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Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics
Football

UTSA set to host Western Kentucky on Saturday at Alamodome

SAN ANTONIO — Winners of two straight games, UTSA will host Western Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff in the rematch of the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game is set for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air live on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM. This will mark the fourth matchup between the Roadrunners and Hilltoppers, and it is the third time in the last year that the two teams will meet. The two teams enter Saturday's contest with identical overall (3-2) and conference (1-0) records.
 
 
UTSA Roadrunners (3-2, 1-0)
vs.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-2, 1-0)
5 p.m.  |  Saturday, Oct. 8
Alamodome  |  San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Ticket 760 AM
Series History: UTSA leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: UTSA 27, MTSU 13 (9/18/21)
 
Opening drive
• UTSA and Western Kentucky will face off in what will be a rematch of the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game won by the Roadrunners 49-41 last Dec. 3 at the Alamodome.
• The Roadrunners and Hilltoppers will meet for the fourth time overall and third time in the last year.
• UTSA leads the series 2-1 after winning both matchups in 2021.
• The Roadrunners are 13-3 in C-USA games under third-year head coach Jeff Traylor.
• UTSA has won 11 of its last 12 home games and is 13-2 at the Alamodome in the Jeff Traylor era. 
• The Roadrunners have won 18 of their last 23 contests dating back to November 2020.
• UTSA is 22-9 under Jeff Traylor, the best record for a head coach through 31 games in program history.
• UTSA has drawn 30,000-plus fans to four of the last five home games, including 41,148 for the 2021 C-USA Championship Game versus WKU.
• Senior quarterback Frank Harris leads the FBS in total offense (383.4 ypg).
 
Tuning in
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ and is available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and LaDarrin McLane (analyst) have the call. The contest will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call 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.
 
Championship rematch
UTSA and Western Kentucky will meet for the first time since the two teams squared off in the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 3 at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners built a 29-point lead and held off the Hilltoppers in the final seconds in a 49-41 victory to secure their first conference title. UTSA drew the third-largest home crowd in program history for that matchup, as 41,148 fans packed the Alamodome to see the Roadrunners win their second meeting of the season against WKU.
 
Home Sweet Dome
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era. The Roadrunners have won 11 of their last 12 home contests and are 13-2 at the facility under the third-year head coach. UTSA reeled off a school-record 10-game win streak that started with a 27-26 victory over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24, 2020, and ran through the 49-41 win against Western Kentucky in the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 3 before it was snapped in triple overtime against No. 24 Houston in the 2022 season opener on Sept. 3. The Roadrunners are 39-29 all-time in the Alamodome.
 
Packing the Dome
UTSA fans have packed the Alamodome during the last year, as three of the program's seven-largest home crowds have been recorded during that span of time. The final three home contests of last season all topped the 30,000-fan plateau, and the Roadrunners drew 37,526 for the 2022 season opener versus Houston on Sept. 3. On Nov. 20, 2021, a total of 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 Western Kentucky 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 and led C-USA in average home attendance last fall with an average of 26,643 for seven home games. UTSA set NCAA modern startup program records in its 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 six home contests that season. 
 
UTSA's Top 10 Home Crowds
Attendance      Date                 Opponent
56,743             9/3/11             Northeastern State
42,071             9/8/18             Baylor
41,148             12/3/21           Western Kentucky
40,977             9/7/13             Oklahoma State
39,032             11/24/12         Texas State
37,526             9/3/22             Houston
35,147             11/20/21         UAB
33,517             9/24/11           Bacone
33,472             9/4/14             Arizona
32,886             10/8/11           South Alabama
 
Traylor successful in league play
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has experienced immediate success in league games during his time in San Antonio. The 2021 Conference USA Coach of the Year has guided the Roadrunners to 13 wins in 16 conference games during his tenure. Last season, Traylor led UTSA to a 7-1 league mark and the program's first-ever league crown with a 49-41 victory over Western Kentucky in the C-USA Championship Game. The Roadrunners registered a 5-2 record in C-USA play in Traylor's first season at the helm in 2020.
 
