How UTSA's defense aims to find consistency in matchup against North Texas

UTSA Roadrunners defensive lineman Jeremiah Bailey (0) sacks Rice Owls quarterback Jacurri Brown (11) during the second quarter in Houston, Texas, Saturday, Oct., 3, 2026. (Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News) Landing in San Antonio at 6 a.m. Friday following the worst defensive performance of coach Jeff Traylor's seven-year tenure, UTSA was eager to put the previous night's 60-29 loss to FAU to bed. Once the Roadrunners finished their Friday classes, they returned to the team facility to review what went wrong as UTSA allowed the highest scoring output of Traylor's career with the Roadrunners. Defensive lineman Jusiah Sampleton said he was eager to find some takeaway that could turn the loss into a growing experience. The biggest factor that stuck out was defenders not playing together, trying to make individual plays that led to broader breakdowns as FAU ran for 339 yards. As "a bunch of different things just piled up on us," Sampleton wondered if the Roadrunners could have found a way to settle down. "As a kid, when you get in trouble and you get a whooping like we got, you don't want to have that happen, but you learn from it," Sampleton said. "The greatest lesson that we can learn is just to do our job. We do our job, we'll play lights out against anybody." UTSAvs. North Texas: 5 players to watch as banged-up Roadrunners aim to reboundUTSA's defense has unlocked that potential a handful of times this year, earning praise for its play against Texas and fueling wins against Texas State and South Florida. But the unit has also struggled at times, as UTSA's offense provided the heavy lifting in a 59-45 win against Colorado State and a 38-34 victory over Navy. As UTSA prepares for a critical showdown against North Texas at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Alamodome, the Roadrunners know they'll need their best defensive effort, aiming to slow a unit that is No. 1 in the country in total offense at 534.7 yards per game. For Traylor, the difference between the defensive highs and lows comes down to schematic preparation from coordinator Jess Loepp and the rest of the coaches. Against FAU in particular, Traylor said UTSA was too focused on the passing attack, feeling caught off guard when the Owls switched to heavier formations and pounded the ball on the ground. "We've got great players here. They're super kids. They try to please us, and when we don't give them a good plan as a staff, we feel terrible," Traylor said. "We've got to be better as a head coach, as a defensive coordinator, defensive staff, because our players deserve that. There's nobody working harder than Jess Loepp is, I can promise you. So, we're going to try to be better, I promise you." UTSA Roadrunners linebacker Owen Pewee (2) makes a tackle during the third quarter against the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas, Saturday, Oct., 3, 2026. (Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News) Through seven games against Group of Six competition this year, UTSA has allowed three opponents to produce at least 55 yards better than their season average, and three opponents have been held to at least 30 yards below their average. Tulane finished a 42-19 loss to UTSA right at its season average of 332 yards. Overall, the Roadrunners rank 118th in the country in total defense at 410.6 yards per game. UTSA is also No. 128 nationally in rushing defense at 200.9 yards per game, due partly to matchups against option offenses from Rice and Navy. After hitting a new low against FAU, Traylor said UTSA's defense is "definitely wounded right now." But corner RJ Lester said the Roadrunners are relishing the chance to rebound against another top-ranked attack. "It's excitement to bounce back, to get back where we were," Lester said. "When you face good opponents, you don't look at it as, ‘Oh this is a huge challenge.' You look at it as an opportunity, as an opportunity to show how good that we are." Traylor described North Texas' Tayven Jackson as "the greatest quarterback we've played against" in his UTSA tenure, combining accuracy and athleticism with an ability to deliver the ball from varied arm angles. Running back Jahiem White is another NFL talent, Traylor said, ranking third in the country at 131.8 yards per game while tallying 16 touchdowns. For Sampleton, the key to slowing the North Texas offense is building on last week's lessons. Studying video from the loss to FAU, Sampleton said he continued to see a defensive line that can thrive through a focus on details, including hand placement and remaining gap sound. The Roadrunners are also embracing the challenge to be more physical after coach Jeff Traylor said the unit was "manhandled" by the Owls. "We know looking at the film that it wasn't up to our standard," Sampleton said. "So to be, I wouldn't even say called out, to be called up, it's one of those things that puts us in position to do our thing this weekend." SubscribeThere’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at How UTSA's defense aims to find consistency in matchup against North Texas.