There is a lot to like about the UTSA Roadrunners in 2023. As they enter the American Athletic Conference, do they have enough star power to return to glory as conference champions? Our UTSA season predictions shed light on what to expect in 2023.
UTSA Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the American Athletic Conference and across the country.
Find Every AAC Season Prediction per team: Charlotte | ECU | FAU | Memphis | Navy | North Texas | Rice | SMU | Temple | Tulane | Tulsa | UAB | USF | UTSA
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, how do the UTSA predictions look for 2023?
Week 1 – UTSA @ Houston: Win, 32-26
A Power Five victory right off the bat, don’t let anyone tell you this one won’t mean more for UTSA. The Houston Cougars enter Big 12 this season, and, in many ways, UTSA is similar to the recent success that the Cougars have put out. Sure, Houston is a much ‘older’ program, but Houston parlayed some uber-successful seasons in recent years to make the jump to the Big 12, and UTSA has done the same with their leap to the AAC.
UTSA, however, returns a heavy-hitting dose of star players that should give them the advantage over their P5 foe. Frank Harris takes center stage and continues to write his own college football legacy with a dramatic win vs. in-state rival Houston.
Week 2 – UTSA vs. Texas State: Win, 35-12
Texas State and new head coach G.J. Kinnie are certainly going to be an interesting team to watch in 2023. However, San Marcos is a few horses short of a full stable right now with their current roster construction and should be a ways away from competing with the likes of the Roadrunners.
Malik Hornsby vs. Frank Harris is must-watch TV. In the end, Harris and UTSA should be able to pull away from the Bobcats in this one.
Week 3 – UTSA vs. Army: Win, 30-21
The Army offense is always going to be a difficult unit to stop, no matter who is in the backfield or on their offensive line. However, UTSA’s brand of defense is a disciplined, well-coached unit and should have no issue playing assignment football.
In doing so, UTSA can can score fast enough to stay far ahead of Army in this game.
Week 4 – UTSA @ Tennessee: Loss, 32-36
The big one on the calendar in terms of non-conference or even early-season games for UTSA. A trip to Knoxville and the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee returns a slew of players but should look drastically different than last year with a new offensive coordinator, new quarterback, and several key pieces gone on both sides of the ball.
If UTSA wants any chance of knocking off their SEC foes in Week 4, it will come down to their defense. Can they shut down Joe Milton (or Nico Iamaleava) enough to give their offense enough chances? That’s the big decider in this one, but rest assured: Points will be scored.
Week 6 – UTSA @ Temple: Win, 37-26
Temple hosts UTSA after their bye week following the big one against Tennessee. Philadelphia will host a high-flying set of offenses this season with their namesake Eagles and the Owls of Temple. E.J. Warner made his name known nationally last season and Temple has done a great job of reconstructing their roster through the transfer portal.
However, UTSA’s roster is full of stars on offense and defense, and they know a thing or two about scoring points themselves.
Week 7 – UTSA vs. UAB: Win, 37-27
UAB enters the fray in the American with UTSA as familiar foes are set to battle it out in Week 7. The Blazers welcome Trent Dilfer in as head coach for his first season in the college ranks and are treated to a tough trip to the Alamo Dome here.
UAB has a lot of questions that we expect to see answers for by this matchup, but UTSA should be well ahead of them in every category before this meeting. Harris has the ability to take the top off the defense and the way UAB plays coverage, Harris has shown he can torch them deep.
Week 8 – UTSA @ FAU: Win, 39-17
Points and more points are to be scored by UTSA in this one as they head to Boca Raton for a meeting with FAU. Seeing their highest projected points scored in this meeting indicates how much FAU has to replace and repair on defense.
The Owls’ offensive line is also subject, so look for the pass rushers to have a field day for the Roadrunners here.
Week 9 – UTSA vs. ECU: Win, 37-21
ECU is going to be a much different unit in 2023, mainly because they enter the season without their leading quarterback from the past five years. The Pirates play a unique brand of defense in terms of the scheme, but that shouldn’t be an issue for someone like Harris, who at this point, has seen it all.
Week 10 – UTSA @ North Texas: Win, 35-28
It’s a new era in North Texas Mean Green Football this fall. As we’ve all become accustomed to watching them fly high, their rushing attack may be one of the best in the conference when it’s all said and done.
However, UTSA’s linebacking corps, mixed with their defensive prowess on the backend, should keep the Mean Green in check. Rashad Wisdom’s play around the line of scrimmage is key in this victory.
Week 11 – UTSA vs. Rice: Win, 31-12
JT Daniels is in at quarterback and the Rice Owls certainly have a few potential star players in 2023. However, what Rice is set up to do well in 2023 is mitigated by UTSA’s prowess on the other side of the ball.
UTSA can run sideline to sideline with Luke McCaffrey and they have the length on the outside to match up with Bradley Rozner. Ultimately, it’s the dual-threat ability from Harris and the lid-lifting services of Joshua Cephus that pay dividends here.
Week 12 – UTSA vs. USF: Win, 35-15
USF’s failed experiment over the past few seasons has relegated them to the bottom of the proverbial table in the AAC. As such, UTSA gets a tune-up game here before the big matchup at the end of the season.
Week 13 – UTSA @ Tulane: Loss, 30-31
All the marbles. Take the cake. Pick any euphemism to describe what should be the must-watch game of the regular season in the Group of Five and maybe even the entire country.
Tulane, the defending AAC Champions, welcomes UTSA as the new favorite to the throne. With relatively easy schedules, based on their talent and potential this year, both UTSA and Tulane could enter this game at 10-1 or even 11-0 with a few pieces falling in place.
As such, these two teams could even meet once more a week later for the AAC Championship Game. Frank Harris vs. Michael Pratt is the quarterback matchup we’ve all dreamed of.
