UTSA is absolutely tearing it up at 7-1 overall, sitting pretty at 4-0 in the American Conference. And get this: Roadrunners coach Jeff Traylor isn’t even sweating over how his team’s stats look, just that they win, baby! For him, a “balanced offense” isn’t about perfectly even rushing and passing numbers at the end of the game. It’s about being able to hit you effectively with either the run or the pass when the game is on the line.
Traylor’s Win-First Philosophy Is Working
Eight games into the 2026 season, the Roadrunners are ranked No. 40 in the FBS for rushing, averaging 184.9 yards per game. On the passing side, they’re 74th with 224.4 yards per game. But Traylor couldn’t care less about those rankings when his team is leading the American Conference standings. He laid it out plain: “My offensive coordinator is here to win football games. He’s not here to pad stats. We’re here to win the game, and whatever that takes is what we’re going to do, whether that means throw it or run it.” What a statement! This team knows how to win in a bunch of different ways, too. Four times this year, the passing attack has led the offense, and four times it’s been the ground game that carried the load. Quarterback Owen McCown said the team’s success comes from nailing down the defensive scheme during prep week. If the read is to run, he’s ready to “just lean on those guys up front” on the offensive line.
McCown’s Quiet Dominance and Henderson’s Breakout
Owen McCown, in his third year as UTSA’s starter, is having his most successful season from a wins and losses perspective, but it’s also his least prolific statistically. His 7.2 yards per attempt is right on par with his past two seasons, and his 69.5% completion rate is actually a new career high, which is awesome. But his 218.9 yards per game average is a step down from previous years. So what’s the deal? McCown himself credits the ground game. He believes the success running the ball opens up everything else: “It starts with being able to run the ball, so then they’ll respect you in the run game, and then it opens up the pass. So, that starts with just running the ball, holding up up front as an offense, and then me delivering those receivers the ball.” The biggest beneficiary of this run-first emphasis has to be running back Will Henderson. He’s absolutely feasting this year, racking up 664 yards and five touchdowns on 109 carries. That’s a huge boost for this balanced attack.
Next up, the Roadrunners are looking to snag another road win when they face Florida Atlantic at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Will that balanced approach keep paying dividends? You know I’ll be watching to see!
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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