UTSA Roadrunners (0-0)
vs.
No. 24 Houston Cougars (0-0)
2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 3
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Opening drive
• UTSA will open its 12th season of football and third under 2021 Conference USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor on Saturday against No. 24 Houston.
• A banner honoring the 2021 Conference USA champion Roadrunners will be unveiled prior to kickoff.
• Both teams are coming off 12-2 campaigns last fall.
• This will mark the third meeting with the Cougars in a series that has seen the road team claim each previous matchup.
• The Roadrunners have won their last three season openers and are 9-2 all-time.
• UTSA has come out on top in three consecutive home openers and is 7-4 all-time.
• The Roadrunners have won 10 straight games in the Alamodome and are 12-1 under Jeff Traylor at home.
• Jeff Traylor boasts a 19-7 record at the helm of the Roadrunners, the best record through 26 games for a UTSA coach.
• The Roadrunners are 7-1 against teams from the state of Texas under Jeff Traylor.
• UTSA has won 15 of its last 18 contests dating back to November 2020.
Setting the scene
UTSA will open its 12th season of football and third under 2021 Conference USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor on Saturday, Sept. 3, against No. 24/25 Houston in a matchup of teams coming off 12-2 campaigns last fall. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air on CBS Sports Network and Ticket 760 AM. The Roadrunners, who are receiving one vote in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll, and Cougars are meeting for the third time in a series that has seen the road team claim each previous matchup. This marks the second occasion that the programs have met in a season opener. The two schools were scheduled to meet in the 2017 lid-lifter in San Antonio, but that game was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey. Saturday's contest falls on the 11th anniversary of UTSA's inaugural game, a 31-3 home triumph over Northeastern State in front of an NCAA modern startup program record 56,743 fans on Sept. 3, 2011.
Celebrating a championship
UTSA will celebrate the first-ever conference championship in program history prior to Saturday's season opener. A banner that honors the 2021 Conference USA champion Roadrunners will be unveiled in the rafters of the Alamodome. UTSA defeated Western Kentucky 49-41 in front of 41,148 fans last Dec. 3 at the Alamodome to secure its first league crown. The Roadrunners earned a spot in the C-USA Championship Game with a thrilling 34-31 victory over UAB with 35,147 fans on hand on Nov. 20, 2021.
Tuning in
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst) and Sherree Burress (reporter) have the call. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 983. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 12:30 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 its last three season openers and is 9-2 overall in the first game of the year dating back to the inaugural 2011 campaign. The Roadrunners defeated UIW 35-7 in the 2019 season opener, outlasted Texas State 51-48 in double overtime two years ago and upended Illinois 37-30 last September to give them five victories in the last six lid-lifters. Saturday's matchup with Houston is the second time the two teams have faced off in a season opener, with the Roadrunners scoring a 27-7 road victory in 2014, and it also will mark only the fourth time UTSA has opened a season at home. The Roadrunners were slated to open the 2017 campaign versus Houston but Hurricane Harvey forced that game to be canceled.
UTSA's All-Time Season Openers (9-2)
Date Opponent Score
Sept. 3, 2011 Northeastern (Okla.) State W, 31-3
Sept. 1, 2012 at South Alabama W, 33-31
Aug. 31, 2013 at New Mexico W, 21-13
Aug. 29, 2014 at Houston W, 27-7
Sept. 3, 2015 at #22 Arizona L, 32-42
Sept. 3, 2016 Alabama State W, 26-13
Sept. 9, 2017 at Baylor W, 17-10
Sept. 1, 2018 at Arizona State L, 7-49
Aug. 31, 2019 UIW W, 35-7
Sept. 12, 2020 at Texas State W, 51-48 (2OT)
Sept. 4, 2021 at Illinois W, 37-30
Tough at home
UTSA has been tough to beat at home under third-year head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners have won 10 consecutive home games and are 12-1 at the Alamodome in the Traylor era. The last and only home loss in the last two seasons was a 28-16 setback to Army on Oct. 17, 2020. UTSA is 38-28 all-time at the Alamodome
Scouting Houston
The Cougars enter Saturday's contest ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and 25th in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll. Houston is coming off a 12-2 campaign that saw them play in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game and cap the season with a win over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. Head coach Dana Holgorsen is 19-15 through three years at the helm and 80-56 for his career.
