SAN MARCOS - As UTSA quarterback Owen McCown was preparing for his final season, he felt a lingering weight on his shoulders.
He carried the burden of two straight losses to rival Texas State, of slow starts and road woes and missed opportunities in close losses. No matter what drills or exercises the Roadrunners devised, he knew he couldn't replicate those moments. He dove into the mental aspect as much as he could, searching for answers that might pay off when the situation finally arrived.
With UTSA trailing in the final two minutes against Texas State in a pivotal early season showdown Saturday in San Marcos, McCown delivered. The Roadrunners orchestrated a drive that ended in a 25-yard touchdown run by Brandon High with 14 seconds remaining, providing the final blow in a 30-26 win over the Bobcats.
"Obviously that's something we've been working on, and it showed today," McCown said. "To go out my last year against a rival here, a road win on a two-minute drill, it's big time. It says a lot about our team."
UTSA's Owen McCown, on the mindset entering his game-winning drive to beat Texas State: "Go win the game. And I think the last two years, you look at where we need to work the most with road games, was two-minute drill. … For this to happen the way it did is super special." pic.twitter.com/RFflc5dTIZ

#state #utsa #owen #season

SAN MARCOS - Texas State football coach GJ Kinne said Saturday's 31-26 loss to UTSA was one of the weirdest games he's ever experienced.
The Bobcats (0-2) outgained the Roadrunners (2-0) offense by 83 yards. The Texas State running backs averaged 7.15 yards per carry on 35 attempts. UTSA was 3-of-15 on third down; Texas State was 9-of-17. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown faced pressure from Texas State's defensive line all afternoon.
MORE: Texas State recap from loss to UTSA
And yet, the Bobcats were the team desperately tossing laterals across the field when the clock hit zero, hoping for a miracle play. UTSA stormed the field afterward, whooping and hollering in celebration. For the first time in the rivalry, Texas State was the program defending its status. UTSA clearly had a chip on its shoulder that its San Marcos neighbours used to have. After the game, Kinne treated the loss like any other.
"We can't let this one define us," Kinne said. "It's not the end-all, be-all."

#utsa #loss #marcos #roadrunners

From the moment the 2025 season ended, UTSA set out to find answers for the team's biggest shortcomings. At the top of the list? Winning on the road, and avoiding slow starts.
The Roadrunners are 3-10 away from the Alamodome the past two years, opening the 2024 season 2-4 and starting 3-4 in 2025.
Now, after months of preparing and retooling, UTSA will finally find out if the problems have been solved, visiting Texas State for an I-35 rivalry showdown at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in San Marcos.
"We've been talking about it for a long time," Roadrunners defensive lineman Tai Leonard said. "We've been doing all the work that's required. So, I mean, God willing, we can go out there and showcase."
UTSA coach Jeff Traylor knows the results his offseason of changes to staff, roster construction and even day-to-day practice schedules will take more than one day to bear out.

#winning

The I-35 Rivalry returns to San Marcos, as Texas State football hosts UTSA on Saturday in a clash between two of Texas' biggest midmajor programs.
The Bobcats' rise has coincided with increased success against the Roadrunners. Head coach GJ Kinne has led Texas State to two straight wins over UTSA and his former mentor, Jeff Traylor, after a 20-13 loss in Kinne's debut year. The Bobcats handed the Roadrunners a 49-10 drubbing last time they met in San Marcos, and Traylor made it clear in the days leading up to the game that he hasn't forgotten that embarrassment.
MORE: Is Texas State football or UTSA favored? The I-35 Rivalry's keys to victory
Although Texas State was thoroughly outmatched against Texas in Week 1, there were a few positive takeaways. There is no doubt in the offense led by quarterback Brad Jackson and his dynamic wide receiver duo of Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks, but the defense left a lot to be desired. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown and running back Will Henderson will test how effective Texas State's offseason changes were in improving the unit that has been its kryptonite the past three seasons.
Traylor adjusted his offseason approach, bringing in veteran transfers and a new offensive coordinator. UTSA kept things vanilla against UTRGV last week and will likely have some nasty surprises for Texas State. Here are live updates from the I-35 Rivalry.

#rivalry #marcos #bobcats #Football

After an offseason of change, bringing in a new offensive coordinator, overhauling the roster and pushing for a fresh focus on identity, coach Jeff Traylor leads UTSA into the 2026 season with a matchup against UTRGV on Saturday in the Alamodome.
The Roadrunners are about 30-point favorites against their FCS opponent, looking for a strong start as they aim to take a step forward following consecutive 7-6 seasons.
Follow along for live updates and ***** ysis:
The Vaqueros' offense hasn't appeared too scared of the bright lights in the Alamodome, churning out six first downs across their first three drives.
UTRGV did hit a typical early season stumble, trying to rush to the line on fourth-and-1 but botching the snap, leading to a turnover on downs.

