for most of the season with Luke Anthony completing 77 of 123 passes for 919 yards and 11 touchdowns and Aaron Allen throwing for 270 yards and a pair of scores on 31-of-43 passing. Justin Henderson leads the ground game with 245 yards and two TDs on 68 carries, while Adrian Hardy is the top receiver with 22 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Grubbs paces the defense with 51 tackles, including four for a loss, while Trey Baldwin has registered 39 stops and three pass breakups. Skip Holtz owns a 59-38 record in eight seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech and is 147-109 in his 21st year of coaching.
Series history
This will be the ninth meeting between UTSA and Louisiana Tech, making it the most-played series in Roadrunners history (UTSA is scheduled to play Rice for the ninth time on Nov. 7). The Bulldogs own a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 edge in games played at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners' lone win in the series was a 30-10 home triumph on Nov. 30, 2013.
Last meeting
Sincere McCormick broke the UTSA single-season all-purpose yardage record after posting his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, but J'Mar Smith passed for 331 yards to lead Louisiana Tech to a 41-27 victory on Nov. 30, 2019, at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. In a game delayed by two hours and 30 minutes due to lightning before kickoff, McCormick rushed for 119 yards on 17 carries and added 12 receiving yards on four catches to give the tailback 1,177 all-purpose yards for his true freshman campaign. He ended up just shy of becoming UTSA's second 1,000-yard rusher, finishing with 983 yards. Jordan Weeks completed 26 of 44 passes en route to a career-best 280 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was Sheldon Jones, who registered his first career 100-yard receiving game with 115 on eight catches. Meanwhile, the UTSA defense registered 12 stops behind the line of scrimmage and finished the year with 96 TFL, shattering the previous school record of 77 set in 13 games in 2016.
Last time out
Zakhari Franklin set a program record for receptions in a game, Sincere McCormick topped 100 rushing yards for the third time this season and Kelechi Nwachuku registered 16 tackles, but Army West Point used a potent ground attack to outlast UTSA 28-16 on Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome. The Black Knights gained 305 of their 358 yards on the ground and completed just one pass — a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter — to escape Military City USA with their second straight victory against the Roadrunners. Anthony Adkins led the way with 101 yards on just eight carries, while Tyhier Tyler added 95 yards on 19 totes for the visitors. Meanwhile for UTSA, Franklin caught 12 passes for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns to eclipse the previous school standard for single-game receptions of 11 set by Greg Campbell Jr. in 2018. McCormick carried 18 times for 133 yards to notch his sixth career 100-yard rushing game and help the Roadrunners tally 197 yards on the ground. Nwachuku led all players with 16 tackles, including nine solo stops, to pace the Roadrunners defense.
Traylor makes history with 3-0 start
Jeff Traylor became the first head coach in UTSA history to win his first three games, which also marked the third 3-0 start in program annals and the first since 2017. The Roadrunners pulled out a thrilling 51-48 double-overtime victory over Texas State in Traylor's debut on Sept. 12 and then defeated his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin, 24-10, in the home opener the following Saturday before making history with the 37-35 victory over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. Traylor boasts 30 years of coaching experience, including a highly successful 15-year career as head coach at Gilmer High School, where he led his hometown Buckeyes to three state championships and two state runner-up finishes and posted a 175-26 (.871) record. Named the third head coach in UTSA history on Dec. 10, 2019, Traylor previously was the associate head coach and running backs coach at Arkansas (2018-19) and SMU (2017) after two seasons at Texas serving as associate head coach for the offense and receivers coach in 2016 and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2015.
