by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Sep 17, 2026
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, September 19, 2026
Venue: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Where to Watch: SECN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: UTSA +30.5, Texas -30.5; Over/Under: 58.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: UTSA +30.5, Texas -30.5; Over/Under: 58.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: UTSA +30, Texas -30; Over/Under: 58.5 points
Season Record
UTSA Roadrunners: 2-0 (0-0) (3rd place, American)
Texas Longhorns: 2-0 (0-0) (2nd place, SEC)
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Recent Form
UTSA Roadrunners: won their last game on the road against the Texas State Bobcats 31-26.
Texas Longhorns: won their last game at home against the Ohio State Buckeyes 24-23.
UTSA Roadrunners vs Texas Longhorns Preview and Analysis
UTSA is entering this game with a 2-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Texas State 31-26. Owen McCown was the starting QB and he completed 28/42 passes for 214 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Will Henderson led the team in rushing yards with 80. Mekhi Anderson led the receivers with 83 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Brandon Tucker Jr. led the defense in that game with 13 tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Zach Morris and Cameron Upshaw Jr. each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Texas is entering this game with a 2-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Ohio State 24-23. Arch Manning was the starting QB and he completed 23/37 passes for 195 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Daylan Smothers led the team in rushing yards with 74 and 2 TDs. Emmett Mosley V led the receivers with 65 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Rasheem Biles led the defense in that game with 8 tackles while Lance Jackson and Colin Simmons each led the defense in sacks with 1. Graceson Littleton came away with the only interception for them in that one.
UTSA vs Texas Prediction
The current betting odds have Texas listed as a 30.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Texas has looked great in their games this season with their 2-0 record overall so far. They have looked great on their home field too with their 2-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, UTSA has looked good in their games this season with their 2-0 record overall so far. They have been a good road team too with their 1-0 road record this year. UTSA won their season opener against UTRGV 45-16 and now they are coming off a 31-26 road win over Texas State in their last one. The offense has looked great in both games this season, but the defense definitely needs some work. Texas State definitely isn't a bad team and they had one of the best offenses in the nation last season, but UTSA was trailing early on in that one and needed a late comeback to win the game. They also gave up 16 points at home to a team from the FCS and that doesn't exactly inspire confidence coming into this game against the 1st ranked team in the nation. Texas has been rolling in their 2 games this season. They beat up on Texas State 59-7 in their season opener and now they are coming off a win over another top 10 ranked opponent, beating Ohio State 24-23. They needed a late 4th quarter comeback to win that one and their offense looked terrible for 3 quarters, but that big win is going to give them a ton of momentum going forward and they will be looking to fix their mistakes from that tight win. UTSA doesn't have the talent to compete with Texas on the road here, especially with Texas coming off a big win which gives them a ton of momentum for the CFP conversation. The best way to place a bet here is on Texas to cover the spread in this game.
UTSA Texas Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 19, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Texas 49 UTSA 13.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
UTSA Roadrunners: 4-9 ATS in road lined games. 2-7 ATS on the road after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins. 16-9 UNDER in a road game where the total is between 56.5 and 63. 9-4 UNDER off an upset win as a road underdog.
Texas Longhorns: 27-16 ATS as a favorite of 21.5 to 31 points. 31-20 ATS at home after playing a game at home. 27-18 UNDER in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63. 24-18 UNDER at home after playing a game at home.
Key Injuries
UTSA Roadrunners: None.
Texas Longhorns: D. McCutcheon (WR) Questionable - Illness. T. Goosby (OG) Questionable - Knee. D. Cooper (RB) Questionable - Foot.
Notable Quotes
“We worked hard on our red zone. We didn’t know if we’d be able to stop these guys. We tried to eliminate their big plays. Get them down to the red zone and hopefully hold them to field goals. We were very successful in doing that.” - Jeff Traylor after his team’s win against Texas State in their last game.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team with the heart, the desire and the fight.” - Steve Sarkisian after his team’s win against Ohio State in their last game.
Starting Lineups
UTSA Roadrunners
WR Wilson, AJ
WR Anderson, Mekhi
WR Amador II, David
TE Young Jr., Brandon
QB McCown, Owen
RB Henderson III, Will
Texas Longhorns
WR Wingo, Ryan
WR Coleman, Cam
WR Mosley V, Emmett
TE Shannon, Spencer
TE Townsend, Nick
QB Manning, Arch
RB Smothers, Hollywood
Statistical Leaders
UTSA Roadrunners
Passing: Owen McCown (489)
Rushing: Will Henderson III (181)
Receiving: DJ Allen Jr. (140)
Touchdowns: Brandon Young Jr. (2)
Texas Longhorns
Passing: Arch Manning (500)
Rushing: Hollywood Smothers (144)
Receiving: Ryan Wingo (143)
Touchdowns: Hollywood Smothers (3)
Coaches:
UTSA Roadrunners: Jeff Traylor (7th season)
Texas Longhorns: Steve Sarkisian (6th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
