Entering Thursday’s matchup at Florida Atlantic with a few extra days to prepare following an open week, UTSA coach Jeff Tryalor said he saw “no indication we were supposed to get our butts kicked.”
Nothing about the Roadrunners’ preparation had felt out of place, but once the game kicked off, Traylor realized that UTSA’s plans weren’t right. FAU’s high-flying offense instead committed to a ground-and-pound approach, enabling a struggling Owls defense to commit to a more attacking, downhill style.
Advertisement
The result was a 60-29 win for FAU that ended UTSA’s unbeaten run through the American Conference, as Traylor said he and the Roadrunners’ staff were “totally outcoached.”
“What we anticipated them doing offensively, we were wrong,” Traylor said. “What we anticipated them doing defensively, we were wrong. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”
Aiming to take away UTSA’s run game, FAU’s defense regularly played with just a single deep safety. The second safety either lined up at linebacker depth or crept toward the line of scrimmage as the ball was about to be snapped.
Removing a 52-yard scoring burst from A’Marion Peterson, UTSA’s running backs combined for 63 yards on 20 carries, with opportunities limited as the Roadrunners were playing from behind.
UTSA’s best counter would be receivers beating their defenders to exploit the lack of help on the back end, but Traylor said the Roadrunners “couldn’t win on press man.”
Advertisement
That process also takes time, and quarterback Owen McCown was under pressure all night as UTSA’s offensive line struggled to pass protect.
“It’s the worst offensive plan we’ve had this year, so it starts with us, but we got outstrained,” Traylor said. “Even when we figured out what was going on, we still got outstrained.”
McCown finished 20-of-35 passing for 265 yards with three touchdowns, and Traylor said McCown was “Johnny Manziel-like” in the way he extended plays and created opportunities even as the Roadrunners “did nothing to help our quarterback.”
Advertisement
The Roadrunners showed an example of how to beat FAU’s approach early in the second quarter, as McCown linked up with Mekhi Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown. The offensive line held up against a five-man pressure, Anderson beat his defender with an in-breaking route, and McCown hit him in stride. FAU’s single deep safety was too far inside to reach Anderson on the perimeter, setting up a free run to the end zone.
But moments like that proved too few and far between for the Roadrunners.
“They were just better in their man-to-man matchups than we were,” McCown said. “There was a lot of single high, bringing the extra safety down, which means you’ve got to win in the outside lanes. We’ll look to find more ways to do that.”
Traylor said FAU’s defense also benefited from smelling “blood in the water,” as UTSA struggled to generate stops on the other end.
Advertisement
Instead of lining up in their typical spread approach, the Owls often used formations with one running back and one tight end. FAU also used tight end AJ Johnson at quarterback for direct snaps six times – something they’d done just twice through the year’s first eight games, per Pro Football Focus. At times, the Owls used a formation similar to the short-yardage package the Roadrunners have introduced this year, with two extra offensive linemen set up in the backfield.
The Owls’ 49 carries marked a season high, and FAU’s 339 yards on the ground was the 105 yards better than the year’s next-best total.
“They got their running backs the ball way more than we thought,” Traylor said. “Quarterback did a great job with his feet, extending plays. Their tempo got to us.”
The rushing success forced UTSA to remain in its base defense, which created other problems when FAU looked to pass. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp hit 17 of 25 passes for 210 yards with four touchdowns, finding star wideout Easton Messer seven times for 85 yards and three scores.
Advertisement
Usually lining up in the slot, Messer was guarded by a cornerback on just one of his eight targets in the game, per Pro Football Focus. He scored touchdowns against linebacker Darion White, safety Nate Robinson, and linebacker Owen Pewee.
Though the cornerbacks group of Ahamad and Asaad Chapman, RJ Lester and Zach Morris is one of UTSA’s biggest strengths, putting more of those players on the field in place of a linebacker or safety would have only added to the Roadrunners’ challenges slowing the ground game.
“They were totally more physical than us,” Traylor said. “Their O-line whooped us up front, and their D-line whooped us up front.”
Subscribe
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at UTSA film study: How Roadrunners were ‘totally outcoached’ in blowout loss at FAU.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
