Game #8
(RV) UTSA Roadrunners (6-1, 3-0)
at
Tulane Green Wave (3-3, 1-1)
7 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
Yulman Stadium | New Orleans, La.
Series History: UTSA leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: UTSA 48, Tulane 26 (10/30/25 • San Antonio, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Tulane will meet for the fourth time on Saturday night in New Orleans.
- The Roadrunners lead the series, 2-1, including a 48-26 home triumph last year.
- The Green Wave won the only previous meeting in New Orleans, 29-16, in 2023.
- For the third time in four weeks, UTSA is receiving votes (13) in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
- At 6-1, the Roadrunners are off to their best seven-game start since a 7-0 mark in 2021.
- UTSA is bowl eligible for the seventh straight year, all under head coach Jeff Traylor.
- The Roadrunners now have registered at least six wins in 11 of the 16 seasons in program history, including in all seven years of the Jeff Traylor era.
- The Roadrunners are 3-0 in conference for the fourth time in the Jeff Traylor era (since 2020) and second time (2023) in four years as a member of the American Conference.
- UTSA is 59-27 (.686) under Jeff Traylor, the most wins since 2020 among both current American Conference teams and state of Texas squads, as well as 10th most among FBS programs during that timeframe.
- UTSA is 38-12 (.760) in conference play in the Jeff Traylor era.
- The Roadrunners are 16-8 (.667) in the month of October under Jeff Traylor.
- In the Jeff Traylor era, UTSA is 31-16 (.660) in games that have been within one score during the fourth quarter and 24-13 (.649) in games decided by eight or fewer points.
- UTSA owns game-winning drives in the fourth quarter in two straight and three overall games this season.
SETTING THE SCENE
Riding a four-game winning streak and atop the American Conference standings at 3-0, UTSA will leave the state of Texas for the first time this season to face Tulane on Saturday, Oct. 24, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Yulman Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Roadrunners ran their record to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the league with a 38-34 home victory over Navy last Saturday night, becoming bowl eligible for the seventh straight year under head coach Jeff Traylor. The Green Wave upended Memphis, 31-17, last Friday night to even their records at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the American. UTSA leads the all-time series, 2-1, including a 48-26 home triumph in the last meeting on Oct. 30, 2025. Tulane scored a 29-16 win in the only previous meeting in New Orleans on Nov. 24, 2023.
TUNING IN
Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, and it will be available via the ESPN app. Ted Emrich (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (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.
OFF TO A HOT START
UTSA is off to a 6-1 start through seven games, the second-best record over that span behind only the 2021 squad that started 7-0. The Roadrunners are riding a four-game winning streak, their longest since a seven-game stretch to the 2023 American Conference slate. Additionally, UTSA is 3-0 in conference play for the second time in four years as a member of the American and for the fourth time in program history (2021, 2022, 2023, 2026).
GOING BOWLING
UTSA secured bowl eligibility for the seventh consecutive season with the 38-34 victory over Navy on Oct. 17. The Roadrunners have played in a bowl game in each of head coach Jeff Traylor’s first six seasons, and they have come out victorious in each of their past three bowls. UTSA has played in seven bowls overall with the first appearance coming in the 2016 New Mexico Bowl, a 23-20 setback to New Mexico. The Roadrunners are 3-4 all-time in bowls after defeating Marshall in the 2023 Frisco Bowl, Coastal Carolina in the 2024 Myrtle Beach Bowl and FIU in the 2025 First Responder Bowl.
LAST TIME OUT
A’Marion Peterson’s 41-yard touchdown reception in the final minutes helped lift UTSA to a 38-34 victory over Navy and remain undefeated in American Conference action last Saturday night at the Alamodome. Peterson took a short pass from Owen McCown and raced down the right sideline for the go-ahead score. Michael Petro’s extra point made it a four-point contest with 2:24 left to play. The UTSA defense then turned up the pressure on the Midshipmen’s ensuing possession, taking advantage of a holding penalty and a false start to force the visitors into second down and 25 yards to gain. Following an 11-yard rush by Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez, Owen Pewee came up with a tackle for a 2-yard loss on third down and then pressured Gutierrez into an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Roadrunners with 1:50 remaining. UTSA burned enough clock before turning it back over to Navy on downs with eight seconds on the clock. The Roadrunners forced an incomplete pass as time expired to run their record to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the league, becoming bowl eligible for the seventh straight season in the process. The inaugural matchup between the two teams turned into a back-and-forth affair in the fourth quarter as the lead changed hands four times down the stretch.
