Game #5
American Conference Opener
UTSA Roadrunners (2-2, 0-0)
at
Temple Owls (2-2, 0-0)
12 p.m. CT | Saturday, Oct. 4
Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
Series History: UTSA leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: UTSA 51, Temple 27 (11/22/24 • San Antonio, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Temple will meet for the third time on Saturday in Philadelphia.
- The Roadrunners won both previous meetings, 49-34 on the road in 2023 and 51-27 last year at the Alamodome.
- Temple is the first of two consecutive opponents with the nickname Owls. Last season, UTSA played all four FBS Owls (Florida Atlantic, Kennesaw State, Rice, Temple).
- UTSA is 8-5 all-time in conference openers, including 4-1 under sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor and 1-1 in the American Conference.
- This will mark the fourth straight and 10th overall time that the Roadrunners have opened the league slate on the road.
- UTSA is 8-10 all-time and 5-5 under Jeff Traylor in games played in the Eastern time zone.
- The Roadrunners are 48-22 (.686) overall in the Jeff Traylor era (since 2020), the most wins among current American Conference members and tied with Texas for the most wins among FBS teams from the state of Texas during that span.
- Senior RB Robert Henry Jr. leads the FBS in rushing yards per game (156.0), all-purpose yards per game (180.0), rushing yards per carry (9.18), scrimmage plays of 70-plus yards (5) and rushes of 70-plus yards (4).
- Following Nnanna Anyanwu’s three-sack performance in the win at Colorado State, UTSA now has recorded a sack in 26 of the past 27 games.
SETTING THE SCENE
Winners of two straight games, UTSA will open American Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 4, against Temple. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Roadrunners and Owls both are coming off an idle week and will enter their third meeting on the gridiron with identical 2-2 records this season. UTSA is 8-5 all-time in conference openers, including a 4-1 mark under sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor. Two years ago, the Roadrunners played their first-ever American Conference game against Temple, scoring a 49-34 road triumph. This will mark the fourth straight and 10th time overall that UTSA has opened the league slate away from home.
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and via the ESPN app. Richard Cross (play-by-play), Barrett Brooks (analyst) and Maria Trivelpiece (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.
LAST TIME OUT
Nnanna Anyanwu posted three sacks and Robert Henry Jr. turned in his sixth straight 100-yard rushing game to help UTSA hold off Colorado State, 17-16, on Sept. 20 in Fort Collins. What began as a low-scoring affair ended in thrilling fashion. After the Rams tied the score at 10-10 with under seven minutes left to play, the Roadrunners grabbed the lead again after Henry broke free for a 74-yard touchdown reception. CSU would not go away though, as Jackson Brousseau spearheaded a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a TD pass to Rocky Beers with 29 seconds remaining. Initially, CSU tied the score with a successful extra-point attempt by Isaiah Hankins. However, UTSA was called for offsides on the try and the Rams decided to accept the penalty and go for a potential game-winning two-point conversion. Another Rams quarterback, Tahj Bullock, entered the game and rolled to his right, but his pass sailed incomplete out of bounds due to tight coverage from the Roadrunners. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds and UTSA ran out the clock to claim victory in the series for the first time in three meetings. Anyanwu was responsible for four of the Roadrunners’ five tackles for loss on a defense that held the Rams to 223 yards of offense through the first three quarters. Making his first career start, he became the seventh UTSA player to record three-or-more sacks in a game and just the sixth to log four-plus TFLs. Meanwhile, Henry rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and he added 76 receiving yards to give him 220 all-purpose yards on the night, the fifth-best single-game performance in program history. He extended his school-record streak of 100-yard rushing games to six, a stretch that has seen him register a rush of at least 74 yards in each contest.
CELEBRATING CAMPAIGN NO. 15
The Roadrunners are celebrating their 15th season of football in 2025. One of the newer FBS programs and now in its third year as a member of the American Conference, UTSA started its program from scratch and, following a practice year in 2010, played its 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 bowl appearance, ending the year with an 11-3 mark. The Roadrunners notched their first bowl victory with a 35-17 decision over Marshall in the 2023 Frisco Bowl to cap a 9-4 ledger that include a 7-1 mark in their debut in the American. UTSA collected its second straight bowl win with a 44-15 triumph over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl to close out a seven-win campaign in 2024. UTSA now has posted at least six wins in nine of its 14 previous seasons, and it has reached the seven-win plateau seven times, including in each of the first five years of the Jeff Traylor era.
