The UTSA Roadrunners traveled west to Provo, Utah to take on the 15th ranked BYU Cougars. The Cougars would end up winning the game 27-20 in what was a closer game than experts expected. Check out UTSA Loses Matchup vs BYU for more.
UTSA Loses Matchup vs BYU
The Roadrunners from UTSA took their 3-1 record to Utah to face the 3-0 BYU Cougars. BYU was heavily favorited in this non-conference matchup as they were projected to win by 35 points. The Cougars were outscoring their opponents 148-24 through three games, but UTSA was able to hold their own. The Conference-USA school has had some very dominant wins under their belt and looked to add their fourth victory.
Recap
The game started off very shaky as both teams traded turnovers in the first four minutes of the game. The Roadrunners were the first ones on the board as Hunter Duplessis drilled a 39-yard field goal. The Cougars would immediately follow this up with a punishing six-minute drive that resulted in seven points. The Cougars would score their second touchdown with just over four minutes remaining in the half. The two teams went into the locker room as BYU held a 14-3 lead. The first half was marked by many short drives that resulted in punts from the two teams.
UTSA entered the third quarter as the first team to score following another field goal. BYU would rattle off a long 90-yard touchdown drive with four minutes left in the quarter, following a long 52-yard pass completion from Zach Wilson. UTSA would soon match BYU’s touchdown after Lowell Narcisse completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin. Eventually, BYU would put together another crushing six-minute drive that resulted in a Cougar touchdown. UTSA would answer this touchdown with seven points of their own to lessen the deficit to a touchdown with one-minute remaining in the game. Unfortunately, a failed Duplessis onside kick would seal the victory for the Cougars.
Injury Troubles Continue
Frank Harris had missed the previous game against UAB with a leg injury. He was able to come back Saturday against BYU, however, he would once again leave the game early. He was replaced at the end of the second quarter by quarterback Lowell Narcisse. Harris had once again earned the starting spot this season, however, he seems to be getting more injury-prone. I would not be surprised if Harris was left out of the starting spot next week to recover if the reason for his departure was an injury. UTSA fans should be worried about the durability of their star quarterback moving forward.
Backup Plan
Head coach Jeff Traylor elected to go with Jordan Weeks to replace Harris last week. However, Narcisse would take over late in the game as Weeks continued to struggle. However, Taylor went with Narcisse to take over for Harris just as the second quarter was ending. Narcisse completed 17 of his 20 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He is known for his rushing ability; however, he really showcased his arm in this outing. Narcisse was efficient and surgical with his passes this past weekend which helped fuel long Roadrunner drives. He was often inefficient in the past; however, this version of Narcisse has been the best that we have seen to date. If Frank Harris remains out with an injury, UTSA faithful should feel more confident in Narcisse moving forward.
Stagnant Running Game
Sincere McCormick has been the focal point of the UTSA offense in weeks past. However, against BYU, Traylor elected to follow a different game plan. McCormick only had 11 rushing attempts for 42 yards. The nation’s leading rusher through four weeks was completely nonexistent against BYU. Do not expect this to continue as McCormick notoriously eats up the majority of the touches throughout the game.
A Look Ahead
UTSA will host the Army Black Knights at the Alamodome next week. Army is currently outscoring opponents 158-63 so the Roadrunners will likely have their hands full once again. UTSA will be searching for their fourth victory as they continue to work to stay above .500.