Series history
UTSA and Houston have met twice previously with the road team claiming both previous matchups. The Cougars scored a 59-28 victory in the first meeting on Sept. 28, 2013, at the Alamodome. UTSA posted a 27-7 triumph a year later, spoiling the opening of Houston's TDECU Stadium on Aug. 29, 2014.
UTSA/Houston All-Time Series
Date Result Location
9/28/13 Houston 59, UTSA 28 San Antonio
8/29/14 UTSA 27, Houston 7 Houston
Last Meeting
UTSA scored the first 27 points of the game and never looked back in spoiling Houston's TDECU Stadium grand opening with a 27-7 victory on Aug. 29, 2014. Playing in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 40,755 fans, the Roadrunners forced a school-record six turnovers (four interceptions/two fumble recoveries), posted a 37:46-22:14 advantage in time of possession and held the Cougars to just 208 yards of offense, including minus-26 on the ground. UTSA piled up 142 rushing yards with 115 coming after halftime when the Birds held the ball for nearly 23 of the 30 minutes. David Glasco II rushed for a game-high 81 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 25 carries, while Jarveon Williams added 54 and a score on a dozen attempts. Defensively, Crosby Adams III, Bennett Okotcha, Mauricio Sanchez and Triston Wade all had interceptions, while Chase Dahlquist and Jens Jeters recovered fumbles to help UTSA establish the school standard for takeaways that still stands today.
Who's counting?
Now in their 12th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 133rd game in program history on Saturday when they face No. 24 Houston. UTSA is 64-68 all-time and 38-28 at the Alamodome. By comparison, the Cougars are entering their 77th season of football and own a 460-381-15 record all-time.
Facing their former team
A pair of Roadrunners will be playing against their former team when UTSA and Houston meet on Saturday afternoon. Senior wide receiver Tre'Von Bradley transferred to UTSA last year after playing in 31 career contests in 2018-20 for the Cougars. Junior running back Julon Williams, a former Converse Judson High star, returned to the Alamo City prior to the 2020 campaign after two seasons at UH. Additionally, co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Mattox was a two-year letterman for the Cougars in 2002-03, earning second-team all-conference honors on the o-line as a senior. He also started his coaching career at UH, first as an assistant strength coach in 2005 and then as a graduate assistant the following season
Roadrunners versus ranked opponents
UTSA has faced eight nationally ranked FBS opponents in its 11-year history and nine top-25 teams overall. The Roadrunners will face a team ranked 24th for the second straight game, as they closed the historic 2021 campaign with a 38-24 setback to No. 24 San Diego State in the Frisco Bowl. The highest-ranked foe UTSA has played was No. 13 Oklahoma State in 2013 at the Alamodome. No. 24 Houston is only the second top-25 team to face the Roadrunners at home.
UTSA vs. Ranked Opponents
Date Opponent Result
10/1/11 at #16* Sam Houston State L, 7-22
11/3/12 at #22 Louisiana Tech L, 27-51
9/7/13 #13 Oklahoma State L, 35-56
9/3/15 at #22 Arizona L, 32-42
9/19/15 at #25 Oklahoma State L, 14-69
11/19/16 at #22 Texas A&M L, 10-23
10/10/20 at #15 BYU L, 20-27
12/26/20 vs. #16 Louisiana L, 24-31
12/21/21 vs. #24 San Diego State L, 24-38
*FCS poll
UTSA against in-state foes
The Roadrunners are 27-17 all-time against teams from the state of Texas including a 7-1 mark under third-year head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA also owns a 7-4 mark versus schools from the city of Houston.
UTSA vs. Texas teams
1-2 vs. Baylor
1-1 vs. Houston
1-0 vs. Lamar
0-1 vs. McMurry
4-5 vs. North Texas
6-3 vs. Rice
0-1 vs. Sam Houston
1-0 vs. Stephen F. Austin
0-2 vs. Texas A&M
1-0 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
4-0 vs. Texas State
1-0 vs. UIW
7-2 vs. UTEP
27-17 overall
Traylor off to resounding start at UTSA
Head coach Jeff Traylor is off to a resounding start to his tenure at UTSA. The Gilmer, Texas, native has turned around the program by instilling his 210 Triangle of Toughness culture, producing results on and off the field. Taking over a team that won a combined seven games in the two seasons prior to his arrival, he has led the Roadrunners to a 19-7 record in his first two years at the helm, the best two-year ledger by any UTSA coach. He already has mentored five All-Americans and a pair of NFL Draft picks during his time in San Antonio. In his first season, Traylor guided the Roadrunners to a 7-5 overall record, a runner-up finish in Conference USA's West Division with a 5-2 mark and an appearance in the First Responder Bowl. The Roadrunners received votes in a national poll for the first time in program history and the seven wins are the most by a first-year UTSA head coach. The Roadrunners enjoyed a record-setting campaign in his second season. The Roadrunners won their first 11 games, were nationally ranked (as high as No. 15) for the first time in school history and captured the program's first league title by winning the 2021 C-USA Championship with a 49-41 victory over WKU. UTSA capped the season with its second straight and third overall bowl appearance. Traylor was honored for his success as the 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year, the AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year for Region 4 and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, AFCA National Coach of the Year and George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. A member of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Coach of the Year watch list, he was chosen as the 2021 San Antonio Express-News Sportsman of the Year.
