33 Big Blowout Spectacular Season Preview

This week on the show we have WackJack, aka Jack Hopkins of Bobcat Report fame and WacJack blog, Darrell of RowdyReport and of course, Adam, Shafer, and Jared.

We cover the schedule, the depth chart, Soza/Carter, expectations, attendance and much more. Get in contact with us at podcast@cokerchronicles.com or @cokerchronicles.


You can find the links to the episode on the iTunes on Stitcher or just subscribe directly to the podcast.

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UTSA v. UIW 7 on 7

Dropped by Incarnate Word's campus today to check out a 7 on 7 scrimmage between the Lone Star Conference Cardinals and UTSA's Roadrunners. Most of UTSA's skilled position players were present, amounting to around 35 to 45 players by my guess. In contrast, UIW only had around 25 guys and did very little substituting. A cautionary tale: I was sitting quite a ways away from the action and the players weren't wearing any form of identification, so take player names with a grain of salt as I could have screwed up. Except Carter, can't miss that flame-red ginger dome of his.

New comer quarterback Tucker Carter started the scrimmage by leading the Roadrunner offense down the field on a crisp and efficient drive without a single incompletion. Carter threw exclusively and quickly to under routes with a strong plant step and a clean follow through. The Roadrunner defense was equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball on the first series as Darrien Starling picked off the Cardinals' quarterback on a tipped pass on their third play in the series.

Sorry guys, phone picture is gonna have to do for this one

Following the interception, incumbent QB1 Eric Soza took over under center for Carter. Not to be outdone, Soza lead an even more efficient drive for a touchdown. Soza's footwork looked near perfect and his throwing motion was swift and compact. Eric often quickly cycled through three check downs before finding an open receiver to dump off to or hit in stride. After two drops, Soza found pay dirt by nailing a slanting Mike Wilburn (I think) through two defenders in traffic for about 17 yards. On the following play Soza threw up a perfectly-placed bomb to Marcellus Mack on a flag route in the end zone.

After the Roadrunners came to a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals, the team started to lose focus as the Roadrunner secondary let a Cardinal streak past the defense for a touch down on UIW's first play following the UTSA touchdown. Soza would remain at quarterback for the majority of the scrimmage, presumably in an attempt to build a repertoire with the UTSA receiving corps. Soza dug deep through his options to throw to nearly every player UTSA had on the sideline, from walk-ons to guys I swear I have never seen before. Neither Soza nor Carter ever looked particularly deep on routes, opting to work on their short throws and check downs instead. Overall the Roadrunner quarterbacks performed generally well, with Soza missing on a few passes and Carter having a little bit of trouble with his release in his last series.

If anyone was wondering about Nic Johnston's injury, he was present at the scrimmage without any type of protective wear on his foot or a noticeable limp. While Johnston didn't play, he was coaching up several of the Roadrunner newcomers on the sideline throughout the evening with some occasional help from Mauricio Sanchez. Interestingly enough, JUCO transfer Cody Berry showed some leadership following a defensive break down that led to a UIW touchdown by pulling the secondary aside to talk over the play and the unit's assignments. Not only does this show that Berry has the psyche mettle to lead, but also that he has absorbed UTSA's defense in just a few months. Kid's gonna be special.

Individual highlights include a 10 & delayed out route from Sean Hesler that ended in the RS FR. dragging an inch of his toe over the turf for a first down and drawing a gasp from all of the players in attendance. Hesler's speed is impressive, as he shot off of his defender with a sudden and violent burst. It was tough for me to identify some of the lower profile players from my seat in the stands, but Cody Berry and who I believe was Spencer Phillips had a strong pass break up on a Cardinal receiver at the goal line. Gonna dub that one the Cedar Hill Shutdown.

In the "Why isn't this kid getting hype" department, I had my first chance to see the menacing Jordan Gray play football. I've seen this dude at the gym every day this summer so I can ensure you that he's a physical specimen. GOUTSA lists him at 6'4", 250 lbs. which is SEC size at tight end. Gray only lined up for two plays so I didn't get much of a chance to see him move in space, but on his second play he caught a hard pass from Soza with impressive dexterity on a curl route. He was covered by a kid that was around 5'10", 170 lbs. Don't think homeboy would have brought down Gray before he rumbled for a handful of additional yards. I can definitely see UTSA adopting a tight end-first passing game with Gray and David Morgan, similar to the Patriots current system with Gronkowski and Hernandez. Kam Jones is Wes Welker.

