UTSA Roadrunners (2-0, 0-0) vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-1, 0-0)
5 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 18
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA is off to its second straight and fourth overall 2-0 start.
• The Roadrunners received one vote in this week's USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
• UTSA and Middle Tennessee will meet for the fourth time overall and second consecutive season in San Antonio.
• The Roadrunners have won the last two meetings, including a 37-35 decision in last year's C-USA opener.
• UTSA's 54-0 win over Lamar last Saturday marked the program's first shutout and largest margin of victory.
• Of UTSA's 112-man roster, 87 (78%) are from the state of Texas.
• Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, marking the 100th straight UTSA game selected for broadcast.
Setting the scene
Off to its second straight and fourth overall 2-0 start, UTSA will open Conference USA action against Middle Tennessee (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 18. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM. The Roadrunners and Blue Raiders will meet for the fourth time overall and second straight season in San Antonio. UTSA held on for a 37-35 win over Middle Tennessee in last season's league opener on Sept. 25 at the Alamodome.
Tuning in
Saturday's Conference USA opener will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required). Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and LaDarrin McLane (analyst) have the call. Fans can stream the broadcast at Watch ESPN or on the ESPN app. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 994. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 3 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.
Roadrunners receive national poll votes for second time
UTSA received one vote in this week's USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, marking the second time the program has received votes in a national poll. Last year, the Roadrunners received two votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the week of Sept. 20. UTSA is one of two Conference USA teams receiving votes in this week's coaches poll, joining Marshall.
UTSA in conference openers
The Roadrunners are 5-4 all-time in conference openers, including4-4 as a member of Conference USA. UTSA has come out on top in two of its last three league lid-lifters, beating Middle Tennessee 37-35 last season and scoring a 30-21 triumph over UTEP in 2018. The Roadrunners are 4-3 in conference openers that have been played in the month of September. This will mark the fourth time UTSA has opened its league slate at home, carrying a 2-1 record in those contests into this weekend.
Roadrunners race past Lamar
Sheldon Jones returned a punt for a touchdown, Charles Wiley had a score on a fumble return and UTSA posted the first shutout and largest margin of victory in program history in a 54-0 rout of Lamar on Sept. 11 at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners racked up 427 yards of offense and held the Cardinals (1-1) to 122 yards — the fewest yards allowed in school history — in racing out to their second straight 2-0 start to a season. Jones registered the second punt return TD in school annals when he fielded the ball off one bounce and dashed 76 yards to paydirt to put UTSA on top just three minutes into the game. Meanwhile, Wiley scooped up a loose ball in the second quarter and rambled 44 yards to the end zone to help push the home team's lead to 27-0. Frank Harris completed 13 of 15 passes for 118 yards, while Josh Adkins came off the bench to throw for 134 yards and two TDs on 11-of-13 passing. Sincere McCormick was the leading rusher with 46 yards on just seven carries, and the All-American reached the end zone twice to add another record to his resumé, as he now has 21 career rushing touchdowns.
Records fall in home opener
Several program records fell in the 54-0 victory over Lamar in the home opener last Saturday. It marked the first shutout in school history, as the previous standard for fewest points allowed was three done three times, the last against Rice in 2018. UTSA also registered the largest margin of victory, nipping the previous mark of 53 set in the 56-3 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State in 2012. The Roadrunners limited Lamar to just 122 yards of offense, eclipsing the previous program record for fewest yards allowed of 149 established against Southern in 2017. UTSA's 54 points was the third-most scored in a game.
Home-opening success
Following the 54-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 11, the Roadrunners now have won their last three home openers and are 7-4 all time in such contests.
Historic win to open 2021
UTSA's 37-30 road win over Illinois in the season opener marked the program's second win against a team from a Power Five conference and the first against a Big Ten Conference school. The Roadrunners' first win versus a Power Five program was a 17-10 triumph over Baylor on Sept. 9, 2017, in Waco. UTSA also improved to 9-2 overall in season openers with that victory.
