The next three weeks will decide Frank Wilson’s fate.

But, flanked by reporters Monday at his weekly roundtable, he tried to downplay their importance. As is typical with most coaches, he attempted to paint his team as the underdog.

“I doubt very seriously we’ll be favored, so I don’t know what that pressure could be,” he said before unleashing an awkward laugh that would make Kawhi Leonard cringe.

No one should be laughing — even if he was wrong.

UTSA has a winnable stretch of games to begin October, facing UTEP, UAB and Rice. But the Roadrunners are only favored by two points against UTEP.

That in and of itself is troubling.

The Miners have lost 26 of their last 28 games, including an 0-12 mark in 2017.

UTEP is not good. Or even average. The Miners are one of the worst FBS programs in the nation.

Their only FBS-level win in the last two seasons came last year against Rice. The Owls have admittedly looked good despite losing all five of their games this season. Still, they are 3-26 across the last three years.

UTEP and Rice, along with New Mexico State and UMass, which lost to Rutgers, which lost to Michigan and Iowa by a combined 82-0, are some of the worst FBS programs in the nation.

Akron just made the list. The Zips are trying to live up to their nickname, losing to UMass last weekend.

And, make no mistake, losses to UTEP and Rice would put UTSA in that conversation.

That’s not funny, either.

Before the season began, UTSA athletics director Lisa Campos said she’d have to let the year play out before having, “some tough conversations at the end on what needs to get better about the program.”

“I learned a long ago from great athletic directors that you don’t say, ‘This is what has to happen, or else,’” she said.

For the next three weeks, she will be paying attention. This program is at a crossroads — even if Wilson won’t admit as much.

It needs these three wins.

“If we play a complete game and fall short, I’ll sit here and say to you, ‘That’s the best that we have. We did everything we can. … It’s going to take us longer than what we thought,’” Wilson said. “I will say that. I will acknowledge that. That hasn’t happened to us yet.”

Two years ago, Wilson came to San Antonio with a reputation as an elite recruiter after six years as an assistant at LSU.

He was a hot Power Five coaching candidate. Wilson was going to resurrect the UTSA program and parlay that to an even bigger gig.

During his first season at the helm, he posted a 6-7 record and led the Roadrunners to their only bowl game. In his second, UTSA went 6-5 but lost its last three games and somehow failed to land in one of the 14,000,605 bowl games.

Of all the possible outcomes, this is not what anyone expected when Wilson was hired.

A program is not in good shape when it can rise and fall dependent on one player — no matter how dynamic he might be.

But that is where UTSA is with or without Frank Harris. The sophomore quarterback looked spectacular in a 35-7 win over Incarnate Word. Harris hit 11 different receivers as he threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He also led UTSA on the ground, rushing 15 times for 123 yards.

Harris has not thrown a touchdown pass since and left UTSA’s 45-3 loss to North Texas on Sept. 21 after taking a hit on the second play from scrimmage. He did not return to the game, watching from the sideline with his right, nonthrowing arm in a sling.

Last week, Wilson remained optimistic Harris would recover in time to navigate the Roadrunners through the Conference USA schedule.

But Monday, the embattled coach said Harris would be out “a lot longer than we thought,” declining to reveal any further details. Whether the quarterback will return this season is uncertain.

So are UTSA and Wilson’s chances at redemption.

Wilson, who is one of Conference USA’s highest-paid coaches, led UTSA to a 3-9 record in 2018.

It did not sit well with fans or those in charge at UTSA. After the season, Campos said the team “did not experience the success we anticipated” and noted that the “expectation is to compete for conference championships and represent UTSA at bowl games.”

That is a high bar.

And Wilson, who is set to make $1,125,000 this year and is the second-highest-paid coach in Conference USA, has to show improvement sooner rather than later.

A win over UTEP would be a good start. So would wins against a solid UAB team and winless Rice, which the Roadrunners scheduled for their homecoming game.

Larry Coker, who made $425,000 in his final season, led UTSA to back-to-back winning seasons in 2012 and 2013. The Roadrunners slumped to a combined 7-17 record the following two years, and Coker was dismissed.

Sound familiar? The same could happen with Wilson.

Only his contract is bigger, and the stakes are higher.

That has not deterred him, though.

“I think we’re close. I really do. We are on the verge of something special. I still feel it in the air. I have not wavered. We will deliver for those young men who came to this program in 2016,” Wilson. “Not in the future … This year, we will have the success that we are chasing.”

That success must start Saturday.

If not? Well, then there won’t be much of a future for Wilson at UTSA.

ntalbot@express-news.net

Twitter: @NicholasRTalbot