Down to the wire
UTSA is no stranger to close contests, as all six this season have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners opened the season with a double-overtime decision at Texas State that saw the Bobcats rally to tie the score with 1:16 left to play before UTSA escaped with a 51-48 win after Hunter Duplessis' field goal in the second extra frame. UTSA's home opener versus Stephen F. Austin saw the Roadrunners storm out to a 17-0 advantage only to have the Lumberjacks climb back to within 17-10 until a Frank Harris TD run with 7:08 left to play secured a 24-10 victory. UTSA held a 37-29 fourth-quarter lead over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25 before a Blue Raiders touchdown with 1:04 left on the clock made it a two-point contest. The pass attempt on the two-point try fell incomplete, sending UTSA to its first 3-0 start since 2017. On Oct. 3, the Roadrunners trailed UAB by a 21-6 count early in the final stanza before Sincere McCormick's touchdown dash and Duplessis' PAT pulled UTSA to within 21-13 with 10:31 remaining, but the Blazers held on for the win. On Oct. 10 in a road matchup with No. 15 BYU, the Roadrunners cut a 21-6 deficit to one score after a 32-yard TD pass from Lowell Narcisse to Zakhari Franklin early in the fourth. After the Cougars pushed their lead to 27-20 with 2:18 left to play, Narcisse found a wide-open Brennon Dingle for a 34-yard scoring connection that helped make it 27-20 with 1:17 left, but BYU held on for the win after recovering an onside kick. In their last outing against Army West Point, Franklin hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Frank Harris with 14:06 left to play to cut the deficit to 21-16, but the Black Knights answered with a TD of their own less than two minutes later to help seal a 28-16 win.
Roadrunners up for national awards
Six Roadrunners have been named to or nominated for national award watch lists. Lucas Dean was added to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award for the nation's top punter, while Hunter Duplessis is UTSA's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Frank Harris was added to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Midseason Watch List after the first week of the season, while Ahofitu Maka appears on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's most outstanding center. Sincere McCormick appears on the watch list for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which is given to the top offensive player in college football with ties to the state of Texas. Solomon Wise is one of 114 players on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service."
C-USA weekly awards roll in for Roadrunners
UTSA's successful start to the season has helped lead to several accolades from the league office. Jamal Ligon was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28 following his record-setting performance in the 37-35 victory over Middle Tennessee. The true freshman linebacker broke the school's single-game tackles record with 19, the most in a game by any FBS player this season. On Sept. 21, Frank Harris collected the program's second straight C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award after accounting for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Stephen F. Austin. Following the season-opening, double-overtime victory against Texas State on Sept. 12, Hunter Duplessis received the C-USA special teams weekly award after making all three field-goal attempts, including the game winner from 29 yards, while Sincere McCormick was tabbed C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a program-record 197 yards and a TD on 29 carries. With four weekly C-USA awards through its first five games, UTSA already has matched the school standard for most earned in a single year (2014).
Another program first
UTSA made history on Sept. 20 after receiving votes in that week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Now in their 10th season of football and ninth as a member of an FBS conference, the Roadrunners received two votes, marking the first time UTSA has collected a vote for either of the weekly top 25 polls.
First-time starters
UTSA has seen 15 players make their first career start through the first six games this season. That total is tied with East Carolina for the sixth-most first-time starters in the FBS. Roadrunners who have made their first career start in 2020 include Demetris Allen, Peter Gray, Makai Hart, DeQuarius Henry, Clarence Hicks, Jamal Ligon, Tyler Mahnke, Brandon Matterson, Kevin Nelson, Josh Oatis, Bosah Osakwe, Antonio Parks, Ken Robinson, Brandon Rolfe and Charles Wiley.
A balanced approach
Under the direction of offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., the Roadrunners have featured a balanced offensive attack this season. UTSA is averaging 401.7 yards per game, passing for 217.3 yards per outing and rushing for 184.3 yards per contest. UTSA tallied 499 yards of offense in the season opener versus Texas State and followed that with a 498-yard effort against Stephen F. Austin, marking the second-most yards gained in a two-game span in program history. The Roadrunners racked up 330 yards on the ground in the double-overtime win at Texas State, the third-best rushing output in school annals, and they passed for a season-high 303 yards in the 37-35 triumph over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. The Roadrunners chalked up 287 yards through the air against No. 15 BYU, which entered that game leading all of FBS in total defense, and then turned in near-equal totals of 197 rushing yards and 186 passing yards against Army in their last outing.
