Arizona vs. UTSA: First look at the Roadrunners

Last week, the Arizona Wildcats crushed UNLV 58-13 thanks to some big plays from the Wildcat offense and defense, and some not so great things by the Rebels.

Next up on the docket is the UTSA Roadrunners, who have a very familiar name at the helm in Larry Coker.  This year is just the third year of college football in San Antonio, but Coker definitely has the program on the right track.

Last week:

The Roadrunners lost their home opener to the Oklahoma State Cowboys by a score of 56-35.  UTSA did have a school-record 507 yards of offense though.

I watched the first quarter and a half of this game.  UTSA looked good up until a series where they missed a field goal attempt twice (OSU had a penalty on the first attempt that gave the Roadrunners a first down).  That field goal would have made the game 14-10.  But the Cowboys went on to score 35 unanswered points, because they love the Alamodome...*cough* 2010 Alamo Bowl *cough*.

So the 28 fourth quarter points are probably a little misleading seeing as Oklahoma State probably had their second or third string defense going against UTSA's starters.  Also, OSU people probably started reading this awesome investigation from SI on their program.  But scoring 35 against them is a pretty big deal considering Mississippi State only managed three points against the Cowboys in week one.

2013 Season

The Roadrunners are 1-1 this year, after having won at New Mexico in week one by a score of 21-13.  New Mexico stinks (they lost to UNLV last year), so not a lot to read into here except the Roadrunners are capable of holding their own on the road.

Here's a look at their cumulative stats so far this year.  QB Eric Soza is 45-for-75 with 545 passing yards and 5 TDs.  In total, UTSA is averaging 449 yards per game, compared to UA's 435.  You can learn more about Eric Soza in this profile by Pat Turner on goUTSA.com.

Soza is also the team's leading rusher, piling up 73 yards on 17 carries.  Senior transfer Evans Okotcha (5-9, 220) is the second-leading rusher with 52 yards through two games.  The Roadrunners offense is definitely a pass-first offense, and RichRod is impressed with how they "do a lot of different stuff".

Oklahoma State's video game numbers from Saturday inflate this a lot, but UTSA is giving up 441 yards per game (OSU had 605, UNM had 277).  Arizona is giving up 276 per game so far.

If you're looking for a UTSA depth chart, they've got you covered!

Head Coach

Larry Coker. Definitely known for his time at Miami.  Coker took the Hurricanes to two National Championship Games, including going undefeated in 2001.

He was named the UTSA head coach in 2009, and the program started in 2011 with primarily freshmen and sophomores.  They went 4-6 in 2011 while setting NCAA records for the largest crowd for a program's inaugural game and average home crowd for an inaugural season.

In 2012, the Roadrunners went 8-4, including going 3-3 in the WAC.  That was their only year in the WAC as they made the move to Conference USA this year.  Next year, Arizona travels to San Antonio on September 6th, and it will also be the first year that UTSA is bowl-eligible.

UTSA 2013 Schedule

UTSA Home Stadium:

The Alamodome. Not fond memories here for Arizona fans.  Oklahoma State won that 2010 Alamo Bowl 36-10 in a game that matched up Nick Foles against Brandon Weeden.  Justin Blackmon had 119 receiving yards for the Cowboys.  David Douglas picked up 91 yards of his own for the Cats.  As I mentioned earlier, Arizona goes to San Antonio next year as part of a three-year series against UTSA.  The Roadrunners make a return trip to Arizona Stadium in 2015.

UA/UTSA Series History:

There is no series history.  But soon enough, there will be as the Roadrunners are essentially like a conference opponent for the next three years.