TV birds
UTSA's Conference USA opener versus Middle Tennessee will air on ESPN+, marking 100 straight televised/streamed appearances for the Roadrunners. All 12 of UTSA's regular season games have been selected for broadcast, which will extend that streak to at least 109. 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, and his second campaign is off to a resounding start with the 37-30 road win against Illinois, the program's second triumph over a team from a Power Five conference, and the 54-0 rout of Lamar, the program's first shutout and largest margin of victory. Last fall, 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, 2020, 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. 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 121st game in program history on Saturday when they face Middle Tennessee in the Conference USA opener. UTSA is 54-66 all-time and 32-28 at the Alamodome.
Scouting Middle Tennessee
The Blue Raiders fell to 1-1 on the year after a 35-14 road setback at Virginia Tech last Saturday after opening the season with a 50-15 rout of Monmouth on Sept. 4. Bailey Hockman has completed 36 of 54 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns to lead the offense. Jimmy Marshall is the top receiver with 10 catches for 126 yards, while Amir Rasul paces the ground attack with 21 carries for 57 yards. DQ Thomas is the top tackler with 20 stops, including three behind the line of scrimmage. Head coach Rick Stockstill is 95-93 in his 16th season at the helm.
Series history
Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between UTSA and Middle Tennessee and the second straight season the two teams will meet in their Conference USA in San Antonio. The Roadrunners held on for a 37-35 win in the last meeting on Sept. 25, 2020, at the Alamodome. UTSA won the only matchup played in Murfreesboro with a 45-25 decision on Nov. 5, 2016. Middle Tennessee scored a 42-7 victory in the inaugural meeting on Nov. 28, 2015, in San Antonio.
Last meeting
Josh Adkins came off the bench to throw for 233 yards, Zakhari Franklin registered his second career 100-yard receiving game and Jamal Ligon broke UTSA's single-game tackles record as UTSA outlasted Middle Tennessee, 37-35, in the 2020 Conference USA opener on Sept. 25 at the Alamodome. UTSA held on for the two-point win in the final minutes to run its record to 3-0 on the season. The Blue Raiders had a chance to tie it but failed on a two-point conversion attempt with 1:04 left to play. Ligon registered 19 tackles, including eight solo stops and 1.5 sacks, to go along with a pair of quarterback hurries in his record-setting night. Meanwhile, Adkins completed 16 of 28 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown in a little more than one half of football. The junior transfer from Smithson Valley High School entered the game on the final drive of the second quarter after Frank Harris left the game with an injury. Franklin hauled in six passes for 119 yards and a TD in his first action of the season.
UTSA collects back-to-back C-USA weekly awards
For the second straight week, a Roadrunner has been named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week as Sheldon Jones was honored after returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in the 54-0 victory over Lamar. After the UTSA defense forced a punt on Lamar's opening possession, the New Orleans native fielded the ball off one bounce and dashed 76 yards to paydirt to hand the home team the lead just three minutes into the contest. His punt return was the second in UTSA's 11-year history, as he joins Kenny Harrison — who had a 79-yarder vs. Texas State in 2012 — as the only Roadrunners to return a punt for a score. He is one of 11 FBS players to return a punt for a TD this season. Last week, Hunter Duplessis was honored after going 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 of 4 on extra points in the season-opening victory over Illinois.
UTSA pair garners preseason All-America accolades
Sincere McCormick and Lucas Dean both earned spots on preseason All-America squads. McCormick was 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
1. UAB (15)
2. UTSA (9)
3. Louisiana Tech
4. Southern Miss
5. Rice
6. North Texas
7. UTEP
EAST DIVISION
1. Marshall (17)
2. Florida Atlantic (6)
3. WKU (1)
4. Charlotte
5. Middle Tennessee
6. FIU
7. 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
Dozen Roadrunners back for super senior season
A dozen UTSA football seniors 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 are back 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 now have played 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 have appeared in a game for a fifth season:
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)
A balanced attack
Under the direction of second-year offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., the Roadrunners have featured a balanced offensive attack. UTSA opened the 2021 season by piling up 497 yards of offense with 280 passing and 217 rushing in the 37-30 road win over Illinois. In the 54-0 rout of Lamar, the a trio of quarterbacks combined to attempt 32 passes, completing 26 for 321 yards, while the offense ran 29 times for 106 yards. A season ago, UTSA gained a program-record 2,585 yards on the ground, an average of 215.4 per game, and tallied 2,399 yards through the air (199.9/game) en route to a 7-5 record and an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The offense surpassed the school record for total offense in each of the last two home games, registering 600 total yards — a season-best 312 passing and 288 rushing — in the 52-21 win over UTEP on Nov. 14, only to eclipse that with 624 yards, including a program-best 443 on the ground, in the 49-17 victory over North Texas two weeks later.
