After knocking Ohio State off the top of the Associated Press poll and claiming the No. 1 ranking for itself, Texas football must now stay focused against a scrappy UTSA program that visits Royal-Memorial Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Longhorns (2-0), who jumped up three spots in the poll after their thrilling 24-23 win Saturday over Ohio State, face UTSA in a final warm-up before travelling to Tennessee Sept. 26 for its SEC opener. But the Roadrunners (2-0) haven’t seen themselves as an opening act for anyone since current head coach Jeff Traylor took over the program in 2020; Texas ranks first among state colleges with 57 wins since the start of the 2020 season, but UTSA and SMU are tied for second with 55 over that same span.
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Here’s a full scouting report for the Texas Longhorns vs. the UTSA Roadrunners.
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Texas defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) attempts to hit the ball out of the hands of Texas State receiver Tucker Cusano (13) during the game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 5, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
No. 1 Texas (2-0) vs. UTSA (2-0)
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Where: Royal-Memorial Stadium
TV/radio: SEC Network+, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)
Weather: Another home game, another hot day. For the third straight week, temperatures will soar close to 100 degrees with stifling humidity. There’s the slightest chances for a scattered shower
Texas vs UTSA football betting info
Moneyline: Texas -8000, UTSA +2200
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Spread: Texas is favored by 30½ points.
Texas history: UTSA
All-time: Texas leads 2-0
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Last meeting: Texas 56, UTSA 7 (Sept. 14, 2024)
Most memorable meeting: Texas 41, UTSA 20 (2022). Traylor and the Roadrunners strolled into Austin four years ago with a strong squad and a bit of swagger, and the Longhorns needed heroics from running back Bijan Robinson and cornerback Jahdae Barron to pull away for the win. In the second half, Barron returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown and Robinson had scoring runs of 78 and 41 yards as the Longhorns broke a 17-17 halftime tie.
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Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers (2) looks for room to run against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Know the foe: UTSA
Last week: Beat Texas State 31-26
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Players to watch: QB Owen McCown, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, has made 28 straight starts for UTSA and started three more games for Colorado in 2022. He’s thrown for 489 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions this season. The McCown family has deep roots with Traylor; McCown’s father, former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, was coached by Traylor at Jacksonville High in East Texas in the 1990s.
RB Will Henderson III, a 5-10, 185-pound junior from Traylor’s East Texas hometown of Gilmer, leads the Roadrunners in carries (23) and rushing yards (181). He averages 7.9 yards a carry this season and 7.0 in his career.
LB Brandon Tucker, a 5-11, 225-pound senior, finished Saturday’s loss to Texas State with 13 tackles, the highest tally for the Roadrunners since 2021. The former FCS All-American at East Texas A&M already has 18 total tackles and nine solo stops this season.
Central Texas connections: UTSA traditionally reaches into the Austin area to bolster its roster. Sturdy defensive lineman Jusiah Sampleton of Giddings rotates in up front and has two tackles this season, and freshman Braydon Doane of Lake Travis serves as the kickoff specialist. Hutto product Preston Huneycutt serves as the backup center, Anderson graduate Max Gerlich is a reserve quarterback, linebacker Braedon Lott of Lake Travis may see action as a reserve, and Pflugerville product Tysan Breaux adds depth at linebacker. Offensive lineman Daniel Simpson of Liberty Hill and defensive lineman Byron Porter of Crockett are also on the roster.
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When Texas has the ball
Texas State dominated both lines of scrimmage during its head-scratching loss to UTSA last week, and the Bobcats’ 289 yards rushing and 5.8 yards-per-carry average bodes well for a Texas ground game that’s beginning to find its groove. Texas averages just 3.9 yards per carry as a team, but expect head coach Steve Sarkisian to get running backs Hollywood Smothers (31 carries, 144 yards, two touchdowns) and Raleek Brown (21, 88, 2) on track against UTSA.
A porous UTSA defense has allowed 451.5 yards a game across its two games, which also includes a 45-16 win over UT-Rio Grande Valley in the season opener. But the Roadrunners have done a good job of forcing takeaways with four interceptions and five forced fumbles. They’ll test Texas quarterback Arch Manning and a Texas offense that has two interceptions and fumbled four times.
When UTSA has the ball
The Roadrunners take care of the ball and they maximize their snaps. McCown has yet to throw a pick, and UTSA hasn’t fumbled. Better yet for a team that has yet to win the time of possession battle: UTSA averages 7.0 yards per play and scores a touchdown every 9.3 snaps. For the season, Texas has forced four takeaways, including a fumble recovery and an interception by sophomore Graceson Littleton.
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UTSA has yet to allow a sack this season even with a makeshift set of tackles. Traylor described UTSA’s offensive tackle spots as a “work in progress” after rotating in multiple players on each end. No Texas player has more than one sack this season, but the matchups look promising for edges Colin Simmons and Lance Jackson. McCown, who completed 21 of 29 passes for just 132 yards in the meeting with Texas two years ago, quickly gets the ball out of his hands. We’ll see if he’s quick enough Saturday.
Texas vs UTSA key matchup
Texas center Connor Robertson vs. UTSA nose tackle Jameian Buxton
Two salty seniors will square off inside. The 6-4, 316-pound Robertson has played in 33 career games with 11 starts while the 6-2, 325-pound Jameian Buxton has played in 38 games over the past four seasons. Texas will want to pound on a shallow UTSA front that gives up 233 yards rushing per game, and that starts in the middle.
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Texas vs UTSA prediction
Thomas Jones: Texas 42, UTSA 16. Hopefully, fans stored some of last week’s excitement, because there won’t be much drama Saturday at DKR. Expect Texas to approach 300 yards on the ground while warming up for the start of SEC play.
Danny Davis: Texas. I don’t expect there to be a hangover after the Ohio State win. This is about prep work for SEC play, and plenty of Longhorns should get to get some work in ahead of next weekend’s trip to Knoxville.
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