Game #11
Senior Day
UTSA Roadrunners (5-5, 3-3)
vs.
Temple Owls (3-7, 2-4)
6 p.m. | Friday, Nov. 22
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, 1-0
Last Meeting: UTSA 49, Temple 34 (10/7/23 • Philadelphia, Pa.)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Temple will meet for the second time on Friday.
- The Roadrunners won the only previous meeting with the Owls, 49-34, on Oct. 7, 2023, in Philadelphia in what was their inaugural American Athletic Conference game.
- UTSA will play all four FBS teams with the nickname Owls this season.
- This will mark the third of three consecutive ESPN2 broadcasts of UTSA home games in the month of November.
- Jeff Traylor boasts a 44-19 overall record at UTSA, the most wins and best winning percentage (.698) in program history.
- The Roadrunners are 28-3 (.903) at the Alamodome under Jeff Traylor and 54-30 (.643) all-time in home games.
- UTSA has won nine straight and 16 of its last 17 home contests.
- In the Jeff Traylor era, UTSA is 30-7 (.810) in regular season conference games and 32-7 (.821) against league competition when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games.
- The Roadrunners are 15-2 (.882) in the month of November with Jeff Traylor at the helm, including a perfect 10-0 at the Alamodome.
- UTSA is 8-4 all-time — 7-3 under Jeff Traylor — in games played on a Friday
- The Roadrunners are riding a streak of 20 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack.
SETTING THE SCENE
Winners of two straight games, UTSA will host Temple for Senior Day in American Athletic Conference action on Friday, Nov. 22. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The Roadrunners (5-5, 3-3 AAC) and Owls (3-7, 2-4) will meet for the second time after UTSA registered a 49-34 road triumph in the first matchup on Oct. 7, 2023, in what was he Roadrunners’ inaugural AAC contest. Following last Friday’s 48-27 home victory against North Texas, UTSA now has won nine consecutive home games — one shy of the school record — and boasts a 15-2 record in the month of November under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, who is 28-3 at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners also can officially become bowl eligible for the fifth year in a row with a win on Friday night.
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.
SENIOR DAY
UTSA will honor 26 seniors in a pregame ceremony prior to kickoff of the regular season home finale versus Temple on Friday night. The student-athletes scheduled to be recognized are Chase Allen, Demetris Allen, Walker Baty, Brandon Brown, Oscar Cardenas, Chris Carpenter, Christian Clayton, Cade Collenback, Elliott Davison, Dan Dishman, Syrus Dumas, Joe Evans, Zah Frazier, Martavius French, Robert Henry Jr., CJ James, Buffalo Kruize, Jamal Ligon, Willie McCoy, Brevin Randle, Jimmori Robinson, Ken Robinson, Justin Rodriguez, Asyrus Simon, JJ Sparkman and Donyai Taylor.
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 wins over No. 25 Memphis and North Texas this season, UTSA now boasts a 15-2 November record (.882) — including a perfect 10-0 mark at home —during the Traylor era.
UTSA’s November Games under Jeff Traylor (15-2)
|
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 |
|
11/15/24 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 28-3 (.903) at the facility since his arrival prior to the 2020 season. The Roadrunners have won nine straight and 16 of the last 17 at home entering Friday’s matchup against Temple. 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 26 of their last 28 home contests and are 54-30 (.643) all-time in the Alamodome.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
UTSA will play on Friday night for the second week in a row when it welcomes Temple to the Alamodome for an ESPN2 broadcast on Nov. 22. The Roadrunners are 8-4 all-time in games played on a Friday including 7-3 under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA defeated North Texas, 48-27, on Nov. 15 to improve to 5-2 in Friday night home contests.
UTSA’s Friday Games (8-4)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
8/29/14 |
at Houston |
W, 27-7 |
|
9/16/16 |
Arizona State |
L, 28-32 |
|
9/25/20 |
Middle Tennessee |
W, 37-35 |
|
12/3/21 |
Western Kentucky |
W, 49-41 |
|
9/30/22 |
at Middle Tennessee |
W, 45-30 |
|
10/14/22 |
at FIU |
W, 30-10 |
|
12/2/22 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
|
12/16/22 |
vs. #23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
|
9/15/23 |
Army West Point |
L, 29-37 |
|
11/17/23 |
South Florida |
W, 49-21 |
|
11/24/23 |
at #18 Tulane |
L, 16-29 |
|
11/15/24 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
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 and faced Rice and Florida Atlantic in October. The Roadrunners will close the regular season home slate against the Temple Owls on Friday night.
