Dunbar Sets Record In UNT Rout

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DENTON, Texas (12/3/11) – Lance Dunbar became the all-time leading rusher and set a single-game rushing record at North Texas with 313 yards in a 59-7 win against Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at Apogee Stadium.

The Mean Green finishes its 2011 season with a 5-7 overall record and a 4-4 conference mark, while Middle Tennessee falls to 2-10 and 1-7 in the Sun Belt. North Texas posted its best record and most wins in a single season since 2004. The four conference wins is the most since 2004 and the most league victories by a first-year head coach at the Division I level at North Texas since 1973.

North Texas also broke the all-time attendance record for a season with a total of 113,186. A crowd of 15,962 saw tonight’s game.

Dan McCarney has the most wins by a head coach in his first year at North Texas since 1994 and it ties for the sixth most by a first-year coach at North Texas. It is also the most wins by a first-year coach at the Division I-A level since 1969.

North Texas jumped out a 31-0 halftime lead off four rushing touchdowns. The Mean Green rushed for 252 yards in the first half and finished with 464. The 464 yards ties for the most rushing yards in school history. The Mean Green rushed for 464 back in 1952 against North Dakota State. The 252 rushing yards at the half was the most yards that North Texas has rushed for in an entire game this season. North Texas posted 226 yards against Indiana.

The 59 points is a season high and the most since North Texas scored 68 against WKU in 2009.

 

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Dunbar rushed for 313 yards on 40 carries. He rushed for four touchdowns. The 313 yards is the most rushing yards by a NCAA player this year. It also breaks Jamario Thomas’ single-game rushing record of 291 set against Colorado in 2004 and the Sun Belt record.

Dunbar broke Patrick Cobbs’ record for career rushing yards at North Texas with 4,224. Cobbs rushed for

4,050 in his career at North Texas from 2001-05. Dunbar also surpassed Cobbs in all-purpose yards in a career with 5,382. Dunbar tied Cobbs’ record for most 100-yard games with 21.

James Hamilton also topped the century mark in rushing with 108, a season high. It was the first time since 2003 that North Texas had two ball carriers over 100 yards. The last time was Cobbs and Roy Bishop against Baylor.

With a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Dunbar became the sixth player in NCAA history to have 4,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. He finished the game with 4,224 yards and 1,033 yards receiving.

North Texas scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the first time all season. Prior to today’s game, the Mean Green had scored only three points in 11 opening drives. Derek Thompson scored his third rushing touchdown of the season, running in from the one-yard line at 10:21 in the first quarter. All nine plays of the scoring drive were rushing, including seven rushes for 46 yards by Dunbar.

Thompson completed 2 of 7 passes for 23 yards. North Texas held Middle Tennessee to 140 rushing yards and 91 passing yards.

Dunbar scored his first rushing touchdown of the game with 3:38 in the first quarter to give North Texas a 14-0 lead. The 14 points was the most the Mean Green has scored in the first quarter this season. The Mean Green defense held MT to four three-and-outs in the first quarter, another first this season for the Mean Green. Dunbar rushed in from the one-yard line for the team’s second score on fourth down. The running back led off the drive with a 30-yard run, followed by a 25-yard rush by James Hamilton.

Dunbar scored his second touchdown of the game with a 26-yard run up the middle at 14:23 in the second quarter. The Mean Green started the scoring drive on MT’s 22-yard line after Tavarres Jefferson fumbled the punt. Julian Herron recovered the ball for the Mean Green. The touchdown gave North Texas a 21-0 lead, its largest first-half lead since the Mean Green held a 21-0 advantage against Indiana.

After North Texas recovered its second fumble of the game, Dunbar broke open for a 33-yard run, which eclipsed Cobbs’ record. Dunbar went on to score his third rushing touchdown of the game, a season high. The 28-0 lead at the half was a season best.

Dunbar’s fourth touchdown of the game gave North Texas a 38-0 lead in the third quarter, the biggest lead of the season for the Mean Green. His four rushing touchdowns equaled the North Texas all-time record for most rushing touchdowns by a single player in a game.

The game marked the first time the Mean Green played a game in December since 2007.

North Texas finished 2011 with a 4-2 record in its inaugural season at Apogee Stadium, its first winning mark at home since 2004.

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