Who's counting?
Now in their 12th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 138th game in program history on Saturday when they face Western Kentucky. UTSA is 67-70 all-time and 39-29 at the Alamodome.  By comparison, WKU has been playing football since 1913 and owns an all-time record of 599-419-31.
 
Scouting Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers dropped to 3-2 overall after a 34-27 home loss to Troy last Saturday. Western Kentucky, which is 1-0 in league play after shutting out FIU 73-0 on Sept. 24, is averaging 43.4 points and 501.0 yards of offense per game while allowing 22.2 points and 352.6 yards per contest. Austin Reed has completed 144 of 200 passes for 1,669 yards and 17 touchdowns and his favorite target is Daewood Davis, who has 34 receptions for 476 yards and four scores. Kye Robichaux paces the ground game with 315 rushing yards and a TD on 47 carries. Defensively, JaQues Evans has registered 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries, while Kaleb Oliver and Upton Stout have a pair of interceptions apiece. Head coach Tyson Helton is in his fourth season at the helm and owns a 26-17 record in Bowling Green.
 
Series history
Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between UTSA and Western Kentucky and the third time in the last year that the two teams will face off. UTSA swept both matchups last season with a 52-46 win on Oct. 9 in Bowling Green and a 49-41 triumph in the C-USA Championship Game on Dec. 3 at the Alamodome. The Hilltoppers scored a 45-7 home victory in the inaugural meeting on Nov. 22, 2014.
 
UTSA/WKU Series History
Date                 Location                       Score
11/22/14         Bowling Green             L, 7-45
10/9/21           Bowling Green             W, 52-46
12/3/21           San Antonio                 W, 49-41
 
Last Meeting
Sincere McCormick rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns and Jahmal Sam intercepted a pass as time expired to help lead UTSA to a 49-41 victory over WKU in the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 3 in front of 41,118 fans at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners captured their first conference title in beating the Hilltoppers for the second time in 2021. McCormick's 200-yard game came on 36 carries, and a 218-yard, two-touchdown night from quarterback Frank Harris helped propel an offense that piled up 556 yards. Meanwhile, Sam had one of two interceptions and three takeaways, as Donyai Taylor recovered a muffed punt and Antonio Parks picked off a pass on back-to-back possessions early in the second half to help UTSA build a 29-point advantage. UTSA's defense held the Hilltoppers to a C-USA Championship-Game record minus-9 rushing yards.
 
Last time out
Frank Harris passed for a school-record 414 yards and Jamal Ligon registered a season-high 10 tackles to lead UTSA to a 45-30 victory over Middle Tennessee in the Conference USA opener for both teams on Friday night at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. The defending conference champion Roadrunners ran their record to 3-2 on the season while piling up 590 yards of offense against the Blue Raiders, who fell to 3-2 and 0-1. Harris completed 27 of 36 passes and tossed two touchdowns while also rushing for 31 yards and a pair of scores to break his own program records for passing yardage and total offense set less than one week earlier against Texas Southern. The senior from Schertz Clemens High School also became the program's career leader in passing yards with 7,017, surpassing Eric Soza's school standard of 6,952 set from 2011 to 2013. He completed passes to eight different receivers, led by De'Corian Clark's eight receptions for 139 yards. Joshua Cephus hauled in seven passes for 91 yards and Zakhari Franklin had 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five catches. Meanwhile, Brenden Brady nearly reached the century mark on the ground, rushing for 98 yards and a key 25-yard TD in the fourth quarter that provided the final margin to help UTSA churn out a season-best 167 rushing yards. Ligon paced a UTSA defense with double digit tackles including four solo stops, while Kelechi Nwachuku and Trevor Harmanson registered eight and seven tackles, respectively. The Roadrunners limited the Blue Raiders to only 84 rushing yards and came up with four tackles for loss, including a 10-yard sack by Trey Moore.
 
UTSA improves in conference openers
The Roadrunners improved to 7-4 all-time in conference openers, including 6-4 as a member of Conference USA, following the 45-30 road triumph over Middle Tennessee last Friday night. UTSA has come out on top in three straight and four of its last five league lid-lifters, beating Middle Tennessee 37-35 in 2020 and 27-13 last season and also scoring a 30-21 decision over UTEP in 2018. The Roadrunners now are 6-3 in conference openers that have been played in the month of September.
 
