Game #1
UTSA Roadrunners (0-0)
vs.
UTRGV Vaqueros (1-0)
2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 5
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA will kick off its 16th season on Saturday against UTRGV, a member of the Southland Conference (FCS) who is in its second season of football.
- This will mark the first meeting between the Roadrunners and Vaqueros, who are coached by Travis Bush, UTSA’s first-ever offensive coordinator during the 2010 practice season and 2011 inaugural campaign.
- In addition to Travis Bush’s previous ties to the UTSA football program, UTRGV co-offensive coordinator Jeff Bowen was a graduate assistant at UTSA for its first three seasons, while UTRGV director of football operations John Simmons was a quarterback at UTSA from 2010 to 2013 and is a 2014 graduate.
- UTSA is 53-26 (.671) since 2020 under head coach Jeff Traylor, the most wins among current American Conference teams and tied with SMU for both the 11th-most among FBS programs and second-most among teams from the state of Texas during that timeframe.
- The Roadrunners are 33-5 (.868) at the Alamodome in the Jeff Traylor era, the most home victories among both current American Conference members and state of Texas teams and tied for the sixth-most among FBS programs dating back to 2020.
- UTSA is coming off its third consecutive bowl victory and sixth straight bowl appearance, all under head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners ran away from FIU, 57-20, to win the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26, 2025, in Dallas in what was the program’s seventh all-time bowl game.
- The Roadrunners are 10-5 all-time and 3-3 under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor in season openers.
- UTSA is 9-6 all-time and 4-2 in the Jeff Traylor era in home openers.
- The Roadrunners are 39-26 versus teams from the state of Texas, including 19-10 under Jeff Traylor.
SETTING THE SCENE
The 16th season of UTSA Football will get underway on Saturday, Sept. 5, against UTRGV (1-0). 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. This will mark the first meeting between the Roadrunners and Vaqueros, who shut out UT Permian Basin, 44-0, last Saturday night in their season opener. UTSA is 9-6 all-time in home openers, including a 4-2 mark under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners own a 10-5 record in season openers and a 39-26 ledger versus teams from the state of Texas, including marks of 3-3 and 19-10, respectively, in the Traylor era. Under the direction of head coach Travis Bush, who was UTSA’s first-ever offensive coordinator, UTRGV is in its second season of football and is a member of the Southland Conference (FCS).
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and via the ESPN app. David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Brad Hopkins (analyst) 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.
SWEET SIXTEEN
The Roadrunners will play their 16th season of football this fall. 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. The Roadrunners made history in 2021 by 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 and fourth overall bowl appearance, ending the year with an 11-3 mark. In 2023, the Roadrunners notched their first bowl victory with a 35-17 decision over Marshall in the Frisco Bowl to cap a 9-4 ledger that include a 7-1 mark in their debut in the American. The 2024 campaign saw UTSA win four of its last five games, starting with a 44-36 victory over No. 25 Memphis for the program’s first-ever top-25 win and ending with a second straight bowl victory, a 44-15 triumph over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, to finish at 7-6 overall. The Roadrunners capped a seven-win season in 2025 with a 57-20 rout of FIU in the First Responder Bowl, and they now have registered at least six wins in 10 of the 15 seasons in program history and reach the seven-win plateau eight times, including in each of the first six years of the Jeff Traylor era.
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
UTSA is 10-5 all-time in season openers, including a 3-3 mark under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA is 3-0 in season openers played against an FCS opponent, including a 1-0 mark versus Southland Conference foes with the 35-7 triumph over UIW in 2019.
