UTSA-UNT preview: Roadrunners look to close out disappointing season on a high

By Mary Scott McNabb

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It’s been a disappointing and frustrating 2018 season for UTSA football. Ever since they won three games in a row to bring their record to 3-3, they’ve yet to win again. But many of their last five losses haven’t just been losses, many of them have been blowouts.

The Roadrunners have been outscored 120-10 over their last three games as their offensive performance seems to keep getting worse. At their last home game against FIU, UTSA lost 45-7 in front of the smallest home crowd in UTSA football’s short seven-year history. With the season all but over, UTSA will face North Texas in their final game of the season at the Alamodome.

Although the ‘Runners sit at a dismal 3-8, they have an opportunity to end the season on a positive note and send the seniors out with a home victory. North Texas is a 24-point favorite over UTSA, so here are three things UTSA must do to earn the win.

UNT vs. UTSA details

Date: Nov. 24, 2018

Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, Tx

What channel is UNT vs UTSA on?

UNT vs UTSA will be broadcast on ESPN+

How can I buy tickets to the UNT vs UTSA game?

Click here to buy tickets to the game.

Create pressure on quarterback Mason Fine

UNT quarterback Mason Fine is arguably the best signal caller in Conference-USA. After a breakout sophomore season in which he threw for over 4,000 yards, he’s followed it up by having a very solid junior campaign. Fine has thrown for 25 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions this season and has racked up nearly 3,500 passing yards.

Fine is the real deal, and he’ll be up against a weaker secondary. If given enough time, there’s no question Fine will pick the UTSA secondary apart. The Mean Green average 315 passing yards per game so they love to move the ball through the air and let Fine work his magic. In order to prevent Fine from having a monster game, the defensive line will have to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and create pressure on him. Fine isn’t known for his legs so the defense will have to force him out of the pocket and make him uncomfortable.

Secondary must keep everything underneath

The secondary is the weakest point of UTSA’s defense, and they’re prone to giving up the big play. There’s been plenty of games this season where the opponent averages over 10 yards per completion and UTSA can’t allow that to happen with Mason Fine at the helm of the offense. Fine is going to find the open receiver, but the secondary must keep everything in front of them and come up to make the tackle. They simply cannot allow their receivers to get behind them for big gains.

They must also key in on receiver Rico Bussey Jr. who is only a catch or two away from eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Bussey Jr. averages 15 yards per catch and has caught 12 touchdowns. UTSA must slow him down as much as possible and make Fine look for someone else who isn’t his favorite target.

Run the ball effectively

Few thought the running game would get worse than the season opener, when Arizona State held the Roadrunnres to two total rushing yards. However, against Marshall a week ago, UTSA outdid themselves, rushing for a mind-blowingly dismal negative-26 yards. The offense line must do a better job of opening running lanes and giving the quarterbacks time to throw. 

Quarterback Bryce Rivers was sacked five times last week. Without any rushing offense, it's difficult to execute anything effectively. No running game means no play-action passes, and means the defense will be able to drop players back into coverage. Brenden Brady has shown flashes of his potential and has been featured in the backfield the past few games. He should get several touches against UNT. 

If UTSA can create opportunities up the middle with Daniels and utilize Rhoades' hands out of the backfield, the Roadrunners might be able to put together drives longer than five plays. 

Final score prediction: North Texas 38, UTSA 16

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