Game #9
(RV/RV) UTSA Roadrunners (7-1, 4-0)
at
Florida Atlantic Owls (5-3, 2-2)
6:30 p.m. CT | Thursday, Nov. 5
Flagler Credit Union Stadium | Boca Raton, Fla.
Series History: FAU leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: UTSA 38, FAU 24 (10/19/24 • San Antonio, Texas)
OPENING DRIVE
- UTSA and Florida Atlantic will meet for the sixth time on Thursday night in Boca Raton.
- The Owls hold a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 edge in Boca Raton.
- The Roadrunners have won each of the past two meetings, scoring a 38-24 home victory on Oct. 19, 2024, and a 36-10 decision on Oct. 21, 2023, in their last visit to Boca Raton.
- UTSA is receiving votes in this week’s AFCA Coaches Poll (76) and AP Top 25 (43).
- At 7-1, the Roadrunners are off to their best eight-game start since an 8-0 mark in 2021.
- UTSA is bowl eligible for the seventh straight year under head coach Jeff Traylor.
- The Roadrunners are riding a five-game winning streak, their best since a seven-game stretch in 2023.
- UTSA has registered at least seven wins in nine of the 16 seasons in program history, including in all seven years of the Jeff Traylor era.
- The Roadrunners are 4-0 in conference play 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 60-27 (.690) under Jeff Traylor, the most wins since 2020 among current American Conference teams, the second most among state of Texas squads and the 11th most among FBS programs during that timeframe.
- UTSA is 39-12 (.765) in conference play — including 19-9 (.679) in the American — in the Jeff Traylor era.
- Under Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are 18-5 (.783) in the month of November, and they improved to 17-8 (.680) in October after the 42-19 win at Tulane.
- 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.
- The Roadrunners have won seven of their last eight non-Saturday games, and they are 13-5 on weekdays (2-1 on Thursdays) in the Traylor era and 15-8 all-time (3-3 on Thursdays).
- This will mark UTSA’s 13th appearance on ESPN with the Roadrunners owning a 5-7 record on the network.
- UTSA tied school records with six takeaways and six rushing touchdowns in the 42-19 road triumph over Tulane on Oct. 24.
SETTING THE SCENE
Riding a five-game winning streak and tied atop the American Conference standings, UTSA will return from its lone idle week to face Florida Atlantic on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Boca Raton, Fla. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT at Flagler Credit Union Stadium, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Roadrunners ran their record to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the league with a 42-19 road triumph over Tulane on Oct. 24. The Owls suffered a 48-41 setback to North Texas on Oct. 29 to move to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference. FAU holds a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series, but UTSA has won each of the past two meetings in 2023 (36-10) and 2024 (38-24).
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. 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 7-1 start through eight games, the second-best record over that span behind only the 2021 squad that started 8-0. The Roadrunners are riding a five-game winning streak, their longest since a seven-game stretch to begin the 2023 American Conference slate. Additionally, UTSA is 4-0 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.
UTSA IN WEEKDAY GAMES
Thursday night’s ESPN broadcast of the UTSA/Florida Atlantic game will be the Roadrunners’ second weekday game of the season, the 23rd overall and 17th under seventh-year head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners have won seven of their last eight non-Saturday games and are 13-5 on weekdays in the Traylor era and 15-8 all-time. UTSA is 3-3 on Thursdays including 2-1 under Jeff Traylor.
UTSA’s Non-Saturday Games (15-8)
|
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 |
|
Thursday |
10/8/26 |
vs. South Florida |
W, 31-24 |
* bowl game
ROADRUNNERS ON ESPN
This will mark UTSA’s 13th all-time appearance on ESPN. The Roadrunners are 5-7 when appearing on ESPN, including a 3-3 mark in bowl games.
UTSA on ESPN (5-7)
|
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 |
|
10/8/26 |
South Florida |
W, 31-24 |
LAST TIME OUT
UTSA tied school records with six takeaways and six rushing touchdowns in a 42-19 victory over Tulane in American Conference action on Oct. 24, snapping the Green Wave’s 10-game winning streak at Yulman Stadium. The Roadrunners recovered four fumbles and picked off two passes in running their record to 7-1 overall while remaining atop the league standings at 4-0. Camron Cooper, RJ Lester Jr., Zach Morris and Elijah Newell all had fumble recoveries, while Morris and Willie Nelson III both had interceptions. Meanwhile, Will Henderson III logged his second 100-yard game of the season and A’Marion Peterson scored two touchdowns on the ground to help lead a potent rushing attack that churned out 223 yards and six TDs. Henderson went for 102 yards and a TD on 15 carries en route to his fifth career 100-yard outing. Peterson rushed for 51 yards and his two scores, while Brandon High Jr. added 50 yards and a TD on 12 totes. Owen McCown passed for 173 yards and rushed for 20, including one score, while Mark Wiepert added a late rushing touchdown to complete the scoring for UTSA, which converted 12 of 16 third downs on the night. UTSA held Tulane to 332 yards of offense, including 67 rushing. Ahamad Chapman led the defense in tackles with six, including five solo stops, while Owen Pewee posted five tackles, three sacks, three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup en route to American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. Darion White also tallied five tackles, Jameian Buxton added four to go with his forced fumble while playing in his hometown and Morris totaled four stops and a PBU in addition to his two takeaways.
