University of North Texas
3-7 , 3-4
Middle Tennessee State
3-6 , 2-3
Mean Green Take Down Blue Raiders 23-17
11/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
MUREFREESBORO, Tenn. (11/13/10) - Junior John Shorter intercepted two Dwight Dasher passes, including one in the final minute to lead North Texas to a 23-17 victory over Middle Tennessee at Floyd Stadium.
North Texas (3-7, 3-4) led the entire game as it racked up 446 yards of offense on the Blue Raiders (3-5, 2-3).
The Mean Green opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 97-yard touchdown drive, which was capped off by a 30-yard reception from Riley Dodge to a streaking Jamaal Jackson. Junior running back Lance Dunbar had a key 65-yard dash on third down and ten from the North Texas three-yard line.
With the score, the Mean Green held a lead in the first quarter for the first time this season.
Dunbar would finish the game with 226 rushing yards and one score in addition to leading all Mean Green receivers with 46 yards. The 226 rushing yards puts him at 1,149 yards on the year, making Dunbar the second back in North Texas history with back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons.
After another Blue Raider punt to the North Texas nine-yard line, the Mean Green would march for its second 90-plus yard touchdown drive of the night, this time from 91 yards out.
Middle Tennessee would eventually close the gap to four late in the first half with a 51-yard sprint by Phillip Tanner.
True freshman kicker Zach Olen extended the Mean Green lead to seven with a 53-yard field goal as time expired to make the score 17-10 at the half.
The Mean Green controlled the clock in the second half, taking the opening drive for 17 plays and chewing up 9:11 of clock. Olen tacked on his second field goal of the night to complete the drive, this time from 24 yards out.
The Blue Raiders refused to quit though, cutting the lead to three with 4:43 left in the third quarter with another Tanner score.
The Mean Green would answer, as they did all night, with another field goal, this time from 38 yards, with 1:10 left on the clock.
The win marks the first time since 2006 that North Texas has reached three wins in a season and the second time since the Sun Belt Championship team of 2004.
Team Stats
NT 7, MT 0
NT - Jackson, Jamaal 30 yd pass from Dodge, Riley (Olen, Zach kick) 6 plays, 97 yards, TOP 2:18
NT 14, MT 0
NT - Dunbar, Lance 3 yd run (Olen, Zach kick), 11 plays, 91 yards, TOP 5:12
NT 14, MT 3
MT - Gendreau, Alan 24 yd field goal 10 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:40
NT 14, MT 10
MT - Tanner, Phillip 51 yd run (Gendreau, Alan kick), 4 plays, 71 yards, TOP 0:52
NT 17, MT 10
NT - Olen, Zach 53 yd field goal 2 plays, 6 yards, TOP 0:10
NT 20, MT 10
NT - Olen, Zach 24 yd field goal 17 plays, 62 yards, TOP 9:11
NT 20, MT 17
MT - Tanner, Phillip 21 yd run (Gendreau, Alan kick), 5 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:06
NT 23, MT 17
NT - Olen, Zach 38 yd field goal 12 plays, 45 yards, TOP 5:34
