Pre Snap Read - #60 UTSA

[dc4azcats]

People rag on our OOC schedule but we will lose this game if we overlook these guys even a little bit. 37 seniors and 19 of those are starters. That being said, Souza the QB LY was the heart and soul of this team and TY they will start his backup who was a JC transfer.

Tidbit: It took a little time, but UTSA's roster is now up to 106 players. Of those 106 Roadrunners, 94 come from Texas – a ridiculously high percentage. Another five are from Florida, three are from California, three are from Oklahoma and one, junior tackle Brian Price, is from Indiana – but comes to San Antonio from a junior college in California.
Tidbit (roster edition): One more extremely important note about this roster: UTSA has 37 seniors. This isn't just the highest total in the country; it's the highest total in the country with a bullet. The Roadrunners will have 19 senior starters, barring injuries or a surprise, four more than second-place South Alabama



http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... /12263685/

[azgreg]

if it wasn't for the new team rule they would have gone to a bowl game last year.

[azpenguin]

This game has had me kind of nervous; I do think Arizona will win but at the same time this could be like walking into a hornet's nest like the 2008 New Mexico game. That crowd is going to be fired up and UTSA is looking at Arizona as a chance to get a milestone win. RichRod will have to keep the team focused and locked in, like how they showed up in Las Vegas last year. If we get the version that showed up against Wazzu... eek.

[ASUHATER!]

orange out!

[Sage&Silver]

^ the Dutch are such assholes.

[azgreg]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr- ... 55065.html

Other games to consider:

Arizona at UTSA (8:00 p.m., Thursday)

Do not sleep on the Roadrunners, who return a whopping twenty starters from last year’s 7-5 squad. Former Hurricanes head coach Larry Coker has somehow already established UTSA as a Conference USA favorite. Rich Rodriguez will still be breaking in a new quarterback and returns a front seven light on 2013 starters. Road night game in a rocking opposing stadium for a major conference favorite…we’ve seen this story before.

[Merkin]

Did the UA get a 2 and 1 or a 1 and 1 with UTSA?

A 1 and 1 would definitely be a no-win situation.

[scumdevils86]

2 for 1 I think.

yeah we play them week 1 in Tucson next year.

[azgreg]

Yep, 2 home and 1 away.

[azgreg]

UTSA's media day video.

[youtube]EAECPPQYfOA[/youtube]

[azgreg]

Apparently we are going to lose to UTSA. Hope this guy is wrong.

10 Biggest Upset Alert Games of the 2014 College Football Season

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2169 ... son/page/4

Upset Magnitude (1-10): 6

Upset Alert Because: Experience Matters Early

UTSA has only been around for three seasons; 2014 will be its fourth.

As one might be able to deduce, that means it is loaded with experience. The Roadrunners' first recruiting class is about to become seniors, which explains how they ranked No. 1 in the country on Phil Steele's combined experience chart (and have 19 senior starters).

By contrast, Arizona ranked No. 94 on Steele's experience chart and has a ton to replace on offense. The wide receivers are there to keep the unit competitive, and so is the head coach, Rich Rodriguez. But the team should be better at the end of the year than at the beginning.

Plus, it's not like Rodriguez will be the only famous face on the sideline in San Antonio. UTSA is led by former Miami head coach/national champion Larry Coker, who has done a great job molding this team in his image. It peaked last year at No. 67 in the F/+ ratings.

Coaching plus experience plus home-field advantage is a solid formula for an early-season upset.

UTSA has all three of those in its favor.

[dc4azcats]

Apparently we are going to lose to UTSA. Hope this guy is wrong.

10 Biggest Upset Alert Games of the 2014 College Football Season

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2169 ... son/page/4

Upset Magnitude (1-10): 6

Upset Alert Because: Experience Matters Early

UTSA has only been around for three seasons; 2014 will be its fourth.

As one might be able to deduce, that means it is loaded with experience. The Roadrunners' first recruiting class is about to become seniors, which explains how they ranked No. 1 in the country on Phil Steele's combined experience chart (and have 19 senior starters).

By contrast, Arizona ranked No. 94 on Steele's experience chart and has a ton to replace on offense. The wide receivers are there to keep the unit competitive, and so is the head coach, Rich Rodriguez. But the team should be better at the end of the year than at the beginning.

Plus, it's not like Rodriguez will be the only famous face on the sideline in San Antonio. UTSA is led by former Miami head coach/national champion Larry Coker, who has done a great job molding this team in his image. It peaked last year at No. 67 in the F/+ ratings.

Coaching plus experience plus home-field advantage is a solid formula for an early-season upset.

UTSA has all three of those in its favor.

Exp is great but the guy fails to mention that UTSA lost their best player from LY's team in Soza who was the only QB they've had in their history. He was also their 2nd best rusher where Ty's QB is not that great of a runner. That's kind of a big deal.

[azgreg]

Exp is great but the guy fails to mention that UTSA lost their best player from LY's team in Soza who was the only QB they've had in their history. He was also their 2nd best rusher where Ty's QB is not that great of a runner. That's kind of a big deal.

Oh I know. I think the thing that allowed us to dominate last year was speed. Plain speed. We had it and they didn't. I see nothing different this year.

[Sage&Silver]

Is two-star talent with experience better than the same with a few four-star freshman & transfers mixed in?

Seems like the narrative of this game is the narrative of our season.

[ASUHATER!]

Utsa is very experienced and it is a road game...but actually football wise we are a terrible matchup for them. Their own fans say they are not a good matchup scheme wise.

[threenumberones]

Think I'll head down for this game - anyone else?

[UAEebs86]

Think I'll head down for this game - anyone else?

