By Craig Fields
Brandin Byrd rushed 26 times for 251 and three touchdowns on Saturday, and the North Texas Mean Green walloped the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, 42-10 in Tulsa’s stadium.
The Mean Green were able to run all over this beleaguered defense with impunity as they would amass 377 yards on the ground, the most yards that they have managed in a single game this season.
Derek Thompson’s stat line, though unimpressive, did little to hinder the team’s goal of winning this one going 17-26 for 173 and one interception.
The only touchdown of the game for the Hurricanes came in the first quarter when Mitchell Osborne forced a fumble which Will Barrow would recover and took all the way back to the house for a 97-yard touchdown.
The UNT offense more than doubled the output of the Tulsa offense 550-236. Running back Trey Watts, of the Golden Hurricanes, managed to collect 114 yards on the ground with 19 carries for a six ypc (yards per carry) average.
The special teams unit for the Mean Green, yet again, provided the jolt of energy this team needed. In the second quarter, with the Mean Green trailing 10-7, Mike Marshall blocked a punt that Jarrian Roberts would return for the touchdown.
Not every six-plus win team in division-I football gets a bowl berth. However, with the many ways that UNT has won and the entertainment value that they provide, not allowing this group of seniors one last hoo-rah on the football field would be a great injustice.
They have been the driving force behind a program turn around that has simply been remarkable. Here’s to you Mean Green, it has been a pleasure and an honor.
