Game #6
UTSA Roadrunners (2-3, 0-1)
at
Rice Owls (1-4, 0-2)
6 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 12
Rice Stadium | Houston, Texas
TV: ESPN+
Radio: UTSA Sports Media Network / Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket
Live Stats: goUTSA.com/fbstats
Series History: UTSA leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: UTSA 34, Rice 14 (11/11/23 • San Antonio, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Rice will meet for the 12th time on Saturday night in Houston, matching North Texas for the most-played opponent in program history.
- The Roadrunners have won each of the last eight meetings and lead the all-time series, 8-3.
- UTSA holds a 3-2 series edge in games played in Houston, including a 41-7 victory in 2022 that secured the Conference USA regular season crown and a spot in the league’s championship game.
- The Roadrunners have been victorious in 15 of their last 17 regular season league contests.
- UTSA is 27-5 (.844) in regular season conference games in the Jeff Traylor era and 29-5 (.853) against league competition when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games.
- Jeff Traylor boasts a 41-17 overall record at UTSA, the most wins and best winning percentage (.707) in program history.
- Jeff Traylor will surpass Larry Coker for most games coached at UTSA with his 59th against Rice this Saturday.
- The Roadrunners are riding a streak of 15 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack.
- This season, UTSA is scheduled to face all four FBS teams that use Owls as their nickname: Kennesaw State (Aug. 31), this week’s opponent in Rice, Florida Atlantic (Oct. 19) and Temple (Nov. 22).
SETTING THE SCENE
Coming off the first of two idle weeks this season, UTSA will travel to Houston to face Rice on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Rice Stadium and the game will air on ESPN+. The Roadrunners will enter the 12th all-time meeting with the Owls with a 2-3 overall record after dropping their American Athletic Conference opener to East Carolina on Sept. 28. Rice fell to 1-4 on the year and 0-2 in league play after falling to Charlotte on Sept. 28. UTSA has won each of the last eight meetings with the Owls, including a 41-7 triumph on Nov. 19, 2022, in its last visit to Rice Stadium, a victory that secured the Conference USA regular season crown and a spot in the league’s championship game.
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and via the ESPN mobile app. James Westling (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst) will call the action. UTSA Sports Media Network will air the game live in the San Antonio area on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket, online at ticket760.com and via the free iHeartRadio app. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Ed Suarez (reporter) have the call. There will be a two-hour pregame show hosted by Pat Evans and a 45-minute postgame show.
IT'S A HOOT
The Roadrunners will face all four FBS teams that use the nickname Owls during the 2024 season. UTSA opened the campaign on Aug. 31 against the Kennesaw State Owls, who are making their debut in Conference USA this year. This week’s opponent — Rice — is the second 2024 opponent that goes by the Owls. The Roadrunners will also face Florida Atlantic (Oct. 19) and Temple (Nov. 22).
A HOUSTON HOMECOMING
It will be a homecoming this weekend for more than two dozen UTSA players, as 27 Roadrunners hail from the Greater Houston Area.
Name (High School)
David Amador II (Galena Park North Shore)
Frankie Arthur (Conroe Oak Ridge)
Elliott Brow (Clear Springs)
Errionn Brow (Clear Springs)
Brandon Brown (Katy Morton Ranch)
Camron Cooper (Dayton)
Mason Culton (Bridgeland)
Dematrius Davis Jr. (Galena Park North Shore)
Dan Dishman (Clear Falls)
Bryce Grays (Fort Bend Christian Academy)
Mason Hall (Fort Bend Ridge Point)
Denver Harris (Galena Park North Shore)
Brandon High Jr. (Conroe Grand Oaks)
Alpha Khan (Katy Mayde Creek)
Matthew Lambert (Richmond George Ranch)
Luke Lapeze (Humble Summer Creek)
Tai Leonard (Galena Park North Shore)
Davin Martin (Klein Cain)
Willie McCoy (Bellaire)
Patrick Overmyer (Kingwood Park)
Michael Owoeye (Cypress Park)
Owen Pewee (Cypress Park)
Zechariah Robinson (Brookshire Royal)
Asyrus Simon (Humble Atascocita)
Ronald Triplette (Alvin Shadow Creek)
Joseph Ugwu Jr. (Katy Paetow)
James Walley Jr. (Fort Bend Ridge Point)
SCOUTING RICE
The Owls fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the American Athletic Conference with a 21-20 home setback to Charlotte on Sept. 28. Rice is averaging 24.8 points and 345.2 yards of offense per game while allowing 26.4 points and 317.0 yards per contest. E.J. Warner, who transferred from Temple in the offseason, has completed 108 of 177 passes for 955 yards and seven touchdowns. Dean Connors is the top rusher with 369 yards and five TDs on 55 carries to go with a team-high 28 receptions for 126 yards. Matt Sykes leads the team with 306 receiving yards and a pair of scores on 24 catches. Defensively, Ty Morris paces the unit with 24 tackles, while Josh Pearcy has a team-best five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is 23-49 in his seventh season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 12th meeting between UTSA and Rice, making it tied with North Texas for the most-played series in program history (UTSA and North Texas are scheduled to play on Nov. 15). The Roadrunners have won the last eight matchups with the Owls and own a 3-2 edge in games played in Houston. UTSA has outscored Rice by a combined total of 120-21 in the last three meetings. The 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the UTSA program.
