Texas and UTSA are set to meet again Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and for the Roadrunners, this one is about more than just the scoreboard.
It’s the third game in a five-game series stretched across 2022 to 2030, and UTSA has already seen both sides of the experience. In 2024, Texas rolled to a 56-7 win, hanging two touchdowns on the Roadrunners in every quarter.
Two years earlier, though, UTSA made things uncomfortable early, grabbing a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and going into halftime tied 17-17 before Texas pulled away in the second half for a 41-20 victory. Even in defeat, UTSA left Austin with 408 total offensive yards.
The Longhorns come into this one after a dramatic win over Ohio State and with what may be their strongest roster in recent memory. But for UTSA, the value of the trip to Austin has always gone beyond the paycheck. According to the 2019 San Antonio Express-News report cited when the series was announced, UTSA is earning a total of $8.52 million across the five-game set, but head coach Jeff Traylor sees the game as a chance to measure his team against elite talent and learn more about what he has on hand.
That’s especially important after UTSA’s own momentum-building result last week, a 31-26 road comeback over Texas State, the Longhorns’ Week 1 opponent. It was the Roadrunners’ first I-35 Rivalry win in the last three seasons, and Traylor wants to see that carry over in Austin.
“The environment’s like none other,” Traylor said. “Getting them ready to play won’t be a problem.
It’s just the execution of the game against superior athletes we have to focus on. We got to give our guys a chance.
You can’t ask them to do things that they can’t do because of the talent differential. That’s what coaching is, and we have to figure out a way to do that.”
The Texas ties run deep for UTSA, too. Traylor, who worked as Texas’ associate coach for offense under Charlie Strong, said Monday that 12 members of his staff have coached at, played for or graduated from Texas.
“We have a ton of respect for that place,” Traylor said.
The Roadrunners also have a veteran presence in the huddle, including fifth-year quarterback Owen McCown, who played at DKR in 2024. For him and the rest of UTSA, the challenge is real, but so is the appeal.
“As a competitor, naturally, to get the best opponent in the country, I think is pretty cool,” McCown said on Tuesday. “The same guys in this room will tell you that, anytime you go up against the best as a competitor, who wouldn’t want to do that?”
In Other News...
Texas Heads Into SEC Play With One Big Offensive Concern
Texas wrapped up its non-conference slate with a 30-6 win over UTSA, and the bigger takeaway for Steve Sarkisians group was that it came out healthy ahead of SEC play. The defense did what a No. 1 team should do, holding the Roadrunners to 143 total yards, while the offense found enough bursts to keep control of the game and move on to the next challenge.
The passing game, though, still looked like the area most likely to test Texas once the league schedule begins. Arch Manning had a productive line, but the rhythm never really settled in, even as the Longhorns got a boost from freshman Derrick Cooper Jr. in the backfield, where he gave Texas another meaningful option alongside the more established pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Has One Clear Priority Against UTSA Before SEC Play
The Longhorns head into their matchup with UTSA with momentum and a chance to clean up a few more details before the schedule gets a lot less forgiving. Texas has looked the part through its first two games, and oddsmakers are expecting a comfortable night against a Roadrunners team that has struggled to hold up defensively. With conference play looming, this is the kind of game the Longhorns want to control early and use to sharpen themselves for what comes next.
A win would push Texas to 3-0 and give the program another chance to build rhythm before SEC competition arrives. The bigger question is not whether the Longhorns should win, but how complete they can look while doing it, especially against an opponent whose defensive issues have already been exposed. For Texas, the priority is clear: handle business, stay healthy, and leave no doubt before the real tests begin. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Concern Before Tennessee
Texas defensive front already had a big enough week ahead with Tennessee on the schedule, and now the edge-rusher rotation has become a little harder to read. Colin Simmons, one of the key pieces off the edge, was spotted on the sideline against UTSA in street clothes, which immediately raised eyebrows for a defense that has leaned on its pass rush to set the tone.
Steve Sarkisian did not offer an update on Simmons at halftime, and there has been no official word since, leaving the Longhorns with an open question at a position where they had added depth this season. With Tennessee coming next week, Texas can at least point to that added insurance, but how much of it gets tested may depend on whether Simmons is available. [Read more 🡒]