2023: North Texas vs UTSA Preview

Or, UTSA Hate Week

Saturday November, 4 2023 ・2pm CT
DATCU Stadium, Denton, TX

Last Meeting: NT 27 UTSA 48 - CUSA Championship Game in San Antonio

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Mean Green Nation, we have ourselves our first rivalry game of the season.

Like any and all rivalry games, the records don’t matter as much. They never are unimportant, but they don’t reflect the totality of the game. North Texas is 3-5, 1-3 while UTSA is living up to the preseason expectation of being a league contender and is 5-3, 4-0. In some other season I might argue that UTSA’s league record is a little soft, considering it includes Temple, ECU, and UAB a combined 1-11 thus far in the league. NT has taken on Memphis and Tulane by comparison. That doesn’t matter so much (as I mentioned) because all that matters is this thing, this weekend.

Quick digression: If you have been consumed by Texas Rangers baseball this week, I understand. It is quite surreal to see the little Rangers go win the big prize. It does not feel real and I keep waiting for them to say “yeah actually, that was the Astros in disguise” and it all go away. I will say that I think the 11-0 road record is remarkable but also the kind of thing that can happen in baseball. Its also something like a karma for building a new ballpark when I still loved the BPiA. I don’t care. You can’t convince me of the new thing. In any case, they did it and I am happy but I still am waiting to wake up.

Baseball taking up so much space has meant you probably haven’t thought about all the intricacies of this matchup this week. Same here. I mean, it was on my mind, but didn’t nearly take up as much space. That’s fine.

These teams have been quieter this season vs any before. NT has been trying to make up some goodwill from face-planting vs Cal in game one, and after stepping on a rake in game two vs FIU. Since, there have been moral victories but those don’t feel as good for as long. UTSA has stumbled (loss vs Houston, escape vs Texas State, loss at home to Army). The bottom of the AAC has ignited some hopes for the Runners thus far and built out the foundation of a run for the league title. In that respect, the Runners must be respected. Competing for a third-straight league title is to be respected, no matter how they are achieved. No season will be 50-0 blowouts only, and stumbles and close-calls are to be expected.

So how good are UTSA? Its hard to get a read. They still have talent. They still have a good coaching staff. They don’t quite have the same kind of magic, and are stumbling a bit as attention has waned a bit. Seventh-year QB Frank Harris is back. He nearly retired in the offseason because of an infected knee, but returned for yet-another run. He struggled early — staff said it was because of his offseason surgery journey — but is closer to the guy we saw for a couple of seasons. Jeff Traylor is still the head coach, and he is finding ways to motivate and solve problems. An opportunity is there against the defense, however. UAB put up 20, Temple 34, and ECU 27.

North Texas, of course, is finding footing in this league in recent weeks. Tulane and Memphis are the top of the league and UTSA (by record) is more of the same. This is the grind and the previous weeks should have prepared NT for this game. Slow starts mean big deficits, but hard work and mental toughness have seen some big comebacks. Chandler Rogers is a QB who is in full-command of the offense. He has playmakers out wide, and behind him. The defense has found big stops in big moments. It is something to build on.

The league title race is just about over with, but NT is not mathematically eliminated. Hurting a rival’s chances for a three-peat is the most immediate goal, and getting one back in the series here (NT trails 5-6). North Texas is 4-1 in Denton, and that includes the 45-23 win over the ranked Runners in 2021 on a cold day in November.