Game #6
Lights Out
UTSA Roadrunners (4-1, 1-0)
vs.
South Florida Bulls (4-1, 1-1)
6:30 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 8
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
Series History: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: USF 55, UTSA 23 (11/6/25 • Tampa, Fla.)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and South Florida will meet for the third time on Thursday night.
- The series is tied at 1-1 with each team protecting its home turf in the first two meetings.
- The Roadrunners registered a 49-21 victory on Nov. 17, 2023, in what was a Friday night broadcast on ESPN2.
- The Bulls defeated UTSA, 55-23, in a Thursday night ESPN telecast on Nov. 6, 2025, in the last meeting.
- This will mark UTSA’s 12th appearance on ESPN with the Roadrunners owning a 4-7 record on the network.
- UTSA is 14-8 in weekday games including 2-3 on Thursdays.
- The Roadrunners are 2-0 in Lights Out games.
- At 4-1, UTSA is off to its best five-game start since a 5-0 mark in 2021.
- With the 16-14 victory at Rice, the Roadrunners won their conference opener for the second time as a member of the American Conference and improved to 5-2 in league openers under head coach Jeff Traylor.
- UTSA is 57-27 (.679) in the Jeff Traylor era (since 2020), 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 35-5 (.875) at the Alamodome under Jeff Traylor, the most home victories among both current American Conference members and state of Texas teams and tied for the 10th-most home wins among FBS programs dating back to 2020.
- UTSA is 36-12 (.750) versus conference opponents in the Jeff Traylor era (since 2020).
- Since 2020, the Roadrunners boast a 25-1 home record against league foes, 23-1 in regular season conference contests and 2-0 in conference championship games hosted at the Alamodome.
- The Roadrunners have registered a sack in 39 of their last 41 games and a takeaway in 35 of their last 41 contests.
- ESPN SportsCenter on Campus will broadcast live at 4-4:30 p.m. Thursday from Rowdy Town Live in the Alamodome’s H-E-B Plaza.
SETTING THE SCENE
Off to the best five-game start at 4-1 since 2021, UTSA will host South Florida in a nationally televised Thursday night contest at the Alamodome. Kickoff for the annual Lights Out game presented by Cowboys AC & Heating is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Roadrunners are coming off a 16-14 road win over Rice to open American Conference play, while the Bulls dropped a 17-13 decision to Temple at home to fall to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the league. This will mark the third meeting between the two schools on the gridiron with each team protecting its home turf in the previous matchups. UTSA registered a 49-21 victory on Nov. 17, 2023, in what was a Friday night broadcast on ESPN2, while USF defeated the Roadrunners, 55-23, in a Thursday night ESPN telecast on Nov. 6, 2025.
TUNING IN
Thursday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN and it will be available via the ESPN app. Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Chase Daniel (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (reporter) will call the action. Additionally, ESPN SportsCenter on Campus will broadcast live at 4-4:30 p.m. Thursday from Rowdy Town Live in the Alamodome’s H-E-B Plaza. 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 4-1 start through five games, the best record over that span since the 2021 squad started 5-0. This marks the third time in 16 seasons that the Roadrunners have won at least four of their first five contests, also accomplishing that feat in 2012 (5-0).
HOME SWEET DOME
UTSA has been tough to beat at the Alamodome during the Jeff Traylor era, boasting a 35-5 (.875) record at the facility dating back to the 2020 season. The 35 home wins are the most among current American Conference members and they are tied with Texas A&M for the most among teams from the state of Texas. The Roadrunners are deadlocked with Texas A&M and Notre Dame for the 10th-most home victories in the FBS and their .875 home game winning percentage ranks sixth in the FBS during that span. The Roadrunners have been victorious in 23 of their last 26 home contests and are 61-32 (.656) all-time in the Alamodome. UTSA has been even tougher to beat when playing conference opponents played at the Alamodome. Since 2020, the Roadrunners boast a 25-1 home record against league foes, 23-1 in regular season conference contests and 2-0 in conference championship games hosted at 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 |
|
2026 |
2-0 |
0-0 |
|
Total |
35-5 |
25-1 |
*includes 2021 & 2022 Conference USA Championship Games hosted by UTSA at Alamodome
Most FBS Home Wins Since 2020
|
Team |
Record |
Pct. |
|
Alabama |
41-2 |
.953 |
|
Ohio State |
40-3 |
.930 |
|
Georgia |
38-1 |
.974 |
|
Ole Miss |
38-6 |
.864 |
|
Oregon |
37-2 |
.949 |
|
LSU |
36-7 |
.837 |
|
Michigan |
36-7 |
.837 |
|
NC State |
36-8 |
.818 |
|
Missouri |
36-9 |
.800 |
|
UTSA |
35-5 |
.875 |
|
Notre Dame |
35-6 |
.854 |
|
Texas A&M |
35-9 |
.795 |
|
Oklahoma |
34-7 |
.829 |
|
Texas |
34-7 |
.829 |
|
Memphis |
34-8 |
.810 |
|
Clemson |
34-9 |
.791 |
|
BYU |
33-6 |
.846 |
|
Washington |
33-9 |
.786 |
|
Iowa |
33-10 |
.767 |
|
Tennessee |
33-12 |
.733 |
ROADRUNNERS ON ESPN
This will mark UTSA’s 12th all-time appearance on ESPN. The Roadrunners are 4-7 when appearing on ESPN, including a 3-3 mark in bowl games.
