Rebounding with a rematch
In the weeks since UTSA walked off the field at Western Kentucky with a 52-46 win, running back Sincere McCormick said the Roadrunners and Hilltoppers have gone “shot for shot,” piling up one victory after another.
UTSA blinked first, losing 45-23 to North Texas last week to end an 11-0 start, while Western Kentucky continued a run of seven straight victories following the loss to the Roadrunners on Oct. 9.
UTSA hopes the lone setback ignites intensity for the program’s first Conference USA title game, as the longawaited collision course with Western Kentucky arrives at 6 p.m. Friday in the Alamodome.
“If the conference championship did not get your attention, I know what we did Saturday and then going to a conference championship will really get your attention,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said. “The kids have had tons of energy and are flying around. I know they’re excited.”
Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said he left the first meeting feeling UTSA was “the best team in Conference USA.” Still, he said the Hilltoppers “could’ve won that football game and should’ve won that football game,” with a potentially game-winning touchdown drive cut off by a Clarence Hicks interception at the 3-yard line during the final minute.
Earning a rematch became Western Kentucky’s primary mission.
“We knew we were in control of our destiny if we could put all of the pieces together, and we found a way to put all the pieces together,” Helton said. “It’s been a fun ride, and great to have an opportunity to play UTSA again.”
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
Can the Alamodome crowd make an impact?
1
Spurred in part by the crowdfunding of more than $100,000 in student tickets, UTSA is expecting one of the largest turnouts at the Alamodome in program history. While not likely to eclipse the 56,743 from the Roadrunners’ inaugural game, Friday could challenge to be the second-largest attendance in 11 years of UTSA football, chasing 42,071 against Baylor in 2018 and 40,977 against Oklahoma State in 2013. The support has steadily grown through the year, with the 35,147 fans for UTSA’s win against UAB two weeks ago marking the fifth-highest attendance in program history.
“The whole community is behind us, and we’ve been loving it,” McCormick said. “We’re thankful, and we love the fans for coming out there and supporting us.”
The environment proved impactful as UAB was flagged for three false starts, and Traylor said he hopes for a similar effect against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers’ air-raid offense often operates without a huddle, calling or changing plays at the line of scrimmage.
After playing in front of more than 70,000 fans at Michigan State earlier this year, Helton said Western Kentucky will be ready to use silent counts.
How much will change from the first meeting?
2
Safety Antonio Parks said UTSA is “expecting anything and everything” from Western Kentucky, anticipating a return to tactics that worked in the first matchup and tweaks to keep the Roadrunners off balance. With UTSA clinching a spot in the title game two weeks ago, Helton said Western Kentucky had a “head start” on preparation, looking for ways to limit the Roadrunners’ downfield passing. On the other side, Traylor said UTSA faces an uphill battle preparing for the nation’s leading passer in Bailey Zappe, knowing Western Kentucky has checks to escape bad situations before the snap.
“Whatever answer you give them, they have a solution,” Traylor said. “They give him total control of the offense, so whoever has the chalk last always
wins. And when the quarterback has the chalk last, that’s a bad feeling.”
Can UTSA defend the air raid?
3
Western Kentucky’s 670 yards in the first meeting marks the most UTSA has allowed in program history, as the Hilltoppers exploited a pass defense that has shown holes through the season. Only 12 teams in the FBS have given up more passing plays of 30 or more yards than the Roadrunners’ 25. The struggles are compounded by injury, as defensive lineman Lorenzo Dantzler and cornerback Tariq Woolen are game-time decisions, Traylor said. Co-defensive coordinator Rod Wright also missed last week’s game because of the flu.
“We’ve just had so many injuries all year,” Traylor said. “I don’t know that we know what we are in any situation.”
Can the Roadrunners’ offense keep pace?
4
Despite the historically poor defensive showing, UTSA won the first meeting against Western Kentucky behind the play of quarterback Frank Harris, who hit 28 of 38 passes for 349 yards with six touchdowns and hauled in a scoring reception on a trick play. Harris said the Roadrunners “don’t really look into” the last matchup, and he brushed off any comparisons between himself and Zappe. With Helton emphasizing that Western Kentucky wants to force UTSA to “go the distance” on offense, Traylor guarded against setting UTSA’s previous output as the expectation.
“We have to be careful about that. That was a pretty special night,” Traylor said. “We have a really good offense. Can we play to that standard? I don’t know. I hope so. It was sure fun watching them that night.”
How will UTSA respond to the year’s first loss?
5
After the Mean Green “embarrassed” the Roadrunners last week, Traylor’s question to his players was, “Are we going to let them beat us twice?” Wet conditions stifled UTSA’s passing game and created early turnovers, worsening the Roadrunners’ inability to stop the Mean Green rushing attack. With Friday’s matchup offering none of the same challenges, Traylor said he hopes his team can respond and grow more desperate through the “crisis” situation, provided they can shake lingering moments of “post-traumatic stress syndrome.” The Roadrunners expressed confidence through this week’s practices.
“It’s crazy. Coming off a loss, our guys flipped the switch pretty fast, and we got in championship mindset and championship mode,” Parks said. “We all had our bumps and bruises, and we all felt that loss. These guys are motivated, and really humbled, and ready to roll.”