UTSA (6-1, 3-0 American) at Tulane (3-3, 1-1 American). Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Central), Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, ESPNU.
Your hosts are Marisol Ybarra, a San Antonio native who collects Fiesta medals for every great Roadrunner play, and Twan Ducros-Labat, an Uptown Tulane fan who believes every game is a brass-band parade.
Marisol: Your beignets against my breakfast tacos, Twan? We'll settle it after the game. Bring the brass band.
Twan: Darlin', we can both win that one. Come hungry. Roll Wave!
Players to watch
UTSA quarterback Owen McCown has completed 153 of 220 passes for 1,578 yards, 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Running back Will Henderson III has 562 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver D.J. Allen Jr. has 24 catches for 325 yards. Linebacker Brandon Tucker leads with 53 tackles.
Tulane's Kadin Semonza leads the team in passing with 804 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Trace Johnson started last week. Running back Maurice Turner has 315 yards on just 37 carries. Receiver Destyn Hill has 21 catches for 285 yards. Linebacker Dickson Agu leads with 56 tackles, and safety Kevin Adams III has two interceptions.
Twan: Turner's at 8.5 yards a carry. That deserves a beignet.
What happened last week
UTSA beat Navy 38-34. McCown went 28 of 38 for 359 yards and three touchdowns. Henderson ran for 78 yards and a touchdown, and David Amador II caught seven passes for 71 yards.
Tulane beat Memphis 31-17 on Friday, Oct. 16. Johnson threw for 165 yards and a touchdown, Johnnie Daniels ran seven times for 55 yards and a score, and Hill caught a touchdown.
Marisol: Three hundred fifty-nine yards. That's a gold medal for my wall.
Injuries and availability
The American doesn't publish an official availability report, and no injury news had surfaced for either team as of Oct. 18. Tulane hasn't announced whether Johnson or Semonza will start.
What the coaches are up to
Jeff Traylor has led UTSA since December 2019. His team has committed only three turnovers in seven games. The Roadrunners have won four straight since a 30-6 loss at Texas.
Will Hall is in his first season at Tulane, hired Dec. 8, 2025. His defense allows scores on just 65.4% of opponents' red-zone trips, fifth in FBS. Tulane leads the nation in blocked kicks.
Player storylines
Both run defenses have struggled. UTSA allows 199.9 rushing yards a game, and Tulane allows 212.5. McCown faces a Tulane defense that lets opponents convert 45.6% of third downs. Tulane holds the ball only 26:20 a game, last in FBS. UTSA averages 83.9 penalty yards a game, which ranks 134th. Tulane is 3-0 at home and 0-3 on the road.
What's happening on campus
It's Military Appreciation Night at Yulman Stadium. Free tickets go to active-duty military and veterans through VetTix while supplies last, and the first 2,000 fans get a camo Green Wave hat. Tailgating on the Berger Family Lawn opens four hours before kickoff. This season also marks 100 years since the first game at old Tulane Stadium, and a tribute now stands on the Westfeldt Terrace concourse. Fans can grab beignets and Beignet Hot Honey Chicken Sliders.
Anything else fun and true
UTSA leads the series 2-1 since the teams first met in 2013. Tulane's lone win came 29-16 at home in 2023. Tulane's Homecoming is Nov. 7 against Tulsa. UTSA has a week off after this game.
Marisol: Birds up, Twan. The parade always comes back around.
Twan: So does the brass band, Marisol. See you on the lawn.
The Cover Window
My call: Tulane Green Wave 26, UTSA Roadrunners 25.