UTSA's Conference Openers (7-4)
Date                 Opponent                                Result
9/29/12           at New Mexico State                 W, 35-14
9/21/13           at UTEP                                     W, 32-13
9/27/14           at Florida Atlantic                     L, 37-41
10/3/15           at UTEP                                     W, 25-6
9/24/16           at Old Dominion                       L, 19-33
10/7/17           Southern Miss                          L, 29-31
9/29/18           UTEP                                        W, 30-21
9/21/19           at North Texas                          L, 3-45
9/25/20           Middle Tennessee                    W, 37-35
9/18/21           Middle Tennessee                    W, 27-13
9/30/22           at Middle Tennessee                W, 45-30
 
Down to the wire
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 20 of the 31 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 14-6 record in those games. Dating back to last season, UTSA has seen seven of the last 10 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. The first two games this season went to overtime, with the Roadrunners dropping a 37-35 decision to No. 24 Houston in three overtimes on Sept. 3 before rallying to beat Army 41-38 in overtime one week later. UTSA saw Middle Tennessee draw to within 38-30 in the fourth quarter on Sept. 30 before a late touchdown run by Brenden Brady provided the final 15-point margin. The Roadrunners broke a 17-17 fourth-quarter deadlock against Southern Miss last November with two late scores in a 10-point victory before upending UAB 34-31 on a TD pass with three seconds remaining one week later. UTSA used an interception on the final play of the game to secure a 49-41 C-USA Championship Game win over WKU on Dec. 3 and then pulled to within seven points of No. 24 San Diego State in the fourth quarter of the Frisco Bowl before dropping a 38-24 decision in the 2021 finale. The Roadrunners also saw games against Illinois (37-30), Memphis (31-28), UNLV (24-17) and WKU (52-46) come down to the final minutes last fall. In 2020, UTSA's matchups against Texas State (51-48/2OT), Stephen F. Austin (24-10), Middle Tennessee (37-35), UAB (13-21), No. 15 BYU (20-27), Army (16-28), Louisiana Tech (27-26), Southern Miss (23-20) and No. 16 Louisiana (24-31) all were one-score games in the final stanza. 
 
Working overtime
UTSA played back-to-back overtime games to open the 2022 campaign. The Roadrunners dropped a 37-35 decision to No. 24 Houston in triple overtime in the season opener on Sept. 3. One week later, UTSA rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit to score a 41-38 road triumph over Army West Point in one extra period to improve to 4-3 all-time in overtime contests. That marked the first time the Roadrunners have played consecutive overtime games and the second time to have two OT games in the same season (2011). UTSA joins Bowling Green, Houston and Texas Tech as the only FBS teams to have played multiple overtime contests this year.
 
UTSA's All-Time Overtime Games (4-3)
Date                 Opponent                          Result
10/8/11           South Alabama                   L, 27-30 (2OT)
10/29/11         Georgia State                     W, 17-14 (OT)
11/14/15         at Charlotte                        W, 30-27 (OT)
10/22/16         UTEP                                  L, 49-52 (5OT)
9/12/20           at Texas State                     W, 51-48 (2OT)
9/3/22             Houston                             L, 35-37 (3OT)
9/10/22           at Army West Point            W, 41-38 (OT)
 
Roadrunners collect weekly honors
The Roadrunners have collected several weekly honors so far this season. Frank Harris collected his third Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week award on Oct. 3 and also landed on the Manning Award "Stars of the Week" list following his record-setting performance in the 45-30 road triumph over Middle Tennessee. De'Corian Clark was tabbed the East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 after piling up a school-record 217 yards and three touchdowns on nine receptions in the 52-24 win over Texas Southern. Lucas Dean was named to the Ray Guy Award Ray's 8 list after averaging 60.5 yards on four punts, which included a school-record 76-yarder and a 67-yard kick, versus Texas Southern. Harris picked up several honors following his performance in the 41-38 comeback win over Army in overtime on Sept. 10. He was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week, as well as C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, and he also landed on the Davey O'Brien Great 8 and the Manning Award Stars of the Week lists. He also earned C-USA's weekly award following the season opener against No. 24 Houston, while Jared Sackett picked up C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors after the triple-overtime setback against the Cougars in week one.
 
