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UTSA to challenge for Conference USA crown in just fourth season

Harry

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SAN ANTONIO In just four short years, UTSA has gone from being the new kid on the block in college football to the most-experienced team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

UTSA welcomes back 54 letterwinners, including an FBS-best 21 starters (9 offense/10 defense/2 kickers) and an FBS-leading 37 seniors, from last seasons squad that posted a 7-5 record and finished second in the West Division with a 6-2 mark in their Conference USA debut.

The returnees account for 92 percent of the receiving and 65 percent of the rushing yards gained, 81 percent of the scoring, 82 percent of the tackles, 83 percent of the fumble recoveries and 75 percent of the interceptions posted a year ago. The Roadrunners also boast the nations most-experienced offensive line (143 starts) and defensive backfield (133 starts) in addition to a returning receiving corps that has combined for 416 catches for 4,927 yards, which both rank third in the country.

A large number of those players have been with the program since it went 4-6 during its inaugural season as a Football Championship Subdivision independent in 2011. That group has helped lead the Roadrunners to a 15-9 overall record, including nine conference victories and 13 triumphs against FBS teams, in the last two seasons, all while being picked to finish last in the Western Athletic Conference two years ago and in the West Division of Conference USA last year.

Now, with a roster that features 54 upperclassmen with game experience, UTSA is picked to finish third in West by the leagues head coaches and some preseason publications even have gone as far to pick the Birds to win the division, which is a giant step forward for a program that just went through a practice season in 2010 that included 18 of this years seniors.

This years schedule features 12 contests against FBS teams for the second consecutive season, including four non-conference rematches. UTSA will open the campaign at Houston in an ESPNU nationally-televised game at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, which will be the first-ever game in the brand-new TDECU Stadium.

The Roadrunners return home on a short week to host Arizona in another national TV contest this time on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, before hitting the road for Saturday dates at Oklahoma State (Sept. 13) and the C-USA opener at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 27).

UTSA closes out the non-conference slate with a home game against New Mexico on Oct. 4 and then hosts FIU in a conference matchup one week later. The Birds also host league contests against UTEP (Oct. 25), Southern Miss (Thursday, Nov. 13 on CBS Sports Network) and North Texas (Nov. 29) and will travel to Louisiana Tech (Oct. 18), Rice (Nov. 8) and conference newcomer Western Kentucky (Nov. 22).

The nationally-televised C-USA Championship Game between the East and West Division winners is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6.

UTSA completed its required two-year reclassification into the FBS last year, meaning the Roadrunners can be selected to compete in one of C-USAs six bowl games this December. If that happens, it will mark the quickest bowl game debut for a startup program in NCAA history.

Quarterbacks

For all the experience UTSA brings back, quarterback is one area that comes into the 2014 campaign with a limited amount at best. Eric Soza started 32 games and led the program to 19 wins during his three-year career. He passed for 6,952 yards and 46 touchdowns both school records and ran for 1,018 another yards and 16 scores.

Tucker Carter, a redshirt senior from Allen, is penciled in as the new starter heading into fall camp and he is the only signal caller on the roster with game experience. He completed 23-of-33 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown in five games in relief of Soza last season. Carter was the 2011 Southwest Junior College Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,654 yards and 26 TDs for Trinity Valley Community College.

Redshirt freshman Austin Robinson saw plenty of reps during spring drills and the 6-foot-3 dual threat signal caller was a Dave Campbells Texas Football Top 300 recruit out of Bellaire Episcopal High School after throwing for 1,487 yards and rushing for 801 more as a senior in 2012.

True freshman Blake Bogenschutz, also a Dave Campbells Texas Football Top 300 selection, registered 9,569 passing yards, 126 TD passes and 35 wins, including the Class 3A Division I State Championship as a senior, during a decorated prep career at Carthage High School.

Read more: http://www.goutsa.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13100&ATCLID=209603658

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NTXCoog Contributor

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Holy crap they're losing almost their entire team after this season.

While having a ton of seniors and lots of experience is a great thing, it can also mean that none of the undergraduates are able to beat them out for a spot. That means you're either not improving your recruiting or you're doing an amazing job of talent development. Maybe a combination, but you should recruit well enough that some underclassmen would have enough talent to crack the lineup.

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Harry Veteran

Harry

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While having a ton of seniors and lots of experience is a great thing, it can also mean that none of the undergraduates are able to beat them out for a spot. That means you're either not improving your recruiting or you're doing an amazing job of talent development. Maybe a combination, but you should recruit well enough that some underclassmen would have enough talent to crack the lineup.

This is really all part of their plan. This needs to be their big season as they will be facing a HUGE rebuilding season next year. They signed an entire class and redshirted them all so this is year 5 for a big chunk of the guys who have played the most.

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GreenTexan13 Rookie

GreenTexan13

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We're gonna demonstrate once again how to properly beat down UTSA. I hope you guys take notes this time.

I'm conflicted, because on one hand I want to see UTSA get that beatdown. On the other hand, I want to see UH open that brand new stadium with a loss to a CUSA school.

Probably the one time I will ever, ever, ever root for UTSA. And that is only because I want to see Houston Lose in their brand new stadium to an already trifling team.

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untjim1995 Grand Master

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We're gonna demonstrate once again how to properly beat down UTSA. I hope you guys take notes this time.

Just like yall did when you opened up the season at home against another in-state Texas school from that area? I can't remember what happened when yall played Texas State in Houston a couple of seasons ago...I guess I ought to look it up and see how big of an ass-kicking yall put on them that day. I bet it was massive!!

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GreenTexan13 Rookie

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Well former UTSA QB Soza will be pulling for the Coogs. He just joined the UH coaching staff.

Ha! you're right. That will be an interesting first game for him then. But an even better reason to root UTSA for the CUSA win. After all, we need to be taking notes from Cougar Queen's UTSA coaching staff.

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Cougar King Experienced

Cougar King

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Just like yall did when you opened up the season at home against another in-state Texas school from that area? I can't remember what happened when yall played Texas State in Houston a couple of seasons ago...I guess I ought to look it up and see how big of an ass-kicking yall put on them that day. I bet it was massive!!

We then turned around and smacked UNT 44 to 21.

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