Texas vs UTSA prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 3, Saturday, September 17
Texas vs UTSA How To Watch
Date: Saturday, September 17
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
How To Watch: Longhorn Network
Record: Texas (1-1), UTSA (1-1)
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Texas vs UTSA Game Preview
Why UTSA Will Win
How does Texas pick it back up after that?
Sure, there’s a moral victory of pushing the then-No. 1 team in the nation to the brink, but to get so close and come up with that good of a performance only to lose in such painful fashion …
Again, how do you gear up for a team you’re supposed to beat, but has the potential to make a bad situation a whole lot worse?
UTSA has been solid. It came very, very close to getting past Houston, and it got the job done against a good Army team that wasn’t able to get its ground game going.
The Roadrunner offense – directed by nationally underappreciated QB Frank Harris – is owning third downs, the run defense is holding up just fine overall, and there’s no fear factor here. This team is going to bring the big-time effort on both sides of the ball.
Why Texas Will Win
It’s not all perfect for UTSA, though.
The offensive line is struggling to keep defenses away from Harris, the D isn’t getting off the field, and penalties were a wee bit of an issue.
And then there’s the secondary. Houston didn’t bomb away for big yards, but Clayton Tune was able to dinking and dunk without a problem. Army – yeah, that Army – was hitting the deep shots to try keeping up the pace.
Alabama needed to grab, grab, and grab some more to keep Xavier Worthy and the Texas receivers from getting loose. As long as the Longhorn O line can keep the Roadrunner pass rush from going off, the downfield plays will be there.
Now …
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What’s Going To Happen
Who’s going to be the Texas quarterback?
Steve Sarkisian is being very, very coy on the status of Quinn Ewers after getting full body mashed by Bama. His injured left shoulder is supposedly okay – to a point – and backup Hudson Card isn’t considered out despite his ankle injury. However, they’re both far from 100%, and there’s no sure-thing time they’re expected to be back. That, and superstar RB Bijan Robinson is hurting, too.
Oh, and UTSA is good enough to win this.
This is one of those moments for Texas football.
It’s coming off the soul-crushing loss, it’s stars are hurting, it has a true to Texas Tech up next week to start Big 12 play, and UTSA has the makeup to roll into town and pull a Week 3 version of Appalachian State or Marshall.
Texas will get out of this. The defense will play well again, there will be just enough big plays through the air, and it’ll be a survive-and-advance game after a whole lot of sweating.
Texas vs UTSA Prediction, Line
Texas 37, UTSA 26
Line: Texas -11.5, o/u: 60.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Texas vs UTSA Must See Rating (out of 5): 3.5
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