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 22-9 record, the best record through 31 games by a UTSA head football 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 the first two years of the Jeff Traylor era. 
 
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 this season, as seven Roadrunners have landed on preseason or semifinalist 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 was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and 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 are on the Biletnikoff Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists. Oscar Cardenas (John Mackey Award), De'Corian Clark (Biletnikoff 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
De'Corian Clark — Biletnikoff 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 — William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist, 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
 
Points-a-plenty
Under the direction of co-offensive coordinators Will Stein and Matt Mattox, UTSA has emerged as one of the top scoring offenses in the nation. The Roadrunners are averaging 38.6 points per game, which puts them second in Conference USA behind this week's opponent, Western Kentucky, and 20th among FBS teams. UTSA has posted 35-plus points in four of the first contests this season and they have topped the 40-point barrier three times, including in the last two games. The Roadrunners set school records for scoring last season, tallying 516 total points in 14 contests for a program-record 36.9 points per game. UTSA has scored 20-plus points in 23 consecutive games dating back to the 2020 campaign. The Roadrunners have scored a total of 1,048 in 31 games under third-year head coach Jeff Traylor, good for an average of 33.8 per game.
 
Aerial attack
UTSA boasts one of the top offenses in the country, featuring the most prolific passing attack in the FBS this season. Led by quarterback Frank Harris and the wide receiver trio of Joshua Cephus, De'Corian Clark and Zakhari Franklin, the Roadrunners are averaging an FBS-leading 365.8 passing yards per contest and they rank 11th nationally with 500.8 total yards per game. UTSA opened the campaign by throwing for 337 yards in the 37-35, triple-overtime loss to No. 24 Houston. The Roadrunners then aired it out for 359 yards as part of a 512-yard output in the 41-38 overtime triumph over Army on Sept. 10. UTSA broke the school record for passing yards in a game with 441, including a program-record 392 from Harris, and racked up 553 yards of offense in the 52-24 victory over Texas Southern on Sept. 24. Less than one week later in the 45-30 road triumph over Middle Tennessee, Harris broke his own single-game passing yardage mark with 414 as UTSA threw for 423 yards and cranked out a season-best 590 total yards, the most since setting the school record of 624 against North Texas on Nov. 29, 2020. UTSA has registered four of the top nine single-game passing performances in program history through the first five games this season.
 
UTSA's Top 10 Team Single-Game Passing Yardage
Yards    Opponent                    Date
441      Texas Southern            9/24/22
423      Middle Tennessee         9/30/22
414      Charlotte                     11/26/16
372      Western Kentucky        10/9/21
369      Oklahoma State            9/7/13
367      Southern Miss              10/7/17
365      Houston                       9/28/13
359      Army West Point          9/10/22
337      Houston                       9/3/22
335      Southern                      9/16/17
 
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 owns a 23-10 record as the starting QB and more than 30 school records, has thrown for 7,017 yards and a program-best 54 touchdowns on 619-of-930 passing (.666) and also rushed for 1,413 yards and 19 TDs, the most in a career by a UTSA quarterback. In fact, Harris is one of only 11 active FBS quarterbacks with 7,000 or more passing yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards, and he has piled up those numbers in the fewest number of games (35) among that group. Harris opened the 2022 campaign by piling up 400 yards of offense and four TDs, passing for 337 yards and three scores and rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown in the triple-overtime loss to No. 24 Houston. He followed that with 359 yards and three scores on 32-of-45 passing to help UTSA rally from a 14-point, second-half deficit for a 41-38 overtime triumph over Army, earning him Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week, as well as Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week accolades. Harris broke the school record for individual passing yardage with 392 on 20-of-31 passing, tossing four TD passes and adding 31 rushing yards for a school-record 423 yards of total offense in the 52-24 victory over Texas Southern on Sept. 24. He broke his own single-game marks for passing yards with 414 and total offense with 445, scoring four total touchdowns in the 45-30 road win over Middle Tennessee and earning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. He now owns five of the top six individual passing performances in program annals with four coming in the first five games this season. Harris currently leads the nation in total offense with 383.4 yards per game and he ranks second in passing yards (1,724) and 10th in points responsible for (98). 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. 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.
 
