UTSA knocks UAB off the top of Conference USA West Division with a last second touchdown in 34-31 win
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Let it be proclaimed from our hills of oak and cedar to the Alamo and to anywhere a marathon of UTSA Roadrunners is gathered: The 2021 Conference USA Western Division Champions are the UTSA Roadrunners.
Whoever the script writer for the 2021 UTSA football season is did an amazing job with the game against UAB on November 20. It came down to the final play but UTSA came away with a 34-31 win that sent most of the 35,147 in attendance--the fifth largest crowd in UTSA football history--home happy.
"I wanted to do it so bad for my president my AD, our mayor, our city manager, the city," UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor said of winning the game. "There are so many people that have invested a lot in me. I wanted to do it for the city and for the people who have been so good to us since we got here."
It was a day that the good people of San Antonio recognized the senior football players. The Spirit of San Antonio had its ranks bolstered by alumni. The returning legend of Roadrunners past was the father of the program, Larry Coker.
Then came the game itself. A heavyweight contest between the two best teams in Conference USA came down to one play with nine seconds left to play. UTSA had the ball at the UAB one yard line. UAB held a 31-27 lead. On the line was not only the West Division--which has run through Birmingham since 2018--but also the Roadrunners undefeated season.
The greatest game in UTSA football history to date came down to a Schertz Clemens alum throwing a ball to an alum of Northside Brandeis. Even after a sluggish snap that Frank Harris was able to get control of. Even after Frank Harris's pass was tipped by a UAB Blazer it still found its way into the waiting arms of Oscar Cardenas.
"I knew I had a chance to get this team a win," Cardenas said after the game. "We run that play in practice. I just sank to the level of my training."
That sparked off a celebration in the Alamodome not seen since September 3, 2011. On that day the fans rushed the field. This time they were allowed to take the field to celebrate with their Roadrunners.
"It means a lot," Frank Harris said about being west champions. "We came to UTSA for a reason. This is something we all dreamed about and our dreams are right in front of us."
After UTSA won the opening coin toss and elected to defer their option, UAB started their drive at their own 25. After picking up one yard on the first play of the game the Blazers picked up 74 on their second play when Dylan Hopkins threw a touchdown pass to Trea Shropshire. The Extra point was good and UAB led 7-0 with 14:08 left in the first quarter.
UTSA was unable to answer until their second drive of the day. The Roadrunner answer was a 15-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Zakhari Franklin. It allowed Harris to set a new school record for passing touchdowns (21) and Franklin to set a new record for receiving touchdowns (9). Hunter Duplessis added the extra point and the score was tied at 7-7 with 4:16 left in the first quarter.
UAB had been unable to score on their second drive leading up to the Roadrunners scoring drive. The Blazers started their third drive at their own 23 but it ended up in the end zone when Hopkins and Shropshire connected for a 40-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the first quarter. The quarter would end with UAB leading 14-7.
The Roadrunners responded on their next drive as they went 75 yards in 11 plays. The 11th play was an eight yard touchdown run by Sincere McCormick. With 10:24 left in the second quarter UTSA had tied the score at 14-14. It was to be McCormick's only touchdown on the afternoon but it did allow McCormick to break his own record for rushing touchdowns in a season (12).
UAB retook the lead, 21-14, on their next drive with an eight yard run by Hopkins at the 5:41 mark of the second quarter.
After trading touchdowns on back to back drives with the Blazers, the Roadrunners were unable to answer with a touchdown. Instead the Roadrunners had to settle for three points with a 51-yard field goal by Hunter Duplessis. That field goal cut the UAB lead to 21-17 with 2:18 left in the second quarter.
UAB added a field goal of their own with two seconds left in the second quarter to send the game to halftime with the Blazers holding a 24-17 lead over the Roadrunners.
How the West was Won
The third quarter began with UAB kicking to UTSA. Dadrian Taylor fielded the kick at the goal line and for a moment it looked like he might find a way to a big return. The opening closed up and he was only able to reach the 25.