UTSA’s Season Openers (10-5)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Score |
|
9/3/11 |
Northeastern State |
W, 31-3 |
|
9/1/12 |
at South Alabama |
W, 33-31 |
|
8/31/13 |
at New Mexico |
W, 21-13 |
|
8/29/14 |
at Houston |
W, 27-7 |
|
9/3/15 |
at #22 Arizona |
L, 32-42 |
|
9/3/16 |
Alabama State |
W, 26-13 |
|
9/9/17 |
at Baylor |
W, 17-10 |
|
9/1/18 |
at Arizona State |
L, 7-49 |
|
8/31/19 |
UIW |
W, 35-7 |
|
9/12/20 |
at Texas State |
W, 51-48 (2OT) |
|
9/4/21 |
at Illinois |
W, 37-30 |
|
9/3/22 |
#24 Houston |
L, 35-37 (3OT) |
|
9/2/23 |
at Houston |
L, 14-17 |
|
8/31/24 |
Kennesaw State |
W, 28-16 |
|
8/30/25 |
at #19 Texas A&M |
L, 24-42 |
UTSA IN HOME DEBUTS
UTSA is 9-6 all-time in home openers, including 4-2 under head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners have won seven of their last 10 home debuts.
UTSA’s Home Openers
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
9/3/11 |
Northeastern State |
W, 31-3 |
|
9/8/12 |
East Texas A&M |
W, 27-16 |
|
9/7/13 |
#13 Oklahoma State |
L, 35-56 |
|
9/4/14 |
Arizona |
L, 23-26 |
|
9/12/15 |
Kansas State |
L, 3-30 |
|
9/3/16 |
Alabama State |
W, 26-13 |
|
9/16/17 |
Southern |
W, 51-17 |
|
9/8/18 |
Baylor |
L, 20-37 |
|
8/31/19 |
UIW |
W, 35-7 |
|
9/19/20 |
SFA |
W, 24-10 |
|
9/11/21 |
Lamar |
W, 54-0 |
|
9/3/22 |
#24 Houston |
L, 35-37 (3OT) |
|
9/9/23 |
Texas State |
W, 20-13 |
|
8/31/24 |
Kennesaw State |
W, 28-16 |
|
9/6/25 |
Texas State |
L, 36-43 |
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 33-5 (.868) record at the facility dating back to the 2020 season. The 33 home wins are the most among current American Conference members and teams from the state of Texas, and it marks the sixth most in the FBS during that span. The Roadrunners have been victorious in 21 of their last 24 home contests and are 59-32 (.648) all-time in the Alamodome.
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 |
4-2 |
3-1 |
|
Total |
33-5 |
23-1 |
*includes 2021 & 2022 Conference USA Championship Games hosted by UTSA at Alamodome
PACKING THE DOME
UTSA fans have packed the Alamodome over the past five seasons, as six of the program’s 10 largest home crowds have been recorded during that span. The Roadrunners drew 45,778 fans for the 2025 home opener against Texas State, marking the third-largest attendance for a UTSA game at the Alamodome. In fact, the top four and six of the top 10 Alamodome crowds have come in home openers. Since the return from COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 season, 834,698 fans have filed into the Alamodome to watch the Roadrunners, an average of 26,084 per contest. In the 2024 season opener against Kennesaw State, the program eclipsed the two-million fan mark, and now 2,260,951 spectators have watched the Roadrunners at the Alamodome, an average of 24,846 over 91 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 |
|
45,778 |
9/6/25 |
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 |
APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK
UTSA will enter the 2026 season with 98 victories across the program’s 15 seasons. The Roadrunners own an all-time record of 98-87 (.530) with 53 of the wins coming under the direction of head coach Jeff Traylor, the winningest and longest-tenured head coach in program history.
UTSA SET FOR FOURTH SEASON IN AMERICAN CONFERENCE
UTSA is set for its fourth season as a member of the American Conference and seventh year under the direction of head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners welcome back 49 members of last year’s team that capped a second straight seven-win campaign with a 57-20 victory over FIU in the First Responder Bowl, their third consecutive bowl win. UTSA lists 10 returning starters with six on offense, two on defense and a pair of specialists.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
UTSA’s 12-game regular season schedule features four non-conference games and eight American Conference contests. The Roadrunners will kick off the campaign on Sept. 5 with a home contest against UTRGV, which played its inaugural season of football in 2025 as a member of the Southland Conference. UTSA then will play back-to-back road games at Texas State (Sept. 12) and Texas (Sept. 19) before closing out the non-league slate at home against Colorado State on Sept. 26. The Roadrunners have home conference games scheduled against South Florida (Oct. 8), Navy (Oct. 17), North Texas (Nov. 14) and Tulsa (Nov. 27 or 28), while they will travel to Rice (Oct. 3), Tulane (Oct. 24), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 5) and UAB (Nov. 21). The American Conference Championship Game will be played Dec. 5.
