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UTSA Hunts Elusive Road Victory Against Depleted Opponent

David Amador | UTSA WR #18 — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The UTSA Roadrunners (6-6) will take on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-6) in the Myrtle Beach Bowl at 11 a.m. EST on Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. UTSA enters the matchup with momentum, having won three of their last four games, with the lone loss coming to Army (11-2) on Nov. 30. Coastal Carolina, after a strong 3-0 start, struggled down the stretch, winning just three of their final nine games.

The Stakes

With a win, coach Jeff Traylor can secure his fifth consecutive season leading UTSA to an overall winning record. The Roadrunners are eager to prove they can succeed away from the Alamodome, having gone winless in six regular-season road games. While UTSA is the designated home team, the game will be played at Coastal Carolina’s Brooks Stadium, making it the Roadrunners’ seventh road game of the season.

Jeff Traylor | UTSA Coach — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

With more than 20 players in the Transfer Portal, coach Tim Beck and the Chanticleers are fortunate to have enough remaining players to compete. Notable departures include starting quarterback Ethan Vasko, his backup Noah Kim, running back Christian Washington, edge rusher Clev Lubin and cornerback Matthew McDoom. Both Lubin and McDoom earned All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team Defense honors this season. The key question is who remains and how effective can they perform.

Tim Beck | Coastal Carolina Coach — © Steven Erler-Imagn Images

Key Players: UTSA Roadrunners

David Amador II, Wide Receiver

Despite not playing his first game of the season until Nov. 2 against Memphis, Amador has quickly made an impact, averaging nearly 8 catches and 87 receiving yards over the final three games. Pro Football Focus awarded him elite grades for his receiving performance at various depths: behind the line of scrimmage (91.5), zero to 9 yards (90.6), and 10 to 19 yards (92.7).

Facing a Coastal Carolina defense short-staffed in the secondary, expect the Chanticleers to deploy deep zone coverages, giving Amador plenty of opportunities to exploit short and intermediate routes.

Zah Frazier, Cornerback

Frazier plans to suit up for one final game with his teammates despite declaring early for the 2025 NFL Draft. He set a UTSA single-season record with 6 interceptions, earned first-team All-AAC honors, and received honorable mention on the CBS Sports All-America team. Facing an inexperienced quarterback making his first career start, Frazier should have plenty of opportunities to add to his record INT total.

Key Players: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Tad Hudson, QB

With the departure of both QBs ahead of him on the depth chart, the North Carolina transfer will see his first snaps of the season. Hudson, a four-star recruit out of high school, joined Coastal Carolina in April. While he has the prototypical QB build at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, his high school film reveals concerns with accuracy and a tendency for turnovers. Lacking significant mobility, Hudson should give UTSA opportunities for sacks and turnovers if the Roadrunners can apply consistent pressure.

Tobias Fletcher, Safety

With McDoom and several other members of the secondary in the portal, Coastal Carolina will rely on players like Fletcher to step up and guide their inexperienced teammates. Fletcher had a strong regular season, finishing second on the team in tackles (60) and INTs (2). The Chanticleers defense will face a tough challenge against a UTSA offense that has averaged 41.7 points and 495.5 yards per game over its last three outings.

Tobias Fletcher | Coastal Carolina Safety #4 — © Dave Hyatt/Special to the Gadsden Times/USA TODAY NETWORK

Trends to Watch

UTSA holds a 1-4 record in bowl games, with their lone victory coming in a 35-17 win over Marshall in the 2023 Frisco Bowl. The Roadrunners are 11-7 in weekday games but have never played on a Monday in their 14-year history. They enter the matchup on a streak of 22 consecutive games with both a takeaway and a sack.

Game Prediction

Historically, non-playoff bowl games often hinge on which team is more excited to compete. In today’s Transfer Portal era, player availability has also become a crucial factor. UTSA enters this game motivated to secure a winning record and holds a clear talent advantage. Expect the Roadrunners to cruise to a comfortable win, earning the program’s second bowl victory in its history.

Prediction: UTSA 41, Coastal Carolina 20.