University of North Texas
2-4 , 1-1
Florida Atlantic
0-5 , 0-2
NT Pounces On FAU Mistakes In 31-17 Win
10/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON, Texas (10/8/11) - A 24-point explosion in the third quarter led to a 31-17 Mean Green victory against the Florida Atlantic football team at Apogee Stadium on Saturday night.
The Mean Green improves to 2-4 and 1-1 in the Sun Belt, while the Owls fall to 0-5 and 0-2 in the conference. North Texas won its first game against FAU at home and trails the series, 6-2. The Mean Green is now 2-1 at its new home this season.
"This was a big win for us," said North Texas head coach Dan McCarney. "It was a very good team win. We showed great effort on both sides of the football. It is great to get a win against Florida Atlantic and a great coach like Coach Schnellenberger. Everyone knows what he has meant to this great game and to get a win over him is a great accomplishment."
After a first half that featured only seven total points, North Texas exploded for 24 points in the third quarter, including back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns. The Mean Green had three total interceptions in the third quarter that led to 21 points and a large North Texas lead.
The Mean Green capitalized on FAU miscues. Four of NT's five scoring plays came off Owl turnovers. North Texas dominated the third quarter, scoring 14 of its 24 points on the defensive side of the ball.
After a Zach Olen field goal on the Mean Green's first drive of the third quarter, the defense took over. Brad Graham picked off FAU quarterback Graham Wilbert first, returning the ball 15 yards to the FAU 34-yard line. Lance Dunbar rushed into the endzone from two yards out to give NT a 17-0 advantage.
On the fourth play of FAU's next drive, Royce Hill returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown, tip-toeing down the left-hand side of the field. Wilbert's very next pass was intercepted by Steven Ford at the FAU 15-yard line and run straight into the endzone, giving North Texas its largest lead of the game at 31-0.
Olen led off the scoring in the third quarter with a 52-yard field goal which tied last game's kick for his longest of the season. It also ties for the fifth longest in Sun Belt history and the ninth in the NT record book.
FAU scored its first points of the game in the third quarter with a 30-yard Vinny Zaccario field goal at 4:19. The Owls scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 31-17. Alfred Morris scored a 28-yard touchdown run, and Darian Williams caught a six-yard touchdown reception after a Mean Green fumble.
Lance Dunbar recorded his 19th career 100-yard rushing game with 105 yards tonight and moved into second all-time in career rushing yards with 3,589 yards. With his two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Dunbar set the total points career record with 252. He surpassed Nick Bazaldua, who held the record at 247. Dunbar needs 462 more yards to surpass Patrick Cobbs as NT's all-time leading rusher.
For the second straight home game, North Texas held its opponent scoreless at the half.
In the first half, Colton Clay recovered a fumble on the four-yard line after FAU's Travis Jones mishandled the punt return. It was Clay's first career fumble recovery. Four plays and four yards later, Derek Thompson gave North Texas the first score of the game with a touchdown run from one-yard out.
Thompson completed 13 of 27 passes for 108 yards. He rushed for a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
North Texas returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 15 when it faces Louisiana-Lafayette at 4 p.m. on the road.
Team Stats
FAU 0, NT 7
NT - Thompson, Derek 1 yd run (Olen, Zach kick), 4 plays, 4 yards, TOP 1:19
FAU 0, NT 10
NT - Olen, Zach 52 yd field goal 9 plays, 33 yards, TOP 3:13
FAU 0, NT 17
NT - Dunbar, Lance 2 yd run (Olen, Zach kick), 5 plays, 34 yards, TOP 2:22
FAU 0, NT 24
NT - Hill, Royce 85 yd interception (Olen, Zach kick)
FAU 0, NT 31
NT - Ford, Steven 15 yd interception (Olen, Zach kick)
FAU 3, NT 31
FAU - Zaccario, Vinny 30 yd field goal 8 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:52
FAU 10, NT 31
FAU - Morris, Alfred 28 yd run (Zaccario, Vinny kick), 6 plays, 56 yards, TOP 2:46
FAU 17, NT 31
FAU - Williams,Darian 6 yd pass from Kooi, David (Zaccario, Vinny kick) 3 plays, 22 yards, TOP 1:10
