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NCAAF Countdown: No. 22 UTSA Roadrunners
Return of QB Harris Makes Team an AAC Contender
Texas San-Antonio certainly kept the fans entertained with seven of the games played in 2022 finishing as one-score games. The Roadrunners finished 5-2 in those games to finish as one of the best teams from outside the Power-5 conferences. The college football predictions are projecting another special season.
UTSA moves from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference and the NCAA football picks had the Roadrunners picked to finish second in the AAC. UTSA receiving nine of the 33 first-place votes. With quarterback Frank Harris among nine returning starters on offense, scoring points should not be an issue in 2023, even with leading receiver Zakhari Franklin now at Ole Miss – a departure that is making some college football news.
Five of nine incoming transfers are from teams from the Power-5 conferences. Colorado offensive lineman Jackson Anderson and Vanderbilt running back Rocko Griffin are among the top transfers set to make an impact for the Roadrunners.
UTSA comes in at No. 22 in our countdown of the top 25 college football teams heading into the 2023 season.
The Roadrunners had the top-rated recruiting class among American Athletic Conference teams, according to the 247sports.com database. UTSA was very active recruiting at the junior-college level.
According to the college football picks, Texas-San Antonio is priced at +40000 in the odds to win the national title.
UTSA Roadrunners
- 2022 record: 11-3
- 2022 Conference USA record: 8-0
- Head coach: Jeff Traylor
- Odds to win conference title: +450
Harris threw for 4,063 and 32 touchdowns a season ago to go with 602 rushing yards and nine more TDs. Since becoming the starter, his completion percentage has gone from 63.6 to 65.9 to 69.7.
Harris was a three-star recruit coming out of Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas. Completing 67% of his passes for more than 9,000 yards and three times as many touchdowns as interceptions makes it clear that he was severely underrated coming into college. He has accounted for 98 touchdowns over the last four seasons, and even with Justin Burke taking over as offensive coordinator after Will Stein left for Oregon, look for Harris to put up some big numbers once again.
He will certainly miss connecting with Franklin, who had 94 catches, 1136 yards, and 15 TDs. Joshua Cephus (985 receiving yards), De’Corian Clark, and tight end Oscar Cardenas all return
The running game will be in good shape with Kevorian Barnes (6.3 yards per carry, 851 yards, six TD runs) running behind a veteran offensive line.
Leading tackler Jamal Ligon and sack leader Trey Moore return on defense. The strength of the defense could be the secondary with Kelechi Nwachuku, Nicktroy Fortune, Ken Robinson, and Rashad Wisdom all coming back. UTSA finished third in Conference USA in defensive passing rating. It will be a new set of challenges moving to a new conference. UTSA also returns one of the nation’s best punters in Lucas Dean
Those who bet online might be interested to know that six of the Roadrunners’ last nine games a season ago finished under the total. Texas-San Antonio was favored in every game a season ago except for the matchup with Houston and Texas. The Roadrunners covered in four of the last six games in 2022.
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Outlook
The talent level on offense is hard to ignore as UTSA returns so many key performers from a team that was 12th nationally in total offense. There are some players who will need to be replaced on defense, but this could be a fun team to watch once again.
UTSA went 33-51 as the Roadrunners made the move to the FBS level under former Miami head coach Larry Coker and then Frank Wilson. Traylor is 30-10 in his first three seasons at Texas-San Antonio and that includes a 23-5 record (15-1 in Conference USA) over the last two seasons. Those are the types of numbers that get a coach a shot at a Power-5 conference team.
UTSA jumps right into things with a trip to face Houston in the season opener. The Cougars topped the Roadrunners 37-35 in one of the more action-packed games of the 2022 season. The departure of Houston to the Big 12 helped pave the way for UTSA to join the American Athletic Conference. There is also a trip to face SEC contender Tennessee. UTSA is 1-6 in its last seven games against teams from Power-5 conferences.
The first conference game is on the road versus a rebuilding Temple team and the regular-season finale against AAC preseason favorite Tulane could quite possibly determine the regular-season conference champion.
Much of the schedule looks familiar with Rice, North Texas and UAB headed over from Conference USA – just like UTSA did. The Roadrunners beat each of those three teams in 2022.
The Sept. 2 season opener against Houston is listed by the college football spreads as a Pick’em. It is one of eight games during the regular season being played in the state of Texas for the Roadrunners.
The price is set at -160 for UTSA to go over the expected regular-season total of 7.5 wins with +130 to finish under that total.
2023 Schedule
- Sept. 2 vs Houston
- Sept. 9 vs Texas State
- Sept. 15 vs Army
- Sept. 23 vs Tennessee
- Oct. 7 vs Temple
- Oct. 14 vs UAB
- Oct. 21 vs Florida Atlantic
- Oct. 28 vs East Carolina
- Nov. 4 vs North Texas
- Nov. 11 vs Rice
- Nov. 18 vs South Florida
- Nov. 24 vs Tulane
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