Game #10
Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans
UTSA Roadrunners (4-5, 2-3)
vs.
North Texas Mean Green (5-4, 2-3)
7 p.m. | Friday, Nov. 15
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
TV: ESPN2
Radio: UTSA Sports Media Network / Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket
Live Stats: goUTSA.com/fbstats
Series History: UTSA leads, 7-5
Last Meeting: UTSA 37, UNT 29 (11/4/23 • Denton, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and North Texas will meet for the 13th time on Friday, marking the most-played series in program history.
- The Roadrunners have won the last three meetings, including a 37-29 road triumph on Nov. 4, 2023, in their last matchup.
- UTSA is 7-5 all-time against the Mean Green, including 5-1 in the Alamodome.
- This will mark the second of three consecutive ESPN2 broadcasts of UTSA home games in the month of November.
- Jeff Traylor boasts a 43-19 overall record at UTSA, the most wins and best winning percentage (.694) in program history.
- The Roadrunners are 27-3 (.900) at the Alamodome under Jeff Traylor and 53-30 (.639) all-time in home games.
- UTSA has won eight straight and 15 of its last 16 home contests.
- In the Jeff Traylor era, UTSA is 29-7 (.806) in regular season conference games and 31-7 (.816) against league competition when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games.
- The Roadrunners are 14-2 (.875) in the month of November with Jeff Traylor at the helm.
- Jeff Traylor has guided UTSA to a 16-7 record (.696) against teams from the state of Texas.
- The Roadrunners are riding a streak of 19 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack.
SETTING THE SCENE
UTSA will continue a three-game home stand with a Friday night showdown against North Texas. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Alamodome and the American Athletic Conference matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The Roadrunners (4-5, 2-3 AAC) are coming off their second idle week of the season and last played on Nov. 2 in a 44-36 home victory over then-25th-ranked Memphis. The Mean Green fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the league with a 14-3 setback to nationally ranked Army last Saturday. This will mark the 13th meeting between UTSA and North Texas, marking the Roadrunners’ most-played series. UTSA holds a 7-5 edge over the Mean Green, including a 5-1 mark in the Alamodome.
TUNING IN
Friday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and can be viewed online at espn.com/watch and via the ESPN mobile app. Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (reporter) 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.
REMEMBER NOVEMBER
The Roadrunners will look to continue their success in the 11th month of the year under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. Following a 44-36 home win against No. 25 Memphis on Nov. 2, UTSA now boasts a 14-2 record (.875) — including a perfect 9-0 mark at home — in November during the Traylor era.
UTSA’s November Games under Jeff Traylor (14-2)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
11/14/20 |
UTEP |
W, 52-21 |
|
11/21/20 |
at Southern Miss |
W, 23-20 |
|
11/28/20 |
North Texas |
W, 49-17 |
|
11/6/21 |
at UTEP |
W, 44-23 |
|
11/13/21 |
Southern Miss |
W, 27-17 |
|
11/20/21 |
UAB |
W, 34-31 |
|
11/27/21 |
at North Texas |
L, 23-45 |
|
11/5/22 |
at UAB |
W, 44-38 (2OT) |
|
11/12/22 |
Louisiana Tech |
W, 51-7 |
|
11/19/22 |
at Rice |
W, 41-7 |
|
11/26/22 |
UTEP |
W, 34-31 |
|
11/4/23 |
at North Texas |
W, 37-29 |
|
11/11/23 |
Rice |
W, 34-14 |
|
11/17/23 |
South Florida |
W, 49-21 |
|
11/24/23 |
at Tulane |
L, 16-29 |
|
11/2/24 |
Memphis |
W, 44-36 |
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 27-3 (.900) at the facility since his arrival prior to the 2020 season. The Roadrunners have won eight straight and 15 of the last 16 at home entering Friday’s matchup against North Texas. UTSA reeled off a school-record 10-game win streak at home that started with a 27-26 victory over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24, 2020, and ran through the 49-41 win against WKU in the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game before it was snapped in triple overtime against No. 24 Houston in the 2022 season opener. The Roadrunners have been victorious in 25 of their last 27 home contests and are 53-30 (.639) all-time in the Alamodome.
