UTSA Roadrunners (0-0) at Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0)
6:30 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 4
Memorial Stadium | Champaign, Ill.
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA will kick off its 11th season of football and second campaign under head coach Jeff Traylor on Saturday at Illinois.
• The Roadrunners are 8-2 all-time in season openers, including 5-2 on the road.
• This will mark UTSA's first meeting with a team from the Big Ten Conference.
• The Roadrunners welcome back 70 lettermen, including 21 starters and both kickers, from last year's squad that went 7-5 and made the program's second bowl appearance.
• Of UTSA's 112-man roster, 87 (78%) are from the state of Texas.
• Saturday's game will be televised by Big Ten Network, marking the 98th straight UTSA game to be broadcast.
Setting the scene
UTSA will kick off its 11th season of football and second year under head coach Jeff Traylor on Saturday, Sept. 4, against Illinois (1-0). Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Champaign and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network. The Roadrunners and the Fighting Illini are meeting for the first time on the gridiron in what will be UTSA's first matchup with a team from the Big Ten.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised on Big Ten Network. Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst) and Coley Harvey (reporter) have the call. For more information on the broadcast, please visit Big Ten Network Channel Finder or Big Ten Network Live Streaming. Fans also can find the broadcast on the Fox Sports app. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 984. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call all the action. The pregame show will begin at 4:30 p.m. and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The radio broadcast also can be heard online at Ticket760.com and via the iHeartRadio and The Varsity Network apps.
Season-opening success
UTSA has won eight of its 10 previous season openers dating back to the inaugural 2011 campaign. UTSA won each of its first four lid-lifters before suffering a 42-32 defeat at Arizona in 2015. The Roadrunners rebounded to win the 2016 opener against Alabama State, 26-13, before making it back-to-back season-opening wins with a 17-10 road triumph against Baylor a year later. The Roadrunners downed Northeastern State at the Alamodome by a score of 31-3 in the program's inaugural game on Sept. 3, 2011, and the next three years saw them open the fall on the road. UTSA picked up its first-ever Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and road victory with a come-from-behind 33-31 victory at South Alabama on Sept. 1, 2012. The Birds then outlasted New Mexico by a 21-13 count on Aug. 31 in their 2013 opener and the following year saw the Roadrunners stun Houston, 27-7, on Aug. 29 in the first-ever game at TDECU Stadium. UTSA bounced back from a 49-7 setback at Arizona State in 2018's season opener with a 35-7 win against crosstown foe UIW in 2019 before notching its eighth season-opening victory in dramatic fashion last year in a 51-48 double-overtime road triumph over Texas State. Saturday's game at Illinois will mark the eighth time the Roadrunners have opened a season on the road.
TV birds
UTSA's season opener at Illinois on Saturday will be televised by Big Ten Network, marking 98 straight televised/streamed appearances for the Roadrunners. Currently, 11 of the Roadrunners' 12 regular season games have been selected for broadcast with network information for the Memphis game on Sept. 25 expected to be announced soon. The last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
Celebrating 10th anniversary of inaugural season
This fall, UTSA is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its inaugural 2011 season. The Roadrunners started their football program from scratch and, following a practice year 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. UTSA has posted at least six wins in five of the 10 seasons in program history and it has reached the seven-win plateau three times, including in Jeff Traylor's debut campaign last fall. The 2012 team won a program-record eight games, while the Roadrunners notched seven victories in 2013 and again last year.
Traylor aims to build on first-year success
Second-year UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor made history in several ways in his first season at the helm in 2020. He became the first head coach in program 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. With the 49-17 triumph over North Texas in the regular season finale, Traylor became the first UTSA coach to notch seven victories in his debut season and it also marked the third time the Roadrunners won at least seven games and the first since the 2013 team went 7-5. He also guided UTSA to the second bowl appearance in program history, as the Roadrunners dropped a hard-fought 31-24 decision to No. 16 Louisiana in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26 in Dallas. Traylor boasts more than 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.
Who's counting?
