UTSA safety Rashad Wisdom celebrates after a big defensive play in the Roadrunners’ win against UAB. UTSA will host East Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome.
OCTOBER 26, 2023 — After a chilly start in September, UTSA Football has caught fire in October. The Roadrunners have won three consecutive games to vault to the top of the American Athletic Conference standings and they look to keep the positive momentum going at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28 at the Alamodome. UTSA will take on East Carolina in its annual Homecoming game.
The Roadrunners have a 4-3 overall record and are 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference. After outdueling Temple (49-34) in the first week of October, UTSA has scored decisive wins over UAB (41-20) and Florida Atlantic (36-10) the last two Saturdays. This recent surge has put UTSA in a first-place tie in the conference standings alongside the defending champion of The American, Tulane, and a consistently successful SMU team.
Though the October return of quarterback Frank Harris from an early-season injury has garnered plenty of attention, the UTSA defense has also experienced a resurgence over the last two weeks. Last Saturday, the Roadrunner defense held Florida Atlantic to a mere 162 total yards and notched a season-high 13 tackles for loss of yardage (including five sacks) to finish one shy of the program’s single-game record. Against UAB, the UTSA defense forced three turnovers, including a fumble that gave the offense a prime opportunity to quickly build a 14-0 lead in the game’s opening minutes.
East Carolina will come to the Alamodome on Saturday with a 1-6 overall record and an 0-3 mark in the conference, but don’t be fooled by the numbers. The Pirates have been playing tough against conference competition — losing at Rice by just 7 points, falling to Charlotte by only 3 points, and battling closely with SMU until the Mustangs pulled away with two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter. East Carolina is certainly playing better football than its record may suggest.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS
|
TEAM |
CONFERENCE |
OVERALL |
TEAM |
CONFERENCE |
OVERALL |
|
T-1. Tulane |
3-0 |
6-1 |
T-7. Navy |
2-2 |
3-4 |
|
T-1. SMU |
3-0 |
5-2 |
T-9. North Texas |
1-2 |
3-4 |
|
T-1. UTSA |
3-0 |
4-3 |
T-9. Tulsa |
1-2 |
3-4 |
|
T-4. Memphis |
2-1 |
5-2 |
T-9. Charlotte |
1-2 |
2-5 |
|
T-4. Rice |
2-1 |
4-3 |
12. UAB |
1-3 |
2-6 |
|
T-4. Florida Atlantic |
2-1 |
3-4 |
13. East Carolina |
0-3 |
1-6 |
|
T-7. South Florida |
2-2 |
4-4 |
14. Temple |
0-4 |
2-6 |
The Roadrunners and Pirates will meet on the gridiron for the first time ever on Saturday, and East Carolina will have to overcome one of the best home-field advantages in college football to score a victory. UTSA has won 18 of its last 20 home games and boasts a 20-3 record at the Alamodome under head coach Jeff Traylor. The Roadrunners have also won their last four Homecoming games; the most memorable being a rousing triumph over North Texas last fall.
Saturday’s game will mark the culmination of UTSA’s 2023 Homecoming festivities, which includes voting for the Spirit of the Roadrunner. This award recognizes two students who embody the spirit of UTSA by striving for the highest levels of academic achievement and committing themselves to campus involvement and community service. Winners of this year’s Spirit of the Roadrunner will be announced during halftime.
The inaugural class of the UTSA Athletics Hall of Fame will also be honored on the field during the game. This group of six Roadrunner sports luminaries includes former student-athletes McKenzie Adams (volleyball/women’s basketball), Devin Brown (men’s basketball), Marcus Davenport (football) and Tameka Roberts (women’s track & field/women’s basketball), former head football coach Larry Coker and former athletics director Lynn Hickey. A Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Friday night before the game.
Roadrunner Nation is invited to show its school spirit on Saturday at the following family-friendly events:
The Roadrunner defense swarms a UAB ballcarrier in UTSA’s 41-20 victory over the Blazers. The UTSA defense aims to put together another stellar October performance when the Roadrunners host East Carolina at the Alamodome on Saturday.
PRE-GAME
Fan Zone
11:30 a.m., H-E-B Plaza (north side of the Alamodome)
Roadrunner fans of all ages can take part in free pre-game festivities at the Fan Zone, including an inflatable obstacle course for kids, games, interactive displays and free UTSA gear and prizes. The Animal Defense League of Texas will be on hand to introduce visitors to dogs that are available for adoption, and fans can also register to win a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado that will be given away during the game on Friday, November 17 against South Florida.
Spirit Walk
12:15 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 Rowdy, 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.
UTSA Student Indoor Tailgate
1 to 2:30 p.m., Alamodome, Multipurpose Room (north end of Field Level)
This is the gathering spot for UTSA students inside the Alamodome on game day. Free food and beverages will be available (while supplies last) and door prizes will include game concession vouchers and UTSA apparel. Students may access the Student Indoor Tailgate by entering the Alamodome near the Fan Zone at H-E-B Plaza and heading down the stairs to the Field Level.
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. For more information, please visit goutsa.com/tickets.
All students currently enrolled at UTSA are eligible for free admission to all home football games. UTSA students may purchase up to four guest tickets for student-section seating.
For walk-up sales, the Alamodome’s southwest box office will open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and all other Alamodome box offices will open at noon. Customer service windows are located at the northeast and southeast box offices.
Parking
Parking in Alamodome Lots A, B and C, as well as in the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) lots, is limited to fans who already have purchased permits. Alamodome Lots A, B and C will open at 8 a.m. and the ITC lots will open at 11:30 a.m. for those who have valid parking passes. Please do not enter the lots prior to the scheduled opening time or staff will ask you to vacate your spot(s) and re-enter once the lots are open.
Limited ADA parking spots are available in Lot A on a first-come, first-served basis. By state law, veterans with Disabled Veteran plates that do NOT have a valid state-issued disability placard are not permitted to park in ADA accessible spaces. The Disabled Veteran and ADA state-issued accessibility placard are two separate designations.
There are also several paid public parking lots in the general vicinity of the Alamodome.
Tailgating
Alamodome parking lots will open at 8 a.m. for tailgating and close one hour after the conclusion of the game on Saturday. Tailgating is not permitted in the ITC parking lots. Visit UTSA Athletics online for more information and City of San Antonio tailgating guidelines.
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 11:30 a.m. The last shuttle to the game will depart campus at 2 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.
VIA will serve UTSA's 2023 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 the conclusion of 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. From there, fans may take the walkway across Interstate 37 to the Alamodome.
Alamodome entry
Please enter the stadium early to avoid long lines. Doors open to the public at 1 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 adjacent to Roadrunner Alley, which is located between Lots B and C. Merchandise sales counters are also located inside the Alamodome on the Plaza Level concourses near section 106 and 118.
WATCH. TWEET. CELEBRATE.
Television and radio broadcasts
Saturday’s television broadcast will air on the ESPN+ streaming service. Ted Emrich will provide play-by-play commentary alongside analyst Doc Holliday. Smacker Miles will be reporting from the sidelines.
The radio broadcast will air live on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket in the San Antonio area. Andy Everett (play-by-play), Jay Riley (analyst) and Pat Evans (reporter) will call the action. The pregame show will begin at 12:30 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 free iHeartRadio app.
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 X (Twitter) and UTSA on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