Harris and the offense then covered the remaining 75 yards in three plays. The third play was a 54-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Franklin that tied the score at 24-24.
UAB had to punt on their next drive but the Roadrunners were unable to take advantage of the opportunity and had to punt it away themselves. That would be the story for much of the third quarter. UAB's third quarter drives ended in punt, an interception by Jamal Ligon and another punt.
"I was so disappointed we kept getting good field position and we could not put (drives) away," Traylor said.
UTSA finally broke through for points on the drive following the Blazers second punt of the quarter. It was a 49-yard Hunter Duplessis field goal but it gave the Roadrunners their first lead of the afternoon, 27-24 with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
The Roadrunners took their 27-24 lead into the fourth quarter. As the fans in the Alamodome celebrated the return of Larry Coker as the former Roadrunner great being recognized, few could imagine what the final 15 minutes of this game would be like.
UAB and UTSA traded punts on their first possessions of the fourth quarter. Those two drives used up five minutes and 11 seconds of the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners lost 13 yards on their drive and had to punt from their own two yard line.
The Blazers started their second drive of the fourth quarter with 8:49 left to play and the ball on the UTSA 44. UAB took six plays to score. DeWayne McBride provided the score when he ran in from 16 yards out. The Blazers added the extra point and lead 31-27 with 5:19 left in the game.
UTSA's next drive got to the UAB 41 before things got interesting. On 3rd and 10 Harris threw a pass to the sideline that Franklin appeared to have caught and would have given UTSA a first down. The refs on the field ruled it an incomplete pass saying Franklin didn't get a foot down inbounds. The play went to video review and even after the video appeared to show Franklin getting both feet down in bounds (when he only needed the one) the call on the field of incomplete pass stood.
That set up a 4th and 10 at the UAB 41. Harris completed an eight yard pass to Franklin who had a Blazer cornerback draped over his back long before the pass got to him. Most times it might have been called pass interference but this time it wasn't. UTSA turned the ball over on downs with 1:52 left to play.
UAB took over at their own 33 with 1:52 left to play. The Blazers got to a fourth and inches at their own 42 but rather than going for it they took a delay of game penalty to give the punter more room to work with. It's a decision that would come back to haunt the Blazers.
UTSA started their final drive of the night at their own 23 yard line with 1:06 left to play. The first play of the drive was an incomplete pass from Harris that was intended for DeCorian Clark. While the crowd might have been nervous at that incompletion the Roadrunners on the sideline were chill as cucumbers.
“It was all trust. I believe in Frank (Harris)," UTSA linebacker Clarence Hicks said. "He has been playing amazing all year."
Harris got his rhythm going and on the next play connected with Cardenas for a 28 yard completion to the UAB 49. Harris then connected with Clark for a six yard pass and then a 33-yard pass to set up UTSA with 1st and goal at the UAB 10.
UTSA was just 10 yards away from the West Division championship. Harris picked up nine yards on first down but could not get the one yard he needed for a rushing touchdown.
"I was mad at myself for not scoring there," Harris said.
On the next play Harris tried to throw a out route to Joshua Cephus but the pass fell incomplete. That set up the final play. A play fittingly called 11-and-0.
It was 5:59 Central Standard Time on November 20, 2021 when Cardenas caught the greatest touchdown pass in UTSA history up to this point. That was the time that UTSA reached the mountaintop of the Conference USA West Division.
There is still two more mountain tops to reach. Next week the Roadrunners try to summit Mount 12-0. On December 3 the Roadrunners will try to plant the 210 Triangle of Toughness atop the mountain of Conference USA Champions.
"The crowd showed up and they were fantastic. Ron (Ellis) and the band did their thing. The students always show up," Traylor said. "This city is on fire right now. I feel for the team that has to come in here in a couple of weeks because I know the Alamodome will be rocking."
Who that team is that visits the Alamodome in two weeks will be revealed next weekend. In the mean time the Roadrunners get to celebrate being 11-0 and being the top team in the west.
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