Tennessee football is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the 2023 season when it hosts Texas-San Antonio to Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Each week, Rocky Top Insider will take you behind the scenes with a question and answer with a media member who covers Tennessee’s opponent.
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Expectations were high for UTSA entering the season. What’s gone wrong in the first three weeks and what’s the feel around the program now?
“Most of the disappointment has been on offense, and injuries are a primary cause. Quarterback Frank Harris had a rocky offseason, undergoing multiple knee surgeries and facing a severe infection that had him considering a medical
retirement in the spring. He was also banged up through fall camp, and the rust showed the first two weeks, even before a turf toe injury that has his status for this week up in the air. No. 1 wideout De’Corian Clark hasn’t been able to get back on the field after an ACL tear last season, and an injury to starting right tackle Makai Hart has triggered some shuffling up front. Then, after a great first two weeks for UTSA’s defense, Army scored on six straight drives to start last week’s game, raising some new questions about that side of the ball. UTSA is off next week and opens the conference season with some beatable opponents, so I believe the coaches are confident in a healthy team’s ability to eventually return to form. The fan base is a little more antsy.”
What’s UTSA QB Frank Harris status entering the game?
“Coach Jeff Traylor has called him day to day, but Harris had a pretty noticeable limp just roaming the sidelines last week. The coaches would never admit this, but given that UTSA is a significant underdog this week, the prospect of holding him out, letting him sit through the open date next week and then bringing him back closer to full strength for the conference opener sounds pretty appealing. But he’s the type of player who will push to be out there if he’s anywhere close to healthy.”
What stood out about QB Eddie Lee Marburger against Army? How is the offense different with Harris compared to Marburger?
“Marburger led a pretty efficient offense against Army, hitting 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, albeit with a 46-yard Hail Mary and another 72-yard bomb down the middle. He might have more raw arm talent than Harris, which could lead UTSA to look more at the downfield passing game. But he’ll be much less creative and dynamic with his legs, and he likely won’t have the ability to make checks and diagnose coverages at the line that has made Harris so special in the later stages of his career.”
What are the strengths and weaknesses of UTSA’s defense?
“The Roadrunners have ample talent and depth in the three down defensive line positions and across the back end at corner and safety, so generally they’ve pressured quarterbacks and prevented opponents from carving them up through the air. The run defense has also been pretty strong on a per-carry basis. The biggest potential issue for this week is the status of pass-rushing outside linebacker Trey Moore, who earned some Freshman All-America nods last year and notched four sacks in the first two games of 2023 before injuring an ankle last week. Strangely, UTSA is one of just three teams in the FBS yet to force a takeaway this season.”
What does UTSA need to do to make this a four quarter game?
“Last season, UTSA built a 10-point lead on Texas and hung within a score until late in the third quarter, but the Longhorns’ talent and depth advantage eventually won out. The Roadrunners turned a surprise onside kick into a touchdown on a double pass early in that game, and they might pull out some tricks in this matchup, as well, if they feel they can hang around for a while. Otherwise, I’d figure on the usual upset formula, like winning the special teams battle or forcing a couple turnovers. I wouldn’t expect on offense or defense that UTSA will have any particularly advantageous matchups to target.”
Score prediction?
Tennessee 37, Texas-San Antonio 13
