College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UTSA Roadrunners season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– UTSA Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 3-5 in C-USA
Head Coach: Jeff Traylor, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 124
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 118
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 113
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Offense 3 Things To Know
– There’s a certain nobility in not having an offense. Try to win on defense, battle it out on key downs, and … it didn’t work.
The Roadrunners hit the 300-point mark just once in the last five years, and now it’s up to new head coach Jeff Traylor to try giving the program a kickstart.
CFN in 60 Video: LSU Preview
UTSA at LSU, Sept. 5
He’s a former Texas high school coaching superstar who couldn’t help Chad Morris do much of anything at Arkansas over the last few seasons, but now he’s being given a shot to make UTSA a player – especially on offense. Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney was also at Arkansas with Traylor – again, it didn’t exactly work out so hot.
They get back eight starters from an O averaged just 345 yards and 20 points per game. It’s going to all start with an improvement up front.
– Just three starters are back from a line that was good for the ground game, but struggled in pass protection and gave up way too many plays behind the line. OG Spencer Burford is the best one of the bunch with good size across the board.
The new coaching staff knows how to get running backs going. UTSA has them.
Sophomore Sincere McCormick is coming off a nice first year with 983 yards and eight scores – both team highs – averaging well over five yards per carry – and junior Brenden Brady can rotate in.
– Can Josh Adkins step in and be the quarterback the new coaching staff needs? The transfer from New Mexico State bombed away for 5,151 yards and 27 touchdowns over the last two years, but he also threw 24 interceptions. He can run a little bit, but not like Lowell Narcisse, who was second on the team with 492 yards and four scores while leading the team with just 1,226 yards and eight scores.
Junior Frank Harris started the season and was solid before getting knocked out for the year three games in, and sophomore Jordan Weeks had his moments. Now it’ll be an open fight for the gig if Adkins doesn’t grab it right away.
The receiving corps has lots and LOTS of bodies, and it got more with Brennon Dingle coming in from UMass and Julian Williams transferring in from Houston.
TE Carlos Strickland is gone after tying for the team lead with 38 catches, but Zakhari Franklin is back at one receiver spot after also making 38 grabs. Again, there are plenty of options to play around with, but it might take a bit for the right rotation to emerge
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense had its moments. It was fantastic at getting into the backfield – it led Conference USA in tackles for loss – but the pass rush was just okay. The run defense struggled, and the secondary was hit way too hard.
But there’s a ton of experience returning.
The top two tacklers – LB Andrew Martel and S Carl Austin – are done, but eight of the next ten are expected back along with six starters overall.
– The secondary should be the early strength – at least when it comes to experience – with three of the key safeties from late last year along with CB Corey Mayfield back. On the way is JayVeon Cardwell from Oklahoma State to push for the other corner job. Now they all need to pick off a few passes – the secondary only generated five last season.
– Senior Jaylon Haynes is one of the best interior playmakers in the league, generating a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
230-pound junior Trevor Harmanson is the team’s leading returning tackler with 48, but the depth has to emerge after the last coaching staff mostly used just two linebackers on a regular basis.
The D has to come up with a few end options help out veteran Lorenzo Dantzler, but 6-3, 240-pound senior DeQuarius Henry can work like one from his outside linebacker spot.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top UTSA Roadrunners Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top UTSA Roadrunners Players
Best UTSA Roadrunners Offensive Player
RB Sincere McCormick, Soph.
The Conference USA Freshman of the Year was one of the few constants for the offense, leading the team with 983 yards and eight scores, and catching 24 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
He’s a quick and tough 5-9 and 200 pounds, with three 100-yard rushing days. UTSA was 3-1 when he ran for 90 yards or more, and now he’ll be even more of a workhorse.
2. QB Josh Adkins, Jr.
3. WR Zakhari Franklin, Soph.
4. OG Spencer Burford, Jr.
5. C Ahofitu Maka, Sr.
Best UTSA Roadrunners Defensive Player
DT Jaylon Haynes, Sr.