Season No. 12
UTSA is playing its 12th season of football in 2022. The Roadrunners started their 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. The Roadrunners captured their first conference championship by claiming the 2021 C-USA crown and capped a 12-2 campaign with their third bowl game. UTSA has posted at least six wins in six of the 11 seasons in program history and it has reached the seven-win plateau four times, including in both years of the Jeff Traylor era.
Packing the Dome
UTSA ended the 2021 home slate by hosting two of the six largest crowds in program history. On Nov. 20, 35,147 fans saw the Roadrunners pull out a 34-31 thriller against UAB to claim the Conference USA West Division title. Two weeks later, UTSA secured its first league crown with a 49-41 triumph over WKU in front of 41,148 fans, the third-largest crowd for a UTSA game at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners also beat Southern Miss in front of 30,105 fans on Nov. 13, 2021, and led C-USA in average home attendance last fall with an average of 26,643 for seven home games. The Roadrunners set NCAA modern startup program records in their first season by drawing 56,743 fans to the inaugural game against Northeastern State on Sept. 3, 2011, and by averaging 35,521 fans for their six home contests that season.
UTSA picked to win C-USA crown
The defending Conference USA champion UTSA Roadrunners have been picked to finish first in the conference this season. The Roadrunners received 14 of a possible 22 first-place votes from a panel of media members that covers all 11 C-USA schools. UAB received the remaining eight first-place votes and is slotted second in the preseason poll, followed by WKU, which UTSA beat 49-41 to claim the 2021 conference crown.
C-USA PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. UTSA (14)
2. UAB (8)
3. WKU
4. Florida Atlantic
5. North Texas
6. UTEP
7. Charlotte
8. Middle Tennessee
9. Louisiana Tech
10. Rice
11. FIU
UTSA senior duo earns C-USA preseason accolades
UTSA seniors Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom have been named Conference USA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Harris and Wisdom join C-USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year Brayden Narveson of WKU as preseason superlative award winners in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Roadrunners reel in preseason honors
UTSA has reeled in numerous honors leading into this season, as seven Roadrunners have landed on preseason lists. Senior quarterback Frank Harris leads the way after earning a spot on five lists — the Davey O'Brien, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Manning, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards — and the Schertz Clemens high product also is a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy. Meanwhile, senior safety Rashad Wisdom appears on watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik and Paycom Jim Thorpe Awards and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The Converse Judson High graduate also is a nominee for the Allstate Good Works Team. Senior center Ahofitu Maka is a member of watch lists for the Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, while senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin is on the Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists. Oscar Cardenas (John Mackey Award), Lucas Dean (Ray Guy Award) and Jared Sackett (Lou Groza Award) also made preseason watch lists.
Player — Watch List(s)
Oscar Cardenas — John Mackey Award
Lucas Dean — Ray Guy Award
Zakhari Franklin — Biletnikoff Award, Reese's Senior Bowl
Frank Harris — Davey O'Brien Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Wuerffel Trophy nominee
Ahofitu Maka — Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year
Jared Sackett — Lou Groza Award
Rashad Wisdom — Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Allstate Good Works Team nominee
Leader under center
During the course of his UTSA career, senior quarterback Frank Harris has developed into one of the team's unquestioned leaders. The Schertz Clemens High product, who enters this season with a 20-8 record as the starting QB, has thrown for 5,293 yards and 42 touchdowns on 488-of-739 passing (.660) and rushed for 1,220 yards and 15 TDs as a Roadrunner. The 2022 Conference USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year guided UTSA to the most successful season in program history last fall, helping lead the Roadrunners to a 12-2 record, their first conference championship and top-25 ranking and to their second straight and third overall bowl game. A two-time national player of the week, he set school single-season records for passing yards (3,177), completions (398), touchdowns (27), attempts (263), completion percentage (.661), passing efficiency (152.5), total offense (3,743) and touchdowns responsible for (33). He also rushed for 566 yards — a program record for a QB — and six scores and caught three passes for 36 yards and a TD en route to Dave Campbell's Texas Football Offensive Player of the Year and second-team all-conference accolades. A member of preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Manning, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards, Harris has overcome multiple season-ending injuries sustained earlier in his career to emerge as one of the top signal callers in the country.
