The Roadrunners weren’t perfect on Saturday but still notched a hard-fought victory over a talented team on the road in a game that ended past midnight back in San Antonio. So far this season, the UTSA offense has been the better half of the ball. While that might not be saying much, fans went into the team’s matchup against Colorado State University expecting to see a shootout against the Rams and instead received a sloppy defensive slug fest. A bad win is always better than a good loss, and if nothing more, fans are one game closer to figuring out the ceiling of this year’s squad.
One-man show
Four weeks into the season, senior running back Robert Henry Jr. still leads the nation in rushing yards. If not for Henry, the Roadrunners might be winless. Henry’s hot-start has masked just how flawed the ‘Runners’ offense has been, consistently showcasing a sputtering passing attack that hasn’t given fans much to hang their hats on. At some point, opponents will stop Henry. How UTSA responds will determine whether or not the team will be able to keep up in a loaded American Conference.
Justin Burke’s seat is getting hotter and hotter
Fans’ patience with Burke dissipated a long, long time ago. Despite the win, the product on the field Saturday does not match the standard UTSA fans are used to seeing. Burke’s scheme is predictable, ineffective and refuses to play to the strengths of its star players. Consequently,15 of junior quarterback Owen McCown’s 26 passing attempts were either behind the line of scrimmage or under 10 yards of depth. For a roster that has Devin McCuin, David Amador, AJ Wilson, Houston Thomas and Patrick Overmyer, the offense is too stagnant. UTSA’s 2-2 record is enough to keep heads from rolling. How long that will last, though, is a different question.
The Great Wall of San Antonio
While Henry’s success is undoubtedly a product of his own talent, he also happens to be running behind one of the better offensive lines UTSA has had in recent memory. Junior offensive lineman Deandre Marshall broke out against Colorado State, posting an 86.6 overall offensive grade per Pro Football Focus. Guards Darrell Jones and Trevor Timmons have fortified the interior of the line while tackles Jaylen Garth and Kamar Missouri have held up the edges. Coach Jeff Traylor has done a good job getting quality snaps out of different lineman as the team battles through injury and experiments with different blocking schemes. The offensive line will likely continue to play a large role in the Roadrunners’ success.
The Roadrunners will get a much-needed bye week before they take on Temple University at noon Saturday, Oct. 4.
