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247Sports · JJPerez

Sep 18
Five Questions Facing UTSA in Week 3
Summary
Injury: (Photo: JJ Perez, InsideRunnerSports.com) By JJ Perez For InsideRunnerSports.com UTSA and Texas will play for a third time on Saturday.
(Photo: JJ Perez, InsideRunnerSports.com)  By JJ Perez For InsideRunnerSports.com UTSA and Texas will play for a third time on Saturday. The Longhorns lead the series 2-0. Here are five questions facing the Roadrunners headed into week three. Can UTSA avoid the emotional hangover? There is no denying how big the week two win at Texas State. Not only did UTSA win a huge rivalry game while winning on the road, but they did so in the most dramatic of fashions. That final drive is going to go down as one of the most clutch and exciting moments in school history. Now the Roadrunners must move forward with the rest of their season. That starts with the most difficult of games as UTSA faces no. 1 ranked Texas. Prediction: UTSA rides the emotion from last week into positive momentum to start this week's game. The Roadrunners start fast and hang tough early with the Longhorns. Does the UTSA offense's momentum continue? Week's two offense for UTSA was a tale of two halves. But credit to the Roadrunners, they stuck with their run game and used some crucial plays to have tremendous second half and fourth quarter success. Can UTSA continue this momentum in Austin on Saturday? Prediction: This will be the hardest of challenges facing one of the top defenses in the country. UTSA will show some flashes on the offensive side of the ball but end the end the UT defense will just be too talented. Can the Roadrunner defense slow the Longhorn offense? Texas has had quite the week since rallying to beat no. 1 ranked Ohio State. Off the field issues dominated headlines in Austin and across the nation this week. It's hard to say how much of an impact that will have on the game. Longhorns QB Arch Manning has taken much of the media backlash this week. What does that do for the UT offense this week? Can the UTSA defense slow down Texas' offense this week? Prediction: Often times when off the field distractions occur, big time players rise above the noise and deliver monster performances. Texas is very, very good. And UTSA's defense is still learning each other and developing consistency. It's likely we see Arch Manning and the Longhorn offense play well on Saturday. Is the payday worth it, do we see a change in scheduling P4s? This is as tough of a matchup for Jeff Traylor and his Roadrunners as they come. No doubt. Part of the reason UTSA plays these types of games is the monetary value. This contest is game two of a four-game agreement. The Roadrunners will receive a payout of $1.7 million for playing this year's game. This is the largest nonconference payout is school history. While it's likely that UTSA will have trouble keeping up with UT on the field, off the field this series adds tremendous value to the school. Do we see a change in scheduling P4s? Prediction: The answer is likely not anytime soon. UTSA has contracts locked in with LSU and UNLV for the next two years. But after that the opportunity exists for the Roadrunners to find more competitive games against P4 schools that are not at the top of their conferences. Another aspect of nonconference scheduling is being able to get these types of game at home. Last year Tulane brought in Duke and Northwestern for home games. They won both games. This type of strategy would benefit UTSA and is something that should be focused on in coming nonconference schedules. Can UTSA get out of Austin trending up? The Roadrunners are more than 30-point underdogs this week. Experts think the Longhorns roster is valued at $45-$55 million while UTSA's 2026 roster is valued around $4 million. The disparity in size and speed will be evident. So what does a win look like this week? It starts with the Roadrunners themselves. The first two weeks of the season have been far from perfect. Mistakes, penalties, missed tackles have been more than anyone would like to see. If UTSA can show some improvement in these areas while staying healthy, it'll be a positive for the Roadrunners. Prediction: This is the biggest of stages for UTSA. Never before have the Roadrunners faced the top ranked team in the nation. While you would hope some of the talent disparity can be surpassed with effort and tough, that's a big ask for any G6 program. It is possible for the Roadrunners to get out of Austin relatively healthy and that is a win in and of itself.

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Teams: UTSA

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