UTSA on ESPN (4-7)
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
12/17/16 |
New Mexico* |
L, 20-23 |
|
12/21/21 |
San Diego State* |
L, 24-38 |
|
12/16/22 |
Troy* |
L, 12-18 |
|
9/15/23 |
Army |
L, 29-37 |
|
12/19/23 |
Marshall* |
W, 35-17 |
|
9/14/24 |
Texas |
L, 7-56 |
|
12/23/24 |
Coastal Carolina* |
W, 44-15 |
|
8/30/25 |
Texas A&M |
L, 24-42 |
|
10/30/25 |
Tulane |
W, 48-26 |
|
11/6/25 |
South Florida |
L, 23-55 |
|
12/26/25 |
FIU* |
W, 57-20 |
UTSA IN WEEKDAY GAMES
Thursday night’s ESPN broadcast of the UTSA/South Florida game will be the Roadrunners’ first weekday game of the season, the 22nd overall and 16th under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners have won six of their last seven non-Saturday games and are 12-5 on weekdays in the Traylor era and 14-8 all-time. UTSA is 2-3 on Thursdays including 1-1 under Jeff Traylor.
UTSA’s Non-Saturday Games (14-8)
|
Day |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
Friday |
8/29/14 |
at Houston |
W, 27-7 |
|
Thursday |
9/4/14 |
Arizona |
L, 23-26 |
|
Thursday |
11/13/14 |
Southern Miss |
W, 12-10 |
|
Thursday |
9/3/15 |
at #22 Arizona |
L, 32-42 |
|
Friday |
9/16/16 |
Arizona State |
L, 28-32 |
|
Friday |
9/25/20 |
Middle Tennessee |
W, 37-35 |
|
Friday |
12/3/21 |
Western Kentucky |
W, 49-41 |
|
Tuesday* |
12/21/21 |
vs. #24 San Diego State |
L, 24-38 |
|
Friday |
9/30/22 |
at Middle Tennessee |
W, 45-30 |
|
Friday |
10/14/22 |
at FIU |
W, 30-10 |
|
Friday |
12/2/22 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
|
Friday* |
12/16/22 |
vs. #23 Troy |
L, 12-18 |
|
Friday |
9/15/23 |
Army West Point |
L, 29-37 |
|
Friday |
11/17/23 |
South Florida |
W, 49-21 |
|
Friday |
11/24/23 |
at #18 Tulane |
L, 16-29 |
|
Tuesday* |
12/19/23 |
vs. Marshall |
W, 35-17 |
|
Friday |
11/15/24 |
North Texas |
W, 48-27 |
|
Friday |
11/22/24 |
Temple |
W, 51-27 |
|
Monday* |
12/23/24 |
at Coastal Carolina |
W, 44-15 |
|
Thursday |
10/30/25 |
Tulane |
W, 48-26 |
|
Thursday |
11/6/25 |
at South Florida |
L, 23-55 |
|
Friday |
12/26/25 |
vs. FIU* |
W, 57-20 |
* bowl game
LIGHTS OUT
UTSA literally has been lights out in the program’s annual Lights Out games with victories in both of the previous contests. The Roadrunners recorded their first-ever win against a top-25 team in the inaugural Lights Out game with a 44-36 victory over No. 25 Memphis on Nov. 2, 2024. UTSA raced past eventual conference champion and College Football Playoff participant Tulane, 48-26, in the second Lights Out game on Oct. 30, 2025.
