Mean Green Football Drop First Game of Year in Lubbock

cousin oliver · September 16

LUBBOCK, Texas – After a 75-yard catch-and-run from Chandler Morris to freshman Wyatt Young brought UNT to within a field goal of Texas Tech with five minutes left in the first quarter, UNT head coach Eric Morris' homecoming turned sour.

Three Chandler Morris interceptions – two within 10 seconds of each other, including a pick-six – led to an avalanche of bad fortune for the Mean Green in a 66-21 defeat, spurred by 35 second-quarter points for the Red Raiders.

In all, Texas Tech (2-1) scored 21 points off the three Mean Green turnovers and rolled up 598 yards of total offense while limiting UNT to 353 – nearly 200 yards below its season average.

UNT (2-1) was held to 218 passing yards, which was 166 yards below the Mean Green's season average that was third-best in all of FBS entering the game. Chandler Morris finished the day early in the fourth quarter after completing 15 of 27 pass attempts for 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with the three interceptions.

The Mean Green will look to regroup before next week's home game against Wyoming, which is set for a 6 p.m., kickoff on Saturday night at DATCU Stadium. Fans can visit SelloutDATCU.com to purchase tickets and track the progress of the athletic department's push for a capacity crowd (30,100). With a week remaining before the game, there have been nearly 21,000 tickets sold.

QUICK HITS

The Mean Green loss puts the all-time series at 5-4 in Texas Tech's favor, with the last meeting coming in 2001, when Tech was able to even the series at 4-4.
UNT's captains for the game were Landon Peterson, Ridge Texada, Chandler Morris and Damon Ward Jr.
The Mean Green entered the season with 77 newcomers, which is the most in all of FBS. Thirty-six of the 77 newcomers are transfers.
Freshman OL Braydon Nelson, who started at right guard, was the second true freshman offensive lineman to start a game in as many weeks after Tyler Mercer became the first to start a game since Sept. 18, 2021, in last week's win over SFA.
UNT's first scoring drive of the game took eight seconds with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Chandler Morris to Wyatt Young with 5:12 left in the first quarter. It was the shortest scoring drive of the year for the Mean Green.
- It was the first one-play scoring drive for UNT since Oct. 15, 2022, against LA Tech.
Texas Tech's 66 points are the most for a UNT opponent since FAU scored 69 on Oct. 21, 2017, and the ninth-most points scored by an opponent in program history.
Texas Tech's 52 first-half points and 35 points in a quarter were the most by a UNT opponent since Rice accomplished both on Sept. 27, 2008, when the Owls scored 56 in the first half with 35 points in the second quarter.
Texas Tech's 44-yard interception return for a touchdown with 9:50 left in the third quarter marked the second straight week UNT's opponent has had a pick-six.
UNT's defense has now allowed a score on the opponent's opening drive in 10 consecutive games, dating back to Oct. 14, 2023, against Temple.
UNT's defense allowed its first 100-yard rusher of the season in Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks, who had 17 carries for 109 yards in a half of action.
Texas Tech's 70-yard touchdown completion with 10:22 left in the second quarter was the longest scoring play by a UNT opponent this season.
Junior QB Chandler Morris (Dallas, Texas) finished 15 for 27 for 162 yards, three interceptions and two touchdown passes.
- Morris made the third start of his UNT career and the 12th of his collegiate career.
- Morris' 75-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Young with 5:12 left in the first quarter was his eighth of the season and 24th of his career and it was the longest pass play of the year for the Mean Green.
- Morris' 15-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Aaron with 9:09 left in the third quarter was his ninth of the season and 25th of his career.
Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) made his first collegiate appearance early in the fourth quarter and finished 2 for 3 for 56 yards and had four carries for 26 yards.
Junior RB Damashja Harris (Killeen, Texas) finished with seven carries for 22 yards and four catches for 7 yards.
- Harris' four catches marks a new career high, breaking his previous best mark of two.
Junior RB Shane Porter (Friendswood, Texas) finished with seven carries for 31 yards and a touchdown.
- Porter's 1-yard touchdown run with 9:19 remaining was his first career touchdown.
Redshirt freshman RB Makenzie McGill (Mount Vernon, Texas) finished with seven carries for 28 yards in his first action as a ball-carrier.
Freshman WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) finished with a catch for 75 yards and a touchdown.
- Young's 75-yard touchdown reception with 5:12 left in the first quarter was a caerer-long reception, the first touchdown of his career and the longest pass play of the year for the Mean Green.
Senior WR Damon Ward Jr. (Beaumont, Texas) finished with two catches for 35 yards.
- Ward's first reception of the game late in the first quarter was the 100th of his career, making him the 21st player in program history to reach the century mark.
Junior WR Jeremiah Aaron (Natchitoches, Louisiana) finished with a catch for 15 yards and a touchdown.
- Aaron's 15-yard touchdown reception with 9:09 left in the third quarter was the second of his career and first for UNT.
- His 15-yard touchdown was his first since Sept. 17, 2022, for West Virginia against Towson.
Freshman WR Miles Coleman (Austin, Texas) finished with three catches for 75 yards, including a 49-yard reception, in his first action as a pass-catcher.
Senior LB Jaylen Smith (Hamilton, Ontario) finished the day with nine tackles to tie his career-high, including five solo stops, and 1.5 tackles for-loss.
Senior DB Jayden Hill (Gahanna, Ohio) finished the day with eight tackles, including seven solo stops, and a tackle for-loss.
Redshirt freshman DB Brian Nelson II (Pearland, Texas) finished the day with eight tackles, including seven solo stops, his first career tackle-for-loss and his first career interception.
Sophomore DB Evan Jackson (Houston, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including six solo stops, with a half-tackle for-loss and a pass breakup.