TRAYLOR TAKING ROADRUNNERS TO NEW HEIGHTS
Sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor has taken UTSA to new heights during his time in San Antonio. The Roadrunners are 48-22 (.686) under his direction, the most wins since 2020 among current American Conference teams (Memphis has 47) and tied with Texas for the most among Texas FBS programs. UTSA boasts a 30-4 (.882) home record in the Traylor era, tied for the sixth most home wins since 2020 among FBS teams. Since Traylor — the winningest coach in program history — arrived in San Antonio, UTSA has captured a pair of conference championships, earned five straight bowl berths with back-to-back bowl wins and made a combined 23 appearances in the three major national polls. He has coached nine All-Americans, three national award finalists, 91 all-conference selections and a trio of NFL Draft picks at UTSA.
UTSA IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
UTSA is 8-5 all-time in conference openers, including 4-1 under head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners beat Middle Tennessee in three straight Conference USA lid-lifters before scoring a 49-34 road triumph over Temple in 2023 in their American Conference debut. UTSA dropped a 30-20 road decision to East Carolina in last year’s conference opener. This will mark the fourth straight and 10th overall time that the Roadrunners have opened the league slate on the road.
UTSA’s Conference Openers (8-5)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
9/29/12 |
at New Mexico State |
W, 35-14 |
|
9/21/13 |
at UTEP |
W, 32-13 |
|
9/27/14 |
at Florida Atlantic |
L, 37-41 |
|
10/3/15 |
at UTEP |
W, 25-6 |
|
9/24/16 |
at Old Dominion |
L, 19-33 |
|
10/7/17 |
Southern Miss |
L, 29-31 |
|
9/29/18 |
UTEP |
W, 30-21 |
|
9/21/19 |
at North Texas |
L, 3-45 |
|
9/25/20 |
Middle Tennessee |
W, 37-35 |
|
9/18/21 |
Middle Tennessee |
W, 27-13 |
|
9/30/22 |
at Middle Tennessee |
W, 45-30 |
|
10/7/23 |
at Temple |
W, 49-34 |
|
9/28/24 |
at East Carolina |
L, 20-30 |
ON EASTERN TIME
The Roadrunners are set to play their first game of the season in the Eastern time zone when they face Temple in the American Conference opener in Philadelphia. UTSA is 8-10 all-time and 5-5 in the Jeff Traylor era in games played in the Eastern time zone. The Roadrunners have registered Eastern time zone road wins against Georgia State in 2012, Charlotte in 2015, Old Dominion in 2019, Army West Point and FIU in 2022, Temple and Florida Atlantic in 2023 and Coastal Carolina in last year’s Myrtle Beach Bowl.
UTSA in the Eastern Time Zone (8-10)
|
Date |
Result |
Location |
|
9/15/12 |
UTSA 38, Georgia State 14 |
Atlanta, Ga. |
|
10/5/13 |
Marshall 34, UTSA 10 |
Huntington, W.Va. |
|
9/27/14 |
Florida Atlantic 41, UTSA 37 |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
|
11/14/15 |
UTSA 30, Charlotte 27 (OT) |
Charlotte, N.C. |
|
9/24/16 |
Old Dominion 33, UTSA 19 |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
11/4/17 |
FIU 14, UTSA 7 |
Miami, Fla. |
|
11/17/18 |
Marshall 23, UTSA 0 |
Huntington, W.Va. |
|
11/9/19 |
UTSA 24, Old Dominion 23 |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
10/31/20 |
Florida Atlantic 24, UTSA 3 |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
|
9/10/22 |
UTSA 41, Army 38 |
West Point, N.Y. |
|
10/14/22 |
UTSA 30, FIU 10 |
Miami, Fla. |
|
12/16/22 |
Troy 18, UTSA 12 |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
9/23/23 |
Tennessee 45, UTSA 14 |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
|
10/7/23 |
UTSA 49, Temple 34 |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
10/21/23 |
UTSA 36, Florida Atlantic 10 |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
|
9/28/24 |
East Carolina 30, UTSA 20 |
Greenville, N.C. |
|
11/30/24 |
Army 29, UTSA 24 |
West Point, N.Y. |
|
12/23/24 |
UTSA 44, Coastal Carolina 15 |
Conway, S.C. |
SCOUTING TEMPLE
The Owls fell to 2-2 with a 45-24 setback to nationally ranked Georgia Tech on Sept. 20 in Atlanta. Temple is averaging 364.8 yards and 31.0 points per game while allowing 351.5 yards and 26.0 points per contest. Evan Simon has completed 53 of 92 passes for 624 yards and 10 touchdowns against zero interceptions. Jojo Bermudez has a team-high 15 receptions for 184 yards and two TDs, as well as a 14.6-yard punt return average. Jay Ducker is the top rusher with 315 yards and a pair of scores on 50 carries. Avery Powell paces the defense with 22 tackles, while Cam’Ron Stewart leads the way with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Head coach K.C. Keeler is in his first season at the helm after previous stints at Sam Houston, Delaware and Rowan, and he owns a career record of 273-114-1. UTSA defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach Siddiq Haynes played for Keeler at Delaware from 2007 to 2010 and he also was an assistant coach on Keeler’s staff at Sam Houston from 2014 to 2020.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the third meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and Temple. The Roadrunners won both previous meetings, registering a 49-34 road victory in their first-ever American Conference game on Oct. 7, 2023, and scoring a 51-27 home triumph on Nov. 22, 2024.
