UTSA will face Louisiana-Lafayette in bowl game.
For UTSA coach Jeff Traylor, the whirlwind of 2020 has created a feeling that nothing is guaranteed.
On Dec. 13, the Roadrunners accepted a bid to the Frisco Bowl, only to find out the next night that the game would not be played due to COVID-19 issues in the SMU program.
The matchup joined a growing list of about a dozen bowl games that have been crossed off the calendar since the beginning of the season. Though UTSA pivoted to a spot in the First Responder Bowl, the Roadrunners' opponent re
mained unclear.
As bowl matchups around the country took shape Sunday, many programs opted not to accept berths, citing complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Army, which went 9-2 and became the first FBS team to secure a bowl date when it nabbed a bid to the Independence Bowl in late October, was left without an opponent.
After five days of waiting, the Roadrunners learned they at least have a matchup scheduled, as the First Responder Bowl selected No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette to meet UTSA at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, with a national telecast on ABC.
“This year has made us all skeptical, I would say. What happened to Army, you would hate for that to happen to us,” Traylor said. “I guess I'll use the word relieved, when I finally saw it, to be very honest with you. I felt really good, because we've been so committed from the beginning.”
Though Traylor anticipated a Power Five opponent, he said Sun Belt squad Lafayette is “as good as anybody in the country.”
The Ragin' Cajuns are 9-1, including a win against current No. 10 Iowa State in the season opener. Lafayette's lone loss was a 30-27 setback against undefeated Coastal Carolina on Oct. 14.
UTSA had worked to scout possible opponents in recent weeks, but Traylor said Lafayette wasn't on the radar until reports of the matchup surfaced Sunday. The Roadrunners opened as about a 13-point underdog in most listings.
“We're just glad to be playing,” Traylor said. “To have an opponent in a great bowl game against a topranked team is very exciting.”
UTSA went 7-4 during Traylor's first year this season, earning the second bowl berth in program history. A win would mark UTSA's first postseason victory and tie the program record for wins in a year.
About 20 programs across the country chose not to pursue a spot in a bowl game, but Traylor said the Roadrunners are committed to playing as many games as possible regardless of team or location.
UTSA's most recent update of its COVID-19 testing data Friday showed six new positive tests emerging for students in the athletic department. The Roadrunners are scheduled for further testing Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Traylor said that prospect has him “nervous,” just as it has all season.
“We're going to do everything in our power to play, like we've done every game,” Traylor said. “If it means moving kids around, backups, walk-ons, it doesn't matter to us. We want to go play the game. We feel like a larger sense of obligation that we started this and want to finish it.”