Frank Harris School-Record Tracker
Game (8)
Passing Yards                                    414 at Middle Tennessee (9/30/22)
Passing TDs                                      6 at WKU (10/9/21)
Completions                                    32 at Army (9/10/22)
Completion Percentage                    .866 (13-15) vs. Lamar (9/11/21)
Rushing TDs                                      3 at Texas State (9/12/20)
Rushing Yards by a QB                       123 vs. UIW (8/31/19)
Longest Rush by a QB                        71 vs. North Texas (11/28/20)
Total Offense                                    445 vs. Middle Tennessee (9/30/22)
Season (12)
Passing Yards                                    3,177 (2021)
Passing Yards Per Game                    344.8 (2022)
Passing TDs                                      27 (2021)
Completions                                    398 (2021)
Attempts                                         263 (2021)
Completion Percentage                    .661 (2021)
Passing Efficiency                             152.5 (2021)
300-Yard Passing Games                   4 (2022)
Rushing Yards by a QB                       566 (2021)
Rushing TDs by a QB                         9 (2020)
TDs Responsible For                         33 (2021)
Total Offense                                    3,743 (2021)
Career (11)
Passing Yards                                    7,017
Passing TDs                                      54
Completions                                    619
Consecutive Completions                 13
Completion Percentage                    .666
Passing Efficiency                             145.0
300-Yard Passing Games                   7
Rushing Yards by a QB                       1,413
Rushing TDs by a QB                         19
TDs Responsible For                         74
Total Offense                                    8,430
 
Terrific trio
UTSA boasts arguably the most productive pass-catching trio in the FBS 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. The trio has combined for 474 receptions, 6,099 receiving yards and 56 receiving touchdowns during their career. No other FBS team has a trio of active players with more receptions, receiving yards or touchdown catches. This season, the trio has totaled 108 catches for 1,550 yards and 14 TDs. They rank 1-3 in Conference USA in receptions per game and all three are in the top four in the league in receiving yards per contest. Additionally, three receivers are in the top 14 nationally in receiving yards with Clark seventh (538), Cephus 11th (503) and Franklin 14th (491). No other team currently has more than one player on that list and Arizona is the only other school with two in the top 25. They also all rank in the top 12 nationally in receptions per game this season, while no other FBS team has more than one player in the top 25. All three receivers were voted into the coveted single-digit jersey numbers by their teammates this season, with Cephus wearing No. 2, Clark in No. 1 and Franklin donning No. 4.
 
UTSA Wide Receiver Trio Career Stats
Player                    Rec.     Yards       TD
Joshua Cephus        173      2,022      14
De'Corian Clark      96        1,374      14
Zakhari Franklin      205      2,703      28
Totals                     474      6,099      56
 
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 37 career contests in which he has been available dating back to 2019, good for a tie for the second-longest streak in the FBS behind Minnesota's Chris Autman-Bell, who has a reception in 41 straight games. Cephus has at least one catch in 31 consecutive games dating back to the 2020 season opener, putting him in a tie for eighth nationally.
 
Franklin rewriting record book
UTSA senior 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 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. 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. He started the 2022 campaign off with a bang by catching 10 passes for 100 yards against No. 24 Houston. He then hauled in 10 passes for 122 yards and a pair of TDs in the 41-38 overtime win at Army to push his school record for 100-yard games to 11 and give him eight of the top 14 single-game receiving yardage totals in program history. He caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown against No. 20 Texas and followed that with six catches for 87 yards and a score in the win over Texas Southern. In his last outing, he found the end zone twice and totaled 98 yards on five catches to give him 37 receptions for 491 yards and six TDs this year, and he ranks in the top 15 in the FBS in all of those categories. Franklin continues to sit atop the UTSA all-time charts for receptions (205), receiving yards (2,703) and TD catches (28). Further, he ranks third among active FBS players in receptions and receiving touchdowns, sixth in receptions per game (5.54) and receiving yards and seventh in receiving yards per game (73.1).
 
