The No. 1 Texas Longhorns are walking into a full-blown trap game this Saturday, September 19, when the unbeaten and dangerous UTSA Roadrunners roll into Darrell K. Royal,Texas Memorial Stadium. This isn’t just another game after that emotional, nail-biting 24-23 comeback win against Ohio State last week, and with No. 15 Tennessee looming next Saturday, Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and the crew need to stay laser-focused.
Don’t Sleep On This Unbeaten Squad
Look, the numbers from common opponents make this look like a cakewalk for Texas. The Longhorns absolutely crushed Texas State 59-7 on September 5. Fast forward a week, and UTSA barely survived Texas State themselves, pulling out a 31-26 win with a touchdown in the final 15 seconds. Given that, it’s no shock Texas is a massive 30-point favorite heading into this Week 3 matchup. Texas is sitting pretty at 2-0, and the Roadrunners are unbeaten. For the record, Texas State is also 2-0 this season. You can catch the action on SECN+ at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT.
Defense Wins Championships, But UTSA Could Still Surprise
Texas’s defense has been an absolute brick wall so far this year. They’re only giving up 6.0 PPG, which ranks them 7th in D-1, with a paltry 12 total points conceded. They’ve allowed just 198 rushing yards, averaging 99.0 yards per game, and haven’t given up a single touchdown on the ground. Through the air, opponents are getting only 139.0 yards per outing, ranking 33rd in the nation, with just one passing touchdown allowed. Plus, this unit has snatched 4 interceptions and recovered a fumble already!
Despite those insane numbers, some folks are still hedging their bets. Doc’s Sports is actually advising to bet UTSA with the points, which is a wild call for a 30-point spread! Sports Illustrated predicts Texas rolls 52-7, pointing to Texas’s overall talent and the inexperience at quarterback for San Antonio, along with the fact Texas even poached their top edge rusher, Trey Moore. Longhorns Wire sees a closer game, 31-10 Texas, reminding everyone that UTSA was a solid 9-4 team in 2023 and could definitely “present issues” to a Texas team that just fought tooth and nail against a top-tier opponent.
This game, with Texas at -5000 on the moneyline and UTSA at +2200, screams “trap.” After this, the Longhorns hit the road for a tough one against No. 15 Tennessee on September 26, followed by a bye week on October 3. Arch Manning and this Texas squad need to handle their business Saturday and avoid looking past a dangerous, unbeaten Roadrunners team.
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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