WKU Football: Gameday Info at UTSA
Your Gameday Guide for Your Trip to San Antonio! (Or your trip to ESPN+)
The 2022 campaign is still in great shape, especially considering WKU started 1-4 in 2021 en route to a Conference USA Championship Game appearance and a 9-5 overall record.
Last week, WKU took on the Troy Trojans and lost by one touchdown, 34-27. WKU was within striking distance inside Troy territory when the pocket collapsed, Austin Reed fumbled, and the entire stadium watched as only a few people on the entire field knew Reed had fumbled. After felt like three hours later, Troy recovered and ran out the clock.
WKU (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) takes on the UTSA Roadrunners (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) in San Antonio. Given last year’s epic battles, WKU comes in with revenge on the brain, while UTSA attempts to protect the Alamo(dome). Both teams have come in and been, in my opinion, a little surprising in different ways. For starters, it almost feels like WKU and UTSA have changed personalities. It is now WKU that is the more steady-Eddy, more balanced team. Meanwhile, UTSA is an incredibly explosive offense that struggles to do anything without its star quarterback. Although it’s a much different style of quarterback play (dual threat vs. record setting pocket passer), it’s eerily similar in terms of how much UTSA wins according to how well Frank Harris plays football.
WKU’s defense has surprised on all three levels and now in theory may be able to handle the three headed wide receiver monster (Zakhari Franklin, De’Corian Clark, and Joshua Cephus) a little better than they were last year, when they were not able to hold UTSA under 49 points in two attempts. However, those guys have also gotten even better, averaging 98 yards per game or more each, an incredible statistic. UTSA’s defense, however, has been suspect, giving up 34 points per game, including no less than 24 all season. Contrastingly, WKU’s defense is yet to give up more than 34, although they have given up 27 or more three times themselves.
Will the all-around more solid team win in WKU, as the more solid team in UTSA won last year? Or will the more explosive, much more one dimensional, UTSA win, unlike WKU was able to pull off last season?
Location
The Alamodome
Capacity: 64,000
The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 million.
The multi-purpose facility was intended to increase the city's convention traffic and attract a professional football franchise. It also placated the San Antonio Spurs' demands for a larger arena. The Spurs played in the Alamodome for a decade, then became disenchanted with the facility and convinced Bexar County to construct a new arena for them, now called the AT&T Center. The Alamodome's regular tenants are currently the UTSA Roadrunners. Recent tenants include the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football and the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League.
Time
Saturday, October 8, 2022, 5 P.M. CST
Weather Forecast
Although that’s riveting to know the outside temperature, it’s a dome, so it should feel like the equivalent of playing tackle football in your living room…if your living room had 64,000 seats.
TV
ESPN+
Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+ and is available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and LaDarrin McLane (analyst) have the call.
Radio
Randy Lee (Play by Play), Terry Obee (Analyst), Lexi Schweinert (Analyst), Jared Holland (Sideline)
Tune in to your local Hilltopper Sports Network station.
Also, you can listen to the radio call anywhere in the world on the WKU Gameday App!
Gameday Information
WKU
WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton UTSA Press Conference
UTSA
Around C-USA
C-USA Week 6: What They’re Saying
C-USA Around the League Week 6
Betting Lines from Sportsline.com
UTSA -6.5
Advice: I don’t like messing with a close line in a game that you don’t feel confident both teams will do a certain thing. If you have to bet it, liking UTSA but having a spread of -6.5 is nice, because UTSA would win you the bet with a normal score margin of 7. I would take the line on UTSA or bet WKU straight up. If you’re conservative but like WKU, be careful about not having that magic 7.5 number, but if you like the Tops, betting the line protects you just that little bit more.
O/U 72.5
Advice: Jeez. That number is so high! Vegas does a good job making you think it’s a good opportunity either way, depending on how you look at the world. Before I looked to see what the exact number was, I was thinking anything in the 60s, take the over all day! But at 72.5, that’s getting over at a score line of 37-36. Last year, both games were played in the 40s and 50s with neither team scoring less than 41. I think if you’re itching to bet, you probably have to take the over? But with WKU’s defense and WKU’s offense only scoring 27 last week, you could lean that way, as well. Ultimately, play the percentages and take the over.
ESPN.com Match-up Predictor
WKU: 53.9% chance to win
Current Records
WKU: 3-2 (1-0 C-USA)
UTSA: 3-2 (1-0 C-USA)
Last Time Out…
WKU struggled to finish offensively and defensively against Troy. In a 34-27 loss, WKU had opportunities on both sides of the ball to “punch it in” or keep the opposing offense out of the end zone and just couldn’t do it. Troy is a really good, well-rounded team, and they played better at some positions that weren’t expected and beat WKU pretty soundly despite the close margin.
UTSA was destroying MTSU before three straight interceptions thrown by Frank Harris made it remotely interesting. They still beat the MUTS by 15, but it was really a walloping and really changed my mind a little bit about this season’s version of UTSA. Before watching that tape, I thought WKU was clearly better than UTSA. Now, I would say WKU is still probably better, but UTSA is absolutely going to bring it at home. Whoever plays their best football wins this one.
