Game #12
Senior Day/Salute to Armed Forces
UTSA Roadrunners (6-5, 4-3)
vs.
Army Black Knights (5-5, 3-4)
2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 29
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
Series History: Army leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Army 29, UTSA 24 (11/30/24 • West Point, N.Y.)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Army will meet for the sixth time on Saturday.
- Army leads the series, 4-1, including 3-0 in games played in San Antonio.
- Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are 25-0 against conference opponents at the Alamodome — including 23-0 in regular season league games — since 2020. UTSA is the only FBS team with an undefeated record in regular season conference home games over the past six seasons.
- The Roadrunners are 18-4 (.818) in the month of November in the Jeff Traylor era.
- UTSA is 52-25 (.675) overall under head coach Jeff Traylor, the most wins among current American Conference teams since 2020 and tied with SMU for the second-most home victories among teams from the state of Texas during that span.
- The Roadrunners are 33-4 (.892) in home games with Jeff Traylor at the helm, the most wins among current American Conference members since 2020 and tied for the sixth-most home victories in the FBS over that stretch.
- In the Jeff Traylor era, the Roadrunners are 35-11 (.761) in conference games, including 15-8 (.652) in the American.
- UTSA is bowl eligible for the sixth straight season.
- The Roadrunners have registered a sack in 33 of their last 34 games and a takeaway in 30 of their last 34 contests.
- UTSA boasts a 100-yard rusher in eight of the 11 games this season.
SETTING THE SCENE
Winners of two straight games and bowl eligible for the sixth straight season under head coach Jeff Traylor, UTSA will close out the regular season slate against Army on Saturday, Nov. 29. Kickoff for Senior Day and the annual Salute to Armed Forces game is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners ran their record to 6-5 overall and 4-3 in American Conference play with a convincing 58-24 home triumph over East Carolina last Saturday, improving to 25-0 against league opponents at home in the Traylor era. This will be the sixth meeting between in a series led by the Black Knights, 4-1, Army dropped a 26-25 decision to Tulsa to fall to 5-5 and 3-4 on the year.
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and via the ESPN app. Ted Emrich (play-by-play), LaDarrin McLane (analyst) and Natalie Kalibat (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
Shad Banks Jr. posted 10 tackles, returned an interception for a touchdown and recovered a fumble and Will Henderson III registered his second straight 100-yard rushing game, as UTSA secured bowl eligibility with a 58-24 victory over East Carolina in American Conference action last Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners built a 44-3 lead and never looked back in becoming bowl eligible for the sixth straight season under head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA also remained perfect against conference opponents in home games under Traylor, improving to 23-0 in regular season conference games at the Alamodome and 25-0 when including the 2021 and 2022 Conference USA Championship Games. Banks logged his second double-digit tackles output of the season and became the first Roadrunner to ever have a pick six and fumble recovery in the same game. Henderson rushed for 146 yards on 19 carries in his first career start to help guide a balanced offensive attack that piled up 458 yards of offense, 210 rushing and 248 passing. Owen McCown completed 24 of 33 passes for 248 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, the second-most in a game by a Roadrunner. He spread the ball to nine difference players, paced by five receptions for 73 yards and a score from David Amador II and five catches for 35 yards and a TD by Houston Thomas. Patrick Overmyer had three grabs for 58 yards and DJ Allen Jr. hauled in three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown.
BANKS PICKS UP WEEKLY ACCOLADES
UTSA senior Shad Banks Jr. has picked up a pair of weekly accolades for his performance in the 58-24 win over East Carolina. He was named to Pro Football Focus’ National Team of the Week at linebacker, and he was chosen as the American Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The North Shore High School product registered 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup to help the Roadrunners secure bowl eligibility for the sixth straight season with their sixth win of the campaign.
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 33-4 (.892) record at the facility dating back to the 2020 season. The 33 wins are the most among current American Conference members and are tied with Michigan, Missouri and Notre Dame for the sixth most in the FBS during that span. Additionally, UTSA is a perfect 23-0 in regular season conference home games and 25-0 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 23 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 43-36 loss to Texas State in the home opener on Sept. 6. UTSA has won in convincing fashion against UIW, Rice, Tulane and East Carolina in their last four Alamodome appearances, giving them 21 wins over the last 23 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 31 of their last 34 home contests and are 59-31 (.656) all-time in the Alamodome. Two of UTSA’s four home losses in the Traylor era have come at the hands of Army in 2020 (28-16) and 2023 (37-29).
