UTSA Roadrunners (8-3, 7-0)
at
No. 18/18/23 Tulane (10-1, 7-0)
2:30 p.m. | Friday, Nov. 24
Yulman Stadium | New Orleans, La.
Series History: UTSA leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: UTSA 10, Tulane 7 (11/9/13 • San Antonio, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
• UTSA and Tulane will meet for the second time on Friday afternoon in New Orleans.
• The Roadrunners scored a 10-7 home triumph in the only previous meeting between the two teams.
• UTSA is tied with SMU and Tulane at 7-0 atop the American Athletic Conference standings.
• UTSA is off to a 7-0 start to league play for the third year in a row, the past two seasons as members of Conference USA.
• The Roadrunners have won 15 straight regular season conference games and 17 consecutive contests against conference foes when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games.
• UTSA is riding a seven-game winning streak in conference road games.
• With Jeff Traylor at the helm, UTSA boasts a 27-3 (.900) record in regular season conference games and a 29-3 (.906) mark versus league competition when including the two C-USA Championship Games.
• The Roadrunners are 13-1 (.928) in the month of November under Jeff Traylor.
• UTSA is 7-3 when playing on a Friday and 8-6 all time in weekday games.
• The Roadrunners are 38-13 (.745) in the Jeff Traylor era, the most wins and best winning percentage by a UTSA head coach.
• In last Friday night’s win over USF, the Roadrunners racked up a school-record 643 yards of offense behind Frank Harris’ program-best 523 yards (411 passing/112 rushing), for which he earned Davey O’Brien Co-National QB of the Week, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week and AAC Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
• Redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Trey Moore’s school-record 14 sacks are only a half-sack shy of The American’s single-season record.
SETTING THE SCENE
Winners of seven straight games and tied for first place in the American Athletic Conference, UTSA (8-3, 7-0) will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, to face No. 18 Tulane (10-1, 7-0) on Friday afternoon at Yulman Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ABC. The Roadrunners, who received one vote in this week’s USA TODAY Sports US LBM Coaches Poll, can punch their ticket to the AAC Championship Game with a victory over the defending conference champion Green Wave, who have won nine in a row, in what will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams on the gridiron.
TUNING IN
Friday’s game will be televised nationally on ABC and it also can be streamed on Watch ESPN and via the ESPN mobile app. Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (reporter) will call the action. The game will air live in the San Antonio area on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket, online at Ticket760.com, via the free iHeartRadio app and on SiriusXM 392. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) have the call. There will be a two-hour pregame and 45-minute postgame show.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BERTH ON THE LINE
UTSA and Tulane will face off on Friday afternoon in the Big Easy with a berth in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on the line. The Roadrunners and Green Wave are tied with SMU — which will host Navy on Saturday — atop the league standings with identical 7-0 records. With a win over Tulane combined with a Navy triumph over SMU, UTSA would host the championship game against either SMU or Tulane, which would be determined by an average of four computer ratings (Anderson & Hester, Colley, Massey, Wolfe) announced on Sunday, Nov. 26. If the Roadrunners win and SMU defeats Navy, UTSA would meet the Mustangs in the championship game. The home team would be the one ranked higher in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. If neither team is ranked, the home team would be determined on Nov. 26 by an average of the above four computer ratings. Even with a loss to Tulane, UTSA could still make the game with an SMU loss, as the visiting team would be determined by an average of the four computer ratings.
ROADRUNNERS RACING THROUGH CONFERENCE COMPETITION
The Roadrunners have won their last 17 games against conference opponents. The streak began with the 49-41 victory over Western Kentucky in the 2021 Conference USA Championship and continued with a perfect 8-0 regular season league slate in 2022 before extending the stretch to 10 with a 48-27 triumph over North Texas in the 2022 C-USA Championship Game. UTSA has kicked off its American Athletic Conference debut campaign with seven wins in a row, including a 49-21 home triumph over South Florida last Friday night. The Roadrunners now have won 27 of their last 28 contests against conference competition dating back to a three-game win streak that closed out the 2020 C-USA schedule in Jeff Traylor’s first season. In fact, UTSA boasts a 27-3 (.900) record in regular season conference games and a 29-3 (.906) mark against league foes under Traylor. Additionally, the Roadrunners have won their last seven road league contests.
REMEMBER NOVEMBER
UTSA owns a 13-1 record in games played in the month of November under head coach Jeff Traylor following last Friday’s 49-21 home victory over South Florida. The Roadrunners are 3-0 this season after going 3-0 in his debut campaign in 2020, 3-1 in 2021 and 4-0 a year ago.
