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Through 3 Quarters
Only one more quarter stands between the UTSA Roadrunners and the win they were favored to collect going into this night. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 28-10. The two offenses are keeping pace with one another yardage-wise, too, separated by only 22 yards.
The Roadrunners have been relying on WR Zakhari Franklin, who has caught five passes for two TDs and 118 yards, and QB Frank Harris, who has passed for two TDs and 193 yards on 19 attempts in addition to picking up 33 yards on the ground. Franklin had some trouble finding his footing against the Rice Owls last week, so this is a step in the right direction.
UTSA has been a nightmare for Louisiana Tech's offensive line with five sacks already. We'll see how many sacks UTSA can scare up the rest of the game.
Who's Playing
No. 24 UTSA @ Louisiana Tech
Current Records: UTSA 7-0; Louisiana Tech 2-4
What to Know
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are home Saturday, but with the point spread against them by 5.5 points, it might not be quite the welcoming they would prefer. Louisiana Tech and the UTSA Roadrunners will face off in a Conference USA battle at 7 p.m. ET at Joe Aillet Stadium. Coming off of a loss in a game they were expected to win, the Bulldogs nows face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Last week, Louisiana Tech lost to the UTEP Miners on the road by a decisive 19-3 margin. QB Austin Kendall had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: besides failing to produce a single touchdown, he threw three interceptions with only 164 yards passing.
Since the offense as a whole struggled to get points on the board, Louisiana Tech's defense had to pick up the slack, as it collected one interception and three fumbles. DB Jaiden Cole picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, UTSA got themselves on the board against the Rice Owls last week, but Rice never followed suit. The Roadrunners claimed a resounding 45 to nothing victory over the Owls at home. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31 to nothing. UTSA's QB Frank Harris did his thing and passed for two TDs and 125 yards on 19 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 47 yards.
The Bulldogs are now 2-4 while UTSA sits at 7-0. Two defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Louisiana Tech is stumbling into the matchup with the 236th most passing yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 314.3 on average. UTSA has experienced some passing struggles of their own as they are 214th worst in the nation in passing touchdowns allowed, with 13 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Joe Aillet Stadium -- Ruston, Louisiana
- TV: STADIUM
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $15.00
Odds
The Roadrunners are a solid 5.5-point favorite against the Bulldogs, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Roadrunners as a 6-point favorite.
Over/Under: -112
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Series History
Louisiana Tech have won five out of their last six games against UTSA.
- Oct 24, 2020 - UTSA 27 vs. Louisiana Tech 26
- Nov 30, 2019 - Louisiana Tech 41 vs. UTSA 27
- Oct 13, 2018 - Louisiana Tech 31 vs. UTSA 3
- Nov 25, 2017 - Louisiana Tech 20 vs. UTSA 6
- Nov 12, 2016 - Louisiana Tech 63 vs. UTSA 35
- Oct 10, 2015 - Louisiana Tech 34 vs. UTSA 31
