The Daily Texan sat down with Luke Lawhorn, sports editor for The Paisano, to talk about what to expect from UTSA ahead of Saturday’s matchup.    

Daily Texan: After UTSA’s win against Army this past weekend and the nail-biter game against Houston, what’s the overall energy surrounding the program right now?

Luke Lawhorn: Coming into the Houston game, everybody was excited — maybe a little too high up after coming off an 11-1 regular season last year. The first loss was pretty tough and Coach Traylor took the blame on himself. I think the energy is great now, with back-to-back overtime games and playing a really good out of conference schedule with Houston, who was ranked at the time, Army, who’s historically very disciplined, and Texas, whose name speaks for itself. So I think the energy is very high and very exciting for this Saturday.  

DT: How is the team preparing to face a freshly ranked opponent? Is the energy similar or different than approaching any other opponent?

LL: I think that playing Texas is not only good for us brand-wise, but it’s also good for respect. I mean, Texas had a bad year last year, and UTSA is running around saying it’s the best team in Texas, since it was ranked for the first time doing all these extra things. So, I think this is a good test for the program. Traylor has only been here three years, but every year has just gotten better and better. It’s gonna be exciting to see what he can do.  

DT: There’s been some discussion about how head coach Jeff Traylor has improved the program since his hiring back in 2020. Do you think his presence has made a significant difference and how will that show up in Saturday’s game? 

LL: Coach Traylor has a good history. When he came in, even during the COVID year, he just made UTSA standards higher, and he introduced the Triangle of Toughness, which is UTSA’s model that they take everywhere they go. Every year, the recruiting classes have gotten better. UTSA’s become more competitive, and he’s not only improving the record every year but improving national attention exposure. So he’s definitely taking UTSA to the next level with his attitude that he’s brought from the other programs he’s been at.    

DT: Will quarterback Frank Harris and kicker Jared Sackett be big players to watch for on Saturday? How has their performance contributed to UTSA’s persistence and success lately?LL: Frank Harris is very mature, and being a fifth-year senior has really helped. He’s actually ninth in the nation right now for total passing yards, which is awesome. Both Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin both had over 100 yards receiving in the first two games. De’Corian Clark had 70 yards and 90 yards along with three touchdowns all in the red zone.