UTSA in November (Jeff Traylor era)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Location |
|
11/14/20 |
UTEP |
W, 52-21 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/21/20 |
Southern Miss |
W, 23-20 |
Hattiesburg, Miss. |
|
11/28/20 |
North Texas |
W, 49-17 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/6/21 |
UTEP |
W, 44-23 |
El Paso, Texas |
|
11/13/21 |
Southern Miss |
W, 27-17 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/20/21 |
UAB |
W, 34-31 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/27/21 |
North Texas |
L, 23-45 |
Denton, Texas |
|
11/5/22 |
UAB |
W, 44-38 (2OT) |
Birmingham, Ala. |
|
11/12/22 |
Louisiana Tech |
W, 51-7 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/19/22 |
Rice |
W, 41-7 |
Houston, Texas |
|
11/26/22 |
UTEP |
W, 34-31 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/4/23 |
North Texas |
W, 37-29 |
Denton, Texas |
|
11/11/23 |
Rice |
W, 34-14 |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
11/17/23 |
South Florida |
W, 49-21 |
San Antonio, Texas |
GOING BOWLING
UTSA is bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in program history. The Roadrunners have played in a bowl game in each of the first three seasons under head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA dropped a 31-24 decision to No. 16 Louisiana in the 2020 First Responder Bowl, a 38-24 contest to No. 24 San Diego State in the 2021 Frisco Bowl and an 18-12 matchup against No. 23 Troy in last year’s Cure Bowl. The Roadrunners made their first bowl appearance in the 2016 New Mexico Bowl, falling to New Mexico, 23-20. UTSA was bowl eligible in 2017 with a 6-5 regular season record but was left out of the postseason picture. Additionally, the Roadrunners were 7-5 in 2013 during their second year of reclassifying to FBS, but all bowl slots were filled by full-fledged FBS teams.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
This week, UTSA will play on a Friday for the second straight week, third time this season and seventh occurrence dating back to last fall. The Roadrunners appeared on Friday four times in 2022 and posted a 3-1 record in those contests. UTSA will enter this week’s Black Friday matchup against Tulane with a 7-3 all-time record on Fridays. Additionally, the Roadrunners have played 14 non-Saturday games in their 13-year history and they tote an 8-6 mark in weekday games.
UTSA’s Non-Saturday Games (8-6)
|
Day |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
Friday |
8/29/14 |
at Houston |
W, 27-7 |
|
Thursday |
9/4/14 |
Arizona |
L, 23-26 |
|
Thursday |
11/13/14 |
Southern Miss |
W, 12-10 |
|
Thursday |
9/3/15 |
at Arizona |
L, 32-42 |
|
Friday |
9/16/16 |
Arizona State |
L, 28-32 |
|
Friday |
9/25/20 |
Middle Tennessee |
W, 37-35 |
|
Friday |
12/3/21 |
Western Kentucky |
W, 49-41 |
|
Tuesday |
12/21/21 |
vs. #24 San Diego State |
L, 24-38 |
|
Friday |
9/30/22 |
at Middle Tennessee |
W, 45-30 |
|
Friday |
10/14/22 |
at FIU |
W, 30-10 |
|
Friday |
12/2/22 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
|
Friday |
12/16/22 |
vs. #23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
|
Friday |
9/15/23 |
Army West Point |
L, 29-37 |
|
Friday |
11/17/23 |
South Florida |
W, 49-21 |
SCOUTING TULANE
The defending conference champion Green Wave improved to 10-1 overall and 7-0 in the American Athletic Conference with a 24-8 road victory over Florida Atlantic. Tulane is averaging 27.8 points and 391.6 yards of offense per game while allowing 18.5 points and 323.9 yards per contest. Michael Pratt has completed 155 of 225 passes for 2,043 yards and 19 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Chris Brazzell II has caught a team-high 36 passes for 577 yards and three TDs, while Lawrence Keys III has a team-best 599 yards and seven scores on 33 receptions. Makhi Hughes paces the ground game with 1,080 yards and six touchdowns on 206 attempts. Defensively, Jesus Machado has posted 82 tackles, while Darius Hodges has 8.5 tackles for loss, including 7.5 sacks. Lance Robinson owns a team-high four interceptions. Head coach Willie Fritz is 53-46 in his eighth season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the second meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and Tulane. The Roadrunners scored a 10-7 home triumph on Nov. 9, 2013, when the two schools were members of Conference USA in the only previous matchup.