Coaches
Tyson Helton- 4th Season- 26-18 (26-18 Overall)
Joe Traylor- 3rd Season- 22-9 (22-9 overall)
Series
2-1 UTSA
WKU and UTSA played each other last year twice. WKU found the “L” both times by a possession or less, the most hurtful of which was the Conference USA Championship Game. These two programs have only played one other time. Western took on the Roadrunners in Bowling Green in November of 2014 and absolutely crushed them 45-7. Western looks to even it up and UTSA looks to take control of a series that’s unlikely to continue much further considering UTSA is heading to the AAC.
Last Meeting
Why do I have to keep repeating this? It hurts, dadgumit. WKU lost in the Conference USA Championship against Troy in 2021. UTSA took advantage of the semi-typical 2021 early game woes, building a three score lead. However, the Tops fought back valiantly and had their chances to tie, to potentially take a lead, to make it more interesting, and they just couldn’t do it. After being down 42-13, WKU rallied with a 21-0 third quarter to make things really interesting at 42-34. UTSA scored one more touchdown to keep WKU at bay just enough. WKU had a last gasp effort with one minute to play down 49-41. Time expired and Meep Meep Nation was crowned champions.
Injury Report
WKU
CB A.J. Brathwaite-Knee. Status: Questionable
Brathwaite has been injured since the first game against Austin Peay and by all sources has not seemed ready to go. There were no questions asked by media about injuries in the press conference with Tyson, so we have very little intel going into this week. With how cryptic the WKU staff can be, it’s difficult to guess at some of these injury statuses. He was in street clothes last week.
WR Josh Sterns-Knee. Status: Questionable
Sterns, brother of Jerreth, was a contributor last year as an underclassman. He has been out all season, but Helton has been increasingly saying the past few weeks that Josh is getting close to ready to go. It stands to reason that he should be ready sooner rather than later. He was also in street clothes last week. Our guess is maybe one of these two gets to play against UTSA? Perhaps if this goes much longer, they will pursue medical redshirts on one or both of these key players.
DT Darius Shipp-Knee. Status: Active
According to sources, Darius Shipp has been battling knee concerns all season. Despite starting all five games, he has only produced four tackles despite getting the most snaps.
UTSA
RB De’Anthony Lewis-Knee. Status: Out for Season. Impact: Significant but not disastrous
Lewis played sparingly on special teams in 2021. He’s been injured this season and is considered out for the rest of the season. He may have added some running back depth, but was unlikely to make a deep impact in 2022, anyway.
RB Trelon Smith-Ankle. Status: Active but possibly limited. Impact: Huge
Smith is an SEC transfer with massive explosive capability. He made his reappearance at MTSU but seemed very limited. If he is more healthy this week, watch out. UTSA’s running game could be much better than it’s been all season. By season’s end, he could be Sincere McCormick-esque in many ways. Edit: Most recent reports say he is a full go.
T Makai Hart-ligament strain. Status: Probable to likely. Impact: Immeasurable
This is a Second Team All-Conference performer. This guy is a really good player, and his loss has thrown the entire offensive line into disarray since early September. If he comes back against WKU, even if he wasn’t completely healed from his early season setback, he would provide stability to a unit that has struggled to handle pressure, especially at the right tackle spot, which has been the obvious area of weakness for UTSA thus far this season. Edit: After some last second info from Jared Kalmus (@JaredUTSA), Hart has been running with the 1’s and is likely to play.
Excitement Level —7
Three things bring this excitement level down from a ten. First of all, it’s on the road. Second, it’s on ESPN+. Third, WKU lost to Troy last week. Each of those is going to quell some interest. Plus, UTSA is an interesting question mark, too. Are they really good? Are they going to steamroll WKU? Is WKU going to steamroll them? We don’t know just yet how good either team is, although in my opinion, I think WKU is the better team thus far. However, UTSA has been hampered by more injuries.
Regardless, this is a massive three game conference tilt for WKU, culminating in a home game against UAB. If WKU can get past UTSA, Topper fans have to figure the Tops get past Middle, and then WKU could take a complete stranglehold on one of the top two spots for the championship game in December. But it all starts with UTSA.
If you’re a Topper fan, you need to tune in tonight to see how it goes. If WKU wins this one, the ESPN FPI likes WKU to win all the way to the Auburn game in late November. What does that mean? Jack Harbaughdly Nothin’. E.A. Diddly squat. Tyson Helton’s cowboy hat brand. You pick. But what it does mean is WKU is in position with a game that seems to be completely up in the air. Tops win this, and the Tops are the favorites to win C-USA until further notice.
Winning early in conference means everything, because you slowly eliminate your competition by simply surviving. Win early, and the Tops can rest later. If the Tops lose this one game, they could find themselves out of the championship picture depending on who else wins or loses.
WKU needs this one. Obviously, UTSA can’t afford to lose their third game at home under Jeff Traylor in the conference home opener.
Someone’s going to march forward, and someone’s going to fold their tents and retreat.
Hopefully WKU isn’t outsmarted by the Roadrunner, and Big Red puts the ‘Runners in his big mouth and swallows them whole.
Regardless, it’s a coin flip and it should be a really good one.
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GO TOPS! BEAT UTSA!