As UTSA worked last week to install a new defensive counter to Rice’s triple-option offense, defensive tackle Jameian Buxton reveled in a first-time opportunity.
Instead of playing as a true nose tackle in the Roadrunners’ usual three-man front, Buxton lined up alongside fellow nose Jusiah Sampleton in a four-down set.
Putting the defense’s two heaviest available players on the field forced the offensive line to split attention between the 325-pound Buxton and 315-pound Sampleton, freeing up the space eaters to make plays in the run game.
“You can only double one of us, so the other person has a one-on-one,” Buxton said. “When you try to stop me and him at the same time, it’s kind of hard, because he’s a dog, and I can get back there, too. So, it’s pretty hard on offense to try to stop both of us at the same time.”
Behind the extra force on the interior, UTSA held Rice to 144 rushing yards at an average of 3.1 yards per carry, sparking a 16-14 win on Saturday in Houston.
The Owls entered the week ranked in the top 10 in the country in rushing at 268.9 yards per game, while the Roadrunners were in the bottom 10 against the run, giving up 213.3 yards per game. But with UTSA’s offense struggling to find a footing, coach Jeff Traylor saw the defense step up to carry the load Saturday.
“That’s what won the game,” Traylor said. “Our defensive line play was extremely physical. Our linebackers were very physical in their tackling.”
UTSA deployed four defensive linemen on about 60% of Rice’s defensive snaps, led by Sampleton playing on 45 of the Owls’ 61 offensive plays, per Pro Football Focus. Tai Leonard and Jeremiah Bailey each played 42 snaps, Buxton had 36, and the Roadrunners rotated deep into the reserves with opportunities for Eddy Smith (19), Drenon Fite (19), King Justice (12) and Jaylan Jones (6).
Buxton said UTSA’s depth pieces “played up to the expectation,” not falling victim to the misdirection that an option offense brings.
“When you have an older and more mature team, you want to sit in that gap, play that gap, do your 1/11th and stay in that assignment,” Buxton said. “That’s basically what we did this week.”
UTSA delivered perhaps its most impressive defensive series to close out the game after Rice took over at its own 18-yard line trailing 16-14 with 1:45 left.
Linebacker Darion White opened the series with a sack, as he and Cam Cooper blitzed around the left side of Rice’s offensive line, creating confusion that allowed both players free runs at quarterback Jacurri Brown.
After a short completion on second down, Cooper delivered another sack on third down, dipping his inside shoulder and speeding around Rice’s left tackle.
CAMRON COOPER WITH THE BIG SACK ON 3RD DOWN! #210TriangleOfToughness | #Ubuntu https://t.co/0paDnFZ2fe
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.– UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) October 4, 2026
White closed the game with a thunderous hit, laying out Brown 5 yards short of the marker as he attempted to scramble to convert fourth-and-13 with his legs.
“When D. White made contact with him that second time, I was like, ‘Man, we got him right here. It’s over with,'” Buxton said. “Just that feeling of knowing that, man, this is our first conference win and it’s on the road, that was big for this program.”
Big Boy Ball 🐶 #210TriangleOfToughness | #Ubuntu https://t.co/RjovV4MdYU
– UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) October 4, 2026
The Roadrunners finished with three sacks in the game and now have six for the season, still ranking tied for 111th nationally.
Bailey said he was pleased to see progress after the early season struggles. His sack chasing down Brown from behind late in the second quarter was the first credited to a defensive linemen, as the other five belong to UTSA’s linebackers.
“It was a big burden lifted off our shoulders. I ain’t going to lie,” Bailey said. “First four weeks without a sack, and finally getting one tonight, a few of them tonight, it was just like, ‘OK, no we’re alive. We’re feeling this.’ So, it was great.”
Subscribe
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at UTSA film study: How new defensive front stifled Rice’s triple-option attack.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
