UTSA's Seventh Greatest Conference Game

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Previously in the series: Honorable Mention | Game 10 | Game 9 | Game 8

The early history of UTSA v. UTEP was as wild as any series in college football. The two first met in El Paso in 2013. UTSA won the game 32-13. In 2014, the Miners made their first visit to San Antonio and shutout the Roadrunners 34-0. In 2015, UTSA made it 3-0 for road teams in the series with a 25-6 win over UTEP in El Paso.

In 2016, it looked like UTSA might be able to be the first home team to win in the series. UTSA started 2016 with a win in the season opener before losing three in a row. The Roadrunners had won two in a row leading up to the homecoming game against UTEP on October 22. Those two wins had come in their most recent conference games to give UTSA a 2-1 record in Conference USA.

The 2016 UTEP Miners had, like UTSA, won their season opener and then suffered multiple losses. UTEP arrived in San Antonio on a five game losing streak. The Miners closest loss in that streak had been the week before when they lost to FIU, 35-21, in El Paso.

In the leadup to the game it looked like UTSA had a good chance to become the first home team to win a game against their UT-system rivals from the far west of Texas.

UTSA GETS OFF TO A FLYING START

UTSA won the opening coin toss and deferred their choice to the second half. UTEP received the opening kickoff at 6:09 p.m. The Miners' first drive of the evening only picked up two yards and they had to punt to UTSA.

The Roadrunners first drive started at their own 30 with 12:48 left in the first quarter. UTSA got to the UTEP 33 where they were faced with a fourth and 10. The field goal team took the field but it was a ruse. Yannis Routsas took the snap and left his spot as the holder to pass the ball to Jarrod McLin for 30 yards and first down. It was the first time UTSA ran a fake field goal in program history. On the very next play UTSA went with trickery again as Jarveon Williams took the snap and threw the ball to Shaq Williams for a three-yard touchdown. Victor Falcon added the extra point and UTSA led 7-0 with 6:05 left in the first quarter.

After UTEP went three and out inside their own 20, UTSA started its second drive at the Roadrunner 45-yard line. On second and eight from the UTSA 47, Dalton Sturm connected with Kerry Thomas Jr. for a 53-yard touchdown pass. Another Falcon extra point gave UTSA a 14-0 lead with 2:54 left in the first quarter.

UTEP cut the Roadrunner lead to 14-7 on their next drive, scoring on a 41-yard touchdown run as the clock expired on the first quarter.

UTSA had a chance to push their lead to 10 points on their next drive. The Roadrunners sent Falcon out for a 52-yard field goal attempt with 9:53 left in the second quarter. Falcon's kick had the distance but it bounced the wrong way off the left upright. Had the kick been good it's anyone's guess how the rest of the game turns out.

The Miners tied the score at 14 on their next drive. The score came on an eight yard run with 6:54 left in the second quarter.

UTEP FORCES OVERTIME AFTER UTSA BUILDS ANOTHER 14-POINT LEAD

UTSA put on a masterful display of offense on their next possession. The Roadrunners started the drive at their own 25 yard line after the kickoff went for a touchback. Sturm then led the offense on a 16 play, 75-yard drive that took 6:49 off the clock. The drive ended when Sturm scored on a one-yard run. UTSA took a 21-14 lead into halftime.

The Roadrunners received the kickoff to start the third quarter. This time it only took the Roadrunners six plays to go 75 yards. UTSA pushed its lead to 28-14 with a 28-yard scoring run by Jalen Rhodes at the 11:46 mark of the third quarter.

UTEP answered on their next drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass. That score cut the UTSA lead to 28-21 with 7:03 left in the third quarter.

UTSA's offense looked to be driving down the field on their next drive but it stalled out at the UTEP 42-yard line and Routsas had to punt the ball away.

The Miners fielded the punt with a fair catch at their own 15 yard line with 3:25 left in the third quarter. In three plays the Miners got from their own 15 to their own 26. On the fourth play of the drive the Miners torched the Roadrunner defense with a 76-yard touchdown pass. At the 1:11 mark of the third quarter the Miners tied the score at 28.

It turned out that those were the last points scored by either team. UTSA had a chance to retake the lead in the fourth quarter but a 51-yard field goal attempt by Falcon with 3:05 left to play fell just short of the uprights. The crowd of 23,633 in the Alamodome prepared for overtime.

THE GAME THAT DIDN"T SEEM TO END

Prior to the start of overtime, UTEP won the coin toss and elected to play defense. UTSA went three-and-out on their first drive, going from the UTEP 25 to the UTEP 26 and had to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Falcon. UTEP then settled for a 32-yard field goal on their possession of the first overtime to tie the score at 31-31.

The Miners were on offense first in the second overtime. UTEP needed just one play to take their first lead of the game. It was a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Miners a 38-31 lead. UTSA answered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sturm to Brady Jones on third down. Falcon added the extra point and the game went to a third overtime, tied at 38-38.

UTSA opened the third overtime on offense. The Roadrunners retook the lead, 44-38, with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Sturm to Thomas Jr. UTSA then had to go for two after the touchdown, as the rules of the time specified. Sturm converted the two-point conversion with a pass to Jones to put UTSA up 46-38.

UTEP responded with a touchdown of their own on a 12-yard run. The Miners were able to complete the two-point conversion and tie the score at 46-46.

Both defenses stepped up in the fourth overtime. UTEP was first with the ball on offense and got to the UTSA three before fumbling the ball. UTSA's Kevin Strong recovered the fumble. UTSA just needed a field goal to win the game. On 4th and 10 from the UTEP 25 Falcon stepped up to attempt a 42-yard field goal but his kick was wide left.

The fifth overtime began with UTSA on offense. The Roadrunners were unable to put the ball in the endzone and had to settle for a Falcon field goal from 33 yards out. This time Falcon made the kick and UTSA held a 49-46 lead. UTEP's offense was able to walk away with the 52-49 victory when they scored on a six-yard touchdown pass.

A SHOCKING RESULT IN THE FIRST SEASON OF WILSON ERA

The fans who had stayed the entire game stood trying to make sense of what they had just seen. It was a historic game even if it didn't turn out in the Roadrunners favor.

Some of the history made in the game. It still holds the record for the most overtimes played in a Conference USA game. At the time of the game it was tied for the fifth most overtimes played in Football Bowl Subdivision history. Now it ranks eighth on the list of most overtimes played in a single game in FBS history.

At the time it was the fourth overtime game in UTSA program history and the Roadrunners were 2-2 in overtime games after October 22, 2016. UTSA wouldn't play another overtime game until September 12, 2020 when they beat Texas State in double overtime in San Marcos.

The five overtime game also marks the final time to this day that UTEP beat UTSA in football. UTSA won in El Paso in 2017 and in 2018 became the first home team to win a game in the series. UTSA also won at home against UTEP in 2020. With UTSA headed to the American next year, this year could be the final time UTSA and UTEP play for the foreseeable future. It will be tough for the 2022 game to surpass the five overtime game from 2016.

NEXT WEEK: The sixth greatest conference game in UTSA football history

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