National Statement! UTSA Plants the Flag at #24

By Frankie “The Horn” Calderón | Rise of the Roadrunners – Episode 9 (Postgame)

📌 Disclaimer: The following post is a work of fiction created 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.

San Antonio, breathe it in.
That roar rolling out of Tampa isn’t thunder—it’s the Roadrunners announcing themselves to the nation. UTSA 80, USF 3. No typo. No mercy. Just a ranked team—finally ranked—playing like it has lived in the Top 25 all season.

I told you they’d hear the Horn eventually. Tonight, under those pirate-ship lights at Raymond James Stadium, they couldn’t ignore us if they tried.

The Opening Salvo

From the first snap, the vibe was simple: bully ball.
Robert Henry Jr. detonated the line of scrimmage like it owed him money, and Owen McCown orchestrated a two-minute drill before halftime that looked like a trailer for December football. USF blinked; UTSA never did. That’s how statements are made.

Stat Wall (Hide the Kids’ Eyes)

That’s not a box score—it’s a mugshot, and the Roadrunners are holding the placard.

Roadrunner Headliners

RB Robert Henry Jr. — The Heartbeat
12 carries, 180 yards, 6 rushing TDs; 2 receptions, 19 yards.
Six touchdowns. Stop the count? Nah—keep it running.

QB Owen McCown — The Metronome
11/14, 166 yards; 6 carries, 64 yards, 1 rushing TD (three quarters, then an ice bath).

RB John Emory Jr. — The Closer
5 carries, 90 yards, 3 TDs.
When the backups entered, the avalanche kept rolling.

WR David Amador II — The Spark
2 catches, 43 yards, 1 TD.

The Southwest Sack Exchange™ — Bad News at the Line

• Kendrick Blackshire: 7 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks

• Kaian Roberts-Day: 5 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks

• Cameron Blaylock: 6 tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks

• Vic Shaw: 5 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks

• Jermarius Lewis: 1 interception

If you’re building a December playoff team, you start in the trenches. UTSA just poured the concrete.

Bulls, Meet the Wall

USF’s best moments? A couple of early completions and a proud field goal. That’s it. Credit where it’s due:

• QB Byrum Brown: 6/7, 72 yards, 1 INT (pulled at halftime)

• QB Locklan Hewlett: 1/1, 9 yards

That lonely three on the scoreboard was the only blemish on a defensive masterpiece.

Ranked at Last—and Acting Like It

It took two months to put a number next to UTSA, and in the first game wearing it, the Roadrunners played like a team allergic to single digits.
Want to know the difference between a “hot streak” and a “program”? Nights like this.
The ranking didn’t change UTSA’s standard—it exposed it.

Meanwhile… Navy Blinks

While UTSA painted Raymond James orange and blue, #13 Notre Dame handed Navy its first loss of the season.

Let’s put it politely: if the Midshipmen struggled on a big stage tonight, they’re going to hate what the Alamodome feels like in December.
See you in the American Championship—if you make it.

The Bigger Picture

The path forward is paved with bad intentions and better execution.
The offense is balanced. The defense is mean. The special teams tilt fields like pinball bumpers.

If you’re still calling this a fluke, keep that same energy when the playoff brackets drop.

Frankie’s Final Horn Blast

Statement made. Receipts kept.
The number next to our name is finally catching up to the team on the field.

Navy, you hear that whistle? That’s the Roadrunners coming—and the Alamodome is already warming up the lights.