North Texas Pummels Southern Miss
{fshare id=4455}
HATTIESBURG, MS. – Saturday night, North Texas did what a good team does to a struggling opponent: put foot to throat, apply pressure, and extinguish hope.
The result was a 55-14 demolition of Southern Mississippi, a victory that moved the Mean Green within one win of being bowl eligible for the first time since 2004, extended their win streak to three, and emphatically put to rest its former road struggles with a second-straight impressive road triumph.
The Golden Eagles, a program accustomed to winning but now embroiled in a 19-game losing skid, saw its chances for a homecoming upset crushed quickly. North Texas turned back an early USM threat, then administered one of the most lopsided beatings in recent NT history. The Mean Green ran 49 plays for 383 yards in the first half alone, scored 28 points in a span of the second quarter during which Southern Miss managed to run just seven offensive plays, and held USM to 13 yards rushing while building a 41-7 halftime lead.
“It was a complete start,” North Texas coach Dan McCarney said. “We were playing physical, trying to take away their hope early. Overall, the effort was really good.”
Among the many who had big nights for North Texas was
Reggie Pegram, who made the most of a domiant performance from the offensive line to rush for a game-high 76 yards and two touchdowns and fueled the ground game, while the first-half aerial assault was led by Brelan Chancellor with 113 yards receiving and Carlos Harris with seven catches in the first two quarters.
The North Texas defense, meanwhile, feasted on the Golden Eagles, holding them to 180 yards through three quarters and 249 for the game, recording four sacks, collecting three interceptions, and forcing four fumbles and recovering two.
