Torrey's Career Day Propels Mean Green To Win

DENTON – Senior running back DeAndre Torrey had a career game and scored three rushing touchdowns to guide North Texas to a 44-14 season-opening win over Northwestern State on Saturday night in front of 18,716 fans at Apogee Stadium.

Torrey, who moved back to running back after working much of the spring and fall camp at slot receiver after Oscar Adaway III suffered a season-ending injury, finished his night with career highs in all-purpose yards (320) and rushing yards (244), while scoring three touchdowns of 31, 32 and 24 yards.

"He's a stud," UNT head coach Seth Littrell said of Torrey, who returned for a fifth year of eligibility this season. "The work he's put in – he's done a lot for his team. He knows all the positions on this team, all the skill positions, anyway. It shows how much work he's put in. He had a big night."

Torrey's 320 all-purpose yards tied him for third on the program's all-time single-game list, and his 244 rushing yards passed Lance Dunbar's 238 against Florida Atlantic in 2009 for 10th on the all-time single-game list.

Torrey wasn't the only Mean Green skill player to put up a career-best game, as sophomore wide receiver Roderic Burns finished the day with six catches for 114 yards – both career-highs – and his first career touchdown on a 24-yard grab midway through the third quarter on what was also sophomore starting quarterback Jace Ruder's first touchdown pass in a Mean Green uniform after he transferred from North Carolina.

"It was solid," Littrell said of Ruder's debut under center. "We had some new wide receivers in there with some guys out for precautionary things. Jyaire (Shorter) didn't play much and (Deonte Simpson) didn't go at all. (Ruder) did some really good things."

The Mean Green defense was also a bright spot, as they allowed just 14 points – the fewest points allowed in a game since Sept. 21, 2019, in a 45-3 win over UTSA. They also forced four turnovers (three recovered fumbles and a Makyle Sanders interception), which marked the second straight game at Apogee Stadium in which they forced four turnovers. Sanders also had a key fourth-and-1 stop from the UNT 11-yard line when he dropped running back Kevin Perkins for a 3-yard loss for a turnover on downs with the game still scoreless.

The defense also had 10 tackles for-loss, which was the most since it had 12 against Rice on Nov. 21, 2020.

"It was a good start," Littrell said. "We had some adversity early. We had some plays we wish we'd have back – some third-down penalties – but we have to get off the field when we have opportunities. A couple of plays you want back but that's part of the maturation process and growing. Game 1, there's some jitters and nerves and getting everyone to do what they're supposed to do, but I thought it was a really solid start."

UP NEXT
The Mean Green travel to Dallas to take on SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium at 6 p.m., on Saturday.

