10 Reasons to be Thankful for a 3-7 UTSA Team

So the season hasn't gone as planned. Instead of facing an undefeated Marshall squad for a Conference USA championship, UTSA will be sitting at home this post season. Saturday's game against UNT will serve as a send off for a group of 35 seniors that have given blood, sweat and tears to build this program. While Roadrunner fans won't be able to celebrate the season with a bowl game, here are a few reasons why I'm thankful for this team.

1. The Original 18 - These 18 young men bought into to a vision sold to them by Larry Coker and the administration. That vision hasn't been realized yet but it's much closer to culmination than anyone could have realistically expected when the Original 18 signed on to play at UTSA. A fan has proposed dedicating UTSA's 18 yard line to the Originals.
2. Just happy to be here - I went two years in college without a college football team to root for. That sucked and I'm glad I'll never have to suffer through that again. College football is cool and fun and other things too.
3. Triston Wade - UTSA fans have been so fortunate to watch this guy ball out the past four years. A Jim Thorpe award semi-finalist, Wade has brought passionate and forceful defense to UTSA. His ability to deliver rocking hits despite his 170 pound frame is phenomenal and I hope an NFL team throws him a camp invite.
4. Tailgating - I am so thankful for Matty, Mandy, John, Brian, David, Linda, the Texas Fat Boys, and everyone else that plays a huge role in making Tailgate SA and the rest of UTSA's tailgating scene so awesome. Y'all really are the best.
5. Conference USA - This is a fun and competitive conference to be a part of, especially for those of us blessed enough to be Texans. UTSA could be stuck in a really dicey situation had CUSA not extended an invitation once the WAC folded and for that I am extremely grateful.
6. The Defensive Line - UTSA fans won't appreciate this unit until it's gone. A lot of the defensive line's best players will return next season but many of the stalwarts that made UTSA's defensive line so impenetrable will be graduating this season. Here's to you, Ashaad Mabry, Cody Rogers, Robert Singletary, Richard Burge and Ferrington Macon.
7. Tucker Carter - It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It's really not fair. Tucker Carter did a great service to this program by waiting two years for his chance to take over for Eric Soza in Carter's senior year. Instead of stepping in to lead this program to its first bowl game, Carter was forced to deal with constant serious injuries that prevented him from realizing his potential. Thankfully Carter has been cleared to start on Saturday. Let's hope he can end his college career with a victory over a home town team that never offered him a scholarship.
8. Mike Villa and the Equipment Staff - Mike and his guys work so hard behind the scenes to keep the Roadrunners looking fresh. UTSA's sweet digs have played a major role in the program's early recruiting success. Keep doing your thing fellas.
9. Alamodome Renovations - UTSA's biggest win this season came off the field after the City of San Antonio confirmed nearly $50 million in renovations to the Alamodome after the city secured a bid to host the Final Four. This money will go to widening concourses, increasing event space outside of the stadium, improved concessions, revamped locker rooms and much, much more. UTSA is extremely fortunate to have such resources made available to it by a city in full support of the young program.
10. You - I really need to thank everyone on this site. From the fans that read my posts and provide feedback to my fellow writers that make it so much fun to follow this conference and to Nic and Adam for providing me with the opportunity to cover UTSA here, thank you. You all make following a bad team much more fun than it would be otherwise.