PACKING THE DOME
UTSA fans have packed the Alamodome over the past four seasons, as five of the program’s nine-largest home crowds have been recorded during that span. Two of the more recent home games now rank second and fourth on the all-time chart, as 49,342 fans watched UTSA beat Texas State in the 2023 home opener to mark the second-largest crowd in program history. In 2022’s final home contest, the Roadrunners raced past North Texas, 48-27, to capture their second straight Conference USA Championship in front of 41,412 fans, which now ranks fourth on the list of largest home crowds. That figure edged the 41,148 fans who watched UTSA outlast WKU, 49-41, in the 2021 CUSA Championship Game, now the fifth-largest home attendance. The 2022 season opener against 24th-ranked Houston drew 37,526 fans, which ranks eighth all-time, just ahead of the thrilling triumph over UAB in front 35,147 fans in 2021. UTSA led CUSA in average home attendance in back-to-back seasons, averaging 28,917 per game in 2022 and 26,643 the previous year. A total of 629,864 fans have filed into the Alamodome to watch the Roadrunners since the return from COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 season. In the 2024 season opener against Kennesaw State, the program eclipsed the two-million mark, and now 2,073,315 fans have watched the Roadrunners at the Alamodome, an average of 24,980 over 83 home contests. 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.
UTSA’s Top 10 Home Crowds
|
Attendance |
Date |
Opponent |
|
56,743 |
9/3/11 |
Northeastern State |
|
49,342 |
9/9/23 |
Texas State |
|
42,071 |
9/8/18 |
Baylor |
|
41,412 |
12/2/22 |
North Texas |
|
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 |
ROADRUNNERS REGISTER FIRST RANKED WIN
Owen McCown passed for 280 yards and four touchdowns and Jamal Ligon became UTSA’s all-time leading tackler to help lead the Roadrunners to their first win over a ranked team with a 44-36 decision against No. 25 Memphis in American Athletic Conference action on Nov. 2 at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners broke through for their first ranked win in program history in their 16th all-time game against a top-25 team. The Tigers were 25th in that week’s AFCA Coaches Poll and received 34 votes in the AP Top 25. McCown completed 20 of 37 passes in notching his second consecutive four-touchdown outing, also rushing for 28 yards to put the redshirt sophomore quarterback over 300 yards of offense for the day. He completed passes to 10 different receivers, led by Houston Thomas’s six catches for 44 yards and two TDs. Chris Carpenter turned in his second straight 100-yard game with 108 yards on four receptions, while Dan Dishman added 55 yards and a score on three grabs. Ligon logged six tackles, one tackle for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries while moving past Rashad Wisdom to become the program’s career leader in tackles with 317. Martavius French led the defense with 10 stops including two of UTSA’s six behind the line of scrimmage. Elliott Davison and Syrus Dumas posted eight tackles apiece with Dumas adding a key forced fumble and recovery in the second half. UTSA held the Tigers to 62 rushing yards, marking the sixth opponent this season held to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. Tate Sandell also made a pair of field goals, including drilling a school-record 54-yarder in the second quarter. Memphis built a 10-point lead in the first half only to see the Roadrunners reel off 30 unanswered points to take a 44-24 lead in the final stanza.
