UTSA welcomes TSU to town

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After two weeks as road warriors the UTSA Roadrunners will return home this weekend for the first time since their triple overtime loss to the Houston Cougars on Sept. 3.

This week the Roadrunners are welcoming another school from Houston's Third Ward as the Texas Southern Tigers come to town. The Tigers Campus sits across Scott Street from the University of Houston.

Like the University of Houston, Texas Southern had its beginnings in 1927. It opened as the Houston Colored Junior College. In 1934, the same year the U of H became a four year institution, Texas Southern also became a four year institution. That year it became known as the Houston College for Negroes.

In 1946 Heman Sweatt applied to the University of Texas Law School but was denied entry because he was African American. Sweatt then sued the university. To avoid going to court, the state of Texas approved the creation of Texas State University for Negroes in the spring of 1947. The school opened on land adjacent to the University of Houston. The Sweatt case eventually went to the supreme court and the University of Texas had to integrate its law school. By that time it was the early 50s and Texas State University for Negroes had become Texas Southern University or TSU.

Decades later Texas Southern successfully defended their TSU trademark when Southwest Texas State in San Marcos chose to rename itself Texas State. That is why to this day Texas State has to go with the TXST abbreviation.

Texas Southern fielded its first football team in 1947. In 1954 the Tigers joined the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) where they remain to this day. The Tigers have an all-time record of 330 wins, 439 losses and 27 ties. Since 2011 the Tigers have a record of 28 wins and 86 losses.

For the fourth week in a row UTSA enters the week with the same record as their opponent. Obviously both UTSA and Houston were 0-0 leading up to the season opener. UTSA and Army both entered with 0-1 records. Last week UTSA and Texas were both 1-1. Now this week UTSA puts its 1-2 record on the line against a Texas Southern team that started 0-2, losing to Grambling State and North Texas before getting its first win last week against Southern in a neutral site game at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington.

Texas Southern's 24-0 win last week was the first time they had shutout the Southern Jaguars since 1971. It allowed the Tigers to improve their points per game average to 24.67. Opponents of Texas Southern are averaging 33 points per game through the first three games.

UTSA's scoring average took a turn in a different direction after last week's loss to Texas. The Roadrunners are averaging 32 points per game and opponents are averaging 38.67 points per game.

The Roadrunner offense has been able to pick up yards through the first three games. UTSA's offense is averaging 453.7 yards per game. The passing game has accounted for 321.67 yards per game. The rushing game is averaging 132 yards per game.

UTSA's defense is allowing 430 yards per game to opponents. The first three opponents this season averaged 223.67 yards passing and 206.3 yards rushing per game. The Roadrunner run defensive numbers certainly took a hit last week in Austin.

Texas Southern's offense is averaging 327 yards per game. The Tigers have averaged 167.3 yards per game rushing and 159.67 yards passing per game. On defense the Tigers are giving up an average of 457.3 yards per game to opponents. Opponents of Texas southern have averaged 143.67 yards passing and 313.7 yards rushing through three games this season.

NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS

Going up against Texas Southern's run defense could lead to a good day for Brendan Brady as well as a mobile Frank Harris.

Through three games this season Brady leads the Roadrunner ground game with 46 carries for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Brady also threw a 35-yard touchdown pass last week against Texas and had a 38 yard punt against Houston.

Harris has 131 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Harris has also completed 84 of 123 pass attempts for 918 yards and six touchdowns. Last week against Texas, Harris passed 6,000 career passing yards in his UTSA career.

UTSA has continued to get good results in the passing game from the trinity of receivers as well as the emergence of tight end Oscar Cardenas. Zakhari Franklin is leading the way with 26 catches for 306 yards and three touchdowns. Josh Cephus has 24 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown. DeCorian Clark has 18 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Cardenas has caught seven passes for 82 yards and also ran a sneak play for two yards against Texas.

Texas Southern quarterback Andrew Body has completed 42 of his 68 pass attempts for 479 yards and three touchdowns. Body has also run the ball 32 times for 107 yards.

Body's favorite target in the passing game has been Derek Morton who has 13 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown. AJ Bennett leads the Tigers with two receiving touchdowns as well as six catches for 84 yards.

LaDarius Owens is the Tigers leading rusher with 160 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Jacorey Howard has 27 carries for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

UTSA will need to jump on Texas Southern early. If the Roadrunners can build a sizeable lead in the first half they will be able to get younger players valuable playing time in the second half.

Texas Southern will give UTSA their best shot but the Roadrunners should be able to withstand it. The Roadrunner offense could have a chance to put some points up on the Tigers.

After the tough stretch of the first three weeks the Roadrunners will have a chance to get some momentum going into the conference portion of the schedule. It would behoove the Roadrunners to put the pedal to the medal early against Texas Southern and take any chance for drama off the table.

I believe they will do just that.

My pick: UTSA 49 Texas Southern 14

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way