The most impressive play of the game was the last. With UIW leading 3-2, Soza lofted a pass to the back of the end zone. David Morgan, who looks like a new man after going through an intense spring strength training regiment, broke off of his defender and dove backwards over a good three yards of turf to come down in bounds with a batshit crazy touchdown. GOUTSA lists Morgan at 225 but I'd guess he's at around 235~240 off the eyeball test. Morgan's rambunctious catch brought the 30 minute scrimmage to an end at a 3-3 draw.

Pretty funny moment towards the end of the scrimmage-- UIW was driving and in the red zone when a Cardinal attempted to beat Erik Brown on an out route. Brown swatted the ball away, causing a UTSA player to yell out "don't let him score with New Balances on!" A couple of UIW's players took offense, and let the Roadrunners know they were moving to Nike gear this year, causing another UTSA player to rebut "we've got the Nike shit you boys won't see for years." UTSA is an Adidas school, but the premise was both true and hilarious. I kind of still can't believe the triple stripe is hooking us up with custom print gloves next year.

Miscellaneous: Our friend Kevin McGuire at No 2 Minute Warning recorded a podcast with Coach Coker this afternoon. It's about 10 minutes long and is a great listen. Pay close attention when Kevin ask Larry about potential rivalries. Listen here.

Top Ten Moments in UTSA Football 2011

10. UTSA Jerseys Soft-Reveal

For whatever reason, UTSA opted not to officially reveal their jerseys as they were rumored to do one week before kickoff. We may never know why the cards fell this way, but perhaps it was for the best. One night Steven Kurfehs posted a couple of pictures of himself wearing his jersey and, well, Facebook BLEW UP. I hate using the word “viral” but it’s pretty applicable in this occasion. The jerseys were sharp and minimalist (although I’m hearing that’s changing a bit next year, possible more to come on that soon). Nearly everyone loved them. Students and fans got uber-hyped for the season, and it was all grassroots. Damn, I used another word I hate.

9. Erik Brown/Ashaad Mabry Transfers

Bob Owen/SAEN

Just a few weeks before the season started (and a week after, in Brown’s case), UTSA received an unexpected influx of talent that provided a nice boost to the on-field production of the fledgling Roadrunners. Mabry is a 6’3, 300 lb. defensive tackle that transferred from Boone Picken’s WonderWorld at Oklahoma State to a football program that, at that point, had never even played a real football game. Mabry once worked out in world-class multi-million dollar facilities in Stillwater, but now throws weight around in a steamy, underground, outdated gym that is actually a converted P.E. classroom. Mabry was a big time recruit at MacArthur HS, drawing offers from several big-name programs. And now here he is at humble UTSA. Mabry chose to transfer back to his hometown in order to be close to his ill mother. While Ashaad only started in four games, his presence was felt throughout the entire season. The victim of numerous double-teams, Mabry finished the season with 20 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, one sack, and four quarterback hurries. As a true freshman. 19 years old.

Brian Baer/SAEN

To put it simply, Erik Brown was a shot in the arm for this program. After struggling to see the field at Fresno State, Brown flew back down to San Antonio, where he led Converse Judson to a state championship in his junior year of high school before moving to Arizona. A quick, instinctual cornerback, Brown brought a sense of stability to what was likely the Roadrunners’ weakest position. Brown’s infusion couldn’t have come at a better time. Jeremy Hall and Crosby Adams were both routinely toasted by McMurry receivers in Game Two. After just a week and a half of practice, Brown saw considerate playing time at Southern Utah and then quickly evolved into a starter and consistent performer. Brown also usurped punt return duties. Thanks to UTSA’s FCS status, Brown was able to save a year of eligibility and play as a redshirt sophomore.

