North Texas Daily

Senior running back DeAndre Torrey entered the media room on Nov. 27 out of breath with a shirt in his hand that read “Bowl Bound” across the front.  

The Mississippi-raised running back was elated, as his 110 yards and three touchdowns versus No. 22 the University of Texas-San Antonio was instrumental in leading North Texas to its sixth win of the season. The game was Torrey’s last in Denton. 

“It’s amazing, we wouldn’t want it any other way,” Torrey said after the upset win. “I know UTSA nearly lost [their] past two games, but we were really hoping they’d win so we’d be the ones that spoiled their season.”

Since his arrival, Torrey has been a driving force for the Mean Green, never playing less than nine games in a season while steadily making his way up North Texas’ offensive leaderboards. In his final season, Torrey had a chance to make history, and he did that against the University of Texas-El Paso.

Torrey joined the 3,000 rushing yard club in his career with 61-yards versus UTEP and broke the 1,000 yard mark for the season versus Florida International University the following week. 

In four seasons, Torrey lies in the top-20 for North Texas in rushing yards (12th, 3,120), touchdowns (7th, 27) and all-purpose yards (9th, 3,324). 

Torrey’s dominance from the backfield this season was never guaranteed or expected. Before the season began, redshirt freshman Oscar Adaway II was lost to a torn ACL, putting Torrey in the saddle to lead North Texas’ rushing offense. 

With a new expectation, Torrey was expected to lead a room full of inexperienced running backs, which he successfully did on and off the field.

“He’s one of my best friends,” sophomore running back Isaiah Johnsons said of Torrey. “I ask questions. He’ll always give me an answer. He’ll tell me if I’m slacking. He’ll pick me up. He’s really a great dude.”

On the field, Torrey has led the nation’s fourth-ranked rushing offense, rushing more than 100 yards in five of 12 games played this season and finding the endzone 13 times in seven different games en route to a 1,215 rushing yard season. 

The 2021 season started off awfully. The Mean Green began week eight with a 1-6 record in a season that saw six straight losses after a week one victory.

Another loss would have eliminated the team from bowl contention. Instead, the team pulled off five straight wins.

“Even when we were losing [and at] one and six, we were showing up to practice every day, we worked hard,” Torrey said. “We never let the team die, even at one and six.”

After crawling back to a 5-6 record, North Texas’ bowl hopes rode on the Mean Green being able to overcome an undefeated UTSA in a home matchup in the rain. Facing off against a run defense that had been ranked in the top 10 in the country, Torrey had the odds stacked against him.

North Texas got a quick start out of Torrey, who ran rampant on the Roadrunner’s defense. Opening the scoring in the contest, Torrey went on to score three touchdowns before the half, extending the Mean Green lead to 31-13. 

Most national media outlets had chosen UTSA to come away with the win in Denton, a sentiment that Torrey and his teammates did not share. 

“We all already had confidence going against them […] but, it’s UTSA, we had played them before,” Torrey said. “I feel like everyone was 100 percent confident, no matter the rankings or record.”

Following the game, Torrey quote tweeted a video of his third touchdown versus UTSA, where he was hit behind the line of scrimmage, but was able to power and juke his way around Roadrunner defenders for a 19-yard touchdown. It was akin to UNT’s season as a whole – hopeless at the start, yet ending in elation.

In his final season in green and white, Torrey saved his best performance for last, leaving behind a legacy of success and humility. 

“I’ll ride with [Torrey] any day of the week, forever,” head coach Seth Littrell said. “He’s a special dude.”

Featured Image: North Texas running back DeAndre Torrey (3) runs with the ball in Houston, Texas on Oct. 30, 2021. Photo by Zach Del Bello