Sure-handed Cephus
Joshua Cephus has built a reputation as a wide receiver who does not drop anything thrown his way. The senior from Houston has been tagged with only six drops during his career — none this season — for a drop rate of 3.4% according to Pro Football Focus. He started 2022 by piling up 106 yards on seven receptions, including a 51-yard catch-and-run that opened the scoring for UTSA against No. 24 Houston. Cephus then recorded his second straight 100-yard game with 112 on 10 receptions in the 41-38 overtime triumph over Army. He caught seven passes for 80 yards and had a 45-yard TD catch wiped out by a penalty against No. 20 Texas before topping the century mark for the third time this season with a career-high 114 yards and a TD on five receptions versus Texas Southern. Cephus had seven receptions for 91 yards in the road triumph over Middle Tennessee to give him 36 catches for 503 yards and two TDs this year. The Dekaney High product now has turned 173 catches into 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career, marks that rank in the top three on the program's all-time chart.
 
Clark creating highlight-reel catches
De'Corian "JT" Clark has emerged as one of UTSA's top receiving targets, often making catches worthy of a spot on any highlight reel. The senior from Fort Worth caught six passes for 70 yards and a pair of spectacular touchdown grabs in the season-opening setback to No. 24 Houston on Sept. 3. Clark — who gets his nickname from his middle name, John Thomas — hauled in a 15-yard pass from Frank Harris that gave the Roadrunners a 21-7 advantage in the third quarter, and he made a diving catch between two defenders on a 13-yard TD in the second overtime that helped force a third extra period. Clark provided another highlight catch with his game-winning 7-yard grab in the corner of the end zone to help lift UTSA to a 41-38 overtime triumph over Army on Sept. 10. He posted five receptions for 40 yards against No. 20 Texas and then provided more highlights in the 52-24 win over Texas Southern. Clark broke the school record for receiving yards in a game with 217 — the second-most by any FBS player this season — on nine receptions and was tabbed East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Offensive Player of the Week. He caught three touchdown passes — a 31-yarder where he stretched the ball at the goal line tough the pylon, a 69-yard catch-and-run on the opening possession of the second half and a 7-yard grab over a defender in the end zone in the fourth quarter — to match his own UTSA standard set last year in the road win over Western Kentucky. Clark turned in his second straight 100-yard game with 139 yards on eight catches in the 45-30 road triumph over Middle Tennessee to give him five for his career, and earning him a spot on the Biletnikoff Award watch list as part of 10 midseason additions. He now has 35 catches, 556 yards and six touchdowns and is one of only 15 FBS players with three touchdown catches in a game this year. A product of O.D. Wyatt High School, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for his career against the Longhorns, and he now has 1,374 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 96 catches in 38 contests.
 
Cardenas a dual threat at tight end 
UTSA junior Oscar Cardenas has developed into a punishing blocker and reliable pass-catcher at 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 35 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. He caught a pair of passes in the 2022 opener against No. 24 Houston including a key 25-yard reception that set up the game-tying field goal as time expired. He added two more receptions for 18 yards in the 41-38 overtime triumph over Army on Sept. 10 and followed that with 28 yards on three catches against No. 20 Texas. Following a 16-yard grab in the 45-30 win at Middle Tennessee, Cardenas now has eight catches for 98 yards this year and 27 receptions for 377 yards and two touchdowns as a Roadrunner.
 
Experience up front
UTSA brings back one of the most experienced offensive lines in the FBS this fall. The quartet of Kevin Davis (46 starts), Makai Hart (21), Terrell Haynes (25) and Ahofitu Maka (42) have combined for 134 career starts, which ranks fourth among all FBS schools. That foursome also has combined to play in 152 games, good for 10th nationally. With four starters returning, UTSA was tied with several other schools behind nine squads that returned 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 42 career games — 41 at center — as a Roadrunner after transferring from Independence Community College prior to the 2019 campaign. Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy preseason watch list member has allowed only two sacks in more than 1,100 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). So far this season, Maka has not surrendered a sack or hit on the quarterback in 249 pass-blocking snaps and has only committed one penalty in 393 plays. 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. On Sept. 28, he was chosen as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.
 