Now in their 11th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 119th game in program history and first-ever contest in the state of Illinois on Saturday when they face Illinois in the opener. UTSA is 52-66 all-time and 21-38 away from the Alamodome. By comparison, Illinois started playing football in 1890 and owns an all-time record of 615-606-51 now in its 132nd season.
Scouting Illinois
The Fighting Illini held off Nebraska 30-22 last Saturday in Champaign to hand head coach Bret Bielema a win in his Illinois debut. Quarterback Artur Sitkowski came off the bench and completed 12 of 15 passes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help Illinois overcome an early 9-2 deficit. The Illini built a 30-9 advantage in the third quarter and held on for the victory. Mike Epstein led the ground attack with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 rushes, while Isaiah Williams paced the receivers with six catches for 41 yards and a score. The Illinois defense registered six tackles for loss, including five sacks, and was led by Tony Adams' 11 stops. Bielema is 98-58 in his 13th year as a head coach.
Series history
This will be the first meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and Illinois and it also marks the Roadrunners' first matchup against a team from the Big Ten Conference. Of note, UTSA's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was against Illinois, an 81-72 setback in the first round in 1988 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Staff connections
UTSA director of player personnel Joe Price was Illinois' director of high school relations for the 2019 season, helping the Fighting Illini win six games and make an appearance in the Redbox Bowl. Additionally, UTSA associate head coach and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. spent four seasons (2014-17) as the tight ends coach on current Illinois head coach Bret Bielema's staff at Arkansas.
UTSA pair garners preseason All-America accolades
Sincere McCormick and Lucas Dean both have earned spots on preseason All-America squads. McCormick has been named a preseason second-team All-America running back by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA TODAY and Walter Camp, while Dean is a preseason second-team choice at punter by Sporting News.
Nine Roadrunners land on watch lists
The preseason honors have piled up for UTSA, as an unprecedented nine Roadrunners have landed on watch lists for national awards. Leading the way is All-America running back Sincere McCormick, who appears on four different watch lists, while Hunter Duplessis, Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom each have made a pair of lists.
Watch List - Player
Chuck Bednarik Award - Rashad Wisdom
Biletnikoff Award - Zakhari Franklin
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award - Frank Harris
Doak Walker Award - Sincere McCormick
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award - Sincere McCormick
Jim Thorpe Award - Rashad Wisdom
John Mackey Award - Leroy Watson
Lou Groza Award - Hunter Duplessis
Manning Award - Frank Harris
Maxwell Award - Sincere McCormick
Outland Trophy - Spencer Burford
Polynesian Player of the Year Award - Ahofitu Maka
Ray Guy Award - Lucas Dean
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award - Sincere McCormick
Wuerffel Trophy - Hunter Duplessis
Roadrunners picked second in C-USA West
UTSA has been picked to finish second in Conference USA's West Division in a vote by media members who cover the league. The Roadrunners received nine first-place votes and have been projected second behind defending conference champion UAB, which collected 15 first-place votes. Louisiana Tech is predicted to finish third in the West Division, followed by Southern Miss, Rice, North Texas and UTEP.
2021 Conference USA Predicted Order of Finish
WEST DIVISION
- UAB (15)
- UTSA (9)
- Louisiana Tech
- Southern Miss
- Rice
- North Texas
- UTEP
EAST DIVISION
- Marshall (17)
- Florida Atlantic (6)
- WKU (1)
- Charlotte
- Middle Tennessee
- FIU
- Old Dominion
(first place votes in parentheses)
UTSA duo collects C-USA preseason honors
UTSA punter Lucas Dean has been named Conference USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year and running back Sincere McCormick has been chosen as C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Both players won their respective conference superlative awards following their sophomore seasons in 2020, marking the first time UTSA picked up two such honors in the same year, while McCormick also was named C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2019.