HOGAN HONORED BY AMERICAN CONFERENCE
UTSA punter Caile Hogan was named American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 38-34 win over Navy last Saturday night. He averaged 42.8 yards on five punts and pinned the Midshipmen inside their own 20-yard line three times. In fact, those three kicks forced the Midshipmen to start drives at their own 8-, 3- and 8-yard lines. UTSA registered a 41.2-yard net punting average for the game and only allowed one return for eight yards. This marks the second conference player of the week honor for the Roadrunners this season after Darion White was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5.
SWEET SIXTEEN
The Roadrunners is in its 16th season of football this year. 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. With the 38-34 home win against Navy on Oct. 17, they now have registered at least six wins in 11 of the 16 seasons in program history. UTSA has reached the seven-win plateau eight times, including in each of the first six years of the Jeff Traylor era.
THE TRAYLOR ERA
Seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor has taken UTSA to new heights during his time in San Antonio. The Roadrunners are 59-27 (.686) under his direction, the most wins among both current American Conference teams and programs from the state of Texas, as well as the 10th most among FBS programs during that timeframe. Traylor also has helped turn the Alamodome into one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play, as the Roadrunners are 37-5 (.881) at the Alamodome since 2020. UTSA’s 37 home victories are the most among both current American Conference members and state of Texas teams and tied for the sixth-most home wins among FBS programs dating back to 2020. 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.
UTSA IN FOURTH SEASON IN AMERICAN CONFERENCE
UTSA is in 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 kicked off the campaign on Sept. 5 with a 45-16 home triumph over UTRGV, which played its inaugural season of football in 2025 as a member of the Southland Conference. UTSA played back-to-back road games at Texas State and Texas and closed out the non-league slate at home against Colorado State on Sept. 26. The Roadrunners’ conference schedule includes home games against South Florida (Oct. 8), Navy (Oct. 17), North Texas (Nov. 14) and Tulsa (Nov. 27 or 28), and road games versus 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.
SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
The Roadrunners have experienced success on the road so far in 2026. UTSA pulled out a 31-26 victory over Texas State in the first road contest of the season on Sept. 12. The Roadrunners dropped a 30-6 decision to then-No. 1 Texas on Sept. 19 but registered their second road win of the campaign with a 16-14 decision over Rice on Oct. 3. UTSA’s two road wins this year already match last year’s total and they have surpassed the 2024 schedule’s lone road triumph over Coastal Carolina. UTSA logged a 3-3 record on the road in 2023 after posting back-to-back 5-1 road ledgers in 2022 and 2021.
SCOUTING TULANE
The Green Wave improved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the American Conference with a 31-17 home win against Memphis last Friday night, taking advantage of six turnovers, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Tulane, the defending conference champion, is averaging 332.0 yards and 20.5 points per game while allowing 419.7 and 21.7 points per contest. Kadin Semonza has started five games at quarterback and completed 64 of 119 passes for 804 yards and four touchdowns. Maurice. Turner is the top rusher with 315 yards and two TDs on 37 attempts, while Destyn Hill leads the team with 21 receptions for 285 yards and a pair of scores. Defensively, Dickson Agu and Kevin Adams pace the unit with 56 and 54 tackles, respectively. Makai Williams has a team-best five tackles for loss, including three sacks. Head coach Will Hall is in his first season at the helm, and he owns a 72-53 career record in 11 years. Former UTSA offensive lineman Payne He’Bert is a member of Tulane’s Athletics Development staff.
SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the fourth meeting between the Roadrunners and Green Wave. UTSA leads the series, 2-1, including a 48-26 home triumph in the last matchup on Oct. 30, 2025. Tulane claimed the only previous meeting in New Orleans with a 29-16 decision on Nov. 24, 2023, while UTSA posted a 10-7 victory on Nov. 9, 2013, at the Alamodome when both teams were members of Conference USA.
