Advertisement

Texas football: 5 things for Longhorn fans to know about the UTSA Roadrunners

To open its 2024 season, the Texas football team routed the Rams and walloped the Wolverines. Now it is time to get ready for the Roadrunners.

Coming off a 52-0 shutout of Colorado State in its season opener and a decisive 31-12 win at Michigan last Saturday, No. 3 Texas is set for a home game against UTSA this Saturday. Texas (2-0) and UTSA (1-1) will meet at Royal-Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m. in a Week 3 game that ESPN will televise.

Here are five things to know about the Roadrunners:

1. Roadrunners return to the 512

This will be UTSA's second straight road game, but the Roadrunners haven't had to stray that far from home. Over the weekend, UTSA traveled to Texas State's UFCU Stadium. That's a 60-mile drive from its San Antonio campus. Less than 90 miles separate UTSA's home stadium, the Alamodome, and Royal-Memorial Stadium.

Life on the road has not been kind to the Roadrunners. UTSA was beaten 49-10 by Texas State, and that loss was the Roadrunners' first in their six-game rivalry series with the Bobcats.

Redshirt sophomore Owen McCown, passing against Marshall in December, started the first two games of UTSA's season, but he was replaced in the second half of Saturday's 49-10 loss to Texas State.
Redshirt sophomore Owen McCown, passing against Marshall in December, started the first two games of UTSA's season, but he was replaced in the second half of Saturday's 49-10 loss to Texas State.

2. UTSA looking for Frank Harris' successor

Frank Harris is not walking through that door. The longtime starting quarterback has exhausted his eligibility, so Texas won't have to make a game plan for UTSA's all-time leading passer, who was responsible for 260 yards of offense when the Roadrunners visited Austin in 2022.

Redshirt sophomore Owen McCown started the first two games of UTSA's season, but he was replaced by fourth-year quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger in the second half of the Texas State loss. Combined, McCown and Marburger have thrown for 592 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

3. Which Roadrunner will get after the quarterback with Trey Moore now at Texas?

Last season, Trey Moore produced a school-record 14 sacks and was named the American Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year. Moore transferred to Texas in the offseason, so UT offensive line coach Kyle Flood won't have to figure out a way to keep the edge rusher away from quarterback Quinn Ewers this weekend. Moore is UTSA offensive line coach Kurt Traylor's problem now.

Without Moore, UTSA has produced four sacks over its first two games. Senior linebacker Jimmori Robinson leads the Roadrunners with two quarterback takedowns, and James Walley Jr. and Martavius French, also linebackers, have each registered one sack.

UT coach Steve Sarkisian, left, and UTSA coach Jeff Traylor shake hands after the Longhorns' 41-20 victory in 2022 at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
UT coach Steve Sarkisian, left, and UTSA coach Jeff Traylor shake hands after the Longhorns' 41-20 victory in 2022 at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

4. Texas and UTSA have played just once, but future games are planned

UTSA founded its football program in 2011, so not much history exists between these two. The Longhorns and Roadrunners have played just once as Texas beat UTSA by 21 points in Austin in 2022. Jahdae Barron, who is now a senior defensive back for the Longhorns, scored on a 44-yard interception return in that 41-20 victory.

UTSA is currently listed as an opponent for Texas in 2026, 2028 and 2030.

5. Why did UTSA adopt the Roadrunners nickname?

Even though UTSA has had a football program for just 13 years, the university has long claimed the Roadrunner nickname. The story of how the school adopted that moniker, though, featured a little bit of controversy.

From the UTSA website: "In 1977, UTSA hosted an election to determine a school mascot. Many choices were considered, including the armadillo, stars, eagle, jaguar, roadrunner, puma, toro, and vaquero. The armadillos and stars won the election, knocking the roadrunner from contention. However, a voided election forced a second vote, and the roadrunner staged a surprising comeback. On December 12, 1977, the roadrunner officially became UTSA's mascot."

Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UTSA Roadrunners are upcoming guest of Texas Longhorns football team