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the best debut campaigns in program history last fall, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is off to a fast start to his sophomore season. The 2019 Conference USA Freshman of the Year opened the schedule by breaking his own school record with 197 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries — also a UTSA record — to help the Roadrunners outlast Texas State in double overtime. McCormick ripped off a pair of career-long 58-yard runs and helped UTSA tally 330 yards on the ground for the third-best total in program annals, earning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list member followed that by tallying 98 yards on the ground in the 24-10 win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before rushing for 82 yards and another score in the win against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. The Converse Judson High School product tallied 150 yards and a TD on 22 totes against UAB on Oct. 3 in what was a matchup of two of the top rushers in the nation. McCormick topped the century mark for the third time this season and sixth in his career with 133 yards on 18 attempts versus Army in his last outing. The 2019 Freshman All-American leads the FBS in rushing yards with 702 and he stands ninth nationally with 117.0 rushing yards per game, 25th with 130.3 all-purpose yards per contest, 25th with a 5.95 yards-per-carry average and 27th with four rushing TDs. McCormick owns three of the top 10 rushing performances in C-USA and is tied with Spencer Brown (UAB) and Brenden Knox (Marshall) with the most 100-yard games this fall. In just 18 career games, McCormick already has piled up 1,685 yards on the ground, good for fourth in program history and 708 yards behind all-time leading rusher Jarveon Williams' 2,393 yards.
Welcome back, Zakhari
UTSA sophomore wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has picked up where he left off in his debut 2019 campaign. After missing the first two games this season, the Cedar Hill High School product caught six passes for 119 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Roadrunners to a 37-35 win over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. He was on the receiving end of a 25-yard TD pass from Frank Harris in the first half and he nearly had his second score of the night on a season-long 48-yard catch-and-run to the 1-yard line. It marked the second 100-yard receiving output of his young career behind a 134-yard effort on six receptions in the win at Old Dominion last November. He was limited to two catches for 10 yards in the UAB contest on Oct. 3, but he hauled in seven passes for 79 yards, including outjumping a pair of BYU defenders for a 32-yard TD reception. He broke UTSA's single-game record with 12 receptions for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns against Army in his last outing and he now has a team-best 346 yards and four touchdowns (2nd/C-USA, 11th/FBS) on 27 catches this year. Franklin had 491 yards and three TDs on 38 catches in 2019 and with 435 of those yards during the final five contests, he now has 781 receiving yards in his last nine games. He owns three career 100-yard receiving games, which is tied for the most in program history, and his current 64.4 yards-per-game average is the best in UTSA annals.
Sure-handed Cephus emerges at receiver
UTSA sophomore Joshua Cephus has emerged as one of the team's top receiving targets through the first half of the season. The Spring, Texas, native made waves with his highlight-reel touchdown catch in overtime of the 51-48 season-opening win over Texas State on Sept. 12. With a defender draped all over him — defensive pass interference was called — the 6-3 wide receiver made a diving, one-handed grab in the end zone, a catch that earned the No. 1 spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day. Cephus finished with six receptions for 44 yards in the season opener and followed that with a career day in the 24-10 win over Stephen F. Austin, hauling in eight passes for 89 yards and his second TD of the season on a 4-yard pass in the final minutes of the first half. Cephus caught his third TD pass of the young season on a 7-yard throw from Josh Adkins late in the third quarter of the win against Middle Tennessee and he added three receptions for 42 yards versus UAB the following week. He had four grabs for 58 yards, including a 32-yard grab in tight coverage, versus No. 15 BYU and five more catches for 46 yards against Army. Cephus leads the Roadrunners in receptions (31) and stands second in receiving yards (309) and receiving TDs (3).
QB room loaded with starting experience
UTSA's quarterbacks room entered the season as one of the most experienced groups of signal callers in the nation. Josh Adkins (20), Frank Harris (4), Lowell Narcisse (7) and Jordan Weeks (4) boasted a combined 35 starts at the FBS level prior to 2020, making UTSA one of just five teams with four QBs with FBS starts under their belts. The others were Arkansas, Northwestern, Old Dominion and Tennessee. Through six games, UTSA has seen three different quarterbacks earn starts, while all four of the above QBs have seen playing time.
