Conference Play begins

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UTSA has closed out the non-conference portion of the 2022 schedule with a 2-2 record after last week's win over Texas Southern. Now the Roadrunners turn their attention to Conference USA and opening against a familiar opponent.

For the third straight season UTSA will open Conference USA play against Middle Tennessee State. This season is the return trip of the home-and-home that started last season in the Alamodome. The two schools also met in September 2020 after Memphis had to back out of a visit to San Antonio.

UTSA leads the all-time series 3-1, having won three straight dating back to a 45-25 win at Murfreesboro in 2016. The Roadrunners won last season's game, 27-13, and the game in 2020, 37-35. Middle Tennessee won the first ever meeting between the two schools in 2015, 42-7, in the Alamodome. With UTSA headed to the American Athletic Conference next season this will be the Roadrunners final trip to the middle of Tennessee for the foreseeable future.

The Blue Raiders have been playing football since that first year of the school back in 1911. Back then the school was called Middle Tennessee State Normal School and the football team was known interchangeably as the Normalites, the Teachers or the Pedagogues. In 1934 they became known as the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee joined Conference USA the same year that UTSA did back in 2013.

Middle Tennessee football enters Friday's game with a record of 596-451-28 all-time. If limited to just the era that UTSA has been playing football, the Blue Raiders are 71-69 since the start of the 2011 season.

UTSA and Middle Tennessee enter the conference portion of the season with four games under their belts. The Roadrunners survived the tough opening trio of Houston, Army and Texas before closing out non-conference with a win over Texas Southern last week to move the record to 2-2.

The Blue Raiders opened the season with a shocking 44-7 loss at a James Madison team playing its first game at the FBS level. Since then, Middle Tennessee has beaten a winless Colorado State 34-19 and FCS-member Tennessee State 44-6. Last week the Blue Raiders pulled off a shock of their own when they beat the then-number 25 ranked Miami Hurricanes, 45-31.

Middle Tennessee is averaging 33.75 points per game while UTSA is averaging 37 points per game. Opponents of the Blue Raiders are averaging 25 points per game. UTSA's opponents have averaged 35 points per game.

In terms of total offense UTSA has averaged 478.5 yards per game and given up 438.5 yards per game on defense. Middle Tennessee is averaging 360.3 yards per game on offense and giving up 342.8 yards per game.

UTSA has had better results passing than rushing. The Roadrunners are averaging 351.5 yards per game passing and 127 yards per game rushing. On defense UTSA's opponents are averaging 225 yards passing and 213.5 yards rushing.

The Blue Raiders also have more yards passing per game than rushing. Middle Tennessee is averaging 248.25 yards per game in the air and 112 yards per game rushing. The Blue Raider defense is giving up an average of 249.75 yards per game passing and 93 yards per game rushing.

In terms of turnover margin UTSA has a minus-one differential and Middle Tennessee has a plus-two differential.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris has completed 104 of his 154 passing attempts for 1,310 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harris also is the Roadrunners second leading rusher with 162 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Last week Harris set a new school record for passing yards in a game with 392.

Middle Tennessee quarterback Chase Cunningham has completed 85 of his 120 passing attempts, racking up 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. Cunningham is also the Blue Raiders second leading rusher with 57 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries.

Leading the Roadrunners rushing attack is Brendan Brady. Brady has 60 carries for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

The Blue Raiders rushing attack is led by Frank Peasant. Peasant has run the ball 63 times for 292 yards and six touchdowns.

UTSA continues to be led in the receiving department by the trio of Zakhari Franklin, Joshua Cephus and De'Corian Clark. Clark set a school record for receiving yards in a game last week with 217. On the season Clark leads the Roadrunners with 417 yards and six touchdowns on 27 catches. Franklin leads in receptions with 32 for 393 yards and four touchdowns. Cephus has 412 yards and two touchdowns on 29 catches.

Middle Tennessee's Izaiah Gathings leads the team with 24 receptions and has 175 yards. Jaylin Lane leads the Blue Raiders with 231 yards receiving. Elijah Metcalf and DJ England-Chisholm share the team lead with two touchdowns each.

UTSA catches Middle Tennessee coming off the Blue Raiders first win over a ranked opponent. Will the Blue Raiders be still battling a Miami hangover? Or will they be amped on a night scheduled to be a blackout for their fans.

For the Roadrunners the question will be can they bring the effort they've shown on the road in the second half against Army and the first half against Texas. Also can the Roadrunners prevent the big plays that Middle Tennessee was able to achieve last week against Miami.

Aside from the Hurricanes, UTSA will be the best team Middle Tennessee State has played this season. It is the nature of college football that there is unpredictability. Knowing that I am predicting that a Roadrunners that just experienced a crowd of 102K in Austin will not be intimidated by the Murfreesboro crowd. It will be as close as the other recent matchups between UTSA and Middle Tennessee but I like the Roadrunners to leave the Volunteer State with the win.

My pick: UTSA 35 Middle Tennessee 31

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