8. UTSA Mariachi Band

via Urban Spotlight San Antonio

It’s no secret that UTSA is desperate to instill some type of unique tradition. In a culturally rich city like San Antonio, it’s not going to take too much time. In Game Two the Spirit of San Antonio marched out with a special group of mariachi players dubbed "Los Paisanos". The crowd absolutely loved it. Mariachi is as puro as it gets and it’s crucial that we embrace our city’s tradition as we begin to establish our identity as a program and fan base. I wouldn’t mind seeing the mariachi become a staple of SOSA in the future.

7. UTSA Signs its Second Recruiting Class

via Kens5

Coker and his coaching staff made a huge splash on the recruiting trail in 2011, signing 28 outstanding, accomplished athletes to scholarships. While UTSA failed to attract the size and experience they were looking for on the offensive line, they were able to land some real steals at skilled positions. Personally, the coaching staff proved to me that they were extremely talented skill evaluators. Just take a look at all of the contributors this year that were unranked by online recruiting services: Franky Anaya, Kenny Harrison, David Morgan, Jason Neill, Brandon Reeves, Payton Rion, Alondre Thorn, Triston Wade, Josh Walker. Those are all guys that either started or saw serious playing time against Division I talent. All but two of them are true freshmen. That's not just being good at evaluating talent-- that's a minor miracle.

6. UTSA vs. SHSU

Jack Wilson

Some people might think it’s weird that I have a loss as one of my top moments of the season, but if you were there you would understand. It was UTSA’s first away game within reasonable driving distance and the Roadrunner faithful represented very well. I would say at minimum ¼ of the crowd were UTSA fans but it sounded like ¾. If you’re living in a cave, Sam Houston is playing played in the FCS national championship game and they’re still undefeated in ’11 finished their season with just one loss. UTSA almost spoiled their miracle season, but two fumbles and three interceptions from Soza gave the Bearkats too many opportunities to wrap it up, leading to a bitter 22-7 road loss. The Roadrunner defense was stifling against SHSU’s three-headed run game, holding the Bearkats way below offensive averages. After the hard-fought loss, the team came over to the visitor section to join the band and fan base in the alma mater. In that moment, surrounded by new friends with shared passion, college football at UTSA was very real. A family was starting to form. This was everything we had hoped for. There was also copious amounts of smack talked on both ends leading up to the game, which was fun.

5. First Pep Rally

via yours truly

With anticipation and anxiety running high, thousands of Roadrunner fans invaded the River Walk on Friday evening before the inaugural kick off for the program's first ever pep rally. High fives were exchanged, gallons of beer and top-shelf margs were consumed, but most importantly, UTSA staked its territorial claim on the city of San Antonio. Mobs of Blue and Orange filled downtown San Antonio in all directions. The River Walk pep rally was an awesome flair of San Antonio—as President Romo put it: “Isn’t this the coolest pep rally on Earth?”

4. Georgia State vs. UTSA

They had to have their backs against the wall to do it, but UTSA finally beat a Division I team. Both defenses took turns whacking at the opposition in a low-scoring affair. Nic Johnston, Erik Brown, Mark Waters, and Chris Johnson all stepped up with big plays to put kicker Sean Ianno in position to send the game into overtime and then later seal the 17-14 victory.

3. "Birth of a Program" on Fox Sports Southwest

After diligent work and perhaps some pestering from the UTSA administration, Fox Sports Southwest agreed to carry a six episode television series following the birth of the university’s football program. The broadcast brought the Roadrunners into the living rooms of 10,000,000 Texans and Oklahomans, providing crucial exposure. You have no idea how many “UTSA is starting a football team?” tweets I read while the show was on. While the production value varied by episode, it was cool to get a personal look at the team and whet our appetites for actual games.

2. Ticket Sales Pandemonium

On 9/3/11 a whopping, staggering, deafening 56,783 people showed up to make their place in history as UTSA started their football program against Larry Coker’s alma mater Northeastern State. While the official record-breaking announcement of the attendance was jaw-dropping, the buildup throughout the weeks leading up to the game was intense and exhilarating. Thanks to Ticketmaster’s interactive seating chart, we were able to approximate ticket sales in real time, watching as seats flew off the shelves by the dozens every time one hit F5. Season ticket sales finished at around 12,000. Average attendance set a new NCAA record for start-up programs with 35,521. Who said San Antonio wasn’t going to support UTSA football again?

