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EDITORS NOTE: This is the 10th and final story in a series of stories counting down the best games in the Jeff Traylor era at UTSA.

Previously in the Series: HONORABLE MENTION GAMES | GAME 10 | GAME 9 | GAME 8 | GAME 7 | GAME 6 | GAME 5 | GAME 4 | GAME 3 | GAME 2

The greatest game from the first four seasons of the Jeff Traylor era at UTSA came on the third Saturday of November in 2021. That afternoon, the Roadrunners won their first division title in program history on a last-second touchdown pass to beat UAB 34-31.

UTSA was in the midst of a historic 2021 season going into their game against UAB. The Roadrunners boasted a 10-0 record, becoming the eighth college in Texas to ever start a season 10-0 at the FBS level. The Roadrunners carried a 6-0 record in Conference USA and had won 10 straight conference games going back to the 2020 season.

Standing in the way of the Roadrunners and a berth in the conference championship game were the three-time defending West division champions, the UAB Blazers. UAB had won the West in 2020 by playing fewer conference games than UTSA and finishing with a higher win percentage. The Blazers had won the conference in 2018 and 2020 after restarting its football program in 2017 following a two-year hiatus.

The 2021 Blazers arrived in the Alamodome with a 7-3 record overall and 5-1 in Conference USA. UAB had lost in non-conference to number two-ranked Georgia and Liberty before being upset in the fourth conference game by Rice. Rice's win over UAB helped give UTSA an inside track to the division. All the Roadrunners had to do was get a win over UAB in the Alamodome, something that hadn't happened since the 2013 season.

With all the buildup the crowd of 35,147 gathered in the Alamodome, hopeful for the Roadrunners but with no idea what was about to happen in front of them.

UTSA won the opening coin toss and deferred their option to the second half. UAB took the ball and scored on their second play of the game when Dylan Hopkins threw a pass to Tre Shropshire that went 74 yards for a touchdown. Matt Quinn added the extra point and with 14:08 left in the first quarter UAB led UTSA 7-0.

The Roadrunners had to wait until their second drive of the game to respond to UAB. Frank Harris led the offense 73 yards in 12 plays before throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin with 4:16 left in the opening quarter. Hunter Duplessis added the extra point to tie the score at 7-7.

UAB retook the lead on their next drive, 14-7 when Hopkins and Shropshire connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the quarter.

UTSA began its next drive at its 25-yard line and after getting one play in before the end of the first quarter was able to work 4:36 off the clock into the second quarter. The Roadrunners were able to finish the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run by Sincere McCormick with 10:24 left in the second quarter. Duplessis tied the score at 14 with the extra point.

The Blazers retook the lead, 21-14 on their next drive when Hopkins scored on an eight-yard run with 5:21 left in the quarter.

UTSA got to the UAB 33 on its next drive but had to settle for a 51-yard field goal from Duplessis to cut the UAB lead to 21-17 with 2:18 left in the second quarter. UAB then closed out the first half on their next drive with a 23-yard field goal to take a 24-17 lead.

Harris and Cardenas connect for victory

UTSA got the ball first in the third quarter and needed just three plays to tie the score at 24-24. Harris connected with Franklin for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 14:09 left in the third quarter.

It must have appeared that the fast pace of the second quarter would be replicated in the third quarter. The defenses had other ideas. After Harris and Franklin connected to tie the score, it would be more than 12 minutes before another team scored.

That team was UTSA. The Roadrunners were able to take their first lead of the afternoon, 27-24, with 1:21 left in the third quarter when Duplessis converted a 49-yard field goal.

The defenses continued their dominance after that field goal. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that points were found again.

UAB retook the lead, 31-27, with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter when DeWayne McBride scored on a 16-yard run.

The Roadrunners next drive got to a 4th and 10 at the UAB 41-yard line. Harris completed a pass to Franklin but Franklin was brought down short of the first down marker and UAB took over with 1:52 left to play.

It appeared the Blazers reign in the C-USA West would continue and the Roadrunners perfect season might be finished. UAB was not able to pick up a first down but they did force UTSA to use both of its remaining timeouts. Faced with 4th and inches at their own 42 the Blazers had a decision. They could go for it and likely win the game or punt it and take their chances. UAB lost its chance with a delay of game penalty and punted the ball back to UTSA.

The Roadrunners got the ball back at their own 23 yard line with 1:06 to play. Harris went to work. On second and 10 from the 23 Harris completed a 28-yard pass to Cardenas to reach midfield. Harris then threw two straight passes to DeCorian Clark, a six-yarder to the UAB 43 and a 33-yard pass to set up first and goal at the UAB 10.

Harris nearly won the game on first and goal as he ran nine yards before being stopped by a wall of Blazers at the UAB 1. On second and goal Harris threw toward Joshua Cephus in the end zone but the ball was too low even for a diving Cephus to get to.

With seven seconds left, UTSA faced a third and goal from the UAB 1. The snap was low and McCormick had to lift his right foot to avoid kicking the ball from Harris's hands. Harris was able to get a handle on the ball and rolled to his left while tight end Oscar Cardenas worked his way open in the end zone. Harris jumped as he threw the ball to get it over the arm of a UAB linebacker. The linebacker was able to get a fingertip to the ball but not enough to prevent it from landing in the arms of a falling Cardenas.

Cardenas hopped up, the ball still nestled in his arms after having scored the biggest touchdown in UTSA history. An Alamodome crowd that had been nervously observing the drive erupted into a cacophony that seemed to resonate like the inside of a drum around the Alamodome interior.

There were still three seconds on the clock but none of that mattered. The extra point was just icing on the Roadrunner cake. UTSA had won the game 31-27 and with it had earned the C-USA West Division and hosting duties in the championship game two weeks later.

The win over UAB not only gave the Roadrunners the C-USA West division title but also made them the sixth Texas school to start a season 11-0 at the FBS level. A week later they might have missed out on the 12-0 start but two weeks later the Roadrunners captured the first conference championship in football in school history.

It was all made possible by a team that never gave up despite trailing for most of the day against UAB. It was made possible by the greatest play in program history.

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way