Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA Prediction, Game Preview
Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins between the Bulldogs and Roadrunners on Saturday in Ruston, LA.
Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins between the Bulldogs and Roadrunners on Saturday in Ruston, LA.
Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA Game Preview
When: Saturday, Nov. 12 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA
TV Broadcast: N/A
Carlos Henderson is a bad, bad man. The Louisiana Tech (7-3, 5-1 Conference USA) wide receiver scored five touchdowns for the second time this season, and the Bulldogs pulled away from North Texas in a 45-24 win this past Saturday night. Quarterback Ryan Higgins threw for 253 yards, and running back Jarred Craft had 24 carries for 120 yards and a score.
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners (5-4, 4-2) went on the road and scored a surprising 45-25 victory over Middle Tennessee behind the legs of Jarveon Williams, who ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns. Jalen Rhodes had a 26-yard touchdown run, Williams scored twice inside the six-yard line, and Dalton Sturm threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Josh Stewart as UTSA led 28-10 at halftime.
In last year’s contest between these two teams in San Antonio, Jonathan Barnes kicked a 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to lift the Bulldogs to a 34-31 win. Sturm went 18 of 27 through the air for 227 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, but he was limited to just 34 yards on 17 carries. For the Bulldogs, Trent Taylor caught 13 passes for 143 yards.
What To Know About Louisiana Tech
A week after the Bulldogs dismantled Rice by 45 points at home, Skip Holtz’s squad received another big game from the combination of quarterback Higgins and wide receivers Henderson and Taylor. Winners of six straight games, the Bulldogs have rebounded very nicely after dropping three of their first four contests. Higgins has been a machine at quarterback, as he has four games of 400 yards passing or more to become one of the best Group of Five signal-callers in the country. There may be defensive deficiencies, but the Bulldogs make up for them on offense.
What to Know About UTSA
A week after the Roadrunners notched a 31-17 win over North Texas at home, Frank Wilson’s squad went on the road and beat a Middle Tennessee team that possesses one of the most potent offenses in the Group of Five. However, Blue Raiders quarterback Brent Stockstill was hurt in the game and will miss the rest of the regular season with a broken collarbone. He was injured during the second quarter, forcing redshirt freshman John Urzua into action, and Urzua tossed three interceptions. But UTSA won’t complain about getting the win under any circumstance. It’s been a season of ups and downs, but the Roadrunners have shown great fight coming back from tough losses. Dual-threat quarterback Sturm is the key to the offense. When he is efficient and able to find running and passing lanes, this is a team that’s shown it is postseason-worthy, as it has an upset win over Southern Miss earlier this season.
Advantages
Offense: Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are out-gaining the Roadrunners by 165.8 total yards per game.
Defense: Even. The Roadrunners are giving up 406.6 yards per game, while the Bulldogs are allowing opposing offenses 404.2 yards per contest. However, UTSA is worse against the run, while Louisiana Tech is more susceptible to the pass.
Special Teams: UTSA. Matt Guidry had a 57-yard kickoff return that set up a Williams 22-yard scoring run to stretch UTSA’s lead to 35-17 last week.
Coaching: Even. Wilson is doing a fantastic job in his first season at UTSA, while Holtz is overseeing a hot Bulldogs squad.
Intangibles: Even. It’s a home game for the Bulldogs, but UTSA is having a nice debut season under Wilson.
Matchup To Watch
Taylor and Henderson vs. UTSA secondary
Taylor had a monstrous game against the Roadrunners last season, hauling in 13 passes for 143 yards. For the season, he has 98 catches for 1,318 yards and nine scores with a long of 76 yards. He has caught at least seven passes in every game but one and has a 17-catch, 210-yard, two-touchdown game to his credit this season. UTSA is No. 76 in the country in passing yards allowed at 237.4 yards per game, so it’s a major concern having to go up against Taylor and Henderson, who has caught 59 passes for 1,168 yards and 15 touchdowns, including an 83-yarder. UTSA has seen nothing like these receivers on the season, and film probably doesn’t do these two receivers justice.
Betting Odds
Spread: Louisiana Tech -20
Over/Under: 68.5
Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA Prediction
Perhaps if this game was in San Antonio, it’d be a little different. But even if UTSA is able to limit the effectiveness of one of the Bulldogs’ receivers, the other one is bound to go off. Too much offensive firepower in a Louisiana Tech victory.
Louisiana Tech vs. UTSA Score Prediction: Louisiana Tech 38, UTSA 27
