UTSA played host to the Army Black Knights in what was a disappointing 28-16 loss for the Roadrunners. The team battled through injuries and a small half time deficit but still came up short.
UTSA Falls To Army
The UTSA Roadrunners were coming off two straight losses to the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers and the BYU Cougars. They were poised and hungry for another victory after starting the season 3-0. However, the Black Knights had other plans and used their triple-option offense to their advantage. The Black Knights are notorious for this style of play and executed it well against the Roadrunners. Army threw the ball a total of three times for the entire game, completing one of the passes for 53 yards. But the Black Knights are lethal on the ground. The team had 305 total rushing yards with two players rushing for more than 90 yards each. The Roadrunners themselves were able to put up 383 total yards. Unfortunately, this was not enough to secure a victory
Recap
The Black Knights struck first following a 66-yard touchdown run by Anthony Adkins. UTSA would respond with a field goal five minutes later to bring the score to 7-3. The two teams would trade touchdowns before the close of the second quarter after Lowell Narcisse hooked up with Zakhari Franklin for a one-yard score.
The two teams were hot to start the second half. Army was able to score in the middle of the third quarter following a 37-yard Tyhier Tyler touchdown run. UTSA would then respond on the next drive when Frank Harris threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Franklin. Unfortunately, the Roadrunners were unable to contain the red-hot Black Knights. Army took advantage of a 53-yard pass to set them up for their fourth touchdown which would extend their lead to 28-16. UTSA made admirable efforts to even up the score, however, two turnovers on downs would keep the Roadrunner offense off the field and out of the endzone.
Injury Woes Continue
Narcisse was named the starter for this matchup against Army. He had proven himself in the two previous games. He kept the offense moving and made smart decisions along the way. But he went down with what looked like a significant left leg injury after a 20-yard run. He would later be carted off the field in what looked like an air cast. Before leaving with the injury, Narcisse had completed 16 of his 31 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown pass. He was also getting it done on the ground after having rushed ten times for 47 yards. Harris, who was marked as the backup for the game following last week’s injury, would take over early in the fourth quarter. Harris would end up completing three of his eight passes for 31 yards and one touchdown pass.
UTSA’s Workhorse
Sincere McCormick continues to be the best and most reliable offensive player on UTSA. McCormick rushed for 133 yards on only 18 carries while averaging 7.4 yards/rush. He was absolutely unstoppable against Army. The only thing missing from him in this game was a touchdown. However, he does more than just put up stats and score touchdowns. His ground-threat is so extreme that it forces opponents to key in on him and prevent the rush. This helps to open up the UTSA passing game, which in years past, was a big weakness for the team. While this statistic cannot be taken down on the stat sheet, it is clearly a huge part of the offense that opens other avenues for players to get involved.
McCormick is still the nations leading rusher with 702 yards on 118 carries. He also has four touchdowns to add to this.
A Look Ahead
UTSA will stay home again this upcoming week as they will host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the Alamodome. The Bulldog is just ahead of the Roadrunners in the conference standings as LA Tech is ranked second, while UTSA is third. This will be a fun matchup and a winnable game for the Roadrunners, who are being given a 47 percent chance to win the game. One thing to keep a note of is the health of Harris who would likely be the starting quarterback against the Bulldogs. However, if he cannot go, expect Jordan Weeks to make an appearance.
