UTSA Roadrunners (8-4)
vs.
Marshall Thundering Herd (6-6)
8 p.m. | Tuesday, Dec. 19
Toyota Stadium | Frisco, Texas
Series History: Marshall leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Marshall 23, UTSA 0 (11/17/18 • Huntington, W.Va.)
OPENING DRIVE
• UTSA will make its fourth straight and fifth overall bowl appearance on Tuesday when it faces Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl.
• This will mark the Roadrunners’ second showing in the Frisco Bowl in the past three years, as they played San Diego State in the 2021 game.
• UTSA is 0-4 in bowl games with three of the contests decided by seven or fewer points.
• UTSA and Marshall will meet for the fourth time on Tuesday in a series led by the Thundering Herd, 2-1.
• The Roadrunners are 38-14 (.731) in the Jeff Traylor era, the most wins and best winning percentage by a UTSA head coach.
• UTSA is 8-7 all time in weekday games including 0-1 on Tuesday.
• A total of 16 Roadrunners earned All-American Athletic Conference accolades this season including five first-team selections.
• UTSA was one of 13 FBS teams to receive the 2023 AFCA Academic Achievement Award for posting the highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the nation.
SETTING THE SCENE
UTSA will make its fourth straight and fifth overall bowl appearance on Tuesday when it faces Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Toyota Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. UTSA is 8-4 overall and finished third in the American Athletic Conference with a 7-1 mark in its debut campaign in the league. The Roadrunners and Thundering Herd (6-6), members of the Sun Belt Conference, will meet for the fourth time in a series led by Marshall, 2-1, with all three previous meetings during their time as members of Conference USA. UTSA is 0-4 in bowl games with three of the contests decided by seven or fewer points.
TUNING IN
Tuesday night’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and it also can be streamed on Watch ESPN / Watch ESPN Deportes and via the ESPN mobile app. Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (reporter) will call the action, while Eitan Benezra (play-by-play) and Ramiro Pruneda (analyst) will handle the ESPN Deportes broadcast. UTSA Sports Media Network will air the game live in the San Antonio area on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket, online at ticket760.iheart.com and via the free iHeartRadio app. 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. Bowl Season Radio will provide a national broadcast of the game, which can be heard on SiriusXM 84 with Toby Rowland (play-by-play), Elvis Gallegos (analyst) and Chris Mycoskie (reporter) on the call.
GOING BOWLING
UTSA will make its fourth consecutive and fifth all-time bowl appearance when it faces Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Dec. 19. The Roadrunners now have been bowl eligible six times overall, including in each of the first four seasons under head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA is 0-4 in bowl games with three of the contests decided by seven or fewer points. 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.
UTSA’s Bowl History
|
Date |
Bowl |
Opponent |
Result |
|
12/17/16 |
New Mexico Bowl |
New Mexico |
L, 20-23 |
|
12/26/20 |
First Responder Bowl |
Louisiana |
L, 24-31 |
|
12/21/21 |
Frisco Bowl |
#24 San Diego State |
L, 24-38 |
|
12/16/22 |
Cure Bowl |
#23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
UTSA IN WEEKDAY GAMES
With the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl falling on a Tuesday, UTSA will play on a weekday for the fourth time this season and 11th time under fourth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. The only previous Tuesday contest in program history was two years ago in the Frisco Bowl, a 38-24 setback to No. 24 San Diego State on Dec. 21, 2021. The Roadrunners have played 15 non-Saturday games in their 13-year history and they tote an 8-7 mark in such games.
UTSA’s Non-Saturday Games (8-7)
|
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 |
|
Friday |
11/24/23 |
at #18 Tulane |
L, 16-29 |
SCOUTING MARSHALL
The Thundering Herd enter the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl with a 6-6 record. Marshall is averaging 23.3 points and 357.8 yards of offense per game while allowing 28.2 points and 375.8 yards per contest. Rasheen Ali is the top rusher with 1,043 yards and 14 touchdowns on 203 attempts (5.1 ypc), while Caleb Coombs has a team-high 39 receptions for 310 yards and a pair of scores. Defensively, Eli Neal paces the team with 85 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and two sacks, while Owen Porter owns 57 tackles, 15 TFLs and five sacks. Head coach Charles Huff is 22-16 in his third season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday will mark the fourth meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and Marshall. The Thundering Herd lead the series, 2-1, with the Roadrunners’ lone win a 9-7 home triumph on Nov. 18, 2017. All three previous meetings occurred when both teams were members of Conference USA.
UTSA/Marshall Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Result |
|
10/5/13 |
Huntington, W.Va. |
L, 10-34 |
|
11/18/17 |
San Antonio |
W, 9-7 |
|
11/17/18 |
Huntington, W.Va. |
L, 0-23 |
LAST MEETING
Marshall tallied 505 yards of offense and held UTSA to 137, including minus-26 on the ground, in a 23-0 victory on Nov. 17, 2018, in Huntington, West Virginia. Isaiah Green completed 19-of-36 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, Tyre Brady caught six balls for 162 and a TD and Obi Obialo had five grabs for 103 to lead the Thundering Herd air attack. Bryce Rivers came off the bench and threw for 158 yards on 16-of-31 passes for UTSA. Greg Campbell Jr. was his favorite target with seven catches for 84 yards. C.J. Levine posted 14 tackles while Josiah Tauaefa turned in 12 stops to pace the defense. After falling behind by 20 at halftime, the Roadrunners yielded just three points and 179 yards in the second half but could not find the end zone all afternoon in suffering the second shutout in program history. One current Roadrunner saw action in that last meeting, as defensive lineman Brandon Matterson registered three tackles as a true freshman.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 13th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 159th game in program history on Tuesday when they face Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. UTSA is 83-75 all-time and 0-3 in neutral-site contests. By comparison, Marshall started playing football in 1895 and owns an all-time record of 605-555-35.