#season #traylor #utsa

True to his DNA as a longtime high school coach, UTSA's Jeff Traylor said the Roadrunners will tailor the 2026 offense to the strengths of their personnel.
New offensive coordinator Rick Bowie has six years of high school experience in his roots, too, understanding the need for adaptability and experimentation through the preseason as the unit takes shape.
UTSA at least has a few standout returners to work with on offense, while the defense was largely overhauled, bringing back just two players who started more than half of last season.
READ MORE: 'I'm still Will': How UTSA's star running back keeps true to himself
Whether to gain a tactical advantage or because of true uncertainty, Traylor has stopped short of highlighting potential standouts on defense, and he's keeping the expected shape of the Roadrunners' offense a mystery, too.

#true #traylor #shape #back

In the biggest Colorado Avalanche news of the summer, our beloved LG Red is back at Altitude for the upcoming season! Lauren Gardner won't be exclusive to just Avalanche broadcasts but she is back in Colorado and will be on our TV screens. Welcome home, LG!
The NHL announced they are committing to regular season games in Germany for three years starting with the 2026-27 season as the league continues to increase their global reach.
There will be a new specialty jersey coming this fall for every team, dubbed the Hometown Remix. Word on the street is that just like their two versions of the Reverse Retro, the Avalanche will have a white sweater in this upcoming collection as well.
Preseason isn't just for the Avalanche as the Colorado Eagles are expected to participate in what's been dubbed the Southwest Showdown. The Tucson Roadrunners will serve as host while the Eagles will play the Texas Stars on September 26th and the Henderson Silver Knights on September 27th. Giddy up!

#Avalanche #season #dubbed

Cal State Bakersfield announced another head coach hiring on Tuesday, but this was done simply by removing the interim tag off Ray Alvarado as women’s basketball coach.
Alvarado was hired as the CSUB **** ociate head coach in summer 2025 and was suddenly named interim head coach when the university put former head coach Ari Wideman on administrative leave in March. Alvarado coached the Roadrunners’ last two Big West Conference games of the 2025-26 season. Wideman officially resigned in April and Alvarado was handling the coaching duties, recruiting and summer basketball camp stuff until Tuesday’s announcement was made by CSUB Acting Director of Athletics Sarah Tuohy.
The move seemed natural given Alvarado being a Central Valley native, vast area coaching experience and his program-building skills. Following a national search, Alvarado is now the official head coach.
“Ray brings exactly what we were looking for at the helm of our women's basketball program," Tuohy said in a statement to announce Alvarado’s new status. "His extensive coaching career, including his experience at the junior college level, has given him a deep understanding of how to develop players and win — and his record speaks for itself. What excites me just as much is his connection to the Central Valley. That connection is core to what it means to be a Roadrunner, and Ray is going to recruit this backyard with a passion and credibility that will be transformative for our program.”
Before arriving in Bakersfield, Alvarado was the head coach at Hawaii Pacific University, leading the Sharks’ women’s basketball program after a very successful 13-year run as head coach for Visalia’s College of the Sequoias (COS). At COS, Alvarado guided the Giants to a CCCAA State Championship Final Four appearance in 2022 and multiple Elite Eight berths while earning five Central Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors.

We are down to 66 days until Texas football is back and it's another Wildcard Wednesday. I wanted to focus on the two "lay-up games" on the Longhorns schedule, Texas State and UTSA. The Longhorns are favored to win both games by a wide margin, but I do believe both represent interesting challenges that could be important for Texas this season.
Let's start with the team that'll kick off the "All-In" season, the Texas State Bobcats. Texas State is a team that could very well factor into the CFP conversation among the Group of 5 teams. Beau Jackson at QB is an elite athlete, coming off a 3,200+ passing yard, 700+ rushing yard season.
Beau Sparks is his running mate at WR, coming off a 1,200-yard season but Chris Dawn Jr. is also back off a 1,000-yard campaign. Lincoln Pare left the RB room but Greg Burrell, who rushed for 671 yards last season, is back as the starter.
Point being, this offense is going to be potent. Obviously Texas should have more than enough answers for them but it'll be a nice test prior to Ohio State. The DL, particularly the edge defenders will need to contain Brad Jackson. The secondary will need to step up in man coverage against a strong WR duo. On top of that, the Texas offense will be facing an experienced defense that, at the very least, will test the Longhorns execution.
Moving forward to the Roadrunners, they are the easier of the two opponents on paper. That being said, there are aspects of this team that will create questions for the Texas defense. Owen McCown is back for another season as the starter, alongside his star WRs, David Amador II and AJ Wilson. Robert Henry Jr. is out of the RB group but Will Henderson III notched 866 rushing yards last season. The offense is going to be potent, and more importantly, experienced.