I'm going with my best bud from UofA who lives in Houston.
We bought our tickets from the alumni association.

[azpenguin]

Arizona has what they need to beat UTSA. The most important thing they need to bring is focus. Stay focused and win. This game has a lot of ingredients for an upset, but if the Cats are locked in it's over before the third quarter is done. I think that RichRod and staff will have them ready.

[cordera89]

I don't think this game is going to be that tough, regardless of them being the most experience group with 38 senior on the roster. It should be a good game to watch.

[catgrad97]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

[Sage&Silver]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

I wouldn't call two first half field goals hanging around.

[cordera89]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

That true. I think this year will be probably be different outcome. Were still going to win it, just a different outcome u may never know how the score will look like once both team start to play.

The 3-3-5 probably wont get exploited unless we lost few key players. But it should be a fun game to watch.

[catgrad97]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

I wouldn't call two first half field goals hanging around.

I wouldn't call 38-13 a cupcake blowout either.

[dc4azcats]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

Disagree. UTSA's total offense LY for the game vs Arizona was 379. Souza threw for 277 and ran for 22. UTSA had a RB who rushed for 70 yards (one gain for 42 yards that they ended up getting a FG on) and that's it. The RB is back but this offense revolved around the QB Souza who was their starter from Day one. You go from that to a new QB who hasn't taken a snap? That's a tough task for any team to expect him to be ready to go up against a team like Arizona in his 2nd game.

He can have all kinds of exp around him but his first game is on the road vs Houston this Friday which is breaking in a new stadium and then Arizona comes to town a week later. Tough task for a team that goes from it's all time leading passer to a guy that has thrown 33 times in mop up duty.

Before you say how is that different for Anu I would say it's a huge difference because Arizona legitimately has other weapons around it and it has a very exp OL which will help Anu immensely. Anu doesn't have to play spectacular for Arizona to win - he needs to play well and get the ball into the playmakers hands. UTSA's QB needs to play very well if they want to have a chance at beating Arizona. LY Souza was 30 of 46 throwing the ball with no TD's and one int. They ran the ball 29 times for 107 yards - that's not going to get it done either.

[jollything]

I am thinking this will be a little more like Toledo from 2012. A game we know we should win but is still a fight and ends up being pretty close in the end.

I think we won like 24-14 or 24-17

Edit: Wow we went to OT in that game! and it was 24-17. So maybe not as much like this, but I think we will be in for a fight and should be prepared accordingly.

[Sage&Silver]

I wouldn't call 38-13 a cupcake blowout either.

I didn't say that. I just didn't think they were really ever that close.

But since you brought it up . Leading by 32 in the 4th, scoring five TDs to the opponents two FGs, almost as big a point differential as the NAU game... feels like a blowout to me. I'm not too worried that they finally punched one in after the game was decided.

[azgreg]

UTSA was never in it, and we played a pretty vanilla package also.

[ASUHATER!]

The experience and road environment will be factors but we're just a bad matchup for utsa. Our defense is built to stop offenses like theirs.

[cordera89]

The experience and road environment will be factors but we're just a bad matchup for utsa. Our defense is built to stop offenses like theirs.

Question will remain is? Will this game be close as some people Predicted to be or just a normal blowout game from the get go. Last season I didn't watch the full game on TV but saw highlight of it. Outcome of this game is going to be different from last year meeting . Let face it, It is going to be on the road but There no way UTSA Defense is going to stop our Offense with the Experience Offensive Line and best WR group in the conference even thou Anu Solomon is starting QB but RB? There no way that there offense is going to move on our defense that been improving year after year. Arizona going to run away with this game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5xzuN0kplE

[ASUHATER!]

All we have to do is limit first road game jitters and turnovers by our new guys and then just play our game plan and we should leave SA with a 2-3 score win.

[Gilbertcat]

Short week and on the road. I was annoyed when they moved it to Thursday. A lot of upset happen on short weeks...Talent will still win out, but hopefully its all good.

[threenumberones]

Think I'll head down for this game - anyone else?

I'm going with my best bud from UofA who lives in Houston.
We bought our tickets from the alumni association.

Excellent - just got my ticket. Post if you hear of a tailgate and I'll do the same.

[UAEebs86]

Think I'll head down for this game - anyone else?

I'm going with my best bud from UofA who lives in Houston.
We bought our tickets from the alumni association.

Excellent - just got my ticket. Post if you hear of a tailgate and I'll do the same.

The alumni association has one set up - if it's lame we'll bail for someplace else.

This came in an e-mail from them:

Pregame Tailgate Fiesta

Aldaco's Mexican Restaurant at Sunset Station
4:30-6:45 p.m.

Don’t miss a chance to network with fellow UA alums and fans, to connect with UA administration, and meet Wilbur and the cheerleaders! Not to mention getting fired up before the BIG game!

For additional info and to RSVP, visit http://arizonaalumni.com/event/san-anto ... an-antonio. The deadline to RSVP is Monday at 11:59 p.m.

[qwertyus]

It's going to be tough. Everybody underestimated UTSA last year and were shocked when they didn't just come into Arizona Stadium and roll over.

They hung around until the fourth, and that's a credit to Larry Coker as a coach.

This is the kind of game you expect the 3-3-5 to get exploited early and the Cats to have to come from behind. Bad matchup, yes, but one UTSA has circled on its calendar.

I wouldn't call two first half field goals hanging around.

I wouldn't call 38-13 a cupcake blowout either.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?id=332570012

Box score seems to indicate we were pretty in control of that game. Even better OL, better WR's, and hopefully a better D, it doesn't matter if they're at home. They've got no QB and they won't be able to stop us. We win by 3 TD's at least.