Bowl Berth on the Line: UTSA Takes on North Texas at Home

Nov 13, 20243 min read

Chandler Morris | UNT QB #4 — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The UTSA Roadrunners (4-5, 2-3 American Athletic Conference) host the North Texas Mean Green (5-4, 2-3 AAC) at 8 p.m. EST on Nov. 15 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. North Texas is coming off a narrow 14-3 loss to No. 24 Army (9-0, 7-0), while UTSA looks to build on a 44-36 upset victory over Memphis (8-2, 4-2). Can the Roadrunners stay undefeated at home and secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season?

The Stakes

With three games left on the schedule, coach Jeff Traylor's Roadrunners must win at least two to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible. No sane Roadrunners fan wants to rely on a road win at Michie Stadium against a ranked Army team that could be 11-0 and eyeing a College Football Playoff berth. UTSA’s most realistic path to a bowl game is to win the next two home games, reaching six wins and heading into the Army game with house money.

Michie Stadium | Army Black Knights Stadium — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

After dropping their last three games, North Texas is well-positioned to close the season on a three-game winning streak. A win over UTSA would put the Mean Green in an excellent spot to finish 8-4, with winnable matchups against East Carolina (5-4, 3-2) and Temple (2-7, 1-4) remaining on the schedule.

Key Players: UTSA Roadrunners

Owen McCown, Quarterback

McCown has been exceptional in his last two games, amassing 764 passing yards, 8 TDs, and zero INTs. His season total of 20 TD passes ties him for 17th in the FBS. McCown aims to exploit UNT's pass defense, which ranks 11th in the AAC, allowing 243.1 passing yards per game. Notably, he has improved his deep passing game, earning an elite Pro Football Focus grade of 90.6 on throws over 20 yards.

Elliott Davison, Safety

Davison has been a steady presence for the Roadrunners, recording 38 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and 3 pass deflections. While those stats might not jump off the page, his impact is evident in his workload—he has played a team-high 541 snaps, more than 100 ahead of the next closest defender. In a season where the defense has been ravaged by injuries, Davison’s dependability has been key to UTSA’s defensive efforts.

Elliott Davison | UTSA Safety #29 — © Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Key Players: North Texas Mean Green

Chandler Morris, QB

Morris, a transfer from TCU, has been a standout for North Texas this season. He leads the AAC in completions (248), passing yards (3,087), passing TDs (26) and averages 343 passing yards per game. Similar to McCown's success with the deep ball, PFF awarded Morris an elite grade of 90.7 on passes over 20 yards. The UTSA defense, leading the AAC with 29 sacks, will aim to apply consistent pressure on Morris to force turnovers. According to PFF, Morris has faced challenges against the blitz, completing only 58.1 percent of his passes and committing 8 turnover-worthy plays under such pressure.

Evan Jackson, Safety

UTSA’s success in this game will hinge on the passing game, as the rushing attack has struggled, averaging just 117.9 yards per game, which ranks 106th in FBS. PFF credits Jackson with allowing only 263 yards in coverage this season, with 151 of those yards coming in the opener against South Alabama. McCown has thrown 40 or more passes in four of the last five games, meaning the Mean Green secondary will face a steady barrage early and often.

Trends To Watch

UTSA and North Texas will face off for the 13th time on Friday, the most-played series in Roadrunners program history. UTSA has won the last three meetings, including a 37-29 road victory on Nov. 4, 2023. The Roadrunners hold a 7-5 all-time edge over the Mean Green, with a dominant 5-1 record in the Alamodome. UTSA also enters the matchup on an impressive streak of 19 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack.

Frank Harris | Former UTSA QB — © Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Game Prediction

Can UTSA be trusted to deliver two solid performances in a row? It hasn’t happened all season, and penalties remain a concern, despite the Roadrunners playing a clean game in last week’s win over Memphis. Ranked 133rd out of 134 FBS teams in penalties per game (9.4), UTSA will need to minimize mistakes to keep their momentum going. Even with 8 penalties, look for the Roadrunners to lean on the hot hand of McCown to secure a victory.

Prediction: UTSA 34, UNT 25