Experience up front
UTSA brings back one of the most experienced offensive lines in the FBS this fall. The quartet of Kevin Davis (41 starts), Makai Hart (20), Terrell Haynes (20) and Ahofitu Maka (37) have combined for 118 career starts, which ranks fourth among all FBS schools behind only Georgia State (141), Pitt (130) and Georgia Southern (127). That foursome also has combined to play in 136 games, good for 10th nationally. With four starters returning, UTSA is tied with several other schools behind nine squads that return all five starters this season.
Maka makes it happen on and off the field
Ahofitu Maka is back for his fourth season as UTSA's starting center, leading the way on a veteran offensive line. A second-team all-conference selection in each of the last two seasons, the Honolulu, Hawai'i, native has started 37 career games — including 36 at center — as a Roadrunner after transferring from Independence Community College prior to the 2019 campaign. Over the last two seasons, the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy preseason watch list member has allowed only two sacks in more than 500 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, helping pave the way for a record-setting offense. In 2020, UTSA broke single-season program records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). Maka surrendered just one sack and three hits on the quarterback in 430 pass-blocking snaps that season. Last fall, Maka — who landed on the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch list — started all 14 contests, allowing just one sack and three hits on the quarterback in 471 pass-blocking snaps to help UTSA set school records for total yards (6,146), total yards per game (439.0), passing yards (3,577), passing yards per game (255.5), points scored (516) and points per game (36.9). Also an excellent student, Maka is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, a 2021 C-USA All-Academic Team pick and a C-USA Academic Medal recipient.
Terrific trio
UTSA boasts arguably the top pass-catching trio in college football entering this season. Senior wide receivers Joshua Cephus, De'Corian "JT" Clark and Zakhari Franklin have teamed up to provide the Roadrunners with a formidable air attack. That trio has combined for 366 receptions, 4,549 receiving yards and 42 receiving touchdowns over the past three seasons. No other FBS team has a trio with more yards or touchdowns and only Eastern Michigan has three pass-catchers who have combined for more receptions (376).
Keeping the streak alive
The UTSA receiving duo of Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus both rank near the top of the chart for consecutive games with a reception entering the 2022 campaign. Franklin has caught a pass in all 32 career contests in which he has been available dating back to 2019, good for the second-longest streak in the FBS behind Minnesota's Chris Autman-Bell, who has a reception in 38 straight games. Cephus has at least one catch in 26 consecutive games dating back to the 2020 season opener, putting him in a tie for eighth nationally.
Franklin rewriting record book
UTSA senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has rewritten UTSA's record book for receivers. The Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch list honoree smashed UTSA single-season standards for receptions (81), receiving yards (1,027), receiving yards per game (79.0) and receiving touchdowns (12) last fall en route to first-team all-conference and second-team Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College honors. The Cedar Hill High product also matched his own school mark from 2020 with four 100-yard receiving games last fall, including a season-high 155 yards on 10 grabs in the 37-30 road win over Illinois, to give him a program-best nine for his career. His 2021 campaign vaulted him atop the UTSA all-time charts for receptions (168), receiving yards (2,212) and TD catches (22). He also owns the program's single-game record for receptions with 12, which he turned into 138 yards and a pair of scores versus Army in 2020.
Cardenas a dual threat at tight end
UTSA junior Oscar Cardenas has emerged as a punishing blocker and reliable pass-catcher from the tight end position. The San Antonio Brandeis High graduate earned a spot on the John Mackey Award preseason watch list this summer after a breakout 2021 campaign. He appeared in all 14 games and made four starts last fall, catching 16 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Cardenas played a role in one of the iconic moments in UTSA's history, hauling in the game-winning TD reception after a tipped pass with three seconds left in the 34-31 victory over UAB last November. He also had a 28-yard catch on the game-winning drive in the final minute versus the Blazers to help the Roadrunners clinch the Conference USA West Division title. Cardenas, who has 30 career contests under his belt, came up big in a key road triumph over WKU last season, as well, catching a pair of passes for 19 yards, including an 11-yard TD.
