UNT Wins At Troy
{fshare id=1867}
TROY, Ala. – North Texas picked up its first road win of the season Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium as the Mean Green offense was rolling on all cylinders in a 38-33 victory over the Troy Trojans.
The Mean Green (4-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) racked up a season high 503 yards behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Derek Thompson who fell just one yard short of a career high in passing with 331 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was an unbelievable performance, I’m so proud of my coaches and my players,” said head coach Dan McCarney. “This was a tough game to win here against a great Troy team with a ton of tradition, but we fought through it and persevered and got the win on the road.”
Thompson got North Texas off on the right foot following a first quarter fumble recovery by Brandon Akupunku, culminating a 43-yard drive with a 15 yard touchdown run. The 7-0 lead marked only the second time that the Mean Green has led on the road all season and the fumble recovery notched the 15th straight game that North Texas has forced a turnover.
After a Corey Robinson rushing touchdown for Troy (2-7, 1-4 Sun Belt), sophomore Zach Olen gave North Texas the lead again with a 21-yard field goal. James Hamilton followed that up with a 52-yard touchdown run on North Texas’ next possession, the longest rush of his Mean Green career, to extend the lead to 17-7.
The Trojans would nab the next two scores behind the arm of Robinson and take the lead at 21-17 with only 2:35 remaining before the half.
North Texas would only need 42 seconds to respond as Thompson found Ivan Delgado in the back of the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Mean Green the 24-21 lead heading into the break.
Troy put the only points of the third quarter on the board when Robinson hooked up with receiver Eric Thomas for a 33-yard touchdown pass, but Trojan kicker Michael Taylor would miss the extra point and Troy lead 27-24.
The first North Texas drive of the fourth quarter saw Thompson find Chris Bynes for a 46-yard score to put the Mean Green up 31-27.
Aaron Bellazin would then force a sack-fumble on the very next possession for North Texas and freshman Alexander Lincoln made the recovery giving the Mean Green the ball at the Troy six-yard line.
It took one play for Hamilton to capitalize on the turnover by the Trojans, taking the handoff six yards for the score and the 38-27 lead.
The Mean Green would get one more possession after a Trojan touchdown and the offense milked 7:28 off the clock on 13 plays to turn the ball over on downs with just 15 seconds to play.
Hamilton ran for 105 yards on 19 carries and two scores and Bynes led all receivers with 134 yards and a TD on seven cathces.
The win marks the first Mean Green victory at Veterans Memorial Stadium and only North Texas’ second win against Troy. It also gives the Mean Green its highest win total (four) since the 2004 season.
North Texas returns home for its final two games of the year, playing Western Kentucky next Saturday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.
