Mean Green football drops season opener to SMU

[Skipper]

The buzz Apogee Stadium had at kickoff was diminished by the time the clock ran out, as North Texas was defeated by Southern Methodist University 34-21 on Saturday night. The game was the debut for head coach Seth Littrell.

SMU (1-0) got the party started two minutes into the game when sophomore running back Xavier Jones streaked down the field for a touchdown to put the Mustangs up 7-0.

SMU continued to dominate the first quarter when sophomore receiver Courtland Sutton broke free for an 88-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Ben Hicks. Sutton had a big game, and finished with four catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Matt Davis ran circles around the Mean Green (0-1) defense all night, constantly escaping the pocket and avoiding pressure. He was a pivotal reason the Mustangs converted 57 percent of their third downs.

The big play of the first half came when SMU converted a third and 45 near midfield. After eluding pressure once again, Davis rolled out and heaved a prayer to the end zone that Sutton came down with. The catch put SMU up 24-7 as intermission neared.

North Texas’ senior quarterback Alec Morris threw three interceptions in the first half, but also connected for two touchdown passes. Morris answered the bell before halftime though, hooking up with freshman tight end Kelvin Smith, who somersaulted over the goal line to narrow the deficit to 24-14.

The play capped a well-executed two-minute drill and gave North Texas momentum for the second half.

But SMU came out of the locker room swinging, as Sutton etched his name onto the score sheet again when Davis found him in the corner of the end zone. He hauled it in one-handed with a Mean Green defender draped over him for the score.

That was the turning point, as North Texas’ offense stalled throughout the third quarter, unable to put any points on the board.

The Mustangs jumped out to their largest at 34-14 on a field goal later in the third quarter, which virtually extinguished any hope of a Mean Green comeback.

Morris was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of freshman quarterback Mason Fine, who led North Texas on its only touchdown drive of the second half. By playing in the game, Fine is unable to be redshirted, and will not gain an extra year of collegiate eligibility.

Next up: The Mean Green host Bethune-Cookman University at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

View Full Article