Game #11
Fansgiving
UTSA Roadrunners (5-5, 3-3)
vs.
East Carolina Pirates (7-3, 5-1)
2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 22
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
Series History: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: ECU 30, UTSA 20 (9/28/24 • Greenville, N.C.)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and East Carolina will meet for the third time on Saturday.
- The series is tied at 1-1 with each team winning on its home turf over the past two seasons.
- Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are 24-0 against conference opponents at the Alamodome — including 22-0 in regular season league games — since 2020. UTSA is the only FBS team with an undefeated record in regular season conference home games during that span.
- The Roadrunners are 17-4 (.801) in the month of November in the Jeff Traylor era.
- UTSA is 51-25 (.671) under head coach Jeff Traylor, the most wins among current American Conference teams since 2020.
- The Roadrunners are 32-4 (.889) in home games with Jeff Traylor at the helm, tied for the eighth-most home victories in the FBS since 2020 and deadlocked with Memphis for the most among current American Conference members over that stretch.
- In the Jeff Traylor era, the Roadrunners are 34-11 (.756) in conference games, including 14-8 (.636) in the American.
- The Roadrunners have registered a sack in 32 of their last 33 games and a takeaway in 29 of their last 33 contests.
- UTSA boasts a 100-yard rusher in seven of the 10 games this season.
- UTSA senior RB Robert Henry Jr. has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award.
SETTING THE SCENE
UTSA will return to the friendly confines of the Alamodome to host East Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 22, in the first of two straight home games to wrap up the regular season slate. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+ and Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket. The Roadrunners are coming off a 28-7 road triumph over Charlotte that evened their overall record to 5-5 and conference mark to 3-3. The Pirates used a late touchdown to slip past Memphis at home last Saturday night, improving to 7-3 and 5-1. This will mark the third meeting between the two programs in a series that has seen the home team come out on top in each of the past two seasons.
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and via the ESPN app. Ted Emrich (play-by-play), Taylor McHargue (analyst) and Smacker Miles (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
UTSA held Charlotte without an offensive touchdown and to fewer than 200 yards, while the Roadrunners piled up 521 yards in a 28-7 victory over the 49ers in American Conference action on Saturday at Jerry Richardson Stadium. UTSA limited Charlotte to 197 yards, including only 51 rushing, and surrendered just a kickoff return for a touchdown in winning a conference road game for the first time in two years. Shad Banks Jr. paced the defense with eight tackles, while Tyan Milton made six stops and picked off a pass late in the game to keep the Charlotte offense out of the end zone. Offensively, Owen McCown completed 24 of 37 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns, also rushing for one score. Will Henderson III piled up a career-high 185 yards and a TD on 19 rushes, while Devin McCuin registered his first career 100-yard receiving game with 100 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. AJ Wilson added 87 yards on five receptions, as UTSA logged its second 500-yard offensive output of the year.
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 32-4 (.889) record at the facility dating back to the 2020 season. The 32 wins are tied with Memphis for the most among current American Conference members and tied with the Tigers and Notre Dame for the eighth most in the FBS during that span. Additionally, UTSA is a perfect 22-0 in regular season conference home games and 24-0 against league foes when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games under Traylor. The Roadrunners are the only FBS team with an undefeated record in conference home games since 2020 (Notre Dame, an Independent, was 5-0 in home ACC games in the adjusted COVID season in 2020) and the 22 wins in those contests place UTSA in a tie with Ohio State and Oregon for the second-most in the FBS behind Alabama (24). The Roadrunners entered 2025 with a school record-tying 10-game home winning streak, but that was snapped in a heartbreaking loss to Texas State in the home opener on Sept. 6. UTSA has won in convincing fashion against UIW, Rice and Tulane in their last three Alamodome appearances, giving them 20 wins over the last 22 home contests. UTSA also reeled off a 10-game home win streak 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 30 of their last 33 home contests and are 58-31 (.652) all-time in the Alamodome.
UTSA’s Home Record Since 2020
|
Year |
Overall |
Conf. |
|
2020 |
5-1 |
4-0 |
|
2021 |
7-0 |
4-0 |
|
2022 |
6-1 |
4-0 |
|
2023 |
5-1 |
4-0 |
|
2024 |
6-0 |
4-0 |
|
2025 |
3-1 |
2-0 |
|
Total |
32-4 |
22-0 |
Best FBS Conference Home Records Since 2020
(regular season conference games only)
|
Rk. |
Team |
Record |
Pct. |
|
1. |
UTSA |
22-0 |
1.000 |
|
2. |
Alabama |
24-1 |
.960 |
|
3. |
Georgia |
20-1 |
.952 |
|
4. |
Ohio State |
22-2 |
.917 |
|
|
Oregon |
22-2 |
.917 |
* Notre Dame, an Independent, was 5-0 in ACC home games during the adjusted COVID season in 2020
REMEMBER NOVEMBER
The Roadrunners have experienced much success in the 11th month of the calendar year under head coach Jeff Traylor era. Since he took over the program prior to the 2020 season, UTSA boasts a 17-4 (.801) record in November, including a 7-3 (.700) mark in American Conference games.
