SAN ANTONIO – No. 23 UTSA (11-2, 8-0 C-USA) won its second consecutive Conference USA championship on Friday night, knocking off rival North Texas (7-6, 6-2 C-USA) 48-27 in front of 41,412 fans at the Alamodome. That marks the third-largest crowd in a C-USA Championship Game and UTSA history. QB Frank Harris was named the 2022 Ryan C-USA Championship Game’s Most Valuable Player. He completed 32-37 passes for 341 yards and a C-USA Championship Game record-tying five total touchdowns (four passing), while also rushing for 49 yards on 16 carries.
The Roadrunners jumped out to an early lead, courtesy of a Kevorian Barnes 27-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, capping off a seven-play, 75-yard opening drive to put UTSA on top in the opening minutes. Barnes finished with a career-high 28 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown.
North Texas answered back immediately to tie the game at 7-7, thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by Ikaika Ragsdale, who scored on fourth-and-goal. The Mean Green marched 70 yards in 11 plays.
The Mean Green came up with a big fourth-down stand at the goal line in the final minute of the first quarter and then turned it into a 95-yard scoring drive that was capped off by an Ethan Mooney 22-yard field goal to give UNT its first lead at 10-7.
UTSA forced the first turnover of the game as Clifford Chattman picked off Austin Aune and returned it 27 yards inside the Mean Green 20. It marked Chattman’s fourth of the season, and fourth in as many weeks for the Roadrunners, which is a program record. Harris capitalized for UTSA with an 11-yard touchdown run to put the Roadrunners on top 14-10 midway through the second quarter.
UTSA got the ball back with 37 seconds remaining in the half and Harris drove the Roadrunners 62 yards in three plays to extend the USTA lead to 24-10. He hooked up with Zakhari Franklin on a 32-yard scoring strike just before the break.
After the Mean Green opened the second half with a field goal, UTSA responded as Harris and Franklin connected for a second time, this time from 14 yards out, to push the Roadrunners to a 31-13 lead early in the third quarter.
North Texas wouldn’t go away easily, as Aune broke the single-season program record for touchdown passes (32) when he connected with WR Jyaire Shorter on a 36-yard touchdown toss to cut the deficit to 31-20. Aune’s record broke that of Mason Fine’s 2017 season, when the former C-USA Player of the Year threw 31.
Following a UTSA field goal, North Texas pulled within a touchdown at 34-27 as Isaiah Johnson scored from one-yard out to cap off an eight-play, 64-yard drive early in the fourth quarter.
The Harris-Franklin connection would not be denied, as the pair hooked up for the third time with 11:09 to go in the final frame, this time from 39 yards out. Franklin’s third touchdown grab of the night set a new C-USA Championship Game record for receiving touchdowns. Franklin finished with 10 catches for 144 yards and the three scores.
UTSA then picked off Aune for the second time on Friday night, as Ken Robinson came up with the interception. UTSA tacked on a pair of touchdowns to stretch its lead to 48-27, which was the final score.
Both UTSA and North Texas now await their bowl fates, which will be decided on Sunday, Dec. 4.
-ConferenceUSA.com-
