Football looks to go out on high note against UTSA
Akshay Mirchandani / Sports Editor
The Mean Green football team will play its final game of the season Saturday against the University of Texas – San Antonio on the road. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the game can be viewed on the Fox Sports Network.
The Mean Green come into the contest at 4-7 on the year, while UTSA is 3-8. Despite neither team having a shot at a winning season or bowl game, head coach Dan McCarney said he expects a tough game.
“Don’t think that this game isn’t of great magnitude for both programs,” McCarney said. “You always want something positive at the end of the year going into recruiting, going into winter workouts.”
UTSA is last in Conference USA in scoring offense and total offense. The Roadrunners average just 15.5 points per game, but boast a strong defense. UTSA is fourth in C-USA in scoring defense and fifth in total defense.
“Defensively they’ve been that good,” McCarney said. “They’ve done it every week and they’ve been, obviously, very consistent most of the season from a defensive stand point.”
The last time these two teams met was Nov. 23 of last year in Apogee Stadium. The Mean Green was on a five game winning streak and looked poised to clinch a spot in the C-USA championship game. But UTSA snapped that streak and beat North Texas 21-13 to take them out of C-USA championship contention. Senior offensive lineman Mason Y’Barbo said the team will be thinking about that game.
“We had a chance to go to the conference championship game and they got in the way of that,” Y’Barbo said. “So there’s a little bit of a revenge factor. You got to keep that in the back of your mind.”
In addition, Saturday will be the last game that the 17 seniors on the team play in a Mean Green uniform.
“I had to hold back some tears this past week when they were doing the senior introductions,” senior linebacker Derek Akunne said. “I know it’s going to be real emotional this last week of practice and just the last game, knowing that it’s finally all coming to an end.”
One important aspect of this game is momentum going into next season. Y’Barbo said even though he and the other seniors aren’t coming back, they want the younger players to have something to build on for next year.
“We’re trying to help build momentum for the guys coming back, and just go out the right way,” Y’Barbo said.
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