FAU absolutely destroyed UTSA 60-29 on November 5, 2026, a shocking blowout that saw Roadrunners coach Jeff Traylor admit his staff was “totally outcoached.” This wasn’t supposed to happen, especially with UTSA coming off an open week with extra prep time. Traylor himself said he saw “no indication we were supposed to get our butts kicked” leading into the game, but once it kicked off, everything UTSA planned was just plain wrong.
The Game Plan Went Sideways Fast
What a disaster. Traylor didn’t mince words, flat out saying, “What we anticipated them doing offensively, we were wrong. What we anticipated them doing defensively, we were wrong. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.” FAU’s high-flying offense, which UTSA expected, instead committed to a ground-and-pound approach. This flip allowed a previously struggling Owls defense to play an attacking, downhill style. That defensive shift was key: FAU played with just a single deep safety, often moving the second safety to linebacker depth or creeping them to the line right before the snap. Their goal was clear, take away UTSA’s run game, and it worked. Outside of A’Marion Peterson’s impressive 52-yard scoring burst, UTSA’s running backs combined for a dismal 63 yards on 20 carries. To make matters worse, UTSA’s offensive line couldn’t hold up in pass protection, leaving quarterback Owen McCown under constant pressure all night. Traylor summed it up perfectly: “It’s the worst offensive plan we’ve had this year, so it starts with us, but we got outstrained. Even when we figured out what was going on, we still got outstrained.”
McCown Fought, But UTSA Couldn’t Win Man-to-Man
Even amidst the chaos, Owen McCown showed flashes, going 20-of-35 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Traylor even called him “Johnny Manziel-like” for how he extended plays and created opportunities, emphasizing that UTSA “did nothing to help our quarterback.” There was one bright spot early in the second quarter: McCown connected with Mekhi Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown. The offensive line actually held up against a five-man pressure, Anderson beat his defender with an in-breaking route, and McCown hit him perfectly in stride, with FAU’s single deep safety too far inside to help. But those moments were few and far between. McCown himself pointed out the issue: “They were just better in their man-to-man matchups than we were. There was a lot of single high, bringing the extra safety down, which means you’ve got to win in the outside lanes. We’ll look to find more ways to do that.” FAU’s defense, according to Traylor, “smelled blood in the water” as UTSA simply couldn’t generate stops on the other side.
The stark reality is that UTSA’s unbeaten run through the American Conference is over after this brutal 60-29 loss. The focus now must be on understanding why the game plan failed so spectacularly and how to ensure the team can adapt when opponents throw a curveball.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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