NT Wins season opener vs MTSU 14-7

MeanGreen61 · September 11, 2005

North Texas Wins Season Opener Against Middle Tennessee, 14-7

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 09/10/2005

Murfreesboro, TN (9/10/05) – The North Texas football team scored 14 points off five Blue Raiders turnovers to defeat Middle Tennessee, 14-7, and extend its Sun Belt conference winning streak to 26 games in the Mean Green’s season opener on Saturday night at Floyd Stadium.

"I can't say how proud I am of this team to battle back and pull out a win against a very good Middle Tennessee team,” said North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey. “We were able to capitalize on their mistakes and did enough offensively to get out of here with a win.”

The Mean Green (1-0, 1-0 Sun Belt) won its first season opener since 1996 when it defeated Illinois State, 20-14. North Texas was originally scheduled to open the 2005 season at LSU, but the game was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

"It's good to get this first win out of the way,” said Dickey. “We didn't know how we would come out with this being our first game and having so many guys out there who have never played. They showed tremendous heart and this test will only help them down the road.”

North Texas extended its series record against Middle Tennessee (0-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) to 5-0. Three of the games have been decided by less than a touchdown. North Texas extended its conference winning streak to 26 games, which ties the longest such streak in the nation with Boise State.

Sophomore linebacker Maurice Holman returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter. It was the longest interception return by a Mean Green player since J.T. Smith returned one 100 yards against Lousiana Tech in 1976.

Holman’s interception was MT’s second of five turnovers in the game. Safety Aaron Weathers intercepted his first pass as a member of the Mean Green in the first quarter, halting Middle Tennessee’s first drive into North Texas territory. On MT’s second drive into the red zone, Colby Smith missed a 42-yard field goal attempt. Smith also missed a 25-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.

Running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas combined for 161 rushing yards. Cobbs was 28-for-103 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run that gave North Texas a 14-7 advantage. Cobbs’ scoring run in the third quarter came after a Middle Tennessee fumble which was recovered by NT’s Jeremiah Chapman. Cobbs has now run for 2,999 yards in his career, which is 121 yards shy of the school record of 3,120 career yards held by JaQuay Wilburn.

Freshman quarterback Daniel Meager completed 10 of 15 passes in the game for 122 yards, including a long of 42. Meager completed his first collegiate pass in the first series, a tipped ball that was hauled in by Joel Nwigwe for 14 yards.

Meager's 42-yard pass to sophomore Johnny Quinn set up the Cobbs touchdown in the third quarter. Quinn’s catch kept his streak of 26 straight games with a reception. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played at North Texas.

North Texas had 10 players make their first career start for the Mean Green. Seven of the 11 defensive starters were making their first collegiate start.

The Mean Green returns home to face Tulsa in a non-conference game on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6 pm in Fouts Field.

BIG DAWG · September 11, 2005

Meager - 10-15 for 122 yds - NO INTS

pretty good night for a freshman's first game

Could have played better at times, but could have played a lot worse.

Monkeypox · September 11, 2005

Meager - 10-15 for 122 yds - NO INTS
pretty good night for a freshman's first game
Could have played better at times, but could have played a lot worse.
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Yep. And as ugly as our offense looked at times, Dickey and Co. never waivered and did a good job managing the young QB. They could've panicked and put him in a bad situation, but they never did.

Meager's throw to Quinn on the sidelines late in the game on 3rd and 4 (?) was an EXCELLENT display of decision-making and execution.

meangreendork · September 11, 2005

I was worried he'd turn a Rhett Bomar performance in. BUT- Danny really stepped up and delivered a solid game. Good first game, Danny.

untbowler · September 11, 2005

Happy for the win, but hopefully some the stuff was first game jitters.

Both OL and DL were getting beat most of night and got torn up on the run.

Meager played nice and conservative but he underthrew ever deep ball, even the Quinn catch was underthrown by 5 yards and could have been an interception.

Good win nonetheless but we have work to do if we want to win an OOC game.

MeanGreenBuzz · September 11, 2005

The game ball easily goes to the Mean Green secondary. They played their best game in atleast 4 years. If Van keeps this up I am afraid we are going to lose him after the season. A close second goes to the LBs, it is amazing how much better they are from game 1 last year to game 1 this year. Experience does mean something for the LBs, but the secondary played well above their experience tonight.