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 2,094,665 fans have watched the Roadrunners at the Alamodome, an average of 24,936 over 84 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 |
LAST TIME OUT
UTSA used a balanced offensive attack to set a school record for total yards and Zah Frazier picked off two passes for the second time this season to help guide the Roadrunners to a 48-27 victory over North Texas in American Athletic Conference action last Friday night at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners racked up 681 yards of offense on the night, rushing for a season-high 302 yards and passing for 379 in their fourth straight win over the Mean Green. The offensive yardage total is the most in The American and 14th-best number in the FBS this season. Owen McCown directed the record-setting offensive output, completing 29 of 43 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns to notch his fourth 300-yard game of his redshirt sophomore campaign. The Rusk, Texas, native also rushed for a career-best 88 yards on 10 attempts, giving him 467 yards of offense. Meanwhile, Robert Henry Jr. gashed the Mean Green for a career-best 168 rushing yards and a pair of TDs on 20 carries. His career-long 83-yard touchdown dash with fewer than three minutes remaining helped seal the win and pushed the Roadrunners’ ground game over the 300-yard mark for the first time since gaining 304 in a road win versus Western Kentucky in 2021. David Amador II also topped the century mark through the air, piling up 122 yards and a TD on nine catches to mark the third straight game with a Roadrunner surpassing 100 receiving yards. Willie McCoy added 66 yards on three receptions and Patrick Overmyer caught six passes for 56 yards to help lead the air attack. Defensively, Frazier’s second two-interception game of the year and Tyan Milton’s late sack helped UTSA extend its streak to 20 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack. Frazier also broke up three passes and registered four tackles, including one for a loss. Martavius French paced the defense with eight stops, while Owen Pewee pitched in with six. Jermarius Lewis posted five stops and a pair of PBUs.
ROADRUNNERS REEL IN WEEKLY HONORS
UTSA redshirt sophomore Tate Sandell was named American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following his school record-tying performance in the 48-27 win over North Texas. The place-kicker matched the program standard by making all four of his field-goal attempts while also going a perfect 4 for 4 on extra-point tries and recording five touchbacks to earn his first career conference weekly award. The Port Neches-Groves High School product’s four field goals equaled the UTSA mark done three times previously by Sean Ianno, last in 2014. Additionally, Owen McCown landed on the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8, Manning Award Stars of the Week and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention lists, and he was selected as one of five players for the league’s honorable mention player of the week list for the fifth time this season. The Rusk, Texas, native accounted for 467 yards to help UTSA break the school record for total offense. The redshirt sophomore quarterback completed 29 of 43 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a career-high 88 yards on 10 carries, as the Roadrunners racked up 681 total yards to eclipse the previous school standard of 643. Zah Frazier collected East-West Shrine Bowl Texas Star of the Week accolades after registering two interceptions, three pass breakups, four tackles and one TFL. Robert Henry Jr. joined McCown on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention list after rushing for 168 yards and a pair of TDs on 20 carries.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
The Owls improved to 3-7 overall and 2-4 in the American Athletic Conference with 18-15 overtime win over Florida Atlantic last Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. Temple is averaging 19.1 points and 307.1 yards per game while allowing 35.0 points and 404.5 yards per contest. Evan Simon has completed 141 of 232 passes for 1,545 yards and 13 touchdowns. Dante Wright is the top receiver with 56 catches for 664 yards and four TDs. Terrez Worthy paces the ground game with 67 carries for 395 yards and four scores. Defensively, Tyquan King had 88 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and six quarterback hurries. Maddux Trujillo is one of the top kickers in the league with 13 field goals, including five of 50-plus yards. On Sunday, Temple announced a leadership change for the football program with Everett Withers taking over as interim coach for the previous head coach, Stan Drayton. Withers was the head coach at Texas State in 2016-18, when UTSA registered back-to-back victories over the Bobcats during his final two seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday will mark the second meeting between UTSA and Temple. The Roadrunners registered a 49-34 victory over the Owls on Oct. 7, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in the only previous matchup.
LAST MEETING
Frank Harris threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns to help lead UTSA to a 49-34 victory over Temple in the Roadrunners’ inaugural American Athletic Conference game on Oct. 7, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Harris completed 25 of 33 passes to help the Roadrunners pile up 495 yards of offense, tossing passes to six different receivers, paced by Joshua Cephus’ seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Devin McCuin hauled in six passes for 94 yards and a TD, Oscar Cardenas caught five balls for 51 yards and Tykee Ogle-Kellogg had three receptions for 83 yards and a score. On the ground, Robert Henry Jr. rushed for 78 yards and two TDs on only 11 carries, while Kevorian Barnes added 62 yards and a score on 11 totes. Defensively, Martavius French led the way with 10 tackles, while Avery Morris and Ken Robinson made nine and seven stops, respectively.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 14th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 170 game in program history on Friday when they face Temple. UTSA is 89-80 (.527) all-time and 54-30 (.643) at home. By comparison, Temple has been playing football since 1894 and owns an all-time record of 487-621-52.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will wrap up the regular season at No. 17 Army on Saturday, Nov. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central time at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, and the game will air on CBS Sports Network and Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket.
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