STAYING IN STATE
The Roadrunners will be staying close to home for the majority of the 2026 schedule. UTSA is slated to play its first seven games in the state of Texas, not leaving the Lone Star State until the Oct. 24 contest at Tulane in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Roadrunners have two more home games after that, giving them nine total regular season matchups inside their home state. In addition to the game in New Orleans, UTSA also will visit the states of Alabama (UAB) and Florida (Florida Atlantic) this fall.
THE TRAYLOR ERA
Seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor has taken UTSA to new heights during his time in San Antonio. The Roadrunners are 53-26 (.671) under his direction, the most wins since 2020 among current American Conference teams and tied with SMU for both the 11th-most among FBS programs and second-most among teams from the state of Texas. Traylor also has helped turn the Alamodome into one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play, as the Roadrunners are 33-5 (.868) at the Alamodome since 2020. UTSA’s 33 home victories during that span are tied for the sixth-most among FBS programs and they are the most among both current American Conference members and state of Texas teams. Since Traylor took over the program, UTSA has captured a pair of conference championships, earned six straight bowl berths with three consecutive bowl wins and made a combined 23 appearances in the three major national polls. A 2025 inductee into both the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, he has coached 10 All-Americans, three national award finalists, 97 all-conference selections and a trio of NFL Draft picks at UTSA.
SCOUTING UTRGV
The Vaqueros shut out UT Permian Basin, 44-0, in their season opener last Saturday night in Edinburg. UTRGV piled up 675 yards of offense — 404 through the air and 271 on the ground — and limited the Falcons to 165 total yards in the rout. Aidan Jakobsohn completed 10 of 16 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, while Garret Rangel threw for 211 and a TD on 12-of-15 passing. Kyran Lee (141) and Corey Holmes (119) both surpasses the century mark in receiving yards, while Brennan Carroll paced the rushing attack with 84 yards and a score on nine carries. Defensively, Jackson Waid led the way with four tackles, while the Vaqueros picked off three passes and added seven pass breakups.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the first meeting on the gridiron between UTSA and UTRGV. The Roadrunners and Vaqueros both are modern startup programs with UTSA kicking off its 16th season Saturday and UTRGV already underway with its second campaign with a 1-0 record after logging a 9-3 ledger in 2025.
UTSA/UTRGV CONNECTIONS
The UTSA football program has several connections to the UTRGV staff. Vaqueros head coach Travis Bush was the first offensive coordinator in UTSA history, as he filled that role during the 2010 practice season and 2011 inaugural campaign. UTRGV co-offensive coordinator Jeff Bowen was a graduate assistant at UTSA for its first three seasons, while UTRGV director of football operations John Simmons was a quarterback at UTSA from 2010 to 2013 and is a 2014 graduate.
UTSA VERSUS IN-STATE FOES
The Roadrunners are 39-26 (.600) all-time against teams from the state of Texas including 19-10 (.655) under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. UTRGV is the first of three consecutive and five overall opponents from the Lone Star State on this year’s schedule.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 16th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 186th game in program history on Saturday when they host UTRGV in the home opener. UTSA is 98-87 (.530) all-time and 59-32 (.648) in the Alamodome. A similar startup program, UTRGV is 10-3 all-time and in its second season of football after turning in a 9-3 record in 2025.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will make the short trip north to San Marcos to face Texas State in the Battle for I-35 next Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. at UFCU Stadium and the game will be televised on The CW Network.
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