1. Game One

via k0nwu in our Flickr Group

Could you have drawn it up better? The atmosphere was elite, the turnout was record-breaking, the Roadrunners looked ready to go undefeated, and the beer was a-flowin'. Everything was so flawless, from the first tunnel entrance to the echoes of "U-T-S-A" through the concourse as the masses of Roadrunner fans gloated in pride after the victory. For some, it had been a 40+ year wait for football. For others, it was just a curious walk across the street to see the new hot thing in town. For all, it was a moment not soon to be forgotten. As Mark Dyer of IMG put it, "You would have thought UTSA was playing the Texas Longhorns for the national title rather than a Division II team"



Before you bash me about how terrible my rankings are, be sure to leave your top ten in the comments section!

How Sweet It Is - Bacone College Recap

Eric Soza shows love after the win. Pic via mysa.com

Sandwiched between two road games against nationally-ranked FCS opponents, 2011's Homecoming game was an opportunity for UTSA to bolster their confidence before making the three hour trek to Huntsville next week to face a very salty opponent. A 54-7 romp of NAIA opponent Bacone College (hopefully) provided a renewed sense of confidence and swagger for a team that had been severely lacking in composure in several facets of the game the past two weeks. 

Defensive pass coverage and special teams play were improved ten-fold; a monumental step up from weeks Two and Three, even if this showing came against lesser talent. Today's win proved the answer for a crucial question in UTSA's first year of football: This team full of inexperienced freshmen showed that they can in fact correct deficiencies in their game, perhaps a response to strong coaching. Bacone only picked up one yard from UTSA’s three punts, and 101 yards on eight (!) kick offs for an average of 12.6 yards per kickoff return. UTSA also blocked a punt near the Warriors’ end zone and recovered a muffed punt to set up the Roadrunners’ first of many touchdowns of the day. Sean Ianno did a magnificent job, going 4 for 4 on field goals (21, 25, 42, 45 yards) and averaging 67.1 yards on kickoffs, resulting in three touchbacks and horrible field position for the Warriors for the duration of the game.

UTSA’s defense terrorized Bacone for four quarters, forcing the Warrriors to punt ten times, netting Bacone a mere 260 yards of offensive production. Coach Neathery’s staff was only one play away from pitching a shutout, as a brain-fart in coverage allowed the Warriors to get on the board with a wide-open 71 yard touchdown pass. If you were to negate that play, Bacone would have only amassed 118 yards through the air in their spread offense, a telling statistic for the UTSA D. Most importantly, Bacone converted only three of their 15 third down attempts. As I’m sure all of our astute readers are well aware, the Roadrunners have had a very tough time containing opposing offenses on third down this season with McMurry and Southern Utah both racking up third and fourth down conversions with ease.

We’re starting to see a sense of stability in the secondary with the addition of Erik Brown at cornerback. Starling and Brown give the defense two guys that they can trust to make plays on the corners. Starling had yet another great performance with four tackles and two pass break ups. Darrien was crashing in on receivers hard, jarring the ball out of the opponents’ hands with strong licks. Starling did make one big mental mistake when he released off of his coverage in an attempt to come down with an interception that he narrowly missed. His coverage assignment ended up catching the ball instead and picked up a first down. That’s a play I’m willing to let fly since it’s an easy six points if Starling can snag the ball. While we’re on the subject of the secondary, Nic Johnston had a monster game with **deep breath** two tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, lock-down pass coverage, and an interception that he returned 12 yards up the field. Triston Wade also had somewhat of a breakout game on the heels of his ejection from the Southern Utah game. Wade provided strong coverage and brought down an interception for 29 yards. Triston racked up six tackles (four solo), forced a fumble, had a tackle for a loss of one yard, and broke up a pass. That’s called putting in the WORK right there. Another freshman safety, this time Joseph Lizcano, also threw in a strong contribution by blocking a punt and pulling down a 23 yard sack.