Bouncing back
For the second straight season, UTSA quarterback Frank Harris enjoyed a memorable debut after bouncing back from injury. The junior from Schertz Clemens High School ran for a school record-tying three touchdowns and threw for another to help lead the Roadrunners to a 51-48 double-overtime triumph over Texas State. Harris completed 23 of 31 passes for 169 yards and carried 11 times for 51 yards and three scores in a turnover-free afternoon to guide the offense to 499 yards, the most since the 2017 win against Texas State. A member of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Midseason Watch List, Harris accounted for 373 yards and three TDs in the 24-10 win against Stephen F. Austin the following Saturday. He became the first UTSA signal caller to register two career 100-yard rushing games after he rushed for 104 yards and two scores on 17 attempts. He also completed 23 of 36 passes for a career-best 269 yards and a TD against the Lumberjacks and collected Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, Harris certainly has displayed the toughness that warrants the No. 0 jersey he earned after a vote by his teammates. The lefthander has battled back from two knee injuries, including one that knocked him out for the 2018 season, and a shoulder injury that ended his 2019 campaign. Harris left the Middle Tennessee contest late in the first half with an injury after throwing for 70 yards and ripping off a 20-yard run, but he made his return to the field with a start in the BYU contest last week. He came off the bench in last Saturday's game against Army and fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin on his first throw for his fourth passing TD of the year.
Familiar faces return on offensive line
UTSA welcomes back several familiar faces on the offensive line, including a trio of returning starters in Spencer Burford, Kevin Davis and Ahofitu Maka. Burford has 27 games and 26 starts under his belt and the junior from San Antonio Wagner High School earned honorable mention all-conference accolades last season after being named to the 2018 Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Following a redshirt year in 2017, Davis, who hails from Angleton, Texas, stepped into the starting center role in all 12 contests two seasons ago before making the move to guard as a sophomore when he started all 10 games in which he was available. Davis made his first appearance in 2020 with a start at right guard versus Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25 and has started the last three games at the same spot. Maka had an immediate impact on the line in his first season with the Roadrunners. UTSA's first player from the state of Hawai'i, he has started the last 18 contests at center and he was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which honors the nation's most outstanding center. The most experienced returning offensive lineman on the roster is Dominic Pastucci, who has 38 games under his belt. A versatile senior from Pflugerville Hendrickson High School who can play guard or tackle, he has earned 11 starts during his career and a reputation as one of the team's strongest performers in the weight room.
Wreaking havoc
The UTSA defense has a new look in 2020 with the arrival of defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix's 3-4 front. The new alignment has helped to wreak havoc for opposing backfields, as the Roadrunners rank third in Conference USA and 14th in the country with 8.0 tackles for loss per game. In the season-opening win over Texas State, the Roadrunners recorded 14 tackles for loss, a total that is tied for the second-most by an FBS team in a game this season and broke the school record of 12 set in the 2019 season finale at Louisiana Tech. UTSA hit the double-digit mark once again with 10 in the 24-10 win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before posting nine stops behind the line of scrimmage in the 37-35 victory against Middle Tennessee, seven versus UAB and four in each of the last two contests. The Roadrunners' 48 tackles for loss this season have cost opponents 173 combined yards, including 70 on 13 sacks.
Give me that
The UTSA defense has emerged as one of the best units in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers. The Roadrunners have come up with 11 total takeaways through the first half of the season, which leads Conference USA and stands fourth nationally. Seven of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, including two apiece by Corey Mayfield Jr. and Rashad Wisdom and one each from Trevor Harmanson, Donyai Taylor and Tariq Woolen. UTSA's seven picks pace C-USA and rank fifth in the FBS, while Mayfield Jr. and Wisdom lead the league and are tied for eighth in the country in interceptions. Meanwhile, Jamal Ligon is tied for second in the FBS with two fumble recoveries, which also is good for a share of the No. 2 spot on UTSA's single-season list. Thanks to the 11 takeaways, the Roadrunners also lead the conference and stand ninth in the nation in turnover margin (+6).