LAST MEETING
Sean Ianno drilled a game-winning 34-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to propel UTSA to a 10-7 come-from-behind victory against Tulane on Nov. 9, 2013, at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners forced three turnovers and were led in tackles by Steven Kurfehs with 11 tackles and a forced fumble that was recovered by Crosby Adams III. Cody Berry and Michael Egwuagu each added second-half interceptions. Brandon Armstrong led UTSA’s ground game with eight carries for 77 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Cole Hubble had three catches for 58 yards. The Green Wave opened up the scoring in the second stanza with a seven-play, 58-yard drive that was capped by Orleans Darkwa's 9-yard rush into the end zone. Tulane drove to the UTSA 31-yard line with nine seconds left in the first half, but a false start penalty pushed Cairo Santos' field goal attempt back to a 54-yarder and he pushed it wide right to keep the score 7-0 at the break. Santos missed another long kick in third quarter, this time from 50 yards out, and UTSA responded one play later on Armstrong's career-best run to paydirt. The Roadrunners' final drive started from the their own 20 with 3:21 left. Eric Soza's 62-yard pass to Seth Grubb on 3rd-and-16 took them down to the Tulane 13 and Ianno delivered the game winner four plays later.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 13th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 158th game in program history on Friday when they face Tulane. UTSA is 83-74 all-time and 34-41 on the road. By comparison, Tulane started playing football in 1893 and owns an all-time record of 562-674-38.
ROADRUNNERS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
The Roadrunners will play their 14th game against a nationally ranked opponent when they face Tulane on Saturday in New Orleans. The Green Wave are ranked No. 18 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports US LBM Coaches Poll this week, and they appear at No. 23 in this week’s College Football Playoff Rankings. UTSA is 0-13 all-time against ranked foes, including 0-12 versus top-25 FBS teams.
UTSA vs. Ranked Teams (0-13)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
10/1/11 |
at #16 Sam Houston* |
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 |
|
9/3/22 |
#24 Houston |
L, 35-37 (3OT) |
|
9/17/22 |
at #20 Texas |
L, 20-41 |
|
12/16/22 |
vs. #23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
|
9/23/23 |
at #20 Tennessee |
L, 14-45 |
* FCS
LAST TIME OUT
UTSA broke the school record for total offense behind Frank Harris’ record-setting night in a 49-21 win over South Florida in American Athletic Conference action last Friday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners racked up 643 yards of offense on the shoulders of Harris’ 523-yard, six-touchdown output, as the senior quarterback threw for 411 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 112 and three more TDs to help UTSA (8-3) win its seventh straight and improve to 7-0 in conference play for the third straight season. Joshua Cephus also joined in on the record-setting party, as the senior wide receiver became the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,454) after piling up 163 yards and a touchdown on nine catches. Defensively, Rashad Wisdom led the way with eight tackles and a pass breakup, while Owen Pewee added seven stops, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. Ken Robinson pitched in with six tackles and a PBU, while Kelechi Nwachuku and Martavius French posted five stops apiece, with French’s tally including a sack. Nicktroy Fortune and Dywan Griffin also came up with interceptions on the night to give UTSA a takeaway in eight straight games.
AAC WEEKLY AWARD RECIPIENTS
Senior quarterback Frank Harris was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his record-setting showing in the 49-21 win over South Florida, giving UTSA five league weekly awards this season. Outside linebacker Trey Moore has earned the honor three times, picking up the AAC Defensive Player of the Week certificate following wins against Texas State, UAB and East Carolina. Chase Allen garnered the AAC Special Teams Player of the Week accolade following the Texas State win.
UTSA PICKED SECOND IN AAC PRESEASON POLL
The Roadrunners have been picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll. UTSA received 440 total points and nine first-place votes ahead of its debut campaign in the AAC, good for second behind defending champion Tulane, which garnered 457 points and 20 first-place votes. SMU was projected to finish third, followed by Memphis, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, North Texas, UAB, Navy, Temple, Tulsa, Rice, South Florida and Charlotte in the 14-team league.
American Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll
|
Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1. Tulane (20) |
457 |
|
2. UTSA (9) |
440 |
|
3. SMU (3) |
397 |
|
4. Memphis (1) |
362 |
|
5. Florida Atlantic |
312 |
|
6. East Carolina |
303 |
|
7. North Texas |
261 |
|
8. UAB (1) |
209 |
|
9. Navy |
199 |
|
10. Temple |
182 |
|
11. Tulsa |
160 |
|
12. Rice |
138 |
|
13. South Florida |
86 |
|
14. Charlotte |
64 |
TRAYLOR TAKING ROADRUNNERS TO NEW HEIGHTS
Head coach Jeff Traylor has taken UTSA to new heights since taking over the program prior to the 2020 campaign. 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 38-13 record through 51 games, the most wins all-time and best winning percentage (.745) by a UTSA head football coach. In the Jeff Traylor era, the Roadrunners own a 27-3 (.900) record in regular season conference games and are 29-3 (.906) against league competition when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games. Under Traylor’s direction, UTSA has won back-to-back conference championships, been nationally ranked in all three major polls in 2021 and 2022 and is now bowl eligible for the fourth year in a row. The two-time conference coach of the year has coached six All-Americans, three national award finalists, 13 national award semifinalists, six conference superlative award recipients, 67 all-conference selections, two academic All-Americans and a pair of NFL Draft picks during his UTSA tenure. He was the 2021 AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year twice in addition to being a finalist for the 2022 Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Coach of the Year, 2021 AFCA National Coach of the Year and the 2021 George Munger College Coach of the Year.
TRAYLOR ERA WINNING STREAKS
The Roadrunners currently are riding a seven-game winning streak, which marks the third stretch of seven-or-more consecutive victories under fourth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. That streak is tied with SMU and New Mexico State for the 11th-longest active winning streaks in the FBS. Last season, UTSA bounced back from a 1-2 start with 10 straight wins en route to an 11-3 campaign. The Roadrunners reeled off a school-record 11 wins in a row to open the 2021 season. Prior to Traylor’s arrival, the longest winning streak in program history was a six-game stretch that spanned the final game of the inaugural 2011 campaign through the first five contests of the 2012 season.
SEASON 13
One of the newest FBS programs and now in its first year as a member of the American Athletic Conference, UTSA is playing its 13th season of football in 2023. 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 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 the Big 12 Conference the following season with a 17-10 victory over Baylor. The Roadrunners made history in 2021, opening the fall with a road win against Illinois of the Big Ten Conference, capturing their first conference championship with a 49-42 decision against WKU and capping a 12-2 ledger with their third bowl game. They repeated as league champions with a 48-27 win over North Texas in 2022 and made their third straight and fourth overall bowl appearance, ending the year with an 11-3 mark. UTSA now has posted at least six wins in eight of the 13 seasons in program history and it has reached the seven-win plateau six times, including in each of the first four years of the Jeff Traylor era. The Roadrunners reached double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons (2021-22), joining Baylor and TCU as the only Texas-based FBS teams since 2012 to notch at least 10 wins in consecutive years.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 30 of the 51 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 21-9 record in those games. Dating back to the 2021 campaign, UTSA has seen 17 of the last 29 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Additionally, the Roadrunners are 13-4 in games decided by eight points or less since 2021.
WORKING OVERTIME
The Roadrunners were working overtime in 2022, with a program-record three contests needing extra periods to determine the outcome. UTSA played the first back-to-back overtime games in program history to open the campaign. The Roadrunners dropped a 37-35 decision to No. 24 Houston in triple overtime in the opener. 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. On Nov. 5 in Birmingham, the Roadrunners outlasted UAB 44-38 in double overtime to improve to 2-1 last season and 5-3 overall in overtime games. UTSA played overtime, double-overtime and triple-overtime games last season and joined Houston, Navy and Texas Tech as the only FBS teams to have played three overtime contests last year.
UTSA’s All-Time Overtime Games (5-3)
|
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) |
|
11/5/22 |
at UAB |
W, 44-38 (2OT) |
PRO ‘RUNNERS
UTSA currently has five players on NFL active rosters and a pair on practice squads. Marcus Davenport became the first Roadrunner to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft when the Saints picked him 14th overall in 2018. The sixth-year veteran defensive end is in his first season as a starting outside linebacker for the Vikings. Tariq Woolen was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now in his second year as a starter at cornerback, he led the league with six interceptions and was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie. Spencer Burford was a fourth-round pick by the 49ers in 2022 and is in his second year as a starter at offensive guard in San Francisco. Kevin Strong Jr. is in his fifth year in the NFL and first season as a starting defensive lineman for the Arizona Cardinals. Former UTSA tight end Leroy Watson, who converted to an offensive tackle for his professional career, was signed to the Cleveland Browns’ active roster in November. Additionally, Eric Banks (Cardinals) and Sincere McCormick (Raiders) are on practice squads.
UP NEXT
The American Athletic Conference Championship Game is set for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 2, and it will be televised nationally on ABC. UTSA will find out its bowl destination no later than Sunday, Dec. 3.
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