Give me that
UTSA has built a reputation for coming up with takeaways in the Jeff Traylor era. The Roadrunners came up with 19 turnovers (11 interceptions/eight fumble recoveries) in 2020 and followed that by recovering 13 fumbles and picking off 12 passes for 25 takeaways last fall, good for 10th nationally. Through five games in 2022, UTSA has come up with three fumbles and a pair of interceptions. Dadrian Taylor recovered a fumble in the season opener against No. 24 Houston and Caleb Cantrell and Rashad Wisdom each came up with a recovery in the 41-38 overtime win over Army. Dywan Griffin and Avery Morris picked off the first passes of the campaign for the Roadrunners in the 52-24 triumph over Texas Southern.
 
D-line rotation keeps Roadrunners fresh
UTSA defensive coordinator Jess Loepp uses a deep rotation up front to keep the Roadrunners fresh throughout the course of a game. The Roadrunners played nine defensive linemen in the season-opening 37-35, triple-overtime loss to No. 24 Houston. Brandon Brown, Brandon Matterson and Asyrus Simon drew starts and combined to register 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Simon led that trio with seven stops, while Brown made 1.5 sacks and caused the fumble. Joe Evans (3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks), Lamonte McDougle (2 tackles), Trumane Bell II (0.5 TFL, QBH), Christian Clayton (tackle), Zach Causey and Ronald Triplette also saw snaps against the Cougars. A total of 10 defensive linemen saw action in the 41-38 comeback triumph over Army on Sept. 10, led by Matterson (5 tackles, 0.5 TFL), McDougle (4 tackles), Bell (4 tackles, sack), Evans (3 tackles) and Nick Booker-Brown (3 tackles, sack). UTSA has rotated 10 players on the d-line in each of the past three games with Matterson's five tackles pacing the unit against No. 20 Texas, Triplette's six stops leading the way in the win over Texas Southern and Evans' two tackles topping the group in the 45-30 win at Middle Tennessee.
 
Linebacker leaders 
The Roadrunners are not short on leadership in the second line of defense this fall, as three players who earned one of the coveted single-digit jersey numbers lining up as starters at linebacker. The tandem of Trevor Harmanson, who is wearing No. 1, and Jamal Ligon, who is donning No. 8 for the second straight season, provides UTSA with two veterans in the middle. A super senior from Dickinson, Texas, Harmanson has recorded 210 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries in 42 career contests. Ligon, a junior out of Tyler Lee High, has registered 173 tackles, 10 TFLs, five sacks, three forced fumbles, a pair of recoveries and an interception in 28 games as a Roadrunner, and he owns the program single-game tackles record with 19 against Middle Tennessee in 2020. Meanwhile, Dadrian Taylor is back in his No. 7 jersey for his final year manning the SAM linebacker spot. In 50 career appearances, the Shiner, Texas, native has logged 93 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four PBUs, two fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six versus Louisiana Tech last season.
 
Wisdom in the secondary
UTSA senior safety Rashad Wisdom 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. Last fall, the 2022 C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year recorded 88 tackles, 67 solo stops, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. He 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. A member of preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik and Paycom Jim Thorpe Awards, he opened 2022 with five tackles, including four solo stops, against No. 24 Houston, followed by a tackle and a fumble recovery in the comeback win over Army. Wisdom registered four tackles at No. 20 Texas and two more in the win against Texas Southern despite only playing one half. Wisdom, who missed the Middle Tennessee game due to injury, and now has 239 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, two sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries in 42 career contests. Wisdom is 10th among active FBS players with 168 solo tackles and 11th with two interception returns for touchdowns, which also is good for a share of the school record.
 
