The last time UTSA football stepped foot on the gridiron, things were a little different. The Roadrunners were led by long-time contributors on both sides of the ball; names like Frank Harris, Rashad Wisdom and Joshua Cephus dominated the Alamodome turf. Since then, UTSA has experienced major roster turnover. Anytime there are new faces with large expectations, it can lead to a shared sense of uncertainty amongst fans. Facing a transitioning Kennesaw State, the ‘Runners will look to ease fans’ concerns with a strong week one performance.
A member of our staff at The Paisano spoke with the sports editor at The Sentinel, Kai Millette, to discuss Saturday’s matchup.
As KSU moves from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, what are the expectations for this season?
“We’re excited for the opportunity. The program is only 10 years old, so to be at this point this quickly is really cool. We’re excited to see certain names on our schedule, UTSA being one of those, but also I think our expectations are very cautiously optimistic. We’re not expecting to go 10-2 and win the conference or anything, honestly, we’re hoping to steal a few games that we aren’t supposed to win. We know the situation, we know it’s an uphill battle so expectations are at bay.”
With UTSA being KSU’s first FBS opponent, what sticks out about the Roadrunners?
“Before I started doing my prep research for this game, I knew very little about UTSA. I knew that they were a struggling program just six or seven years ago and that things have gotten a lot better these past couple years. I know they’re in the upper half in the American, I know they’re quarterbacked by a McCown and I know you guys can play. It’s going to be a tough one to start off with.”
As 27.5 point underdogs, what has to happen for KSU to pull off the upset?
“Guys have to punch above their weight. There needs to be overachievement everywhere. Our running back room and our receiving room are two units that we’ve been really excited about, but for them to shine the quarterback has to step up first. We now know who our starter is going to be and that’s Davis Bryson. He’s going to have to perform above expectations, he struggled in limited action last season. So it comes down to guys coming in motivated, overachieving and us getting some push on the line of scrimmage.”
Who will win on Saturday?
“I’m giving it to UTSA, as much as I want to drink the Kool-Aid and be all rah-rah about KSU. I think the goal for us as fans is to cover the spread, make it competitive and make it look like we belong, that’s really what we all want to see. I’m giving this one to UTSA fairly comfortably.”
