North Texas receives their first loss to Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech handed North Texas its first loss of the season Saturday night after a potentially game-winning field goal was blocked with 31 seconds left in regulation. The final score of the game was 29-27, putting the Mean Green at 0-1 in Conference USA.
For the second time in the 2018 season, attendees set an attendance record with over 30,000 people in Apogee, less than 1,000 short of a sold-out crowd.
The Mean Green offense put up 21 points on the Bulldogs in the first quarter. Michael Lawrence made the score board first after hauling in a 36-yard touchdown pass from Mason Fine.
In the first drive of the game, Mason Fine surpassed 7,000 career passing yards.
Tech came into this game with a perfect red zone record of 11 for 11 with nine touchdowns. The Bulldogs were able to drive down the field into Mean Green territory, but were unsuccessful in finding the end zone their first three drives and settled for field goals instead.
The Mean Green capped off the first quarter with two more touchdowns with a catch from Rico Bussey Jr. and a 9-yard run from Loren Easley, ending the first quarter up 21-6.
The North Texas offense stalled after the first quarter and were held to zero points. Tech scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the second quarter.
Two turnovers from Jalen Darden and Deandre Torrey allowed the Bulldogs to end the first half up 26-21. This was the only quarter all season the Mean Green have been held scoreless, ending a 17-quarter scoring streak.
“That was really our first adversity of the season,” head coach Seth Littrell said. “It was as bad of football we’ve played in a while, and we just have to do a better job at getting back into rhythm as a team and as coaches come out and make the right calls and adjustments.”
The Mean Green are 4-12 under Littrell when trailing at half, but one of those four wins was against LA Tech.
The Mean Green tried to gain momentum in the third quarter with two consecutive 32-yard catches from Bussey Jr. He then hauled in a 9-yard touchdown from Mason Fine on fourth down. North Texas failed to convert the game-tying two-point conversion.
Bussey Jr. is now tied for No. 7 with George Marshall in Mean Green all-time receiving touchdowns with 15.
Late in the third quarter Fine went into the medical tent with trainers following an apparent leg injury. He returned later in the game with a limp, but he still went on to play leading into the fourth quarter. Littrell would not comment on the state of Fine’s injury.
The Mean Green missed a game-winning 46-yard touchdown with little over 30 seconds left in the fourth to lose their first game of the season 29-27.
Featured Image: North Texas sophomore Nic Smith runs the ball in a conference game against LA Tech on Sept. 29 at Apogee Stadium. Sara Carpenter
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