PACKING THE DOME
UTSA fans have packed the Alamodome over the past half decade, as six of the program’s 10 largest home crowds have been recorded during that span. The 2026 home schedule got underway with a crowd of 33,403 taking in UTSA’s 45-16 victory over UTRGV on Sept. 5. 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. Since the return from COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 season, 885,210 fans have filed into the Alamodome to watch the Roadrunners, an average of 26,036 per contest. In the 2024 season opener against Kennesaw State, the program eclipsed the two-million fan mark, and now 2,311,463 spectators have watched the Roadrunners at the Alamodome, an average of 24,854 over 93 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 |
LAST TIME OUT
UTSA rode a stingy defense and effective ground game to a 16-14 victory over Rice in the American Conference opener on Saturday night at First Community Stadium in Houston. With the win, the Roadrunners ran their record to 4-1, their best five-game start since 2021, and improved to 10-4 all-time against the Owls, who fell to 1-4 and 0-1. UTSA also improved to 9-6 overall and 5-2 in league openers under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. UTSA held Rice to 232 yards of offense, including only 88 passing. The Roadrunners registered a season-high 10 tackles for loss and doubled their season total for sacks with three, one apiece by Jeremiah Bailey, Camron Cooper and Darion White, who was one of three Roadrunners with a team-best seven tackles. Elijah Newell and Brandon Tucker also had seven stops, Bailey made four tackles, including 2.5 TFLs, and Cooper had three tackles and two TFLs to go with a fumble recovery. Offensively, UTSA churned out 166 rushing yards as part of a 314-yard output. Will Henderson III paced the ground attack with 90 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts to help the Roadrunners control the clock with 32:06 in possession time.
WHITE COLLECTS WEEKLY ACCOLADE
UTSA linebacker Darion White was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 16-14 road triumph over Rice on Oct. 3. The Waco native registered seven total tackles, including a pair of key stops on the Owls’ final possession. He had a sack for a loss of seven yards on first down with 1:40 remaining and then made the tackle on Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown’s rush on fourth down, stopping him five yards short of the line to gain to secure the road win for the Roadrunners. White was one of three Roadrunners with seven tackles on the night, as UTSA registered 10 tackles for loss and three sacks in limiting the Owls to 232 total yards, including only 88 passing.
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 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.
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, and they now have registered at least six wins in 10 of the 15 seasons in program history and reached the seven-win plateau eight times, including in each of the first six years of the Jeff Traylor era.
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 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 57-27 (.679) under his direction, 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. Traylor also has helped turn the Alamodome into one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play, as the Roadrunners are 35-5 (.875) at the Alamodome since 2020. UTSA’s 35 home victories during that span are the most home victories among both current American Conference members and state of Texas teams and tied for the 10th-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.
SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA
The Bulls suffered their first loss of the season in a 17-13 home setback to Temple on Saturday night. South Florida opened the campaign with four straight victories, including a 28-24 road triumph over Army in its conference opener on Sept. 12. The Bulls are averaging 26.6 points and 344.2 yards per game while allowing 14.6 points and 312.4 yards per contest. Michael Van Buren Jr. has completed 77 of 123 passes for 896 yards and three touchdowns against zero interceptions and he has added 80 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground. D.J. Crowther is the leading rusher with 393 yards and six scores on 74 attempts, while Bryson Rodgers and Joshua Porter share the team lead with 240 receiving yards. Defensively, Ayden Jackson leads the team in tackles with 29, while Michael Williams II has a team-best 2.5 sacks. Head coach Brian Hartline is in his first season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday will mark the third meeting between the Roadrunners and Bulls on the gridiron. The series is tied at 1-1 with each team protecting its home turf in the previous matchups. UTSA registered a 49-21 victory on Nov. 17, 2023, while South Florida defeated UTSA, 55-23, on Nov. 6, 2025, in the last meeting.
UTSA/South Florida Series History
|
Date |
Result |
Location |
|
11/17/23 |
UTSA 49, USF 21 |
San Antonio |
|
11/6/25 |
USF 55, UTSA 23 |
Tampa |
LAST MEETING
South Florida took advantage of two early takeaways to build a 14-0 lead and never looked back in a 55-23 victory over UTSA in American Conference action on Nov. 6, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls scored on an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble return for a score on the opening two possessions of the game. UTSA tallied 381 yards of offense, including 309 through the air, as Owen McCown threw for 200 and a touchdown on 16-of-23 passing and Brandon Tennison added 109 yards and a score on 13-of-21 passing. The Bulls were led by quarterback Byrum Brown, who completed 14 of 15 passes for 239 yards and two TDs and rushed for 109 yards and a score on nine carries.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 16th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 191st game in program history on Thursday when they face South Florida. UTSA is 102-88 (.537) all-time and 61-32 (.656) in home games. A similar modern startup program, USF played its first season of football in 1997 and owns an all-time record of 188-165.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 45 of the 84 have been one-score ballgames in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners own a 29-16 record (.644) in those games. Dating back to the 2021 campaign, UTSA has seen 32 of the last 63 contests decided in the fourth quarter or later. Since 2020, the Roadrunners are 22-13 (.629) in games decided by eight points or less.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will stay home to host Navy on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff has been set for 7 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
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