Sincere success
After enjoying one of the most heralded seasons in program history in 2020, UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is looking to continue that success in his third year. The Converse Judson High School product started 2021 off on the right foot by logging his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, piling up 117 yards on 31 carries in the 37-30 road win over Illinois on Sept. 4. He followed that outing with a two-touchdown performance in the 54-0 rout of Lamar last Saturday, moving him atop the program's career rushing TD chart with 21. A preseason All-American by five national publications (Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA TODAY and Walter Camp), 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. He 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 for McCormick, 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 also 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
With just 25 games as a Roadrunner to his name, Sincere McCormick has rewritten the program's record book. UTSA's career rushing leader with 2,613 yards, he currently owns the best averages for rushing yards per attempt (5.6) and game (104.5). His 11 career 100-yard rushing games and 117.5 all-purpose yards per outing also stand at the top of the program's career chart. McCormick eclipsed David Glasco's UTSA standard of 20 career rushing TDs with two scores in the 54-0 rout of Lamar on Sept. 11, giving him 21, while he needs just 11 carries to break Jarveon Williams' career mark of 474. Last fall, he smashed the school's single-season standards with 1,467 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs and 249 carries. The 2020 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year also set single-season marks with seven 100-yard rushing games and 133.4 rushing yards per contest, 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.
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
2,567 rushing yards
21 rushing touchdowns
5.6 yards/rush
107.0 rushing yards/game
11 100-yard rushing games
120.5 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 16 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 three 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 16 contests with 15 starts. He opened this season by throwing for 280 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-32 passing, and he also ran for 33 yards and a score to help UTSA score a 37-30 road victory over Illinois. He followed that outing by completing 13 of 15 passes for 118 yards in the 54-0 rout of Lamar. The Schertz Clemens High School product has completed 258 of 388 passes for 2,514 yards and 16 touchdowns as a Roadrunner. He currently owns UTSA's career record for completion percentage (.667), while he ranks third all-time in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency (130.4). 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 since 2019 to give UTSA a dynamic receiving duo, and they have made their presence known so far this season. Franklin racked up a career-best 155 receiving yards — the second-best single-game total in school history — and a touchdown on a game-high 10 catches in the 37-30 season-opening victory over Illinois. He followed that with four receptions for 77 yards and his second TD of the year. Franklin has caught a pass in all 21 career games and now has 101 receptions for 1,417 yards and 12 TDs. Last fall, the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list member 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. Meanwhile, Cephus caught six passes for 73 yards against the Fighting Illini and followed that with six catches for 51 yards in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar. He now has 78 receptions for 824 yards in 26 career games as a Roadrunner. He started all 12 contests last year 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.
Experience up front
UTSA boasts one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. Entering this season, nine Roadrunners owned 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 now have combined for 92 starts during their UTSA careers. Burford, a San Antonio Wagner graduate and member of the Outland Trophy watch list, has made 33 starts at both guard and tackle. Maka, a Hawaiian who appears on the watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, has drawn 25 starts with all but one at center. 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 34 career starts, including 14 at center.