Burford, Woolen pegged for pair of pre-draft lists
UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford and cornerback Tariq Woolen have been named to the 2021-22 NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl Big Board, as well as the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List. Burford, a San Antonio Wagner High School product, earned second-team all-conference honors last season after appearing in 11 games and drawing 10 starts at right or left tackle. He allowed just three hits on the quarterback and four sacks in 388 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Woolen, a Fort Worth native, appeared in 11 contests and made seven starts at cornerback last fall in his first full season on the defensive side of the ball. He registered 35 tackles, including 20 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and also posted four pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one interception
Tariq the Freak
UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen made Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List, landing at the No. 6 spot out of 101 college football players. The former wide receiver posted eye-opening numbers this summer during strength and conditioning testing. He leaped 11 feet, five inches in the broad jump and clocked a time of 4.34 second in the 40-yard dash, in which he hit 23.33 miles per hour.
Dozen Roadrunners back for super senior season
A dozen UTSA football seniors have elected to return to the Roadrunners for an extra year of eligibility in 2021, taking advantage of an NCAA blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 12 Roadrunners who will return for their super senior season are:
Myles Benning, TE
B.J. Daniels, RB
Lorenzo Dantzler, DL
Hunter Duplessis, PK
Jalyn Galmore, OL
Jaylon Haynes, DL
DeQuarius Henry, OLB
Clarence Hicks, OLB
Antonio Parks, S
Dominic Pastucci, OL
Leroy Watson, TE
Charles Wiley, OLB
Playing in a fifth year
UTSA boasts 10 players who are in line to play in a game for a fifth year, marking the fourth-highest total in the FBS. The Roadrunners are tied with Colorado State, Texas Tech and Toledo on the list that is paced by WKU's 14, followed by Louisiana Tech (13), Houston (11) and Pitt (11). Below is a list of Roadrunners who could appear in a game for a fifth season in 2021:
B.J. Daniels (2017-20)
Hunter Duplessis (2017-20)
Denzel Feaster (2015-16, '18, '20)
Jaylon Haynes (2017-20)
DeQuarius Henry (2017-20)
Lamonte McDougle (2017-20)
Antonio Parks (2017-20)
Dominic Pastucci (2017-20)
Dru Prox (2017-20)
Charles Wiley (2017-20)
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the most heralded seasons in program history in 2020, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick enters his third year looking to build upon that success. The Converse Judson High School product is a preseason All-American by five national publications — Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA TODAY and Walter Camp — and he has been pegged as the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and the Best Running Back in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. McCormick also appears on preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards. The honors are nothing new, as he earned a long list of accolades in 2020 including being named a second-team All-American by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He was one of five finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. After rushing for 1,467 yards and 11 touchdowns on 249 carries — all UTSA single-season records — McCormick was tabbed Dave Campbell's Texas Football Texas College Player of the Year and an All-Texas College First Team selection, as well as the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference performer. He led the league and ranked second nationally behind Iowa State's Breece Hall in rushing yards while logging a conference-best seven 100-yard rushing games. The 2019 C-USA Freshman of the Year and FWAA Freshman All-American registered the top two and five of the top 10 rushing games in the league last fall.
Rewriting the record book
In just two seasons as a Roadrunner, Sincere McCormick has rewritten the program's record book. Last season, he smashed the school's single-season standards with 1,467 rushing yards on a program-record 249 carries, reaching the end zone 11 times on the ground, also a UTSA best. The 2020 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year also set single-season marks seven 100-yard rushing games and 133.4 rushing yards per game and he shattered his own single-season mark with 1,598 all-purpose yards. McCormick took down UTSA's single-game records for rushing yards with 251 against North Texas and rushing attempts with 37 while also matching the mark for rushing TDs with three versus Louisiana Tech. In just 23 career games, he has eclipsed the program's career rushing yardage record with 2,450 and he owns the best averages for rushing yards per attempt (5.75) and game (106.5). His 10 career 100-yard rushing games and 120.7 all-purpose yards per outing also stand at the top of the program's career chart. McCormick can match David Glasco's UTSA standard with 20 career rushing TDs with his next score and he needs just 49 carries to break Jarveon Williams' career mark of 474.
