UTSA’s path to 11-0 perfection is no pipe dream

To no one’s surprise, Frank Wilson is laser focused on this week’s opponent. For him, it’s all about Southern Miss, morning, noon and long night after night.

Like every football, basketball or badminton coach who has ever held a whistle, Wilson steadfastly refuses to look ahead to future foes.

“But you’re entitled to,” he told reporters this week.

Thanks, coach, we will.

In analyzing UTSA’s remaining schedule, it’s hard to see many losses.

Or any at all.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Roadrunners run the table and finish 11-0.

At 3-0 and one of just 17 undefeated teams remaining in the Football Bowl Subdivision, UTSA likely will be favored in every game the rest of the season.

For a startup program in only its seventh year of existence, that’s no small feat.

Going 11-0 is not just a pipe dream. UTSA has a favorable schedule the rest of the way and superior talent.

A number of things could derail the dream. Most notably injuries.

The Roadrunners are one key injury away from catastrophe, for example, should senior quarterback Dalton Sturm go down.

The backups are young and inexperienced.

But barring that chilling scenario, the path to the possibility of an undefeated regular season seems clear.

If that happens, a second straight bowl appearance is assured. And we’re not talking the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, either.

We’ll know more Saturday in the Alamodome.

Southern Miss, a preseason favorite along with UTSA to challenge Louisiana Tech for the West Division crown in Conference USA, is 2-2 and suddenly looks vulnerable after a 43-28 loss at home this past Saturday to North Texas.

But the Golden Eagles have talent and likely will have something to prove. UTSA dominated Southern Miss a year ago, 55-32, in the dome.

The Roadrunners are 12½-point favorites.

Then comes North Texas on Oct. 14 in Denton.

Four weeks into the season, it appears the Mean Green (3-2) might pose the biggest challenge to the Roadrunners among the remaining opponents.

North Texas leads the conference in scoring (38.8 points per game, just ahead of UTSA’s 37.3), boasts the league’s No. 1 offense and has the top rusher.

Following Rice (1-4) on Oct. 21, the Roadrunners play back-to-back road games at UTEP and Florida International.

The Miners beat UTSA 52-49 in five overtimes a year ago in the Alamodome, but the Miners are 0-5 this season and in disarray after Coach Sean Kugler stepped down this week.

FIU is 3-1 but squeaked by weak opponents the past two weeks in Rice and Charlotte.

Still, winning in Miami might not be easy.

Next comes home dates against Alabama-Birmingham (2-2) and Marshall (3-1), both winnable games.

UTSA will be tested by the Thundering Herd, but if the Roadrunners can win — as they should — it will set up a showdown in the regular-season finale Nov. 25 against preseason C-USA favorite Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana.

The West Division title could be on the line.

The Bulldogs humbled the Roadrunners 63-35 in Ruston a year ago on their way to the league title. UTSA has only beaten Louisiana Tech once in five tries.

This season, the Bulldogs are 3-2 with losses to SEC opponents Mississippi State and South Carolina.

There’s a lot of football left to be played, but it’s understandable that UTSA fans are excited and can’t help playing the “what if” game.

Wilson? He’s not looking ahead, and neither are the players. Like all coaches and players, it’s not in their DNA.

“We try to take it week by week,” wide receiver Josh Stewart said. “If we get ahead of ourselves we begin to overlook opponents.”

They can’t, but we can.

UTSA, 11-0.

jwhisler@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnfwhisler