UNT Falls Despite Darden's Career Day

Saturday, October 10

Denton

7 p.m.

University of North Texas

1-3 , 0-2

Charlotte

1-2 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Charlotte	7	14	14	14	49
North Texas	0	7	7	7	21

Photo by: Manny Flores

10/10/2020 11:44:00 PM | Football

Box Score

DENTON – Squandered red-zone chances plagued North Texas early on in Saturday's game against Charlotte, and the Mean Green were never able to recover as they fell 49-21 to the 49ers, who entered the game winless on the season.

UNT head coach Seth Littrell said he knew that playing a team like Charlotte, who likes to take the air out of the football and keep opposing offenses off the field, would pose a problem if his team was unable to make good on red zone chances.

The Mean Green finished the night 1-for-4 on red-zone opportunities, including a failed fourth-and-1 at the Charlotte 4-yard line and three missed field goals.

"We didn't play good enough football to have success," Littrell said. "Whether it was special teams, offense going 1-for-4 in red zone or missed tackles in the backfield and opportunities to get off the field on defense, it wasn't good enough. We were 3-for-13 on third down on offense. You can't win games doing that. We didn't play good ball tonight.

"It's very disappointing. You get an opportunity in the red zone and against them, you know they are going to take the air of the ball and you don't get many opportunities," Littrell added. "When it's fourth-and-1, we're good enough up front and our backs are good enough, that when we go on fourth-and-1, we expect to get it. I believe in our guys to pick up a yard, period. When we do need to kick field goals and get some momentum on your side, you have to be able to come through. At the end of the day, you have to continue to overcome adversity, but it gets harder and harder the more adversity you face."

One bright spot for UNT (1-3, 0-2 Conference USA) was the play of senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden, who had a career game with 13 catches for 244 yards and three touchdowns – his fourth three-touchdown game of his career and second of the year. Darden's nine touchdowns through four games puts him at the top of the national touchdown receptions list. The 244 receiving yards ties him for sixth in Conference USA history with Tulsa's Brennan Marion in 2007. It's also the second-most receiving yards in a game in program history and an Apogee Stadium record.

"Coach Littrell called my number, and I was able to execute and make plays," Darden said. "I practice hard all week and I'm not surprised with how I perform on Saturdays because of how I prepare."

Littrell pointed to Darden as a player the rest of his team can look to when it comes to playing with confidence and doing all the little things right.

"We're in a skid and we have to get out of it because at the end of the day we're gonna win football games here," Littrell said. "I know our guys feel the same way. We have to get back to work and do a better job as coaches and players. Eventually you have to get out there and win games. We can sit and talk about it all day long but you have to make plays – plain and simple. You make plays, you gain confidence. (Darden) doesn't lack confidence. We have to get other guys coming around on that and having some confidence."

QUICK HITS

The Charlotte win gives the 49ers a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series after the teams' first meeting last year in Charlotte.
The Mean Green loss puts the program record at 19-9 in Apogee Stadium under head coach Seth Littrell. The Mean Green are 1-3 at home this season.
Redshirt sophomore QB Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas) made his second career start and finished the game with 382 yards on 23-of-43 passing and three touchdowns.
- His 28-yard scoring strike to Jaelon Darden with 12:16 left in the first half put him over the 1,000-yard passing mark for his career.
- Aune's 50-yard strike to Deonte Simpson late in the third quarter put the signal-caller over 300 yards for the second time in as many career starts.
Senior WR Jaelon Darden (Houston) had 13 catches on the day for 244 yards and three touchdowns, giving him nine touchdown receptions through four games this season and making him the national leader in touchdown receptions. It was the fourth time in his career he's had three touchdowns in a game and the second time this season.
- Darden's 244 receiving yards set a new career high, breaking his previous best of 143 receiving yards against UAB in 2018. He had nine grabs for 167 yards at halftime.
- His 244 receiving yards puts him second all-time on the program's single-game receiving yards list.
- His 3-yard reception near the end of the first half was No. 188 for his career, moving him past Johnny Quinn (2003-06) into third place on the program's all-time receptions list. He finished the night with 192 for his career – five back of Carlos Harris (2012-15), who finished his career with 197 and second on the all-time list. Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08) has the all-time mark with 229.
- His 9-yard touchdown reception from Aune with 12:06 remaining was his 28th career receiving touchdown and 29th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns), putting him in a tie for fifth all-time with Ken Bahnsen (1950-52) and Scott Davis (1987-90).
- His 43-yard touchdown reception from Aune with 10:54 left in the third quarter was his 27th of his career and 28th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns), putting him alone in seventh place on the program's all-time list.
- His 28-yard touchdown reception from Aune with 12:16 left in the first half was the 26th of his career. It was the 27th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns) of his career, tying him for seventh all-time with Jamario Thomas (2004-07).
- His 37-yard reception near the end of the first quarter gave him 183 for his career, putting him alone in fourth place on the program's all-time receptions list as he passed David Brown (1991-94).
- Darden's nine touchdowns on the season put him in a tie for ninth place on the program's all-time single-season receiving touchdowns list. His 2019 total of 12 is second on the program's all-time list. The all-time record is 13, held by Ron Shanklin (1967).
Senior RB DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) had 89 yards on 14 carries.
- With a 2-yard carry at the end of the third quarter, Torrey moved into 16th on the program's all-time rushing list, passing Malcolm Jones (1979-80), who finished his career with 1,642 yards.
Sophomore WR Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas) caught four balls for 89 yards.
Redshirt senior linebacker Kyleb Howell (Lantana, Texas) finished the night with a team-high 10 tackles.
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) finished the night with a career-high eight tackles.
Redshirt sophomore DL Davontae McCrae (Miami) recorded his first career sack near the end of the first half.