Senior standout paces defensive front
In its short history, UTSA has made a name for itself by producing defensive linemen who have moved on to the professional ranks. Headlining that list is 2018 NFL first round draft pick Marcus Davenport, the 2017 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a current member of the New Orleans Saints. Jaylon Haynes could be the next Roadrunner to join the likes of Davenport, Eric Banks, Ashaad Mabry, Jason Neill, Brian Price and Kevin Strong Jr. The senior from Wharton, Texas, enjoyed a breakout 2019 season that saw him lead all defensive linemen with 40 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries en route to honorable mention all-conference accolades. The 2017 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection has continued to be a force in the middle this season with five tackles for loss, including a trio of sacks. Haynes, who missed the UAB and BYU contests due to injury, returned to the lineup and registered three tackles — and a sack that was negated due to a penalty — against Army. Haynes has recorded 20.5 career TFL, good for a tie for fifth place on UTSA's all-time list.
Freshman linebacker turning heads
True freshman Jamal Ligon has turned heads in his short time as a Roadrunners. A two-time district utility player of the year after playing tight end, fullback and defensive line at Tyler Lee High School under Kurt Traylor, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor's brother and current Roadrunners tight ends coach, he has appeared in all six games and earned a start at inside linebacker in each of the last five contests. After registering four stops in the season-opening win at Texas State and a pair of tackles in the triumph over Stephen F. Austin, Ligon exploded for a school-record 19 tackles in the 37-35 victory against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 25. He turned in eight solo stops and 1.5 sacks as part of his record-setting tackles total to go along with a pair of quarterback hurries and he was named Athlon Sports' Defensive Freshman of the Week and Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Blue Raiders. His 19 tackles eclipsed the previous program standard of 16 set in 2011 by Cody Rogers and it marks the second-most tackles made by an FBS player in a game this season. Ligon added five tackles and he forced and recovered a fumble against UAB before making three stops at No. 15 BYU and nine versus Army. He leads UTSA with 42 total tackles, and he also has 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Ligon also has a pair of fumble recoveries, tied for the second-most by an FBS player this fall.
Wisdom in the secondary
Despite being on the UTSA campus for less than two years, sophomore safety Rashad Wisdom has emerged as one of the team leaders. The Converse Judson High School product enrolled in January 2019 and immediately had an impact on the program on and off the field. He earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors after racking up 44 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and an interception that he returned 34 yards for a touchdown in his debut campaign. He provided quite the encore in his 2020 debut, recording a team-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 TFL, and returning an interception 81 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He again led the defense in tackles with nine in the win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before posting nine in the 37-35 triumph over Middle Tennessee. He recorded five solo stops and his second interception of the fall before being ejected for targeting in the second half of the UAB contest. Despite sitting out the first half of each of the last two contests due to targeting penalties, he still has logged seven tackles over the past two weeks. Wisdom ranks second on the team in total tackles with 40 this season, and his two picks place him atop C-USA and in a tie for eighth place nationally. Wisdom's family captured the hearts of the UTSA football program and the San Antonio community over the past year by sharing the story of Rashad's younger brother, Bryce, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and passed away at the age of 17 in July of this year. UTSA is wearing a "Bryce Strong" helmet sticker this season in his honor.
Duplessis looking to keep streak alive
UTSA place-kicker Hunter Duplessis enters Saturday's matchup against Louisiana Tech with a stretch of 21 consecutive field goals made, the longest active streak in FBS. He made all three of his attempts in the season opener, including the game-winning 29-yarder at the end of the second overtime, to help lift UTSA to a 51-48 triumph over Texas State on Sept. 12, and he earned Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for his performance. Duplessis drilled his only field-goal attempt in the win against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19 before making all three kicks in the win over Middle Tennessee. He booted a pair of field goals, including a career-long 48-yarder that ranks as the fifth-longest in program history, versus UAB and drilled 39- and 36-yard field goals against BYU. UTSA's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy made a career-long 50-yard field goal, the fifth-longest in program history, on his only attempt in the Army contest. After missing his first two field-goal attempts as a junior, he reeled off nine straight to finish that season and has not missed a field goal since Sept. 21, 2019. His 12 field goals made this season lead all FBS players and his 53 points scored stand second in the league and fifth nationally.