UTSA/Rice Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
10/13/12 |
Houston |
L, 14-34 |
|
10/12/13 |
San Antonio |
L, 21-27 |
|
11/8/14 |
Houston |
L, 7-17 |
|
11/21/15 |
San Antonio |
W, 34-24 |
|
10/15/16 |
Houston |
W, 14-13 |
|
10/21/17 |
San Antonio |
W, 20-7 |
|
10/6/18 |
Houston |
W, 20-3 |
|
10/19/19 |
San Antonio |
W, 31-27 |
|
10/16/21 |
San Antonio |
W, 45-0 |
|
11/19/22 |
Houston |
W, 41-7 |
|
11/11/23 |
San Antonio |
W, 34-14 |
LAST MEETING
Bolstered by a stiff defense and balanced offensive attack, UTSA registered a 34-14 victory over Rice on Nov. 11, 2023, at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners held the Owls to 229 yards of offense while countering that with 199 rushing yards and 182 through the air. Jamal Ligon paced the defense with seven tackles, all unassisted. Offensively, Rocko Griffin rushed for a game-high 81 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts, good for 6.8 yards per carry, while Robert Henry piled up 63 yards and a score on 19 totes. Frank Harris added 31 yards on the ground to go with 175 yards and a TD on 15-of-24 passing. Armed with a slim 10-7 advantage at the half, the Roadrunners scored back-to-back touchdowns in a one-minute, 45-second span in the third quarter to make it 24-7. UTSA pushed the lead to 34-7 at the 5:09 mark of the final frame when Tate Sandell split the uprights from 47 yards for his first career field goal. Rice scored a late touchdown on a 22-yard pass from AJ Padgett to Landon Ransom-Goelz with just over a minute left to play.
RICE CONNECTIONS
Three members of the UTSA staff have connections to Rice. Defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jess Loepp was the recruiting coordinator and safeties coach at Rice in 2006 under then-head coach Todd Graham. Assistant wide receivers coach Luke Turner, who was coached by Jeff Traylor at Gilmer High School and helped the Buckeyes to the 2009 state championship, played for the Owls from 2012 to 2015. He was the 2013 Conference USA Championship Game MVP and totaled 503 rushing yards, 244 receiving yards, 158 passing yards, 362 kick return yards, 16 total touchdowns and 18 tackles during 51 career games at Rice. UTSA associate sports performance coach Jared Kaaiohelo was Rice’s head strength & conditioning coach from 2009 to 2013.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 14th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 165th game in program history on Saturday when they face Rice. UTSA is 86-78 (.524) all-time and 34-45 (.430) in true road games. By comparison, Rice has been playing football since 1912 and owns an all-time record of 481-623-31.
PRO ‘RUNNERS
UTSA currently has eight players on NFL active rosters, injured reserve lists or 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 defensive end is in his first season with the Lions after spending 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. Tariq Woolen was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now in his third season, the cornerback led the league with six interceptions and was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie and has twice been voted by his peers to the NFL’s Top 100 list. Spencer Burford was a fourth-round pick by the 49ers in 2022 and is in his third year as an offensive guard in San Francisco. Former All-America running back Sincere McCormick recently was moved up to the Raiders’ active roster. Additionally, Joshua Cephus (Jaguars), Leroy Watson (Titans) and Rashad Wisdom (Buccaneers) are on practice squads, while Eric Banks is on the Buccaneers’ injured list.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will return home to host Florida Atlantic for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air on ESPN+ and Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket.
-UTSA-