EL PASO – UTSA running back Sincere McCormick raced 75 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage on Saturday night in the Sun Bowl. The undefeated Roadrunners (9-0) never looked back. UTSA built a 30-9 halftime lead behind the legs of McCormick and the kicking leg of Hunter Duplessis. It was the Frank Harris show for UTSA in the second half of the 44-23 win over UTEP. 

For the Miners (6-3) it was their second consecutive loss after reaching bowl eligibility following a Week 7 victory over Louisiana Tech. UTEP entered the game with the seventh best defense in FBS, but the talent level of UTSA was too much for the Miners. UTSA improved to 7-2 all-time against UTEP and 5-0 in El Paso. McCormick finished the game with 169 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The team averaged seven yards a carry against a highly respected UTEP defense. Wide receiver Zakhari Franklin had 10 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns receiving for the Roadrunners. 

Three things I know

Frank Harris grew beyond game manager: There was a time in Harris’ UTSA career when he was considered no better than a game manager. A player UTSA was winning in spite of, at times, rather than because of. That’s what happens when a quarterback is forced to learn a new system in the middle of a pandemic. Harris looks like a quarterback who found himself between the 2020 and 2021 season. He’s no longer a question mark. He’s an exclamation point. 

Harris registered for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 22 of 34 passing. He added two more scores and 76 yards rushing on nine carries despite not playing the entire fourth quarter. He’s now over 2,000 yards passing for the season with 18 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions. He possesses a top 20 QBR in FBS. Harris could return to UTSA in 2022 if he'd like to utilize his extra year of eligibility. 

#RankUTSA: The hashtag helped the Roadrunners climb into the ranks of the AP and Coach’s Poll. It is now time for the Roadrunners to make their debut appearance in the College Football Playoff Rankings. UTSA is one of four unbeaten teams remaining in the country. It holds wins over Illinois and Memphis. At 9-0, UTSA is undoubtedly one of the best 25 teams in the country. 

The Roadrunners run the ball with explosiveness and persistence. The passing game has evolved into a strength. The defense is stout, and the special teams is sound. There isn’t a weak spot on this team and a 12-0 conclusion to the regular season is looking more likely with each win. Two of the three games remaining are against North Texas and Rice. Only UAB provides a real threat for the Roadrunners. 

UTEP must become more efficient offensively: UTEP is capable of scoring points, but it requires the Miners to create big plays. Take the first half for example: UTEP went three-and-out on its first two possessions before two big plays in the third drive led to a touchdown. UTEP wouldn’t score again until a field goal on the final play of the first half. It was boom or bust for the Miners. Gavin Hardison was 4 of 13 for 94 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Most of those yards came on two completions. Ronald Awatt had 58 yards for 10 carries in the first half, but more than 30 yards of that came on one carry. The Miners can’t always rely on the big play against quality defenses. 

Three things I think I know

Traylor is happy in San Antonio: UTSA allowed me to spend part of the morning with Traylor ahead of the game against UTEP (more on that later in the week). He struck me as a content man who is still enjoying his current challenge too much to worry about his next. 

Clearly, nothing is a certainty in college athletics. Traylor could be offered the TCU job tomorrow, and maybe that would be too good of an opportunity to pass up, but Traylor gives off a sense of ease. Of a man ready to build a legacy in San Antonio like the one he built at Gilmer High School. After all, he had a chance to leave Gilmer for jobs perceived as bigger. His name is on the stadium in Gilmer. 

Maybe a statue is built of him one day in San Antonio. He has $2.8 million dollars a year keeping him happy in the Alamo City. 

UTEP deserves better: The Sun Bowl is a tremendous venue. El Paso, and Juarez right across the river, combine to give the area two million potential viewers. The announced attendance for the UTSA game was 31,648. That’s more than UTSA draws at home, for example. Yet, UTEP reached six wins and bowl eligibility 48 before it was obvious that it’d be left out in the cold during conference realignment. 

The Miners weren’t part of the exodus to the American Athletic Conference along with UTSA, North Texas, and Rice. A Sun Belt or Mountain West Conference invite never came. UTEP remains in Conference USA, which feels like a halfway house between FBS and FCS football. The program deserves better because it is a uniquely special place to enjoy football when the team is performing well enough to bring out the fans. 

The Miners can end the season with eight wins: UTEP is on a two-game losing streak thanks to a road loss to FAU and the home loss to the undefeated Roadrunners. UTEP is 6-3 with three games left on the schedule, and two of those contests are extremely winnable. The Miners are back on the road in Week 11 with a trip to face a 3-6 North Texas squad on a two-game winning streak. UTEP hosts Rice (3-6) the following week before closing out the season on the road against UAB. An 8-4 finish is doable for the Miners.