Punter from Down Under
In its short history, UTSA has developed consistent success in the punting game with the likes of Kristian Stern and Yannis Routsas, a 2017 Ray Guy Award semifinalist. Sophomore punter Lucas Dean has emerged as the next in that punting lineage. A product of Prokick Australia and the first Roadrunner regardless of position from Down Under, Dean has used an Australian Rules Football background to help provide UTSA with a weapon in the kicking game since his arrival on campus in 2019. As a true freshman, he averaged 40.8 yards on 65 punts and booted 12 of 50-plus yards. He also pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 16 times and induced 28 fair catches. Through the first half of this season, Dean has registered a 45.8 average, good for second in Conference USA and 10th nationally. Of his 33 punts, 12 have sailed 50-or-more yards, 17 have been downed inside the 20 and eight have resulted in fair catches. Dean averaged 49.2 yards on six punts — including a 57-yard bomb that was downed at the 9-yard line — in the 37-35 win against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 19. He punted six times for a 45.0 average with five pinning UAB inside its own 20, including a 55-yarder that was downed at the 1, and was named Ray Guy Punter of the Week for his performance. Dean averaged 45.2 yards on five punts with two downed inside the BYU 20, including a career-long 59-yard bomb that bounced out of bounds at the 2.
Brotherly duos
UTSA has two sets of brothers on the 2020 roster in junior offensive lineman Kevin Davis and freshman wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with junior safety Dadrian Taylor and freshman safety Donyai Taylor. That makes the Roadrunners one of 27 FBS teams with at least two brotherly duos.
UTSA roster breakdown
UTSA's 116-man roster features 21 seniors, 27 juniors, 30 sophomores and 38 redshirt or true freshmen. The roster lists 87 players — 75% — who hail from the state of Texas, while the next-closest state is Louisiana with eight. There are five players from both California and Mississippi, while three call Florida home and a pair are from Georgia. UTSA has one player each from Hawai'i, Maryland, Michigan and Tennessee, while Lucas Dean is the first Roadrunner from Australia.
Representing the 210
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and his staff have placed an emphasis on recruiting the 210 area code, which covers the city of San Antonio and surrounding areas. The current roster already includes a lengthy list of 25 local players:
Name (High School)
Josh Adkins (Smithson Valley)
Jabari Aiken (Johnson)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Spencer Burford (Wagner)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
JayVeon Cardwell (Steele)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Hunter Duplessis (Cole)
KJ Elder (Warren)
Shaquan Flagg (Brennan)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Jaden Jones (East Central)
Magnus Kirby (Sam Houston)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Sincere McCormick (Judson)
Matthew Ojeda (Int'l School of the Americas)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Daniel Santallana (East Central)
Jordan Smith (Brennan)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Wiliam Turner (Randolph)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA Triangle of Toughness
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has installed many new ideas since his hiring, including his Culture Pillars: Integrity, Passion, Mental & Physical Toughness, Selfless and Perfect Effort. As part of that new culture, the players voted after fall camp on who would earn single-digit jersey numbers, a reward for representing mental and physical toughness on and off the field. Nos. 0-9 were unveiled in a series of tweets and the numbers 2, 1 and 0 were chosen for the players voted to represent the 210 Brand, the UTSA Triangle of Toughness. Below are the single-digit jersey numbers as voted by their teammates:
0 – Frank Harris, Rashad Wisdom
1 — Jaylon Haynes
2 — Sheldon Jones
3 — Sincere McCormick
4 — Antonio Parks, Leroy Watson
5 — Brenden Brady
6 — Brennon Dingle
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Solomon Wise
9 — Clarence Hicks
Trevor Harmanson also was voted into the single-digit group but elected to stay in No 15, while offensive linemen Spencer Burford, Ahofitu Maka and Dominic Pastucci also received the necessary votes but cannot change to a single-digit number due to their position.
Leadership Council elected
UTSA has elected a Leadership Council made up of representatives from each position group.
QB — Frank Harris
RB — Brenden Brady
WR — Sheldon Jones
TE — Leroy Watson
OL — Dominic Pastucci
DL — Jaylon Haynes
LB — DeQuarius Henry, Tyler Mahnke
DB — Rashad Wisdom
ST — Hunter Duplessis, Myles Benning
Up next
UTSA will hit the road to face Florida Atlantic next Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT in Boca Raton, Fla., and the game will be televised by Stadium.
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