UTSA’s November Games under Jeff Traylor (17-4)
|
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 |
|
11/22/24 |
Temple |
W, 51-27 |
|
11/30/24 |
at Army |
L, 24-29 |
|
11/6/25 |
at South Florida |
L, 23-55 |
|
11/15/25 |
at Charlotte |
W, 28-7 |
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 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 51-25 (.671) under his direction, the most wins among current American Conference teams since 2020, tied for the 11th-most in the FBS and knotted with SMU for the second-most among teams from the state of Texas during that span. UTSA boasts a 32-4 (.889) home record in the Traylor era, tied for the eighth-most home victories in the FBS since 2020 and deadlocked with Memphis for the most among current American Conference members during that stretch. Additionally, with the 48-26 victory over Tulane on Oct. 30, the Roadrunners ran their record under Traylor to a perfect 22-0 in regular season conference home games and 24-0 against league foes when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games at the Alamodome. 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.
SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
The Pirates used a late touchdown pass to upend Memphis, 31-27, at home on Saturday night, running their record to 7-3 overall and 5-1 in the American Conference. East Carolina is averaging 466.3 yards and 33.6 points per game while allowing 339.1 yards and 18.3 points per contest. Katin Houser has completed 231 of 347 passes for 2,801 yards and 15 touchdowns. His top target is Anthony Smith, who has 51 receptions for 745 yards and four TDs. London Montgomery paces the ground game with 637 yards and seven scores on 128 attempts. Defensively, Ja’Marley Riddle leads the way with 58 tackles, five pass breakups and a pair of interceptions, while Zion Wilson has team highs of eight tackles for loss and five sacks. Head coach Blake Harrell is 12-4 in his second season at the helm. ECU offensive line coach Matt Mattox was a former assistant coach at UTSA from 2020 to 2022.
SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the third meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and East Carolina with each team winning on its home turf over the past two seasons. The Roadrunners registered a 41-27 victory on Oct. 28, 2023, at the Alamodome while the Pirates pulled out a 30-20 decision on Sept. 28, 2024, in Greenville, North Carolina.
UTSA/ECU Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
10/28/23 |
San Antonio, Texas |
W, 41-27 |
|
9/28/24 |
Greenville, N.C. |
L, 20-30 |
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 15th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 183rd game in program history on Saturday when they host East Carolina. UTSA is 96-86 (.528) all-time and 58-31 (.652). By comparison, East Carolina played its first season of football in 1932 and owns an all-time record of 479-462-11.
LAST MEETING
Zah Frazier had two interceptions and UTSA posted 456 yards of offense, but East Carolina rallied from a 10-point deficit for a 30-20 victory on Sept. 28, 2024, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. The Roadrunners built a 13-3 first-half lead, but the Pirates scored 24 unanswered points and held off a late UTSA rally in the win. Martavius French paced the defense with eight tackles, including six solo stops and one tackle for loss, while Jamal Ligon logged five, including a sack, to go with a forced fumble and one quarterback hurry. Offensively, UTSA passed for 286 yards and rushed for 170. Brandon High Jr. led the ground game with 92 yards and a touchdown on just seven attempts, while Willie McCoy caught four passes for 91 yards. Owen McCown completed 24 of 49 passes for 251 yards and a TD and Chris Carpenter led all receivers with six catches for 61 yards.
HENRY CHOSEN AS DOAK WALKER AWARD SEMIFINALIST
UTSA senior Robert Henry Jr. was chosen as one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award that is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college running back. He joins two-time semifinalist Sincere McCormick (2020, 2021) as the only Roadrunners to be chosen as Doak Walker Award semifinalists. He has rushed for 983 yards and nine touchdowns on 138 carries this season, good for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He also has caught 17 passes for 112 yards and a pair of scores, giving him 1,095 all-purpose yards in 2025. He has logged five 100-yard rushing games and six plays from scrimmage of 70-or-more yards, including five runs. The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will select three finalists later this month and the winner will be announced live on ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 41 of the 76 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 26-15 record (.634) in those games. Dating back to the 2021 campaign, UTSA has seen 28 of the last 55 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Since 2020, the Roadrunners are 20-12 (.625) in games decided by eight points or less.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will close out the regular season slate at home against Army on Saturday, Nov. 29. 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-