Roadrunners seek second consecutive C-USA title Friday against North Texas

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris and the Roadrunners will play North Texas for the Conference USA championship at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Alamodome. This may very well be the last home game the record-breaking quarterback ever plays in a UTSA uniform. Photo by Jeff Huehn

NOVEMBER 30, 2022 — UTSA is calling on San Antonio to #PackTheDome Friday night and wear blue for what is being widely regarded as the most important home game in the Roadrunners’ 12-season football history. UTSA hosts North Texas in the Ryan Conference USA Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 2, at the Alamodome. A win would give the Roadrunners a second consecutive Conference USA title in their final season in the league.

The Roadrunners (10-2 overall; 8-0 in C-USA) clinched a perfect regular season record in Conference USA last Saturday, though UTEP certainly didn’t make it easy. The Miners bombarded UTSA early on, leaping out to a 24-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter. Just when all seemed lost, wide receiver Joshua Cephus caught a 65-yard pass from quarterback Frank Harris to bring a buzz back to the Alamodome. Four minutes later, linebacker Dadrian Taylor sent the stadium into a frenzy by intercepting a UTEP pass and returning it 73 yards for another touchdown.

UTEP rushed for another score early in the third quarter, but UTSA would get touchdown receptions by Zakhari Franklin and Tykee Ogle-Kellogg, as well as two field goals by Jared Sackett, to cap an incredible 34-31 win on Senior Day. It was the largest comeback victory in program history.

Poll voters rewarded UTSA for its herculean efforts. The Roadrunners made their first appearance of the season in the AP Poll, coming in at No. 23. They also moved up one spot to No. 24 in the USA Today AFCA Coaches Poll. UTSA is currently one of only three ranked teams from the “Group of Five” conferences (C-USA, AAC, Sun Belt, MAC and Mountain West), alongside Big 12-bound UCF and future American Athletic Conference foe Tulane.

It’s getting harder and harder to deny UTSA’s momentum in college football. Over the past two seasons, only four FBS programs have a better overall record than the Roadrunners’ 22-4 mark: Georgia (26-1), Michigan (24-2), Ohio State (22-3) and Alabama (23-4).

Of course, North Texas handed UTSA one of those four losses and stands in the way of a second conference title for the Roadrunners. The Mean Green (7-5 overall; 6-2 in C-USA) wrapped up their season with a 21-17 win over Rice last Saturday. UTSA narrowly won the regular season matchup with North Texas in October, but the Roadrunners know better than to underestimate their rivals from Denton. The Mean Green infamously spoiled UTSA’s perfect regular season in 2021. These two programs have battled on the football field 10 times and each have emerged the victor on five occasions.

UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has gone on the record to say at least 45,000 to 50,000 fans will be needed to push the Roadrunners over the top in Friday’s big game. More than 41,000 fans attended UTSA’s unforgettable win over Western Kentucky in 2021 Conference USA Championship Game last year at the Alamodome. It was the largest attendance for a C-USA title game since 2007 and the third-largest in the game’s history. UTSA is calling on football fans from across the 210 to exceed last year’s attendance mark—by a lot—on Friday night.

Alumni, local businesses and other supporters have already stepped up by making donations to fund free student tickets for the conference championship game—ensuring that one of the rowdiest student crowds in college football would be able to continue supporting their beloved Roadrunners in the biggest battle of the season.

The city is also vibrantly rallying around the Roadrunners as they prepare for the big game on Friday. Landmarks, monuments and businesses throughout the city will once again display orange lights this week to celebrate UTSA’s success in 2022. Individuals can show their support by wearing blue at Friday’s game.

Roadrunner Nation is also invited to demonstrate its school spirit on Friday at the following family-friendly events:

PRE-GAME

Fan Zone
3:30 p.m., H-E-B Plaza (north side of the Alamodome)

Roadrunner fans of all ages can take part in free pre-game festivities at Rowdy Town, including live music, an inflatable obstacle course, interactive games, displays, food samples and beverages.

UTSA Alumni Association’s Roadrunner Nation Tailgate
3:30 p.m., Alamodome Lot C

The UTSA Alumni Association invites fans to the official Roadrunner Nation Tailgate. Enjoy food, drinks, activities and giveaways, along with visits from UTSA Cheer, the Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band and Rowdy the Roadrunner. General admission is $25 and comes with a food ticket and open bar privileges. Children 12 and under are admitted for free, and discounts are given to UTSA Alumni Association members.

Spirit Walk
4:15 p.m., Alamodome, Roadrunner Alley (between Lots B and C)

This exciting tradition gets Roadrunner fans and the UTSA team pumped up for the game. Join the Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band and UTSA spirit squads as they accompany the team down Roadrunner Alley and into the Alamodome approximately two hours before each home game. Fans can line the walkway between the Alamodome parking lots B and C to cheer on the team.

