UNT football team picks up first road win over Louisiana Tech
Brett Medeiros / Senior Staff Writer
Led by its defense, the UNT football team defeated Louisiana Tech University 28-13 on Saturday to take sole possession of third place in the Conference USA West Division.
It was the first road win of the year for the Mean Green (4-3, 2-1) and the first time winning consecutive games since 2004.
Down 10-0 with four minutes left in the first half, the game took a decisive swing in UNT’s favor. A 62-yard touchdown pass by senior quarterback Derek Thompson to senior wide receiver Brelan Chancellor and an interception touchdown return by sophomore defensive back Zach Whitfield gave the Mean Green a 14-10 lead headed into halftime. The team would not relinquish the lead.
Thompson said the touchdown pass was similar to an 85-yard touchdown the two connected for in the season opener against the University of Idaho.
“On the pass to Brelan, the line gave me great protection,” Thompson said. “I rolled to my left and, kind of like the Idaho game, I saw Brelan behind the defenders. I threw it as hard as I could and he made the play on the other end. That’s what really ignited our momentum and we really took off from there as a team.”
The second quarter swing would kick start UNT on its way to 28 straight points. A Louisiana Tech (2-4, 1-2) field goal in the fourth quarter ended that run.
Senior linebacker Zach Orr led the defensive effort with a career-high 17 tackles – pushing him over 300 career tackles. He is the seventh player in school history to reach that mark.
“We have everyone clicking on the same page right now,” senior defensive lineman Richard Abbe said. “We knew that we were going to come back, and we knew that we were going to win this game. This is the most confident that we have ever been in my four years here.”
Other defensive standouts included a two interception game for Whitfield, who had another in the fourth quarter that cemented the victory for the Mean Green.
“Football is a game of big plays, and we made more than they did,” head coach Dan McCarney said. “This is a team win. It happens from this team’s preparation in the last few days.”
The Mean Green looks to extend its win streak next Saturday in an away game against University of Southern Mississippi, who has lost 18 games in a row. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
Mean Green fans support the football team in Ruston, La. Photo by Tim Cato, Sports Editor.
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