Wisdom in the secondary
UTSA senior safety Rashad Wisdom, whose older brother Sean played defensive back at Houston in 2008-10, has been one of the team leaders since he stepped foot on campus in the spring semester of 2019. A two-time first-team all-conference performer, the Converse Judson High graduate has paced the Roadrunners in total tackles in each of the past two seasons, helping guide UTSA to 19 wins, a conference championship and a pair of bowl games during that timeframe. A member of preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik and Paycom Jim Thorpe Awards, he has registered 227 tackles, 158 solo stops, 12 tackles for loss, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery in 38 career contests. He has returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns, which is tied for the school record. Last season, Wisdom recorded 88 tackles, 67 solo stops, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. The 2022 C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year logged 10-plus tackles three times, including a season-high 13 in the 52-46 road win over WKU, giving him eight career games with double-digit stops.
Mayfield comfortable on an island
UTSA cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr. was thrown into the fire, so to speak, as a true freshman in 2018, seeing action in 10 games and drawing two starts. The Forney, Texas, native has made the most of that early playing time, developing into a steady presence at the position during the course of his career with 35 starts in 47 contests. The son of former Oklahoma and NFL defensive lineman Corey Mayfield, he has received honorable mention all-conference accolades in each of the past two seasons. Last fall, he registered 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, three pass breakups one forced fumble and an interception that he returned 49 yards for a touchdown in the 45-0 shutout of Rice. In 2020, he had a pair of interceptions and broke up a team-best six passes to go along with 37 stops and three TFLs.
Linebacker leaders
The Roadrunners will not be short on leadership in the second line of defense this fall, as three players who earned one of the coveted single-digit jersey numbers look to line up as starters at linebacker. The tandem of Trevor Harmanson, who will wear No. 1, and Jamal Ligon, who will don No. 8 for the second straight season, provides UTSA with two veterans in the middle. A native of Dickinson, Texas, Harmanson enters his super senior campaign with 178 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks in 37 career contests. Ligon, a junior out of Tyler Lee High, has registered 135 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and five sacks in 23 games as a Roadrunner. Meanwhile, Dadrian Taylor is back in his No. 7 jersey for his final year manning the SAM linebacker spot. In 46 career appearances, the Shiner, Texas, native has logged 82 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six versus Louisiana Tech last season.
Punter from Down Under
In its brief 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. 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. Last fall, Dean punted 47 times for a 45.2 average that ranks second on the program's single-season chart, earning second-team all-league accolades. The Ray Guy Award preseason watch list member owns three of the four longest punts in UTSA history, highlighted by his school-record 73-yard bomb against UAB last November.
Welcome back, Sackett
Not often does a college football player finish his career where he started after transferring out, but UTSA senior Jared Sackett is doing just that this season. As a true freshman in 2017, he made 19 of 22 field goals (.864) to rank third in the FBS in field goals per game (1.9) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.864) in 11 contests despite not appearing in the season opener. Those stats helped him become the second Freshman All-American in program history and UTSA's first Lou Groza Award semifinalist. The Fort Worth native connected on 14 of 19 field goals en route to his second straight season as a Groza Award semifinalist. After transferring to Arkansas to kick for a coaching staff that included Jeff Traylor, he sat out the 2019 season and then moved on to USF following a coaching change. Sackett made 5 of 7 field goals and all 10 extra points he tried in limited action in 2020 for the Bulls. After not kicking in any games last fall, he transferred back to UTSA for his final campaign, entering the season as a member of the Lou Groza Award watch list.
FBS graduates
UTSA boasts 22 graduates on its 2022 roster, a total that is tied for the third-most among FBS teams. Nebraska leads the way with 26, followed by Liberty and Rice with 23. The Roadrunners are equal with Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, North Texas, Pitt and Texas State.
UTSA's Graduates
Trumane Bell
Tre'Von Bradley
Brenden Brady
Quincy Cage
Caleb Cantrell
Clifford Chattman
Kevin Davis
Trevor Harmanson
Frank Harris
Makai Hart
Terrell Haynes
Payne He'bert
Ahofitu Maka
Brandon Matterson
Lamonte McDougle
Dru Prox
Jared Sackett
Gavin Sharp
Trelon Smith
Dadrian Taylor
Tony Wallace
Julon Williams
Brotherly duos
UTSA has three sets of brothers on the 2022 roster in safety Pig Cage and wide receiver Quincy Cage, offensive lineman Kevin Davis and wide receiver Isaiah Davis, along with outside linebackers Dadrian and Donyai Taylor.
