🏈 The Rise of the Roadrunners | Episode 14: #12 UTSA vs #5 Alabama — College Football Playoffs (Postgame)

By Frankie “The Horn” Calderón | 94.3 The Bird x Far End of the Bench

“They told UTSA to wait their turn. Under the lights of Bryant–Denny Stadium, the Roadrunners didn’t just take their turn — they took the whole bracket.”

⚠️ Official Disclaimer

The following post is a work of fiction created purely for entertainment within the College Football 26 universe. All characters, events, and storylines — including Coach Clay “Stonewall” Merritt, Frankie “The Horn” Calderón, and the UTSA Roadrunners — are fictional and not affiliated with the NCAA, UTSA, or any real institutions.

🧾 Final Score: UTSA 63, Alabama 6

In the first College Football Playoff appearance in program history, Coach Clay “Stonewall” Merritt and the #12 UTSA Roadrunners invaded Tuscaloosa and left the mighty #5 Alabama Crimson Tide in ruins.

It wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a fluke. It was dominance.
From whistle to whistle, UTSA executed a masterclass in preparation, precision, and poise — turning the Tide into a footnote in college football history.

🏟️ Scene in Tuscaloosa

Bryant–Denny Stadium was electric at kickoff. 100,000 fans. Bama whites gleaming under the lights. UTSA all-black uniforms with white helmets symbolizing business.

That business? Domination.

Within minutes, it was clear the Roadrunners didn’t come to compete — they came to conquer. The first quarter ended 14–0, and by halftime, Alabama’s faithful had gone silent. By the final whistle, only the echo of Roadrunner chants cut through the Alabama night.

📊 Team Stats: Pure Domination

That’s not a Cinderella story — that’s a statement.

🔥 How the Roadrunners Did It

1️⃣ The 97-Yard Tone Setter

After an early fumble on the opening drive, UTSA’s defense responded with an end-zone interception, setting the tone. Then came a 97-yard touchdown drive capped by Robert Henry Jr. in the Wildcat. The tide was officially turning.

2️⃣ The Maestro: Owen McCown

Quarterback Owen McCown delivered the single most efficient playoff performance in program history — completing 20 of 21 passes for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns. Calm, sharp, and surgical, McCown dissected the Tide’s defense with pinpoint accuracy and poise far beyond his years.

3️⃣ The Heisman Tape: Robert Henry Jr.

Robert Henry Jr. was unstoppable: 22 carries, 145 yards, 3 touchdowns, plus 16 yards receiving. His combination of vision, balance, and pure determination turned Alabama’s front seven into speed bumps.

If there were any doubts about his Heisman résumé, consider them erased.

4️⃣ Air Raid Arsenal

The receivers made Tuscaloosa their playground:

• Devin McCuin: 5 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD

• David Amador II: 6 catches, 106 yards, 2 TDs

• Da’Corian Clark: 3 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD

• Houston Thomas: 4 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD

UTSA’s passing attack stretched Alabama’s defense to the breaking point — then shattered it.

5️⃣ The Southwest Sack Exchange

The Roadrunners’ defensive front might as well have charged rent in Alabama’s backfield.

• Shad Banks Jr.: 9 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks

• Vic Shaw: 7 tackles, 5 TFLs, 2 sacks

• Tai Leonard: 4 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2.5 sacks

• Kendrick Blackshire: 7 tackles, 2 TFLs

The Tide’s quarterbacks, Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell, never stood a chance. UTSA’s defense recorded five sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and forced two interceptions in a display of relentless aggression.

🩸 Alabama’s Reality Check

Ty Simpson finished just 9-for-14 for 66 yards and 2 interceptions, constantly harassed and hurried.
Keelon Russell’s lone highlight came on an 82-yard touchdown strike to Jaylen Mbakwe, Alabama’s only score of the day.

The Tide managed just five first downs and 109 total yards, their lowest output of the playoff era.

When you hold Nick Saban’s former program to six points at home, you’re not the underdog anymore — you’re the measuring stick.

🏅 Game Balls

🥇 Robert Henry Jr. – The hammer. 3 touchdowns, 145 yards. Heart and soul.
🥈 Owen McCown – A masterclass in efficiency: 20/21, 379 yards, 5 TDs.
🥉 The Southwest Sack Exchange – 6.5 combined sacks, total control of the line.

Honorable Mention:
Amador II for turning screens into explosions, and McCuin for breaking Bama’s secondary in half.

📣 Postgame Quote Wall

“Control what you can control. Tonight, that was everything.” — Coach Clay Merritt

“Screens are runs with receipts.” — QB Owen McCown

“We live in your backfield.” — EDGE Tai Leonard

🎙️ Frankie’s Final Word

I’ve called a lot of games in my career, but I’ve never seen a powerhouse dismantled like this. Alabama didn’t lose — they were unmade.
The Southwest Sack Exchange turned the Tide into a puddle, and Owen McCown just submitted a highlight reel to the college football gods.

From Division II to the CFP, Coach Merritt has built something terrifying in San Antonio. The Roadrunners are no longer a feel-good story.
They’re the standard for what belief, discipline, and execution look like.

🧭 Next Up: Allstate Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal

#12 UTSA (13–0) vs #4 Texas Tech (10–2) | Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA

The Roadrunners’ next challenge comes against the #4 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Big 12 Champions, in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Texas Tech (10–2) has been as explosive as they are unpredictable:

• ✅ Beat #25 Oregon State 27–10

• ✅ Beat #21 Kansas State 55–14

• ✅ Won Big 12 title vs West Virginia 45–12

• ❌ Lost to Utah 50–28

• ❌ Lost to #11 BYU 7–3

The Red Raiders’ offense under head coach Joey McGuire is fast, vertical, and fearless. They spread you out and test every blade of turf. But what they haven’t seen is UTSA’s balance — that blend of smashmouth discipline and RPO rhythm that shredded Alabama.

Key Matchups to Watch:

• UTSA’s Southwest Sack Exchange vs Texas Tech’s Air Raid O-Line

• Robert Henry Jr. vs Texas Tech’s linebackers in space

• Owen McCown vs pressure disguises — Tech lives off post-snap rotation, but UTSA just shredded Saban’s system.

Expect fireworks in New Orleans — and a crowd ready for chaos.

If the Roadrunners keep playing like this, they’re not just rising…
they’re running toward history.

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