GOING TO THE GAME

Tickets

Tickets are on sale by calling or texting 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting ticketmaster.com. UTSA has transitioned to digital tickets through Account Manager. Students currently enrolled at UTSA are eligible for a free ticket to the game.

For walk-up sales, the Alamodome’s southwest box office will open at 10 a.m. Friday and all other Alamodome box offices will open at 4 p.m. Customer service windows are located at the northeast and southeast box offices.

Game day parking and tailgating

Parking in Alamodome Lots A, B and C is limited to fans who already have purchased permits. A limited number of disabled parking spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The lots will open at noon for those who have valid parking passes. Please do NOT enter prior to noon. Staff will ask early entrants to vacate their spot(s) and re-enter once the lots are open. There are several paid public parking lots in the general vicinity of the Alamodome.

The City of San Antonio is offering free parking in City-owned parking facilities from 4 p.m. on Friday to 2 a.m. on Saturday. Free parking is NOT available in the Alamodome lots, and this offer only applies to City-owned parking facilities.

Visit UTSA Athletics online for more information and City of San Antonio tailgating guidelines. Student organization tailgating begins at 2:30 p.m.

Getting to the game

Students and their guests may park at the UTSA Main Campus and catch a UTSA shuttle to the game at the North Paseo Bus Oval, just outside of the North Paseo Building. Shuttles will begin service to the Alamodome at 3:30 p.m. The last shuttle to the game will depart campus at 6 p.m. To avoid possible delays, students and their guests are encouraged to catch a shuttle early in the departure window. Students will be dropped off and picked up at the Robert Thompson Transit Station at the Alamodome. Buses will begin return service back to UTSA at the start of the fourth quarter and the last shuttle bus from the Alamodome will depart one hour after the end of the game.

Shuttle riders may park at the Main Campus without a permit in the Tobin Ave. Garage starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday (while spaces are available). Employee A, Employee B and unmarked commuter spots will be available for permit-free parking starting at 4:30 p.m.

VIA has announced that it will serve UTSA home football games. VIA’s Park & Ride Service offers roundtrip travel to the Alamodome for just $2.60. Service to all UTSA home games will be provided from the Crossroads Park & Ride, beginning three hours before game time, and return service will run for one hour after each game. The Park & Ride fare is $1.30 each way with discounted fares available for children, seniors, students and active-duty military. Pre-purchase tickets on VIA’s goMobile+ app, available to download free on Apple and Android devices. Cash and credit cards are accepted on game day at the Crossroads Park & Ride location.

UTSA students can use their U-Pass for service to the game. VIAtrans customers and children under age 5 ride free. VIA bus passes are not valid for this service. VIA’s day pass, 7-day pass, and 31-day pass are valid for special event service.

The drop-off and pick-up location for rideshare users is located in Parking Lot D next to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center at the corner of Montana Street and Tower of Americas Way.

Alamodome entry

Please enter the stadium early to avoid long lines. Doors open to the public at 5 p.m. Fans should read the Alamodome clear bag policy before entering the stadium, including the list of approved bags. Speed lanes will be available at security checkpoints for those with no bags. Please have your keys, phone and wallet out before getting to the scanners. Please have your tickets out or loaded on your phone with the screen brightness turned all the way up before reaching the doors.

Student seating

Student seating is general admission within sections 122-131. To accommodate increased student attendance, sections 220-226 on the Club Level will also be open for student general admission seating. The Spirit of San Antonio band will occupy sections 127-128.

UTSA gear

Fans can buy the latest UTSA apparel and accessories from the Rowdy Campus Store, which will be set up in Lot B near Roadrunner Alley. Merchandise sales counters are also located inside the Alamodome on the Plaza Level concourses near sections 106 and 118.

WATCH. TWEET. CELEBRATE.

Television and radio broadcasts

Saturday’s television broadcast will air on CBS Sports Network. Rich Waltz will provide play-by-play commentary alongside analyst Aaron Taylor and reporter Sherree Burruss.

The radio broadcast will air live on Ticket 760 AM in the San Antonio area and on SiriusXM app channel 387. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 4:30 p.m. and there will be a 45-minute postgame show. The radio broadcast can also be heard online at Ticket760.com and via the iHeartRadio and The Varsity Network apps.

Game day traditions and social media

First, get into game mode by brushing up on UTSA’s traditions including the fight song and alma mater. Then, stay engaged with fellow Roadrunners by sharing your UTSA game day experiences on social media using the hashtags #UTSA, #LetsGo210 and #BirdsUp. All Roadrunner fans are encouraged to follow UTSA Football and UTSA Athletics on Twitter and UTSA on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Campus experience

During the football season, the Monument lights and Student Union Tower lights will glow blue and orange during home game weeks. After a win, the lights turn orange in celebration for the rest of the weekend.

— Shea Conner