The UTSA roadrunners completed their fall scrimmage season Thursday in front of 2,103 supporters at the Alamodome. It was the first time the Roadrunners were able to play in the dome.
“It was impressive to have this many people here for a scrimmage,” Head Football Coach Larry Coker said. “It felt great to walk out here and see the nice crowd, it really felt great for us as coaches and players.”
Coker was pleased with where the team was after eight scrimmage, but he stressed there is work to be done.
“We have come miles this fall; we are a much better football team now,” Coker said. “We have a long way to go, but you can see there are some guys with speed who can make plays.”
The offense led the way in the scrimmage with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns.
One of the quarterbacks who shone bright was freshman John Simmons. He completed 5-of-8 passes and three touchdowns. Simmons also ran for team-high 47 yards and one rushing touchdown.
“I have played here before, so I felt comfortable playing on this field,” Simmons said. “It was exciting to imagine playing before 65,000.”
The defense had some bright moments despite giving up six touchdowns. Along with two interceptions, the Roadrunner defense came up with five passes broken up, a sack and a blocked field goal.
“Our defensive front is going to be pretty good,” Coker said. “We just have to shore up our defensive backfield; we need to get a safety and add a cornerback.”
The end of scrimmage season is not the end for Coker and the coaching staff. There is still work to be done before spring practice.
“The main thing we want to do is get them in the weight room,” Coker said. “We realize we are just like everybody else. We are on the clock. We got to be ready to play here Sept. 3, but we have a lot of work.”