LAST TIME OUT
Frank Harris accounted for 226 yards of offense but No. 18 Tulane took advantage of five UTSA turnovers in a 29-16 victory in American Athletic Conference action on Nov. 24 in New Orleans. The Roadrunners outgained the Green Wave with 375 yards compared to 352, but the defending AAC champions scored 17 points off UTSA turnovers to snap the Roadrunners’ conference winning streak at 17 games. Harris passed for 198 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 28 to lead the offense, while Joshua Cephus caught six balls for 83 yards to get to 1,049 receiving yards for the season. Kevorian Barnes paced the ground game with 92 yards on 12 attempts. Defensively, Jamal Ligon registered seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble, while Rashad Wisdom posted seven stops, including six unassisted.
NATIONAL HONORS
A trio of Roadrunners have received national honors this season. Frank Harris was tabbed a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award for the third consecutive year, an award in which he was a finalist for in 2022. The senior also landed on the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023, his fourth career appearance on that list. Harris also collected a pair of national player of the week honors from the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose and Davey O’Brien Awards on Nov. 21 following his record-setting showing in the win over South Florida. Trey Moore earned second-team AFCA All-America accolades to become the eighth All-American in program history. Lucas Dean was chosen as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, marking the seventh consecutive year a Roadrunner landed on that list. On Dec. 8, UTSA was one of 13 FBS teams named as a recipient of the 2023 AFCA Academic Achievement Award for posting the highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the nation.
UTSA’s National Honors
UTSA
AFCA Academic Achievement Award
Lucas Dean
William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Frank Harris
Davey O’Brien Award QB Class of 2023
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist
Davey O’Brien Co-National QB of the Week (11/21)
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (11/21)
Trey Moore
AFCA All-America Second Team
ROADRUNNERS REEL IN AAC ACCOLADES
A total of 16 Roadrunners were honored by the American Athletic Conference with the unveiling of the league’s superlative awards and all-conference teams. Making their debut in The American this season, UTSA’s 16 all-conference selections trailed only Tulane and SMU, who each had 17 honorees in a vote by the league’s 14 head coaches. Five Roadrunners landed on the first team, giving the program 24 first-team all-conference selections in its history, including 21 in the Jeff Traylor era.
UTSA’s 2023 All-American Athletic Conference Accolades
Defensive Player of the Year — Trey Moore
First Team
Kam Alexander, CB
Joshua Cephus, WR
Frank Harris, QB
Trey Moore, LB
Rashad Wisdom, S
Second Team
Chase Allen, K
Lucas Dean, P
Terrell Haynes, OG
Donyai Taylor, LB
Third Team
Ernesto Almaraz, OT
Brandon Brown, DL
Oscar Cardenas, TE
Joe Evans, DL
Brandon Matterson, DL
Honorable Mention
Cory Godinet, OG
Jamal Ligon, LB
SIX ROADRUNNERS COLLECT DAVE CAMPBELL’S TEXAS FOOTBALL PLAUDITS
Six UTSA players were honored with the unveiling of the 2023 Dave Campbell’s Texas Football All-Texas College Teams and postseason awards. Frank Harris was named Best Quarterback and a first-team honoree and wide receiver Devin McCuin was voted Offensive Freshman of the Year. Additionally, wide receiver Joshua Cephus and edge rusher Trey Moore joined Harris on the first team, while cornerback Kam Alexander and safety Rashad Wisdom made the second team.
AAC WEEKLY AWARD RECIPIENTS
UTSA garnered five American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors during its debut campaign in the league. On Nov. 20, senior quarterback Frank Harris was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week following his record-setting showing in the 49-21 win over South Florida. Outside linebacker Trey Moore 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’s AAC Player of the Week Honorees
Offense
11/20 — Frank Harris
Defense
9/11 — Trey Moore
10/16 — Trey Moore
10/30 — Trey Moore
Special Teams
9/11 — Chase Allen
TRAYLOR TAKING ROADRUNNERS TO NEW HEIGHTS
Head coach Jeff Traylor has guided 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 38-14 record through 52 games, the most wins all-time and best winning percentage (.731) by a UTSA head football coach. In the Jeff Traylor era, the Roadrunners own a 27-4 (.871) record in regular season conference games and are 29-4 (.879) 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, has been nationally ranked in all three major polls in 2021 and 2022 and is now slated to appear in a bowl game 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, seven conference superlative award recipients, 83 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.
SEASON 13
One of the newest FBS programs and now in its first year as a member of the American Athletic Conference, UTSA is wrapping up its 13th season of football with the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Dec. 19. 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 52 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 30 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Additionally, the Roadrunners are 13-4 in games decided by eight points or less since 2021.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will open their 14th season on Aug. 31, 2024, against Kennesaw State at the Alamodome.
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