SAN ANTONIO – UTSA quarterback Owen McCown denied the rumors that a former University of Memphis safety sharing details of the team’s defensive playbook played a role in last year’s matchup between the two schools.
According to On3, a college sports newsletter, former Memphis defensive back Tahj Ra-El sent images of the team’s playbook to McCown on X before the UTSA and Memphis regular-season game at the Alamodome.
Memphis, ranked No. 25 in the nation at the time, lost to the Roadrunners 44-36 on Nov. 2. McCown threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
In the messages, On3 reported that Ra-El also shared information with McCown about Memphis’ “weakest link” on the defensive side, mentioning a safety with a hamstring injury.
Ra-El has since transferred to Purdue University to use what’s left of his collegiate athletic eligibility.
During the American Athletic Conference media days on Friday, both McCown and UTSA head football coach Jeff Traylor were asked about the messages.
“The information was completely irrelevant, and it doesn’t really fit how we prepare week in and week out. It was, like I said, completely irrelevant,” McCown said.
McCown acknowledged that there was a conversation between him and Ra-El, but he insisted that it didn’t have any influence on the game.
“First and foremost, I didn’t ask for any of that information. It kind of, you know, based off my reaction, it caught me by surprise by what happened,” McCown said.
Traylor said that when he first heard about the messages, he immediately reached out to Owen.
“I called Owen and asked him what the story was about, and Owen said the kid he was communicating with was a high school teammate of his and the kid randomly reached out to him,” said Traylor, in part. “He (Owen) said the stuff he said didn’t make any sense at all, so he didn’t tell me anything about it.”
Both McCown and Traylor said that the team’s focus was on preparation and execution, dismissing the messages as a factor in their victory over Memphis.
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