QUICK HITS

The Mean Green win closes the Demons' lead in the all-time series to 6-5. It was the teams' first meeting since 1994.
The Mean Green win puts their record at 7-3 in the last 10 home openers. All time, North Texas is now 72-30-3 in home openers (excluding games played at the old Texas Stadium in Irving).
The Mean Green win puts the program record at 22-10 in Apogee Stadium under head coach Seth Littrell, who is now 1-0 in his career against the Demons. The Mean Green are 1-0 at home this season. One of Littrell's 22 wins was technically a road game when UTEP traveled to Denton last season for a Miner home game due to COVID-19 restrictions in El Paso.
The win puts head coach Seth Littrell at 32-31 in his Mean Green tenure, and he is in sixth place on the program's all-time wins list – behind fifth-place Hayden Fry (40).
Sophomore QB Jace Ruder (Norton, Kansas), who transferred from North Carolina, made his first collegiate start and finished the day 10-for-21 for 131 yards and a touchdown.
- Ruder's 24-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Roderic Burns with 8:47 left in the third quarter put the Mean Green up 31-14 and was Ruder's first touchdown pass since 2018 at North Carolina and first for the Mean Green. It was also Burns' first career touchdown.
Sophomore QB Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas) also saw time under center after making three starts a year ago. He finished the game 2-for-5 for 51 yards after entering the game with just more than 10 minutes to play with the Mean Green holding a 41-14 lead.
Senior RB DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) had a career-high 244 rushing yards on 25 carries and a catch for 12 yards to go with 64 kickoff return yards to give him 320 all-purpose yards.
- Torrey's 244 rushing yards on the day moved him into the program's career top-10 list for career rushing yards at No. 6 all-time with 2,323 yards.
- His 244 rushing yards on the day also marked the seventh 100-yard rushing game of his career and first since Nov. 21, 2020, when he had 102 yards against Rice. It was the first time he's broken the 200-yard mark.
- His 244 rushing yards also moved him into 10th on the program's all-time, single-game list, passing Lance Dunbar's 238 against Florida Atlantic in 2009.
- Torrey's 320 all-purpose yards is tied for the third-most in a single game in program history, tying him with Lance Dunbar vs. Middle Tennessee in 2011.
- Torrey's 320 all-purpose yards gives him 3,650 in his career, which moves him into seventh place on the program's all-time list, as he passed Jaelon Darden (2017-20) and Marcus Camper (1985-88). He is now just 20 yards behind Jamario Thomas (2004-07) for sixth all-time.
- Torrey's 31-yard touchdown run with 3:57 left in the second quarter was his 30th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns) of his career, moving him into solo possession of sixth place on the program's all-time list.
  - It was also his 26th career rushing touchdown, which tied him for sixth on the all-time list with Ken Bahnsen (1950-52).
- Torrey's 32-yard touchdown run with 12:22 left in the second quarter was his 29th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns) of his career, moving him into a tie for sixth on the program's all-time list with Ken Bahnsen (1950-52) and Scott Davis (1987-90).
- Torrey's 24-yard touchdown run with 4:30 left in the first quarter was the Mean Green's first points of the season and was the 28th career touchdown (rushing/receiving/returns) of his career, moving him into sole possession of eighth place on the program's all-time list and moving him out of a tie with Jamario Thomas (2004-07).
Freshman RB Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock, Texas) finished with 11 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown.
- Johnson's 20-yard touchdown run with 0:05 left in the third quarter put the Mean Green up 41-14, and the run was good for his second career touchdown – the first coming in last year's season-opening win over Houston Baptist.
Sophomore WR Roderic Burns (Houston) finished the day with a career-high six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
- Burns' 24-yard touchdown reception with 8:47 left in the third quarter put the Mean Green up 31-14 and his first career touchdown.
- Burns' previous career highs were five catches and 62 yards against Appalachian State and SMU, respectively, last season.
With the Mean Green's four forced turnovers, it marked the second straight game at Apogee with four forced turnovers after the Mean Green had four interceptions in a win over UTEP at Apogee on Dec. 11, 2020.
The 14 points allowed by UNT was the fewest by a Mean Green team since a Sept. 21, 2019, win over UTSA (45-3).
The Mean Green totaled 10 tackles for-loss, which was the highest total since they tallied 12 against Rice on Nov. 21, 2020.
Junior LB KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) finished the day by tying his career high with 14 tackles, including nine solo stops, a career-high two sacks, and a career-high three tackles for-loss to go with a forced fumble.
Redshirt freshman DL Grayson Murphy (Dallas) finished the game with a tackle, a tackle for-loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
- Murphy forced the team's first turnover of the year less than 90 seconds into the game when he forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Kevin Wood. He also had the team's first sack of the year less than six minutes into the game.
Sophomore LB Kevin Wood (Converse, Texas) finished the day with nine tackles, including five solo stops and a forced fumble.
Senior LB Tyreke Davis (Denton, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including four solo stops and one tackle for-loss.
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) finished the day with five tackles, including two solo stops, a tackle for-loss and an interception.
- Sanders' interception with 8:16 left in the third quarter put the Mean Green at the Northwestern State 33-yard line and was his first of the year and fourth of his career.
Redshirt freshman RB Ikaika Ragsdale (Las Vegas) saw his first career carries in his third career appearance. He finished the day with 10 carries for 32 yards.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Team Stats

Jace Ruder

Austin Aune

Players Mentioned

Oscar Adaway III

Austin Aune

Roderic Burns

Jaelon Darden

KD Davis

Tyreke Davis

Isaiah Johnson

Grayson Murphy

Ikaika Ragsdale

Jace Ruder

Makyle Sanders

Deonte Simpson

DeAndre Torrey

Kevin Wood

Players Mentioned

Oscar Adaway III

Austin Aune

Roderic Burns

Jaelon Darden

KD Davis

Tyreke Davis

Isaiah Johnson

Grayson Murphy

Ikaika Ragsdale

Jace Ruder

Makyle Sanders

Deonte Simpson

DeAndre Torrey

Kevin Wood

Upcoming Events