UTSA’s Home Record Since 2020
|
Year |
Overall |
Conf. |
|
2020 |
5-1 |
4-0 |
|
2021 |
7-0 |
5-0* |
|
2022 |
6-1 |
5-0* |
|
2023 |
5-1 |
4-0 |
|
2024 |
6-0 |
4-0 |
|
2025 |
4-1 |
3-0 |
|
Total |
33-4 |
23-0 |
*includes 2021 & 2022 Conference USA Championship Games hosted by UTSA at Alamodome
Best FBS Conference Home Records Since 2020
(includes home conference championship games)
|
Rk. |
Team |
Record |
Pct. |
|
1. |
UTSA |
25-0 |
1.000 |
|
2. |
Alabama |
24-1 |
.960 |
|
3. |
Georgia |
20-1 |
.952 |
|
4. |
Ohio State |
23-2 |
.920 |
|
|
Oregon |
23-2 |
.920 |
* 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 an 18-4 (.818) record in November, including an 8-3 (.727) mark in American Conference games.
UTSA’s November Games under Jeff Traylor (18-4)
|
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 |
|
11/22/25 |
East Carolina |
W, 58-24 |
ROADRUNNERS GOING BOWLING
Following the 58-24 home victory over East Carolina on Nov. 22, the Roadrunners are bowl eligible for the sixth year in a row under head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA has played in a bowl game in each of the past five seasons and has won each of the past two appearances. The Roadrunners played in their first bowl game in 2016, a 23-20 setback to New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.
UTSA’s Bowl History (2-4)
|
Date |
Bowl |
Opponent |
Result |
|
12/17/16 |
New Mexico Bowl |
New Mexico |
L, 20-23 |
|
12/26/20 |
First Responder Bowl |
Louisiana |
L, 24-31 |
|
12/21/21 |
Frisco Bowl |
#24 San Diego State |
L, 24-38 |
|
12/16/22 |
Cure Bowl |
#23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
|
12/19/23 |
Frisco Bowl |
Marshall |
W, 35-17 |
|
12/23/24 |
Myrtle Beach Bowl |
Coastal Carolina |
W, 44-15 |
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 10 of its 15 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 52-25 (.675) 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 33-4 (.892) home record in the Traylor era, the most among current American Conference members since 2020 and tied with Michigan, Missouri and Notre Dame for the sixth-most home victories in the FBS during that stretch. Additionally, with the 58-24 victory over East Carolina on Nov. 22, the Roadrunners ran their record under Traylor to a perfect 23-0 in regular season conference home games and 25-0 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 ARMY
The Black Knights fell to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in American Conference play with a 26-25 home setback to Tulsa last Saturday. Army is averaging 22.6 points and 338.4 yards per game while allowing 22.4 points and 354.1 yards per contest. Cale Hellums guides the offense with 988 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 241 attempts to go with 466 yards and a pair of TDs on 31-of-59 passing. Noah Short is the top receiver with 21 catches for 273 yards and a score. Defensively, Andon Thomas leads the way with 87 tackles, while Jack Bousum has a team-high three sacks. Head coach Jeff Monken is 87-62 in his 12th season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the sixth meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and Army. The Black Knights lead the series, 4-1, including 3-0 in games played in San Antonio. Army outlasted UTSA, 37-29, on Sept. 15, 2023, in the last meeting at the Alamodome and they held off the Roadrunners, 29-24, in West Point, New York, in the last meeting on Nov. 30, 2024.
UTSA/Army Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
9/14/19 |
San Antonio, Texas |
L, 13-31 |
|
10/17/20 |
San Antonio, Texas |
L, 16-28 |
|
9/10/22 |
West Point, N.Y. |
W, 41-38 (OT) |
|
9/15/23 |
San Antonio, Texas |
L, 29-37 |
|
11/30/24 |
West Point, N.Y. |
L, 24-29 |
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 15th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 184th game in program history on Saturday when they host Army. UTSA is 97-86 (.530) all-time and 59-31 (.656). By comparison, Army has been playing football since 1890 and owns an all-time record of 744-552-51.
LAST MEETING
Syrus Dumas had a career-high 12 tackles and Brandon High Jr. rushed for a pair of touchdowns, but No. 22 Army thwarted a late UTSA rally for a 29-24 decision in American Athletic Conference action on a chilly Saturday at Michie Stadium. Dumas registered three of his dozen stops behind the line of scrimmage, as UTSA tallied seven tackles for loss on the day. The Roadrunners also recorded a pair of sacks and came up with their 21st takeaway of the fall. High rushed for 61 yards on 16 carries to pace the ground game while Owen McCown added 50 yards to go with his 207 passing yards. David Amador II led the receiving corps with seven catches for 75 yards while Devin McCuin piled up 82 yards on three grabs.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 41 of the 77 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 56 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 await word of their destination for their sixth straight and seventh all-time bowl game appearance.
-UTSA-