UNT Falls To Arkansas State
DENTON, Texas – Big plays fueled a big first half for Arkansas State that North Texas was unable to overcome in a 37-19 homecoming loss Saturday at Apogee Stadium.
The Mean Green was within four points at 16-12 before the Red Wolves, coming into the game riding a three-game win streak, scored two touchdowns late in the second quarter to build an 18-point lead. Much of that lead was made possible by long passes of 59, 63 and 34 yards leading to ASU first-half touchdowns.
“It was a very disappointing game today,” North Texas head coach Dan McCarney said. “We still have to find a way to make plays. There were opportunities to make plays but we didn’t do it.”
ASU shut down the North Texas ground game, holding the Mean Green to just 84 yards rushing.
“We have to be able to run the ball,” McCarney said. “When we can’t get the running game going we’re going to have a long day.”
North Texas quarterback Derek Thompson, who threw for over 200 yards (28 of 49 for 316 yards) for the seventh-straight game, led the Mean Green to a third-quarter scoring drive that closed the gap to 11, but ASU answered with a TD late in the quarter, then turned away another North Texas drive with a tipped-pass interception in the end zone.
The Mean Green slip to 3-6 on the year and 2-3 in Sun Belt play. ASU moves to a bowl-eligible 6-3 and 4-1 in league competition. As it has in five of its six losses this year, North Texas had an edge in time of possession Saturday.
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The game got off to a bizarre start when North Texas took a 2-0 lead without any time coming off the clock. ASU’s Rocky Hayes bobbled the opening kickoff from his own endzone. The ball crossed the goalline into the field, but Hayes, still in the end zone, retrieved the ball and took a knee, hoping for a touchback but resulting in a safety.
But from there, the Red Wolve offense took over. ASU rolled up 355 yards of offense in the first half as ASU quarterback Ryan Aplin, who was good on 14-of-18 passes for 263 yards in the half, connected on three deep passes to ignite scoring drives. The first big play, a 59-yard touchdown pass, put ASU up 7-2.
North Texas kept pace through the first quarter, getting an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive ending in a Derek Thompson 1-yard scoring run to take a 9-7 lead. After ASU went up 16-9, the Mean Green got a 43-yard field goal from Zach Olen to draw within 16-12 with 10:18 to play in the second quarter. But the game got away from North Texas after that.
First, ASU’s third big-play completion of the half set up another touchdown for a 23-12 lead. Then North Texas, its running game stiffled for most of the half but finally beginning to move, fumbled and ASU recovered and returned the ball to the Mean Green 31. Four plays later, the Red Wolves scored again for a 30-12 halftime lead.
The Mean Green scored in the third quarter on a three-yard touchdown pass from Thompson to Antoinne Jimmerson to cut the lead go 30-19. ASU, however, answered with a 19-yard touchdown run by Rocky Hayes.