Looking at 54 points on the scoreboard, one would assume that the Roadrunner offense was firing on all cylinders. In reality that was not necessarily the case. While Bush’s offense didn’t have a huge problem moving the ball, there was plenty to be discouraged by. In general, Soza looked frazzled and off-kilter, throwing balls into the turf, rushing throws, hitting receivers on the wrong shoulder, and focusing too much on a sole receiver. Soza was not able to establish his running game, losing a total of 17 yards while gaining 12. I feel like Soza gets in certain zones when he’s playing, either “pick up first downs with my feet if nothing’s open”, “try to create a big play however it comes”, or “work methodically up the field by using check downs and short route audibles”. Once Soza gets into one of these zones he tends to stick to those guns, often to fault. Obviously Soza is going to be at his best when he learns to incorporate all three of his different styles into his repertoire.

Today’s offensive player of the game is without a doubt “Evil Evans” Okotcha. Okotcha needed only eight carries to move the ball 106 yards, willing his way through defenders while toting the rock. The sturdy Roadrunner halfback finished with one touchdown and became UTSA’s first running back to ever surpass 100 rushing yards in a single game.

The receiving corps was very inconsistent in this game. There was many a drop, including three in a row as the Roadrunners were marching towards a touchdown right before half time. Kenny Harrison continued to show his speed and agility, while Brandon Freeman reeled in any pass sent his way. Bush played around with the Wild Runner formation yet again, this time using Kam Jones as the lone upback with a motioned jet sweep.

For the most part, Soza enjoyed great protection in the pocket. While Bacone recorded four sacks, I still felt like the offensive line did a great job. At least two of the sacks came when Soza panicked upon finding none of his receivers open, then attempted to scramble forward only to be met by Warrior defensive linemen. Can’t blame Soza for not trusting in his pocket security given previous performances from the big boys up front. This offensive line is growing steadily. Let’s see how they do against more D1 competition in the next couple of weeks.

All in all, a good win for the Runners. It’s great to get a truly dominative victory under your belt, demoralizing your opponent in the process. The crowd was terrific, coming in at 2,000 higher than the McMurry game. I personally can’t wait to play some D1 talent in the Alamodome.

Oddities: Southern Utah smashed UNLV tonight. Told you guys they were good. UTSA gave Southern Utah a much better game than what they saw out of Mountain West member UNLV.

Southern Alabama lost to Kent State and Georgia State got demolished by Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars. This week’s opponent, Sam Houston State, upset FBS opponent New Mexico in overtime during their homecoming. SHSU's stud sophomore running back Tim Flanders had five touchdowns. After the game New Mexico's program pretty much fell to dust. Much more coming on Sammy State later in the week. Be sure to check out our podcast on Tuesday/Wednesday for good times.

UTSA Picks up a Transfer from Fresno State

Add another former San Antonio standout to the list of players to transfer back home and play for Larry Coker in the Alamodome. Erik Brown, former first team all state corner back at Converse Judson, will be transferring to UTSA. Brown received offers from Arizona, Colorado, and Utah State in 2008 before signing on with Fresno State. Erik has decent size for a corner back at 5'11, 185 lbs and was redshirted during the 2009 season. Unsure of his eligibility at this point in time. I believe Brown will be eligible as a redshirt junior next fall.

After coming within three points of a state championship with Converse Judson in 2007, Brown transferred to Saguaro HS in Arizona, where he would earn first team all state honors and lead his team to an undefeated championship season. Erik will join Cory Williams as the second former Judson Rocket in the UTSA program. All reports on Brown praise his athleticism and high ceiling.

There's your proof of Brown's athleticism.

Of course, players transfer for a reason. It seems like things weren't working out for Brown at Fresno State. In fact, I still haven't found anything saying that Brown has seen the field since high school. Here's a blog report from Fresno's fall camp last year.

As was the case last season, Erik Brown had a bit of a rough camp. He was oft-exposed by faster receivers and seems to always be a step late in reacting and closing. The potential is there for him to be a solid player down the road, but right now he's limited. Still, based on amount of reps, coaches seem to favor him slightly over fellow redshirt freshman J.B. Dock. 

DaCo on Brown: Erik Brown possesses the desired athletic ability for a corner, but over-thinks way too much on the field. When he lets himself go, you can see his potential. If he's gonna develop, he'll do it here, because the receivers he practices against are the best he'll see all year. 

So there you have it. A talented athlete, albeit a wildcard. Sound about par of course for this UTSA team? I think so.