UTSA's Offensive Line Starts
Kevin Davis 34
Spencer Burford 33
Ahofitu Maka 25
Dominic Pastucci 11
Makai Hart 9
Terrell Haynes 8
Jalyn Galmore 6
Demetris Allen 2
Brandon Rolfe 2
Total 131
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 starred at Converse Judson High School, he has played in 26 games and drawn 24 starts at safety during his UTSA career. He has landed on 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. He started off his third year as a Roadrunner by registering three tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in UTSA's 37-30 season-opening victory over Illinois. He added three more stops despite playing less than a half in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar in his last outing. 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.
Riq the Freak
Tariq Woolen's development into one of UTSA's starting cornerbacks is unique. The Fort Worth native, whose nickname is Riq, started his career as a wide receiver, catching 24 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown over his first two seasons. Late in his sophomore campaign, Woolen made the switch to the defensive side of the ball and posted a pair of tackles as a cornerback in the season finale against Louisiana Tech. Prior to the 2020 campaign, Woolen decided to make the position change permanent. That decision paid off as he has emerged as one of the team's top defensive backs with 35 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception in 2020. Earlier this year, he made Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List, landing at the No. 6 spot out of 101 college football players after turning in eye-opening numbers during summer 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. Woolen started off his senior season with a bang, recording a career-high nine tackles and a PBU in the 37-30 road triumph over Illinois. He added his second PBU of the year in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar last Saturday.
Tackling machine
UTSA inside linebacker Trevor Harmanson has emerged as one of the team's top tacklers during his time as a Roadrunner. The Dickinson High School product transferred to UTSA in 2019 following one season at Blinn College, and he made an immediate impact with 48 tackles, including 8.5 behind the line of scrimmage. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, earning honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades after ranking second on the team with 73 tackles, including nine TFL, to go along with seven quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Harmanson, a preseason all-league pick by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele, opened his 2021 campaign by tying for the team high with nine tackles, which included a team-best seven solo stops, in the 37-30 road win over Illinois. Despite playing less than a half in the 54-0 rout of Lamar, he tallied three stops in his last outing and now has 133 total tackles in 26 games as a Roadrunner.
Experience on the edge
UTSA boasts a ton of experience throughout its 2021 roster, especially 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) last fall. Most of that production returns this season. On one 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, owns 16.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 41 career contests. On the other side at the "Sam" position, super senior Clarence Hicks and the Taylor brothers — senior Dadrian and sophomore Donyai — now boast a combined 18.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and three interceptions during their careers.
A wily veteran
UTSA outside linebacker Charles Wiley has emerged as one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball. The super senior has registered five tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss through the first two contests. He also returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of UTSA's 54-0 rout of Lamar, the program's first-ever shutout. Wiley's fumble return TD was the first in two seasons by a Roadrunner and it marked the third-longest fumble return in school annals. A native of Stockbridge, Wiley has piled up 105 tackles, including 23.5 behind the line of scrimmage, during his collegiate career with 48 stops and 11.5 TFL coming in his two seasons at UTSA.
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 Chargers 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 22.5 tackles for loss — tied for fourth on UTSA's career chart — and seven sacks in 39 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 38 games as a Roadrunner. Brandon Matterson, a fourth-year player from San Antonio Brandeis High School, also made C-USA's honorable mention list 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 started his super senior season by making all three field-goal attempts and going 4 for 4 on extra points in the 37-30 road win over Illinois and he was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. He turned in his second straight and fourth overall three-field-goal game after connecting from 46 yards twice and again from 41 in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar last Saturday, extending his streak to seven straight makes dating back to the 2020 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Duplessis now has made 32 career field goals — third in UTSA history — and 75 extra points, the second-best total in program annals, and his 171 career points rank second all-time. 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. 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 opened his third season by averaging 44.2 yards on five punts with one inside the 20 and a long of 55 in the 37-30 road victory over Illinois. He did not have to punt in the 54-0 shutout of Lamar last Saturday. He 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 is no stranger to close contests dating back to last season, as 10 of its last 14 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. In the season opener, UTSA held off Illinois 37-30 in a game that saw the Illini have a chance to tie things up with two throws into the end zone in the final seconds. The Roadrunners opened the 2020 campaign 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 hit the road to face Memphis on Saturday, Sept. 25. Kickoff has been set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
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