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EDITORS NOTE: This is the eighth 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

The fourth-best game in the Traylor era was the first of two games between UTSA and North Texas in the Alamodome in 2022. The game was slow burning until the fourth quarter in which the teams combined for 35 points, 21 of those coming in the final three minutes of the game. When the dust settled UTSA would have its revenge for a last-minute loss suffered in Denton in October 2017.

The October 2022 gathering of UTSA and North Texas was held in the Alamodome. The Roadrunners, picked to finish first in the preseason Conference USA poll had gone 2-2 in non-conference with losses to ranked foes Houston and Texas. Once conference play began the Roadrunners flipped the switch and were out to a 3-0 start after beating Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and Florida International.

North Texas was a surprise to some as they came to the Alamodome also sporting a 3-0 conference record. The Mean Green had been picked to finish fifth in the conference preseason rankings. North Texas opened the season with a win at UTEP before going 1-3 in its four non-conference games. In the two games leading up to their visit to UTSA, the Mean Green had beaten Florida Atlantic and Louisiana Tech in Denton. The Mean Green also had the sixth-best run offense in the country at the time, averaging 251.3 yards per game, and had just run for 474 yards against Louisiana Tech the week before.

As if the game didn't need any more buildup, it got it from the rivalry between the two schools. The October 2022 visit from North Texas to the Alamodome was the 10th game between the two schools. North Texas led the overall series 5-4 but UTSA had a 3-1 edge in games played in the Alamodome. The Mean Green had outscored UTSA 247-231 in the first nine games, but the Roadrunners had outscored North Texas 135-85 in the four games in the Alamodome. The winner of each of the last three games had scored 45 points or more.

All of that was out the door when the game began. The 27,122 fans who entered the Alamodome on that Saturday afternoon in October 2022 knew that whoever won this game would have the inside track to not just the Conference USA championship game but also hosting duties for that game.

The defenses reigned supreme in the first quarter. UTSA's first three drives in that quarter ended in an interception, a turnover on downs, and a missed 36-yard field goal by Jared Sackett.

North Texas managed to get a field goal on its first and third possessions in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead. The Mean Green's second possession of the quarter ended in a punt. A bright spot for UTSA was that it had limited North Texas to negative eight yards rushing in the first quarter.

UTSA managed the only points in the second quarter when Sackett connected on a 32-yard field goal at the 3:21 mark to cut the North Texas lead to 6-3. By the half, the Mean Green's running game had managed just five yards total.

The Mean Green opened the third quarter with the ball but on the third play of the drive, Corey Mayfield intercepted an Austin Aune pass at the UNT 38. UTSA took advantage of the turnover and the short field by covering 38 yards in nine plays. Brendan Brady gave the Roadrunners their first lead of the day, 10-6, when he scored on a five-yard run with 9:26 left in the third quarter.

North Texas retook the lead, 13-10, on its next possession when Aune threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jake Roberts with 8:06 on the third quarter clock. The play before the touchdown North Texas had gotten into the red zone with a 54-yard pass from Aune to Roderic Burns.

The Mean Green held the 13-10 lead but had only managed seven yards rushing when the third quarter ended but UTSA had the ball. Few could have guessed how wild the fourth quarter would be.

The wildest fourth quarter in the UTSA-UNT series history

UTSA got the ball back with 2:32 left in the third quarter and trailing 13-10. By the time the third quarter ended, UTSA had the ball at the UNT 26. It took the Roadrunners a minute and 50 seconds into the fourth quarter to score.

Brendan Brady did the honors of scoring the touchdown that allowed UTSA to retake the lead 17-13, with 13:09 left in the fourth quarter.

North Texas responded with a touchdown on their next drive when Aune threw a 44-yard pass to Var'Keyes Gumms. That score gave the Mean Green a 20-17 lead with 9:35 left in regulation.

After the Gumms touchdown, the two teams traded punts. UTSA got the ball back at its own 45 with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter. Seven plays later, the Roadrunners were back in front, 24-20, when Frank Harris threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Cephus with 2:36 left in the fourth.

As had been the case with each of the last two UTSA touchdowns, North Texas had an answer for the Roadrunners. Aune and the Mean Green went on a quick drive of 50 seconds that went 67 yards in five plays. The second play of the drive accounted for 46 of those yards when Gumms caught an Aune pass and took it to the UTSA four-yard line. On the fifth play of the drive, North Texas retook the lead 27-24 when Aune threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Johnson with 1:38 left in regulation. It turned out to be the final touch of the ball for the Mean Green's offense. The Roadrunner defense held North Texas to just 22 yards rushing.

UTSA got the ball with 98 seconds left at their own 25. On the first play of the drive, Harris broke through the defense for a 22-yard run to the UTSA 47. Harris then ran again for three yards to set up a second and 7 at the 50. A five-yard pass to Joshua Cephus set UTSA up with a third and 2 at the UNT 45 as the clock ticked under a minute. On third and two Harris's pass bounced on the ground before it got to DeCorian Clark.

There were 45 seconds left and UTSA faced a fourth and 2 at the Mean Green 45 with no timeouts. All North Texas needed to do to give UTSA another crushing defeat was make a stop.

Harris threw to Zakhari Franklin who dove forward to pick up the yardage needed for a first down. It was a close play. The refs ruled it was a first down for UTSA but that didn't stop the Mean Green from celebrating, believing they had won. Reality set in when the play was reviewed, and it was confirmed that Franklin had reached the first down at the UNT 43.

On the very next play after getting new life, Harris tossed a 33-yard pass downfield to Oscar Cardenas who reached the North Texas 10-yard line before being brought down with 28 seconds on the clock. With the Alamodome still rocking from the Cardenas catch, Harris threw a ball up to Clark in the corner of the end zone and Clark came down with it. There were 15 seconds left on the clock and UTSA had retaken the lead. Sackett added the extra point to give UTSA a 31-27 lead.

That lead became a victory on the kickoff when North Texas had trouble fielding the squib kick and the Roadrunners recovered the ball at the UNT 28 with 12 seconds left. Harris came back out, took one knee and the celebration began.

UTSA was 4-0 in conference for the second year in a row. The Roadrunners also tied the all-time series with North Texas at 5-5. As it turned out UTSA and UNT would meet again a month and a half later for the conference championship game. The Roadrunners would win that game as well to take the lead in the series. It's a lead the Roadrunners still hold onto.

Next Week: Top Traylor Game Number 3

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