Sincere McCormick's UTSA Records
Game
251 rushing yards (vs. North Texas, 11/28/20)
3 rushing TDs (vs. Louisiana Tech, 10/24/20)
37 rushes (vs. Louisiana Tech, 10/24/20)
Season
1,467 rushing yards (2020)
11 rushing touchdowns (2020)
249 rushes (2020)
133.4 rushing yards/game (2020)
7 100-yard rushing games (2020)
1,598 all-purpose yards (2020)
145.3 all-purpose yards/game (2020)
Career
10 100-yard rushing games
5.75 yards/rush
106.5 rushing yards/game
120.7 all-purpose yards/game
QB room loaded with starting experience
UTSA is in rare company when it comes to the experience found in the quarterback room. The Roadrunners are one of only 15 teams with three or more QBs who have started an FBS game. Frank Harris has started 14 games under center during his UTSA career, while Josh Adkins made 20 starts at New Mexico State before transferring to UTSA prior to a 2020 campaign that saw him make one start for the Roadrunners. Lowell Narcisse has earned the starting nod in eight contests over the last two seasons as a Roadrunner.
Overcoming adversity
UTSA quarterback Frank Harris has overcome a series of challenging setbacks due to injury over the past half-decade to emerge as one of the top dual threats in the nation, as he has been named to preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback and Manning Awards. The lefthander has battled back from two knee injuries, including one that knocked him out for the entire 2018 season, and a shoulder injury that ended his 2019 campaign after four games, to appear in 15 contests with 14 starts over the past two seasons. The Schertz Clemens High School product has completed 225 of 341 passes for 2,116 yards and 15 touchdowns as a Roadrunner and he currently owns UTSA's career record for completion percentage (.660), while he ranks third all-time in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency (127.9). An honorable mention all-conference selection a season ago, Harris played in 11 contests and drew 10 starts, setting the program's single-season standard by completing 63.6% (159-250) of his passes for 1,630 yards and 12 TDs, while also rushing for 528 yards and nine scores on 95 carries.
Dynamic duo
Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin have paired up for the last two seasons to give UTSA a dynamic receiving duo. Cephus started all 12 contests last fall and tied UTSA's single-season record with 58 receptions. The Houston native racked up 547 receiving yards and five touchdowns and he had four or more catches in 10 contests en route to earning honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades. Franklin, who appears on the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, missed the first two games but then exploded into one of the league's top receiving threats, breaking UTSA single-season marks with 694 receiving yards, four 100-yard receiving games and 69.4 receiving yards per outing while collecting honorable mention all-league laurels. The Cedar Hill High School product also set a single-game mark with 12 receptions that resulted in 138 yards and two touchdowns against Army. Cephus enters the 2021 campaign with 66 career receptions for 700 yards and six TDs, while Franklin has caught 87 passes for 1,185 yards and 10 scores as a Roadrunner.
Tight end depth set to shine
The UTSA coaching staff has a deep history of mentoring accomplished tight ends and head coach Jeff Traylor told members of the media in August that he would take this year's lineup of Roadrunners tight ends anywhere. Headlining the position group is super senior Leroy Watson, a John Mackey Award watch list member with a punishing blocking style who has emerged as a receiving threat. The Snellville, Georgia, native was named honorable mention All-Conference USA last fall after catching 14 passes for 176 yards, an average of 12.6 yards per reception. Gavin Sharp, a fourth-year tight end from Leander, Texas, leads the position with 33 receptions for 255 yards and a TD in 32 career contests. Last season saw Oscar Cardenas, a San Antonio Brandeis High School product, develop into a strong blocker while also averaging 15.3 yards per catch. Depth also will come from converted defensive lineman Peter Gray, sophomore Allen Horace II — the highest-rated recruit in school history — and freshman Dan Dishman.
Experience up front
UTSA boasts one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. Nine Roadrunners own at least two starts, the second-best total in the country behind Minnesota's 10. Leading the way is the senior trio of Spencer Burford, Kevin Davis and Ahofitu Maka, who have combined for 86 starts during their UTSA careers. Burford, a San Antonio Wagner graduate and member of the Outland Trophy watch list, has made 31 starts at both guard and tackle over the past three seasons. Maka, a Hawaiian who appears on the watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, has drawn 23 starts with all but one at center during the last two years. Those two Roadrunners earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades last fall after helping UTSA set school records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). Davis a native of Angleton, Texas, leads all UTSA offensive linemen with 32 career starts, including 14 at center.
