UTSA coach Frank Wilson’s lucky he made it through the offseason without a significant toe injury. Looking back on 2017, he sees plenty of reasons to kick himself, wondering what he could have done differently.

Despite going 6-5, his team sat at home during the holidays. If they wanted to go to a bowl game, they had to buy a ticket. 

“We allowed our destiny to be in somebody else’s hands. We became bowl eligible, not bowl-certified,” Wilson said. “This year, we’ll put our destiny in our hands, not leave it in somebody else’s.   It was disappointing, but we can’t point the finger at anybody but ourselves. We’ll be better this year. We’ll rectify that.”

Wilson is tasked with a full reboot on offense—both on the field and in the coaching box—but that side of the ball limited the Roadrunners in 2017. Any improvement there could push UTSA into the postseason and give it a chance to chase a few trophies along the way.

Last year, three of Wilson’s team’s five losses came by a combined 10 points. Another came by just seven. 

“We have to do a better job of finishing. Two years in a row, in the fourth quarter of games, whether we’re up or behind, at some point, it’s a 14-point game. We’re in position to finish and we haven’t learned how to do it consistently,” Wilson said. “Sometimes all they needed was a stop or a first down or being in the red zone to finish off a team and settling for three.

“The difference in us being a really good football team is inches. It’s all around us.”

When Wilson isn’t channeling Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday, he’s busy building upon the foundation Larry Coker laid when the program first began play in 2012. Wilson took the program to its first bowl game in 2016 and has a team capable of reaching a second in 2018. His team began 2017 3-0, including a road win at Baylor, but the offense stumbled, finishing the season just 63rd in yards per play and 104th in scoring. 

Reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Davenport, a first round NFL Draft pick is gone to the New Orleans Saints, and so is most of last year’s offense. Wilson turned to Al Borges, who has nearly 30 years of college football coaching experience, to ignite an offense that’s struggled for the better part of his two seasons in charge of the Roadrunners.

UTSA looked the part of a C-USA contender early in 2017 and will get more opportunities in 2018, with early season dates at Arizona State, Kansas State and at home against what should be a much-improved Baylor team. That’s three chances for what could be breakout wins for a program knocking on the door of competing for its first division title.

The Roadrunners finished second in 2016 and if they can find a way to slow down North Texas’ offense and finish close games late, it’s a reasonable aspiration.

“I think we’re very close,” Wilson said. “We’re right there.”

There are plenty of more benchmarks between here and there, too. The 2016 season ended with a loss to New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl, leaving the program still looking for its first-ever bowl win.

Still, its hopes are almost certainly tied to its rebuilt offense. Just two starters from last year’s offense return, and UTSA will try to replace three offensive linemen, starting quarterback Dalton Sturm and three of his four starting receivers. If Borges is able to usher in improvement with a fresh-faced roster, all of UTSA’s goals will be in reach. If not, Wilson’s desire to take hold of his program’s postseason hopes and destination could slip through his fingers.