2022 UTSA Roadrunners football team

2022 UTSA Roadrunners football
C-USA champion
Cure Bowl, L 12–18 vs. Troy
ConferenceConference USA
Record11–3 (8–0 C-USA)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorMatt Mattox (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorWill Stein (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorJess Loepp (2nd season)
Base defense3–4
Home stadiumAlamodome[1]
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
2022 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
UTSA y$   8 – 0     11 – 3  
North Texas y   6 – 2     7 – 7  
Western Kentucky   6 – 2     9 – 5  
Middle Tennessee   4 – 4     8 – 5  
UAB   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Florida Atlantic   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Rice   3 – 5     5 – 8  
UTEP   3 – 5     5 – 7  
FIU   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Charlotte   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Louisiana Tech   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Championship: UTSA 48, North Texas 27
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 UTSA Roadrunners football team represented the University of Texas at San Antonio as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Jeff Traylor, who was coaching his third season with the team. The Roadrunners played their home games at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

During the previous season, on October 21, 2021, UTSA accepted an invitation to join the American Athletic Conference (The American) and will become a full member on July 1, 2023.[2][3][4] The 2022 season is thus the program's last as a member of C-USA. Prior to the 2022 season, Conference USA shrank to 11 schools, as previous members Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss all departed to join (and in Old Dominion's case, rejoin) the Sun Belt Conference as full members. Thus the conference disbanded the divisions and played in a single league table.

The Roadrunners began their season with a thrilling triple-overtime contest against No. 24 Houston, ultimately coming up two points short.[5] Another overtime game followed, with UTSA defeating Army to earn their first win.[6] The Roadrunners split their following two games, with a loss at No. 21 Texas[7] and a victory over FCS Texas Southern at home.[8] Their nonconference schedule complete, the Roadrunners began their C–USA slate with a road clash against Middle Tennessee, a fifteen point win.[9] A three-point win against Western Kentucky[10] and a twenty-point win at FIU followed,[11] leading UTSA into their homecoming contest against the North Texas Mean Green. The Roadrunners were victorious by a margin of four points, earning them their sixth win and bowl eligibility as a result.[12] Following a bye week, the Roadrunners began November with another overtime game—their third of the season—as they took down UAB in double overtime.[13] Dominant wins over Louisiana Tech[14] and C-USA regular-season title[15] vs Rice followed,[16] and UTSA closed out their regular season at home with a three-point victory over the UTEP Miners, after overcoming a 24-point deficit they faced in the game's second quarter.[17] The Roadrunners finished the regular season on a nine-game win streak, dating to September 24, and won the Conference USA regular season championship and a bid to the conference title game the following week. There, they defeated North Texas in a rematch by three touchdowns, earning the program's second overall and consecutive conference championship.[18] UTSA finished the season with a record of 11–2 and a perfect 8–0 mark in conference play,[19] and were ranked No. 22 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. They finished No. 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings.[19] They lost to Troy in the 2022 Cure Bowl, 18–12.[19]

  1. ^ "2022 UTSA Football Quick Facts" (PDF). UTSA Roadrunners. August 27, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022. Expandable to 65,000.
  2. ^ Shari Biediger (October 21, 2021). "'Bold opportunity': UTSA to join American Athletic Conference". San Antonio Report. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  3. ^ Brian Kirkpatrick (October 21, 2021). "UTSA ... joining American Athletic Conference". Texas Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "American Announces Entrance Agreements With Incoming Members for 2023-24 Season" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "No. 24 Houston escapes with 37–35 victory over UTSA in 3 OTs". KHOU. September 3, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  6. ^ "Harris rallies UTSA over Army in overtime, 41–38". KSAT. September 10, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Davis, Danny; Tijerina, Richard (September 17, 2022). "No. 21 Texas pulls away from UTSA 41–20 in nonconference clash". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  8. ^ Whitaker, Stephen (September 25, 2022). "UTSA punishes Texas Southern with lopsided 52–24 win at the Alamodome". San Antonio Report. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  9. ^ "Harris has 414 yards passing, UTSA beats Middle Tennessee". CBS Sports. October 1, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  10. ^ Romero, Gabriel (October 8, 2022). "UTSA football downs Western Kentucky in Conference USA championship rematch". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  11. ^ "Harris throws for 303 yards, UTSA eases past FIU 30–10". KENS. October 15, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. ^ "UTSA's TD with 15 seconds left beats North Texas 31–27". Toronto Star. October 22, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Whitaker, Stephen (November 6, 2022). "UTSA remains undefeated in conference play as it holds of UAB Blazers in double overtime". San Antonio Report. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  14. ^ "UTSA clinches at least share of Conference USA crown". ESPN. November 12, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  15. ^ Whitaker, Stephen (November 19, 2022). "UTSA punishes Rice, wins another regular-season title". San Antonio Report. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  16. ^ Dean, Richard (November 19, 2022). "Rice falls to UTSA, 41–7, as bowl hopes down to one game". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  17. ^ Cely, Andrew (November 27, 2022). "Harris, UTSA erase 24-point deficit, defeat UTEP 34–31". KSAT. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  18. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (December 2, 2022). "Roadrunners earn second straight Conference USA crown with blowout win". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c Luca, Greg (December 4, 2022). "UTSA will meet Troy in Cure Bowl". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 6, 2022.