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 39 starts in 52 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. He started this season with six total tackles, four solo stops and a key pass breakup deep in UTSA territory against No. 24 Houston. Mayfield then registered three tackles and a key PBU in overtime of UTSA's 41-38 comeback win over Army on Sept. 10 before logging four solo stops and a PBU at No. 20 Texas. Mayfield made three tackles in the victory against Texas Southern and added four more in the road win over Middle Tennessee to give him 20 tackles and a pair of breakups this year and 123 tackles, 12 PBUs, four interceptions and two forced fumbles for his career.
 
Carpenter makes history
Chris Carpenter stamped his name in the UTSA record book as the first Roadrunner to return a kickoff for a touchdown when he took one back 97 yards for a score in the 52-24 victory over Texas Southern on Sept. 24. A native of Jacksonville, Texas, who transferred from Colorado this year, his return also soared to the top of the program's list of longest plays, moving ahead of Jarveon Williams' 92-yard run versus Southern Miss in 2016. Now in its 12th season, UTSA had returned a total of 396 kickoffs without a score before Carpenter broke free for his record setter. The previous longest kickoff return before Carpenter's 97-yarder was 87 yards by Kam Jones at Florida Atlantic in 2014.
 
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. This season, he is averaging 47.9 yards on 15 punts with six of 50-plus yards and five inside the 20-yard line. Dean enjoyed a career day in the 52-24 win over Texas Southern on Sept. 24, breaking his own school record with a 76-yard punt late in the contest He also had kicks of 67 and 52 yards and averaged 60.5 on four punts in that contest to smash his own UTSA standard of 51.2 set against North Texas last season. Dean averaged 52.0 yards on two punts with a long of 57 in the 45-30 win at Middle Tennessee in his last outing. 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. He was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Sporting News that season. 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 now owns four of the five longest punts in UTSA history and has improved his school record career average to 44.1, which ranks 10th among active FBS punters.
 
Welcome back, Sackett
Not often does a college football player finish his career where he started after transferring, 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) for the Roadrunners to rank third in the FBS in field goals per game (1.9) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.864) despite not appearing in the season opener. Those numbers 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 this season as a member of the Lou Groza Award watch list. He opened his second stint as a Roadrunner by drilling a pair of field goals, including a 37-yarder as time expired to send the game into overtime, and also made all three extra points and had two touchbacks on four kickoffs against No. 24 Houston. Sackett was tabbed C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort against the Cougars. Against No. 20 Texas, he made both field goal tries and two extra-point attempts, recorded three touchbacks and executed an onside kick that was recovered by Jimmori Robinson. Sackett drilled a 43-yard field goal, had three touchbacks and made seven PATs in the 52-24 win over Texas Southern and made a 28-yarder and six extra points to go along with three touchbacks in the 45-30 victory at Middle Tennessee. He has made 44 field goals — tied for 21st among active FBS kickers — on 56 tries (78.6%) and 74 PATs during his collegiate career.
 
Transfers making immediate impact
UTSA has seen several first-year transfers make an immediate impact this season. Nicktroy Fortune, who last played for West Virginia, has started the first five games at cornerback and registered 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. LSU transfer Joe Evans has seen much action on the defensive line and owns eight stops, 2.5 TFLs and half a sack in four contests. NC State transfer defensive lineman Nick Booker-Brown made his UTSA debut in the 41-38 comeback win at Army, recording three tackles including a sack for a 5-yard loss, and now has six stops on the year. Pig Cage, a defensive back from LSU who started his career at Nicholls, has logged seven tackles and a TFL in five contests. On offense, Venly Tatafu, who came from Independence Community College, earned the starting left tackle job and has helped the offense average 500.8 yards per game. Arkansas transfer running back Trelon Smith has rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns in three outings, while Colorado transfer Chris Carpenter became the first Roadrunner to return a kickoff for a touchdown with a 97-yarder in the victory against Texas Southern.
 
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. The Roadrunners are one of only nine FBS teams with multiple sets of brothers this season.
 
TV birds
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+, marking 116 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 in 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 in 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 hit the road to face FIU on Friday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Central time and the game will air live on CBS Sports Network and Ticket 760 AM.
 
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