UTSA's Returning OL Starts
Kevin Davis - 32
Spencer Burford - 31
Ahofitu Maka - 23
Dominic Pastucci - 11
Makai Hart - 8
Terrell Haynes - 6
Jalyn Galmore - 5
Demetris Allen - 2
Brandon Rolfe - 2
Total - 120
Wisdom in the secondary
UTSA safety Rashad Wisdom has emerged as one of the team leaders during his two-plus years on campus. One of seven Roadrunners who played at Converse Judson High School, he has played in 24 games and drawn 22 starts at safety during his career. He has landed on the preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards after a sensational sophomore season that saw him earn first-team all-conference and Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College honors. Wisdom led the Roadrunners and ranked second in C-USA with 95 tackles and he picked off a league-high four passes, which tied the program's single-season record. He also recorded a team-best 60 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles and a pass breakup in 2020 and he returned an interception 81 yards for a touchdown for his second career pick-six, which is tied atop the program's all-time list, in the 51-48 double-overtime victory against Texas State last September. Wisdom's family captured the hearts of the UTSA football program and the San Antonio community over the past two years 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 2020.
Experience on the edge
UTSA will enter the season with a load of experience at both outside linebacker positions. The defense made the switch to a 3-4 base alignment prior to the 2020 campaign and the dividends paid off, helping the Roadrunners lead the conference in sacks (25), tackles for loss (85), interceptions (11), takeaways (19) and turnover margin (+7). One on edge, a pair of super seniors are back at the "Will" spot in Charles Wiley and DeQuarius Henry. Wiley, a native of Stockbridge, Georgia, who transferred from Mississippi last year, earned honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades after posting 43 tackles, a team-high 10 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and four quarterback hurries. Henry, a Houston native, enters his sixth year on the roster with 16.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 39 career contests. On the other side at the "Sam" position, super senior Clarence Hicks and the Taylor brothers — senior Dadrian and sophomore Donyai — return with a combined 17.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and three interceptions in 56 career games.
D-line factory
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. Several current Roadrunners have their eyes on joining the likes of Davenport, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Eric Banks, Ashaad Mabry, Jason Neill, Brian Price and Kevin Strong Jr., a third-year defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions. Leading the way is super senior Jaylon Haynes, a two-time honorable mention all-conference performer with 21.5 tackles for loss —fifth on UTSA's career chart — and seven sacks in 37 career games. The Roadrunners' experienced line also includes super senior Lorenzo Dantzler, who earned honorable mention all-league recognition a year ago and boasts 20.5 TFL and nine sacks in 36 games as a Roadrunner. Brandon Matterson, a fourth-year player from San Antonio Brandeis High School, also made C-USA's honorable mention in 2020 after recording 4.5 TFL and a pair of sacks.
Dependable Duplessis
UTSA place-kicker Hunter Duplessis has emerged as a dependable option with his right leg. A member of the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, he will enter his super senior season with 26 career field goals — third in UTSA history — and 65 extra points, the second-best total in program annals. The San Antonio Cole High School product was a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American, Lou Groza semifinalist and first-team all-conference selection in 2020 after he made 17 of 20 field goals and 40 of 41 PATs, marks that both rank second on the school's single-season chart. Duplessis ranked ninth nationally in field goals made, 21st in field-goal percentage (.850) and 25th in field goals per game (1.42), and he scored a UTSA-record 91 points, good for second in Conference USA. Also an excellent student, he was the 2020-21 C-USA Football Scholar Athlete of the Year, a C-USA All-Academic Team selection, a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. Duplessis earned his bachelor's degree as a double major in cyber security and information systems, graduating with a 3.78 GPA in August 2020, and he currently is studying technology management in postgraduate work.
