UTSA aiming for fast start in opener against UTRGV

There can be no ambiguity in Saturday’s final score. UTSA football needs to win comfortably in its opener against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 2026 is meant to be the season the Roadrunners finally rise into contention for an American Conference championship, and that starts with handling business against the Vaqueros.

The best side of the ball for either team on Saturday will be the Roadrunners’ offense. The unit is led by third-year starter senior Owen McCown with the team’s X-factor, redshirt sophomore running back Will Henderson III behind him. UTSA’s RB room goes three deep, with juniors Brandon High Jr. and A’Marion Peterson available to keep Henderson’s snap count at a manageable number. If the rushing attack stalls, new offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, who led Western Kentucky University to the 22nd-ranked passing offense in the nation, will aim to push the ball down the field to the team’s plethora of receiving options.

The Vaqueros’ offense was no slouch in their inaugural year as they finished second in the Southland Conference in total offensive yardage (5,222). Most of their offensive production came from former QB Eddie Lee Marburger, who spent his first four seasons with the Roadrunners and, in his final season of eligibility, led the Vaqueros to a 9-3 overall record. This year, it’ll be either junior Aidan Jakobsohn or fifth-year Garrett Rangel. Both saw a similar number of dropbacks in the Vaqueros’ 44-0 win over the University of Texas Permian Basin. 

 UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor is preparing for both. 

“[UTRGV] played them both,” Traylor said. “They’re both slightly different, but they both throw it really well. They had a great offensive performance. Three receivers really showed out. They ran the ball too. 

“Whenever you throw for 400 [yards] and rush for 200, it’s a problem. And they’re massive up front.” 

Traylor is right. The Vaqueros’ starting offensive line averages 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds. That could be a problem for the Roadrunners’ defensive line, which had only one player with more than three sacks in 2025. 

All eyes are on Eastern Kentucky University transfer defensive lineman Jeremiah Bailey, whose performance in UTSA’s fall camp earned him the illustrious jersey number zero. Senior defensive lineman Tai Leonard will look to bounce back from a disappointing, injury-riddled 2025 season, opposite Bailey. 

Four days before the opener, Traylor announced that linebacker Archie Chambers, the No.1 Junior College linebacker in the nation this past recruiting cycle, is no longer with the team.  Chambers was expected to start, but junior money backer Chris Bryson II will now slide into the role. Bryson, alongside UTSA starting linebackers seniors Brandon Tucker and Owen Pewee, is tasked with stopping a UTRGV rushing attack led by San Antonio native Brennan Carroll.

The Roadrunners’ cornerback room will have to do some heavy lifting as their safety unit develops cohesion and defensive coordinator Jess Loepp decides who the long-term starters will be. Twin brothers, corner duo Asaad and Ahamad Chapman, will see plenty of action Saturday. So will sophomore corner RJ Lester. 

Keys to the game

• UTSA must establish momentum early. The longer UTRGV hangs around, the better chance they have at an upset 
• Prevent big plays over the top. No easy scores for the Vaqueros due to back-end communication errors. 
• Close out the game strong. If UTSA is leading late, Bailey and Leonard should prioritize pass rushing to stifle the Vaqueros’ offense, no matter who’s at QB. 

Prediction 

UTRGV is not to be taken lightly, but this is still an FBS-FCS matchup — the first for the Vaqueros. The Roadrunners are undefeated against FCS opponents under Traylor, and there’s no reason to believe that changes on Saturday. The question isn’t “Will UTSA win or lose?” It’s “How dominant and cohesive will they look in the win?” It will be a key indicator of how true a contender UTSA will be this season in the American. 

Pick: UTSA 42, UTRGV 17