TV birds
Saturday's season opener will be televised on CBS Sports Network, marking 111 straight televised/streamed appearances for the Roadrunners. The last UTSA game that was not broadcast was the 2012 season finale against Texas State.
Sixteen Roadrunners set for super senior season
A total of 16 UTSA seniors have elected to take advantage of their extra year of eligibility this fall as a result of an NCAA blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brenden Brady
Caleb Cantrell
Clifford Chattman
Kevin Davis
Trevor Harmanson
Frank Harris
Makai Hart
Ahofitu Maka
Brandon Matterson
Corey Mayfield Jr.
Dru Prox
Jared Sackett
Gavin Sharp
Trelon Smith
Dadrian Taylor
Tony Wallace
Duo entering seventh season of college football
UTSA seniors Clifford Chattman and Dru Prox are in rare company as two of only 23 FBS players who are in at least their seventh season of college football. In fact, that duo makes UTSA the only school on the list with two current seventh-year players.
A focus on recruiting Texas
UTSA's 112-man roster features 87 players — 78% — who hail from the state of Texas. Louisiana stands second with five players, while there are three each from California, Florida and Mississippi and two apiece from Georgia and Tennessee. Hawai'i, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Virginia each have produced one current Roadrunner, while Lucas Dean is the lone UTSA player 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 thesurrounding area. The current roster includes 26 players from Greater San Antonio with a team-high five hailing from perennial power Converse Judson High School.
Player (High School)
Rudy Aleman Jr. (Warren)
Brenden Brady (Steele)
Oscar Cardenas (Brandeis)
Cade Collenback (O'Connor)
Frank Harris (Clemens)
Caden Holt (New Braunfels Canyon)
Xion LaGrant (Cornerstone Christian)
Ethan Laing (Boerne Champion)
Caleb Lewis (Steele)
De'Anthony Lewis (Judson)
Deandre Marshall (Central Catholic)
Frankie Martinez (East Central)
Brandon Matterson (Brandeis)
Trey Moore (Smithson Valley)
Matthew O'Brien (New Braunfels)
Xavier Player (Steele)
Jalen Rainey (Brandeis)
Jaren Randle (Johnson)
Robert Rigsby (Judson)
Ben Rios (Central Catholic)
Justin Rodriguez (Johnson)
Kamron Scott (Judson)
Xavier Spencer (Judson)
Dre Spriggs (Harlan)
Julon Williams (Judson)
Rashad Wisdom (Judson)
UTSA's 210 Triangle of Toughness
Since his arrival in December 2019, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has instilled into the program his 210 Triangle Of Toughness Culture Pillars: Integrity, Passion, Mental & Physical Toughness, Selfless and Perfect Effort. As part of that 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 — De'Corian Clark, Trevor Harmanson
2 — Joshua Cephus, Corey Mayfield Jr.
3 — Brandon Matterson
4 — Clifford Chattman, Zakhari Franklin
5 — Brenden Brady, Lucas Dean
6 — Kelechi Nwachuku
7 — Dadrian Taylor
8 — Jamal Ligon
9 — Brandon Brown, Oscar Cardenas
Offensive linemen Kevin Davis (61), Makai Hart (77), Terrell Haynes (58) and Ahofitu Maka (55) also received the necessary votes but cannot change to a single-digit number due to their position.
Leadership Council elected
Prior to the season, UTSA elected a Leadership Council made up of representatives from each position group.
Quarterbacks — Frank Harris
Running Backs — Brenden Brady
Wide Receivers — Joshua Cephus
Tight Ends — Oscar Cardenas
Offensive Line — Ahofitu Maka
Defensive Line — Brandon Brown
Inside Linebackers — Jamal Ligon
Outside Linebackers (S) — Dadrian Taylor
Outside Linebackers (W) — Trey Moore
Safeties — Kelechi Nwachuku, Rashad Wisdom
Cornerbacks — Corey Mayfield Jr.
Specialists — Caleb Cantrell, Lucas Dean
Up next
UTSA will travel to West Point, New York, to face Army on Saturday, Sept. 10. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. Central time and the game will air on CBS Sports Network and Ticket 760 AM.
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