UTSA/Temple All-Time Series
|
Date |
Result |
Location |
|
10/7/23 |
UTSA 49, Temple 34 |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
11/22/24 |
UTSA 51, Temple 27 |
San Antonio, Texas |
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 15th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 177th game in program history on Saturday when they face Temple. UTSA is 93-83 (.528) all-time and 36-49 (.424) on the road. By comparison, Temple has been playing football since 1894 and owns an all-time record of 492-634-52.
LAST MEETING
Jimmori Robinson set school records for sacks and tackles for loss, Zah Frazier had two interceptions for the third time in 2024 and UTSA piled up 529 yards of offense in a 51-27 victory over Temple in American Athletic Conference action on Nov. 22 at the Alamodome. Robinson registered 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as part of a seven-tackle showing, and he had three quarterback hurries on a night where he set the school’s single-game TFLs record and matched the sacks standard. Frazier picked off two passes for the second straight game and third time overall breaking the program’s single-season mark. Offensively, the Roadrunners racked up 529 yards of offense, rushing for 309 yards for the first back-to-back 300-yard games on the ground in school history. Robert Henry Jr. paced the ground attack with 178 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He averaged 11.1 yards per attempt and busted runs of 88 — the second-longest rush in program annals — and 40 yards while turning in the seventh-most rushing yards in a game by a Roadrunner. Owen McCown completed 20 of 27 passes for 220 yards and a TD and also had a 75-yard touchdown scamper in the first half, marking the longest run by a UTSA quarterback in school history. Chris Carpenter also made history on Friday night, as the senior from Jacksonville returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to match his 97-yard kickoff return TD against Texas Southern in 2022, which was the first in school annals.
FAMILIAR FOES
UTSA will face familiar foes in 2025, as the Roadrunners have previously faced all 12 teams on the regular season schedule. The most-played series in program history is with North Texas, and the two teams will meet for the 14th time in October with UTSA holding an 8-5 edge. The Roadrunners and Rice will play for the 13th time, also in October, with UTSA boasting an 8-4 advantage. UTSA and Texas State met for the seventh time in the home opener, while the regular season finale will mark the sixth meeting with Army.
LAPEZE LANDS ON CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST LIST
UTSA redshirt junior Luke Lapeze has been chosen as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award. Celebrating its 36th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Lapeze, a native of Humble, Texas, is one of 177 semifinalists for the award, marking the ninth consecutive year that a Roadrunner has made the semifinalist list. Lapeze earned his bachelor’s degree in history in December 2024, graduating with a 3.36 GPA. A two-time American Conference All-Academic Team selection, he has made the UTSA Honor Roll three times and the Dean’s List once.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 40 of the 70 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 26-14 record (.650) in those games. Dating back to the 2021 campaign, UTSA has seen 27 of the last 49 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Additionally, the Roadrunners are 15-8 (.652) in games decided by eight points or less since 2021.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will return home to host Rice for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Alamodome, and the game will air on ESPNU and Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket.
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