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A year ago UTSA played the sixth game of the season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. At the time the Roadrunners were 5-0 and the Hilltoppers were 1-3. UTSA won on the road, 52-46, in Bowling Green on their way to an 11-0 start to the season. WKU picked itself up after losing to UTSA and rolled off seven straight wins to set up a rematch in the conference championship game.

Waiting for them in that game was UTSA. The Roadrunners 11-0 start had allowed them to wrap up the west division and the win at Bowling Green allowed the Roadrunners to host the conference championship game in a raucous Alamodome. The Roadrunners held on for a 49-41 win to lift the conference championship trophy.

Now this weekend the Roadrunners and Hilltoppers will meet again in the Alamodome at 5 p.m. on Saturday. More on the game ahead but first some background on the Roadrunners opponent.

Western Kentucky has an all-time record of 600-418-31. The Hilltoppers began playing football in 1913. That year they played one game, beating Elizabethtown (KY) High School, 20-0. Since that first game the Hilltoppers historically played at the Division II and Division I-FCS level. Western Kentucky joined the FBS in 2007. From 2009-2013 they were members of the Sun Belt Conference before joining Conference USA in 2014.

As a school Western Kentucky has been around since 1906. It was created by the Kentucky legislature as a merger of two separate male and female colleges. From 1906 to 1922 it was known as Western Kentucky Normal School. In 1922 the school was renamed Western Kentucky Normal School and Teachers College. In 1930 it became just Western Kentucky State Teachers College. Western Kentucky added University to its name in 1966 when it adopted its current handle.

In the years since UTSA began football, Western Kentucky has compiled a record of 88-59. The Hilltoppers of 2022 appear to have picked up offensively where their 2021 version ended, even with the departure of the quarterback, leading receiver and offensive coordinator from last year's team.

This year's contest between UTSA and Western Kentucky will pit two teams with a lot in common. Both the Roadrunners and the Hilltoppers are 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.

UTSA got to their record with wins over Army and Texas Southern in non-conference and last week on the road at Middle Tennessee State. The Roadrunners losses are in triple overtime to Houston and on the road at Texas in a game the Roadrunners led by 10. Through the first five games UTSA is averaging 38.6 points per game and opponents are averaging 34 points per game

WKU opened the season 2-0 after holding on to beat Austin Peay and whopping Hawaii in Honolulu. The Hilltoppers lost to Indiana on the road in overtime before clobbering FIU in the conference opener. Last week Western Kentucky lost at home to Troy 34-27. Western Kentucky is averaging 43.4 points per game and opponents are only averaging 22.2 points per game.

Offensively both teams have been putting up big yards so far this season. UTSA is averaging 500.8 yards per game on offense. WKU is averaging 501 yards per game on offense. The Roadrunner offense averages 365.8 yards passing per game and 135 yards per game rushing. WKU's offense averages 353.2 yards passing per game and 147.8 yards rushing per game.

On the other side of the ball the two team's defenses have a little more distance between them in terms of yards given up. UTSA's opponents have averaged 438 yards per game. WKU's opponents have averaged 239.2 yards per game passing and 184.4 yards per game rushing.

The Roadrunners passing offense will present Western Kentucky's defense with their toughest challenge this season.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

It will be a top four quarterback battle in the Alamodome on Saturday evening. UTSA's Frank Harris is second in the country with 1,724 yards passing. WKU's Austin Reed is fourth in the country with 1,669 yards.

Harris has set new school records for passing yards in a game in each of the last two games. So far this season Harris has completed 131 of his 189 pass attempts to reach those 1,724 yards. Harris has thrown 12 touchdowns this season, which puts him 19th in the country.

Reed had to fill the big shoes of Bailey Zappe but through the first five games he is well on his way to doing that. Reed has completed 144 of his 200 pass attempts for 1,669 yards and 16 touchdowns.

A quarterback is only as good as his receivers. In Harris's case he has the Roadrunners trinity of receivers. UTSA's trio of De"Corian "JT" Clark, Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin all rank in the top 15 nationally for receiving yards. Clark leads in yardage with 556 yards on 35 catches. Cephus has 503 yards and two touchdowns on 36 catches. Franklin has the most catches on the team with 37, racking up 491 yards on those catches. Franklin and Clark are tied for the team lead with six touchdowns apiece.

Reed also has three receivers separating themselves from the rest of the Hilltoppers. Daewood Davis leads the Hilltoppers with 34 catches and 476 yards as well as four touchdowns. Malachi Corley leads WKU with five touchdowns to go with 298 yards on 24 catches. Michael Mathison trails only Davis for catches on the WKU team. Mathison has 28 catches for 275 yards and one touchdown.

The Roadrunners and Hilltoppers defenses will have their hands full with the air raid offenses. If either offense can get the run game going it could be a long day for the opposition. UTSA's run game has been led by Brendan Brady's 304 yards and four touchdowns on 79 carries. WKU is led by Kye Robichaux's 311 yards on 47 carries.

This is a game that could go several different ways. It could be close, it could be a blowout one way or the other. It will probably be a shootout. No matter how it turns out the crowd that makes it to the Alamodome will be entertained on Saturday night.

WKU will be looking to avenge the losses last season but through their first five games they have not played an offense of UTSA's caliber or in an environment like the Alamodome.

Having the game in the Alamodome will be a boost to the Roadrunners. Another boost will be the possibility that some players who have been out with injury, such as offensive tackle Makai Hart, might be able to return against WKU.

It's tough for opponents to win in the Alamodome in the Traylor-Era and on top of that it will be Hispanic Heritage Night at the Alamodome. If UTSA can get the offense going early like they did a week ago in Murfreesboro they should be able keep the celebratory Alamodome going the whole evening.

A year ago my prediction for the first game in Bowling Green was UTSA 28, WKU 24. That score was eclipsed by halftime, in fact you could add that total together to get UTSA's point total at WKU. In the conference championship game I predicted UTSA 38, WKU 31. Turned out I was 11 points short on UTSA's total and 10 points short on WKU's final total.

This time, the third time will be the charm for me. At least I hope my score prediction this time is closer to fact than those other two were last year. I'm still picking the Roadrunners.

My Pick: UTSA 49 WKU 38

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way