Harris made waves in 2021 after recovering from his injury, leading UTSA to its very first conference championship and doing the same the following year. Harris had been a part of the team since 2017. Harris joined the Roadrunners right out of high school as a redshirt freshman; his improvements and accomplishments over the years helped bring attention and crowds to the Roadrunners.
Harris’ last college football season was in 2023; his role as quarterback was filled by University of Colorado Boulder transfer Owen McCown. The former Buffaloes quarterback played and started in three games during his freshman year.
McCown, in his own right, is a good quarterback; however, after these past few games, some fans are asking the question of if he is good enough to fill the place of Harris, a task that seems virtually impossible.
“I just hope everybody grades them on the same curve that they graded Frank [Harris] on,” coach Jeff Traylor said in an interview with G5 Football Daily in August.
Traylor doesn’t want newcomer McCown to be compared to where Harris was at the end of his career; it took Harris time to learn and develop with the team before he got the hang of it.
Fans may have to wait further into the season to see how McCown improves alongside the team and finds his rhythm. Until then, people are left with the question: Do we have a quarterback problem, or are expectations too high?
Eric Soza, the Roadrunners’ first quarterback, helped the team gain notoriety as they laid the foundation for the program. Soza’s last season with the ‘Runners was in 2013, when he graduated. UTSA’s quarterback problem started shortly after. In the 2014 season, the team ran through five different quarterbacks due to injury, which resulted in an offense average of 17 points a game. The 2015 season was not that different as many players graduated.
The following seasons were a back-and-forth struggle for the Roadrunners. In 2016, UTSA replaced coach Larry Coker with former LSU coach Frank Wilson. Wilson lasted just three years in San Antonio and finished with a 19-29 record. These years were marred by UTSA’s inability to find a solid starting quarterback. Due to an ongoing rotation of quarterbacks, the Roadrunners had trouble reaching their full potential.
Harris stepped into the quarterback position in 2020 at a time when the team was not expected to do well, but the Roadrunners defied expectations when they made their second bowl appearance in program history. Before Harris, UTSA games saw record low attendance numbers. However, that turned around as the team began to find success under Harris’ leadership with the Schertz native leading the ‘Runners to seven wins. In the previous season, the team only managed to secure four.
The expectations and responsibility placed onto a quarterback are much higher than anyone else on the team as they absorb most of the blame when they lose. Conversely, they receive the most credit when they win. In theory, McCown should be expected to step up and do well; however, we shouldn’t expect him to replicate the greatness that Harris had during his tenure with the Roadrunners. When you go from one team to another, it is like jumping into a whole new world. It takes time to develop and to become great.