The 6-2, 290-pounder was the team’s best all-around lineman and should be one of the best interior defenders in Conference USA. He made 40 tackles and two sacks, but he was a force at getting behind the line with 12.5 tackles for loss. This all came after slimming down a bit and getting quicker, and now the line is his as the star to work around.
2. DE DeQuarius Henry, Sr.
3. LB/DE Clarence Hicks, Sr.
4. S Rashad Wisdom, Soph.
5. LB Trevor Harmanson, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The UTSA Roadrunners Offense
Throw the ball down the field. There was a bit of a passing offense now and then – it went for over 200 yards in five of the last six games – but there was a whole lot of dinking and dunking.
The Roadrunners only managed to bust past eight yards per throw once – in the win over Old Dominion – and it averaged a mere six yards per pass attempt on the season.
And that was an improvement – the 2018 offense was brutally painful when it came to throwing it, averaging fewer than five yards per toss.
Just press a bit more. The 10.28 yards per completion didn’t keep things moving. Get it to around 12, and average around six yards per play overall, and there will be a huge difference.
The flip side of that is …
Biggest Key To The UTSA Roadrunners Defense
The secondary has to tighten up. Overall, the pass defense wasn’t totally miserable – allowing 231 yards per game – but it gave up close to 13 yards per catch and got hammered late in the year.
The Roadrunners gave up fewer than 200 passing yards in each of the first three games – however, Army threw a total of two passes in one of them – and then got hit for that many or more in eight of the final nine and for over 330 in each of the final two.
Interceptions have been an issue, too. The defense failed to come up with more than one in any game, and picked off just six on the season.
Key UTSA Roadrunners Player To A Successful Season
QB Josh Adkins, Jr.
Lowell Narcisse can run the offense. Frank Harris was the starter early on, and he was the best of the quarterback lot before getting knocked out for the year. Narcisse came in and was fine, but he’s not the passer Harris is.
And neither one is the experience thrower that Adkins is.
The New Mexico State transfer has to cut down on his mistakes and interceptions, and he’ll only add a minimal rushing threat, but he’s got close to 500 college throws under his belt. If he’s not the guy for the new coaching staff, then that means Harris or Narcisse stepped it up in a big way.
Key Game To The UTSA Roadrunners Season
at UAB, Oct. 3
Where does the program stand? The new coaching staff has a lot of work to do to make a massive improvement, but playing Texas State and Grambling should mean a 2-2 start. Can it handle the defending Conference USA West champ?
UTSA got by UAB in their first ever meeting in 2013 with a 52-31 blasting, and it’s been all Blazers ever since with three straight wins from 2017 to 2019 including a 33-14 blowout last year.
It’s the Conference USA opener for the Roadrunners, and it’s on the road. Win it, and it would be a massive instant boost.
– UTSA Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 UTSA Fun Stats
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 114 – UTSA 37
– Penalties: UTSA 89 for 829 yards – Opponents 60 for 555 yards
– Total Yards: Opponents 5,149 – UTSA 4,139
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: UTSA Roadrunners Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
There’s a shot Jeff Traylor and the new coaching staff provide an instant jolt to the program.
UTSA has to start by scoring. It managed 17 points or fewer in 11 of its last 18 games and in 16 of the last 28, but there’s more than enough experience returning to do a whole lot more right away.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix has a nice base of players to work with for a group that could be a whole lot better if the offense can start going on a few more long drives.
Essentially, this is the year that former head coach Frank Wilson had been building up to – at least that’s the hope.
Set The UTSA Roadrunners Regular Season Win Total At … 4.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 3
There’s a big, big problem if the Roadrunners don’t beat Texas State and Grambling in the first two games. It’s still Conference USA, so there are still several teams that need a whole lot of work to be better at playing college football.
Old Dominion and UTEP are home games, Rice is a winnable road game, and North Texas might be on the table in the regular season finale.
Don’t expect miracles, but pushing for five wins would be a great restart for the program.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
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