UTSA Roadrunners vs Texas A&M Aggies Game Preview

Records: UTSA (3-4), A&M (5-3)

Game Time: 11:00 a.m. CT, Saturday, November 2

Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX

TV: SEC Network

Radio: Ticket760 or TAMUSN, 1620 AM, SIRIUS 137/XM 190

Live Stats: Side Arm Stats

Series Record: A&M leads 1-0 and won the last meeting 23-10.

Betting Line: A&M -38, O/U 53.5

UTSA Outlook

Here are the Roadrunners’ priorities for Saturday’s game, ranked:

1. Collect the check
2. Avoid injuries
3. Keep the bus running
4. Look competitive

With UTSA’s two FBS wins this season coming against teams with a combined record of 1-14, it’s hard to expect too much from Frank Wilson’s squad.

The Roadrunners will travel to College Station well-rested from the bye week after enjoying a close win over Rice in their last action.

Sophomore quarterback Lowell Narcisse looked vastly improved against Rice, completing 66% of his passes for 212 yards. Narcisse was much less dependent on his legs to make plays and actually looked quite comfortable surveying his options while sitting in the pocket. It’s just Rice, but if Narcisse can show that type of improvement consistently then he could be a solid option for UTSA moving forward.

This is the time of the year where you’ll see freshmen and sophomores really start to hit their stride as they get some experience under their belt at the collegiate level. We saw that play out for UTSA against Rice as Sincere McCormick broke out for a long touchdown, Rashad Wisdom stepped into a pick six, and Zakhari Franklin caught two touchdowns. Sure the young guys have looked promising, but will they be spooked by the spectacle of Kyle Field?

Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Texas A&M Outlook

The Aggies aren’t going to compete for an SEC title this year but Jimbo Fisher has his team playing pretty solid football while the roster gets rebuilt to fit Fisher’s program.

San Antonio native Kellen Mond has made some major strides in his junior season after frustrating Aggie fans with inaccuracy and inconsistency as a sophomore. Mond is completing 64% of his passes and avoiding turnovers. The Aggies don’t have many big play threats out wide, yet Mond has still surpassed 2,000 passing yards on the season already.

A&M was dealt a tough blow when starting running back Jashaun Corbin was declared out for the season with a hamstring injury in September, but freshman running back Isaiah Spiller has proven to be more than capable of replacing Corbin as the Aggies’ feature back. Spiller has been forceful in finishing runs as he’s racked up yards after contact this year. The Roadrunners have struggled with bringing down ball carriers this season so Spiller could be primed for a big game.

UTSA’s biggest match up concern will be tight end Jalen Wydermyer. The 6’5”, 260 pound freshman has already racked up five touchdowns this season, with big games against Alabama, Ole Miss, and Miss State. The Roadrunners really don’t have the size at linebacker to cover Wydermyer, so they’ll need help from their defensive linemen to jam Wydermyer off his release.

There isn’t a single player to point to on A&M’s defense as a sure-fire first round draft pick, but several guys have proven to be dependable contributors for Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko.

Linebacker Buddy Johnson is the heart beat of the defense, boasting a team-leading 54 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Justin Madubuike has been a force on the line with 7.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks and should have some entertaining battles with the interior of UTSA’s offensive line.

Prediction

It’s hard to imagine the Roadrunners keeping this game close, much less winning it. Even a great showing from UTSA would probably still allow the Aggies to escape the fourth quarter pretty painlessly. The Roadrunners should just hope to get some quality experience for their young players on one of college football’s biggest stages.

UTSA 13 Texas A&M 48