The I-35 Rivalry in football between Texas State University and the University of Texas-San Antonio has been a one-sided matchup for over 12 years, as the Bobcats have never defeated the Roadrunners.
With an overall rivalry record of 0-5, the Bobcats have had little to no success against UTSA. The first time these schools faced each other in football dates back to Nov. 24, 2012, with the Roadrunners taking the first inaugural I-35 rivalry game 38-31.
The last time these rivals faced each other was last season, Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne’s first year. The Bobcat offense struggled to score causing UTSA to win 20-13 at a packed Alamodome with over 49,000 in attendance.
“You could feel the energy. There were a lot of Bobcat fans there last year, and that was good to see,” Kinne said. “I remember looking up; that was my first time experiencing that. Saturday, I hope we return the favor with the energy, atmosphere, and the hostile environment.”
The rivalry has increased gameday attendance for both schools. With San Marcos and San Antonio roughly an hour apart, the short distance encourages both fan bases to make the drive. In only the second matchup in 2017, the now UFCU Stadium saw a record-breaking attendance of 31,333, currently ranking in the top five crowds in program history.
“The two fan bases really enjoy playing each other,” UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor said. “I think the excitement of those things is always fun.”
The matchup has also seen nail-biting endings. The closest came in 2020 with a double overtime offensive showdown where the two teams combined for 99 total points. The Roadrunners were able to ice the game after a Texas State fourth-down missed field goal to seal the 51-48 victory and bragging rights up and down I-35 for the next two years.
The schools don’t just share a highway but also the same recruiting fields. With the two teams going after the same pool of players, the I-35 rivalry turned into a battle on the field and for the future of the respective programs, with the winner receiving the edge over the other in recruiting.
“[We’ve had] a lot of recruiting battles,” Traylor said. “A lot of players on their team [we recruited]. We [tried] to get a lot of players on our team, and they [tried] to get [our players]. We have players on our team who have played for them. Just a lot of familiarity and a lot of respect from us toward them.”
Respect in the overall rivalry record is what the Bobcats intend to get as they look to make the I-35 Rivalry more competitive and knock off UTSA for the first time in program history.
“I think we need to step up and do our part and make this game what it needs to be,” Kinne said. “We need to get one in the win column. They are really good, and we need to knock them off. We [got to] go prove that we belong.”
