UTSA working via fast turnaround for Friday's C-USA opener – San Antonio Categorical-Information
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With a brief week to organize for Friday’s Convention USA opener and the frustration from Saturday’s efficiency lingering, coach Jeff Traylor rallied the Roadrunners for a uncommon Sunday observe.
UTSA surged within the second half of a 52-24 win towards Texas Southern, however Traylor’s movie overview confirmed loads of weak factors in his “210 Triangle of Toughness.”
Although the Roadrunners are nonetheless nursing an array of accidents, the group was “full pace forward” Sunday, Traylor mentioned, needing a return to kind as UTSA prepares to journey for a matchup at 6:30 p.m. Friday towards a Center Tennessee squad that knocked off then-No. 25 Miami on Saturday.
“We’re disillusioned proper now as a crew. We didn’t symbolize the model,” Traylor mentioned. “Children know I’m upset, they usually’re upset. We put the ball down and went to work.”
Physicality on protection, one of many three legs of UTSA’s “Triangle of Toughness” tradition, was missing Saturday, Traylor mentioned, with poor tackling permitting Texas Southern to rack up 464 complete yards.
Although the Tigers’ defensive method enabled the Roadrunners to throw for a program-record 441 yards, UTSA’s floor recreation was bottled up for 112, hampering the facet of the triangle dedicated to operating the football.
The third arm of the triangle of toughness, particular groups, additionally left Traylor with a way of dissatisfaction. Whereas UTSA notched the primary kickoff return landing at school historical past, Traylor mentioned the kickoff protection unit struggled.
Watching the Roadrunners construct only a four-point halftime lead after coming into the matchup favored by greater than 40, Traylor thought again to a quote from Alabama coach Nick Saban about dealing with the function of a favourite.
“Both the blokes don’t know what they’re speaking about choosing the unfold, or our guys let that have an effect on the best way they ready and performed,” Traylor mentioned. “I might say it had extra to do with the best way we ready and performed.”
Traylor entered Sunday’s observe with “a variety of issues now we have to scrub up” and left assured “we’ll present up” towards Center Tennessee. The Roadrunners took Monday off to accommodate the gamers’ class schedules, Traylor mentioned, and plan to select up a traditional game-week routine Tuesday, with the same old timeline superior by someday.
Sitting 2-2 on the finish of the nonconference portion of the schedule, Traylor mentioned UTSA “performed rather well” in losses to Houston and Texas, and “didn’t play effectively” in wins towards Military and Texas Southern.
However Traylor is aware of UTSA’s report and efficiency in these video games has no bearing on the purpose of repeating as Convention USA champion.
“If we’re 0-4 or 4-0, it doesn’t matter,” Traylor mentioned. “It’s a must to go get this one, and we couldn’t be a worse time for us to play a Friday night time recreation with the best way our harm state of affairs is correct now. However we’ve acquired to discover a solution to get again on that airplane Friday night time. If it’s 3-2, 7-6, or 68-67.”
The Roadrunners listed 21 gamers on final week’s harm report, and although Traylor mentioned that quantity ought to be decrease this week, the rely stays “not so good as I would like it to be.”
The prospect of returning any of the 4 injured offensive tackles “doesn’t look good,” Traylor mentioned, and linebacker Dadrian Taylor stays 50-50 after taking part in observe Sunday.
Security Rashad Knowledge sat out Sunday’s session after struggling an harm towards Texas Southern, although he posted on Twitter later that night time that he was “all good.”
The Roadrunners have been additionally with out operating again Trelon Smith and defensive tackles Joe Evans and Brandon Matterson throughout Saturday’s recreation.
Receiver De’Corian Clark mentioned Saturday that UTSA’s well being is “getting there,” and security Kelechi Nwachuku mentioned the Roadrunners have been taking a jump-start on restoration Saturday night time quite than having fun with the standard night time off.
“We have now a variety of guys on the verge of coming again,” Nwachuku mentioned. “We simply can’t look ahead to them to come back again.”
Lower than an hour after UTSA’s win, Traylor already knew that Center Tennessee “beating the heck out of Miami” was sufficient to “hold you up all week.”
The Blue Raiders pressured three turnovers within the first seven minutes of their 45-31 win, leaping out to a 24-3 lead early within the second quarter.
Center Tennessee scored on landing passes of 69, 71 and 98 yards, including one other 89-yard acquire that stopped in need of the tip zone. No different crew within the FBS has accomplished 4 passes of 60 or extra yards this season.
“We kicked their tails, and I ain’t afraid to say it,” Blue Raiders coach Rick Stockstill mentioned after the sport. “Coming down right here as 26-point canines and kicking their butt like we did, as a result of it was a butt-kicking. There isn’t any fluke to this. Simply actually happy with our crew — the toughness that we performed with. We have been the harder crew right here tonight.”
Although UTSA beat Center Tennessee 27-13 final yr and 37-35 in 2020, Traylor mentioned the Blue Raiders are “enjoying higher than they’ve ever performed,” backing up Stockstill’s phrases.
“He instructed the reality,” Traylor mentioned. “These guys went in there and whipped a extremely good Miami crew, bodily. I’d say it’s a fluke, however I watched the sport, and it wasn’t. I’ve seen them play us two years in a row, they usually’re powerful.”
Twitter: @GregLuca
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