FRENCH, MCCOWN REEL IN WEEKLY HONORS
UTSA senior Martavius French was chosen as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4 for his performance in the 44-36 victory over No. 25 Memphis. The inside linebacker racked up 10 tackles against his hometown team, including five solo stops and a pair of tackles for loss to help UTSA hold the Tigers’ potent rushing attack to only 62 yards. Additionally, Owen McCown was selected as one of five players for the league’s honorable mention player of the week list and also landed on the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 after passing for 280 yards and four touchdowns and also rushing for 28 yards. He completed 20 of 37 passes in notching his second consecutive four-TD outing.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
The Mean Green fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the American Athletic Conference with a 14-3 home setback to No. 18 Army last Saturday. North Texas is averaging 500.4 yards and 36.6 points per game boasts while allowing 433.3 yards and 34.3 points per contest. The Mean Green boast one of the most potent passing attacks in the FBS with a league-best 354.1 yards through the air per game to rank third nationally. Chandler Morris has completed 248 of 388 passes for 3,087 yards and 26 touchdowns. DT Sheffield is the top pass catcher with 55 receptions for 721 yards and 10 TDs. Shane Porter paces the ground game with 340 yards and a pair of scores on 54 rushes. Jaylen Smith leads the defense with 65 total tackles and six tackles for loss, while Roderick Brown has registered a team-high 4.5 sacks. Head coach Eric Morris is 10-11 in his second season at UNT and 34-29 in his sixth season as a head coach, which includes a four-year stop at UIW.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday will mark the 13th meeting between UTSA and North Texas, making it the most-played series in program history. The Roadrunners have won the last three matchups, including a 37-29 road triumph last season, and hold a 7-5 edge over the Mean Green. UTSA is 5-1 against UNT in games played at the Alamodome, including a pair of victories in 2022, a 31-27 decision on Oct. 22 and a 48-27 win on Dec. 2 in the Conference USA Championship Game.
UTSA/North Texas Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
11/23/13 |
Denton |
W, 21-13 |
|
11/30/14 |
San Antonio |
W, 34-27 |
|
10/31/15 |
Denton |
L, 23-30 |
|
10/29/16 |
San Antonio |
W, 31-17 |
|
10/14/17 |
Denton |
L, 26-29 |
|
11/24/18 |
San Antonio |
L, 21-24 |
|
9/21/19 |
Denton |
L, 3-45 |
|
11/28/20 |
San Antonio |
W, 49-17 |
|
11/27/21 |
Denton |
L, 23-45 |
|
10/22/22 |
San Antonio |
W, 31-27 |
|
12/2/22 |
San Antonio |
W, 48-27 |
|
11/4/23 |
Denton |
W, 37-29 |
LAST MEETING
UTSA forced three turnovers and Kevorian Barnes rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns to help the Roadrunners become bowl eligible for the fourth straight season with a 37-29 victory over North Texas in American Athletic Conference action on Nov. 4, 2023, at DATCU Stadium. UTSA came up with three takeaways, including key second-half interceptions by Trey Moore and Donyai Taylor that helped thwart Mean Green drives deep into Roadrunners territory. UTSA piled up a season-high 287 rushing yards as part of a 421-yard output for the offense and aftering being armed with a 27-13 halftime advantage, the Roadrunners withstood a second-half rally to register their third straight win against UNT.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 14th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 169th game in program history on Friday when they face North Texas. UTSA is 88-80 (.524) all-time and 53-30 (.639) at home. By comparison, North Texas has been playing football since 1913 and owns an all-time record of 547-545-33.
UTSA VERSUS IN-STATE FOES
The Roadrunners are 36-23 all-time against teams from the state of Texas including a 16-7 mark under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. North Texas is the fifth opponent from the Lone Star State on this season’s docket, which also included Houston Christian, Rice, Texas and Texas State.
UTSA vs. Texas teams
1-2 vs. Baylor
1-0 vs. East Texas A&M
1-3 vs. Houston
1-0 vs. Houston Christian
1-0 vs. Lamar
0-1 vs. McMurry
7-5 vs. North Texas
8-4 vs. Rice
0-1 vs. Sam Houston
1-0 vs. Stephen F. Austin
0-2 vs. Texas
0-2 vs. Texas A&M
1-0 vs. Texas Southern
5-1 vs. Texas State
1-0 vs. UIW
8-2 vs. UTEP
36-23 overall
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will wrap up the regular season home slate against Temple on Friday, Nov. 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
-UTSA-