UTSA/Tulane Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
11/9/13 |
San Antonio |
W, 10-7 |
|
11/24/23 |
New Orleans |
L, 16-29 |
|
10/30/25 |
San Antonio |
W, 48-26 |
LAST MEETING
Led by four takeaways from the defense and Owen McCown’s school record-setting night, UTSA raced past Tulane, 48-26, in American Conference action on Oct. 30, 2025, at the Alamodome. UTSA came away with three interceptions and also recovered a fumble, while McCown completed his first 16 passes to break the school record for consecutive completions and finished 31 of 33 for a program-record .939 completion percentage, throwing for 370 yards and four touchdowns. David Amador II led all pass-catchers with 10 receptions for 113 yards and a pair of TDs. He also threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Devin McCuin, who ended with eight grabs for 96 yards and two scores.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 16th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 193rd game in program history on Saturday when they face Tulane. UTSA is 104-88 (.542) all-time and 39-53 (.424) in road games. By comparison, Tulane started playing football in 1893 and has an all-time record of 586-687-38.
LOUISIANA HOMECOMING
Two Roadrunners will be making a homecoming with UTSA’s visit to New Orleans this weekend. Defensive lineman Jameian Buxton is a New Orleans native and graduate of Warren Easton High School, while safety Joel Rogers hails from St. Francisville, which is approximately 30 miles north of Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana High School.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 47 of the 86 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 31-16 record (.660) in those games. Dating back to the 2021 campaign, UTSA has seen 34 of the last 65 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Since 2020, the Roadrunners are 24-13 (.649) in games decided by eight points or less.
GAME-WINNING DRIVES
UTSA has registered three game-winning, fourth-quarter drives through the first seven games this season, including in each of the past two contests. The first occurrence came in the 31-26 victory at Texas State on Sept. 12, as the Bobcats took a 26-24 lead on a field goal with 4:36 left to play before the Roadrunners’ comeback. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown engineered a 14-play, 82-yard march that was capped with a 25-yard touchdown rush by Brandon High Jr. with 14 seconds remaining. Earlier in the drive, McCown connected with David Amador II on an 8-yard pass on fourth down and five to keep the drive alive. UTSA then was faced with third down and 21 yards to gain. McCown completed a pass to AJ Wilson for 16 yards and then converted a fourth down and five for a second time with a 6-yard keeper up the middle. In the 31-24 home triumph over South Florida on Oct. 8, McCown led the Roadrunners on a 10-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead for good after trailing by one, 24-23, with 1:56 on the clock. He scrambled to his right for a 19-yard gain on third down and five to push the ball out to near midfield. UTSA relied on its ground attack, rushing for 70 yards on the possession. Will Henderson III had a 26-yard dash to the 1-yard line to set up A’Marion Peterson’s go-ahead touchdown with 15 seconds left. UTSA once again produced a late touchdown in the final quarter to secure a 38-34 victory against Navy on Oct. 17. Facing a 34-31 deficit with 4:50 remaining, McCown guided the Roadrunners on a six -play, 75-yard march that was capped by another Peterson touchdown, as the running back turned a short pass to the right into a 41-yard score that have UTSA the lead for good.
UTSA O-LINE NAMED TO JOE MOORE AWARD MIDSEASON HONOR ROLL
UTSA’s offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, which recognizes the nation’s top offensive line units. The Roadrunners are one of 25 teams selected for the midseason honor roll for the award, which is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history. The semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award will be announced on Nov. 11. The UTSA o-line has paved the way for a balanced offensive attack that is averaging 411.1 yards per game, 179.4 rushing and 231.7 passing. UTSA has surpassed 500 yards of offense twice this season with 542 in the 59-45 victory over Colorado State and 527 in the season-opening triumph over UTRGV. The Roadrunners have racked up 200-plus rushing yards three times, headlined by a season-high 277 in the 31-24 victory against South Florida.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will have their first and only idle week of the season next week before returning to action on Thursday, Nov. 5, against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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