PEWEE HONORED BY AMERICAN CONFERENCE
UTSA linebacker Owen Pewee was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26 for his performance in the 42-19 road triumph over Tulane. He registered three sacks as part of five total tackles —all unassisted — to go with three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup, helping lead a defense that came up with a school record-tying six takeaways and limited the Green Wave to 332 total yards, including only 67 on the ground. His three sacks combined for a total loss of 26 yards, as he had a 10-yard sack in the third quarter and a pair in the final frame that went for nine and seven yards. This marks the third conference player of the week honor for the Roadrunners this season, as Darion White was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5 and Caile Hogan earned the special teams award on Oct. 19.
ROADRUNNERS SELECTED FOR MIDSEASON ALL-TEXAS TEAM
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and four Roadrunners earned spots on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Midseason All-Texas College Team. Traylor was chosen as the publication’s Midseason All-Texas Coach of the Year and linebacker Brandon Tucker landed on the All-Texas First Team, while defensive lineman Jeremiah Bailey, running back Will Henderson III and offensive lineman Deandre Marshall were named to the second team.
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 409.3 yards per game, 184.9 rushing and 224.4 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 four times, headlined by a season-high 277 in the 31-24 victory against South Florida.
COOPER MAKES MAN OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALIST LIST
UTSA outside linebacker Camron Cooper has been named a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. Cooper is one of 20 FBS student-athletes chosen for the list of the nation’s top leaders in college footballcompiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee. The semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Three finalists will be named for the award on Tuesday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on March 11, 2027, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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. Following the 42-19 road triumph over Tulane, UTSA now has reached the seven-win plateau nine times, including in each of the first seven 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 60-27 (.690) under his direction, the most wins among current American Conference teams, the second most among state of Texas squads and the 11th 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 played its first seven games in the state of Texas and did not leave 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 registered its third road win of the year with a convincing 42-19 decision at Tulane on Oct. 24. The three road victories already have surpassed last year’s total. 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 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The Owls suffered a 48-41 road setback to North Texas last Thursday night to move to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the American Conference. Florida Atlantic is averaging 440.0 yards and 37.8 points per game while allowing 468.9 yards and 35.8 points per contest. Caden Veltkamp has completed 227 of 316 passes for 2,536 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions. Easton Messer is the top target with 74 receptions for 898 yards and nine TDs, and he also has returned two punts for touchdowns. Ethan Ervin paces the ground game with 369 yards and two scores on 91 attempts. Defensively, Joseph Sipp Jr. has a team-high 57 tackles, while Bo Simpson-Nealy owns a pair of interceptions. Leonard Farrow has two kickoff return TDs and is averaging 35.3 yards per return. Head coach Zach Kittley is 9-11 in his second season at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the sixth meeting between the Roadrunners and Owls. Florida Atlantic holds a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 mark in games played in Boca Raton. UTSA has won each of the past two meetings, scoring a 38-24 home victory on Oct. 19, 2024, and a 36-10 decision on Oct. 21, 2023, in their last visit to Boca Raton. In fact, the Roadrunners have held the Owls to a combined 365 yards of offense over the last two meetings, 203 in 2024 and 162 the year prior.
UTSA/FAU Series History
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|
9/27/13 |
Boca Raton |
L, 37-41 |
|
11/23/19 |
San Antonio |
L, 26-40 |
|
10/31/20 |
Boca Raton |
L, 3-24 |
|
10/21/23 |
Boca Raton |
W, 36-10 |
|
10/19/24 |
San Antonio |
W, 38-24 |
LAST MEETING
UTSA used a stout defense and efficient offense to rally from a 17-10 first-half deficit for a 38-24 victory over Florida Atlantic on Oct. 19, 2024, at the Alamodome. Trailing by seven late in the second quarter and with the Owls threatening to add to their lead, Asyrus Simon’s strip-sack of Owls quarterback Cam Fancher proved to be a key play in the fifth meeting between the two teams, giving the ball back to the Roadrunners at their own 12-yard line with 3:21 left until halftime. UTSA then marched 88 yards on 11 plays, the last a 10-yard touchdown pass from Owen McCown to Jamel Hardy. UTSA’s defense surrendered just 203 total yards, including only 32 following Simon’s takeaway. The Roadrunners outscored FAU, 21-7, over the final 30 minutes, giving up just a fumble return for a touchdown when Wendol Philord scooped up a loose ball on a lateral and sped 49 yards to the end zone with 3:58 left in the third quarter. That score tied the game again at 24-24, but UTSA responded with 14 unanswered points down the stretch to seal the win.
WHO’S COUNTING?
Now in their 16th season of play, the Roadrunners will play the 194th game in program history on Thursday when they face Florida Atlantic. UTSA is 105-88 (.544) all-time and 40-53 (.430) in road games.
SIMILAR STARTUPS
Thursday’s matchup between UTSA and Florida Atlantic will feature a pair of similar startup programs. The Roadrunners started their program from scratch, opening play in 2011 under former Miami (Fla.) head coach Larry Coker. Florida Atlantic had a decade head start on UTSA, also starting its program from scratch under a former Miami head coach, doing so in 2001 under the late Howard Schnellenberger. FAU owns an all-time record of 134-175.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UTSA is no stranger to close contests in the Jeff Traylor era, as 47 of the 87 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 66 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. 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.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will return home to host North Texas for Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Alamodome. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at the Alamodome, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
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