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. Lucas Dean has emerged as the next in that strong punting lineage. A product of Prokick Australia and the first Roadrunner 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. Dean provided quite the encore in 2020, shattering UTSA's single-season punting average record with a 46.0 mark to lead Conference USA and rank sixth nationally. A semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, he was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Sporting News. Dean registered 27 punts that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line, including 15 inside the 10 and seven inside the 5, and he recorded 21 punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-best 67-yarder against Florida Atlantic, during his sophomore season. Dean is on this year's watch list for the Ray Guy Award and has been tabbed a preseason second-team All-American by the Sporting News.
Down to the wire
UTSA was no stranger to close contests in 2020, as nine of the 12 were 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 touchdown 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 score 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 a Sincere McCormick touchdown dash pulled UTSA to within 21-13 with 10:31 remaining. In a road matchup with No. 15 BYU the following Saturday, 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 27-13 with 2:18 left to play, Narcisse found 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. Against Army West Point, Franklin hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from 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. UTSA rallied from a 13-point deficit with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 27-26 triumph over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24 and held off Southern Miss by a 23-20 count on Nov. 21 in Hattiesburg, while the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl saw the Roadrunners erase a 24-7 deficit to No. 16 Louisiana and knot the score at 24-all early in the fourth quarter before a late Ragin' Cajuns touchdown proved to be the difference.
Brotherly duos
UTSA has two sets of brothers on the 2021 roster in offensive lineman Kevin Davis and wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with outside linebackers Dadrian and Donyai Taylor.
A focus on recruiting Texas
UTSA's 112-man roster features 87 players — 78% — who hail from the state of Texas. The next-closest state is Louisiana with seven, while there are five players from Mississippi. California and Florida are considered home for three players apiece and two are from Georgia. UTSA has one player each from Iowa, Hawai'i, Tennessee and Virginia, while Lucas Dean is the first Roadrunner from Australia.
Keeping them home
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and his staff have placed an emphasis on recruiting the city of San Antonio and surrounding area. The current roster includes 29 players from Greater San Antonio with a team-high seven hailing from perennial power Converse Judson High School.
Player (High School)
Josh Adkins (Smithson Valley)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Spencer Burford (Wagner)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
JayVeon Cardwell (Steele)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Hunter Duplessis (Cole)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Caden Holt (New Braunfels Canyon)
Jaden Jones (East Central)
Ethan Laing (Boerne Champion)
Caleb Lewis (Steele)
De'Anthony Lewis (Judson)
Frankie Martinez (East Central)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Sincere McCormick (Judson)
Trey Moore (Smithson Valley)
Xavier Player (Steele)
Jalen Rainey (Brandeis)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Robert Rigsby (Judson)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Daniel Santallana (East Central)
Kamron Scott (Judson)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Dre Spriggs (Harlan)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA's 210 Triangle of Toughness
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has installed many new ideas, 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. The numbers 2, 1 and 0 — San Antonio's area code — 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, Leroy Watson
2 — Joshua Cephus, Charles Wiley
3 — Sincere McCormick, Tariq Woolen
4 — Zakhari Franklin, Antonio Parks
5 — Brenden Brady, Hunter Duplessis
6 — Lorenzo Dantzler
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Josh Adkins, Jamal Ligon
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, Makai Hart and Ahofitu Maka 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.
Quarterbacks — Josh Adkins, Frank Harris
Running Backs — Brenden Brady, Sincere McCormick
Wide Receivers — Joshua Cephus
Tight Ends — Leroy Watson
Offensive Line — Spencer Burford, Ahofitu Maka
Defensive Line — Lorenzo Dantzler, Jaylon Haynes
Inside Linebackers — Jamal Ligon
Outside Linebackers (S) — Dadrian Taylor
Outside Linebackers (W) — Charles Wiley
Safeties — Rashad Wisdom
Cornerbacks — Ken Robinson
Special Teams — Myles Benning, Kelechi Nwachuku
Specialists — Hunter Duplessis
Up next
UTSA will host Lamar for the home opener on Saturday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome.
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