North Texas wins season opener for first time in three years, downs Lamar at home
Senior running back Jeffery Wilson rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns – all in the first half – as North Texas defeated Lamar University 59-14 in both schools’ season openers.
Wilson’s 12th and final carry of the game came with 8:18 left in the second quarter when he broke off a 62-yard touchdown run, putting the Mean Green (1-0) up 31-7. North Texas scored twice in the opening six and a half minutes, despite differing the opening kickoff.
North Texas’ first touchdown came on a 10-yard Wilson run, while the second came via a 31-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Mason Fine to junior receiver Quinetin Jackson. Although the Mean Green muffed a punt late in the first quarter that led to a Lamar (0-1) score, North Texas continued to put its foot on the gas, never trailing in the contest.
The Mean Green effectively put the game away with two touchdown passes from Fine, one at the end of the second quarter and one in the opening minutes of the second half. Fine ended the game with 221 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-21 passing, good for a 208.2 quarterback rating.
Defensively, sophomore Khairi Muhammad played a big role for the Mean Green, finishing the game with 5.5 tackles and a forced fumble. As a result, the Cardinal offense never got going, managing just 266 yards of total offense.
With the win, North Texas broke the school record for most offensive yards in a game with 668, and tallied a victory in its season opener for the first time since 2013.
Next up: The Mean Green travel to take on Southern Methodist University at 6 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 9.
Featured image: North Texas senior running back Jeffery Wilson (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against Lamar University. Colin Mitchell
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