DRC:MG watche 26 game streak stopped.

OldTimer · October 5, 2005

Mean Green watches 26-game streak slip through its fingers

11:51 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 4, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – After four years, 26 games and four conference titles, North Texas' dominance of the Sun Belt Conference finally came to an end Tuesday night.

Troy stifled a Mean Green offense that has struggled throughout the season and came up with just enough key plays to pull out a 13-10 win at Fouts Field. The loss was UNT's first in a conference game since falling to Louisiana-Monroe in its first Sun Belt game in the 2001 season.

Colleges

Troy 13, North Texas 10

Mean Green watches 26-game streak slip through its fingers

Summary

Scoreboard

More Colleges

"I don't think anyone thought it was going to last forever," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "I wish we'd have played a lot better than we did tonight when we lost it, but give Troy credit. They came in with a good plan. They ran the ball extremely well, shut us down offensively for most of the game and made plays."

The Mean Green (1-3, 0-1) was the team that came up with those key plays throughout the streak that ranked as the second-longest in the nation behind Boise State's 27-game run in the Western Athletic Conference.

UNT's defense continued to make those plays against the Trojans, but its offense squandered the majority of the opportunities it provided.

Quarterback Daniel Meager threw two interceptions and the Mean Green lost three fumbles, including one by sophomore Jamario Thomas after he appeared to pick up a first down on third-and-1 from the Troy 36-yard line in the third quarter.

The five turnovers were the most for the Mean Green since a loss to South Florida in the 2002 season.

Those mistakes killed a few of what turned out to be three drives into Troy territory that failed to result in points.

UNT didn't reach the end zone until Meager scored on a 20-yard run with 1:38 left to cut the Mean Green's deficit to 13-10, but Troy (2-3, 1-0) recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

"We would drive and have a turnover or two," Meager said. "That just killed us. You can't win games when you turn the ball over."

Meager led UNT with 129 yards passing, but he completed only nine of 26 passes. Running back Patrick Cobbs finished with 56 yards rushing. He had rushed for 100 yards in seven consecutive games against Sun Belt teams.

UNT's struggles offensively proved costly when Troy took advantage of an early turnover with a 16-yard scoring pass from Carl Meadows to wide receiver Torris Rutledge. Rutledge's touchdown came after UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn fumbled a punt deep in Mean Green territory, and it staked Troy to a 7-3 halftime lead.

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN

UNT's Johnny Quinn (81) muffs a punt as he tries to catch it in the first quarter. Troy recovered the ball deep in UNT territory and turned it into its only touchdown of the half.

UNT had a chance to even the score, but had to settle for a Nick Bazaldua 21-yard field goal after defensive end Willie Ransom recovered a fumble by Troy running back Joel Whinghter at the Trojans' 17-yard line Troy kicker Greg Whibbs extended the Trojans' lead to 13-3 with a pair of field goals in the second half.

The deficit turned out to be too much for the Mean Green to overcome.

"We got beat by a good team," Cobbs said. "The defense gave us a chance to win, but we didn't take advantage."

Briefly: UNT honored former coach Hayden Fry at halftime. Fry coached at UNT from 1973 to '78, led the Mean Green to the 1973 Missouri Valley Conference championship and posted a 40-23-3 record.

E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

jperg2 · October 5, 2005

ERROR in the article below (in GREEN)... should read:

"The Mean Green (1-3, 1-1) was the team that..."

We DID win a Conference game this season... MTSU!

GMG!

Mean Green watches 26-game streak slip through its fingers

11:51 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 4, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle
DENTON – After four years, 26 games and four conference titles, North Texas' dominance of the Sun Belt Conference finally came to an end Tuesday night.
Troy stifled a Mean Green offense that has struggled throughout the season and came up with just enough key plays to pull out a 13-10 win at Fouts Field. The loss was UNT's first in a conference game since falling to Louisiana-Monroe in its first Sun Belt game in the 2001 season.
Colleges
Troy 13, North Texas 10
Mean Green watches 26-game streak slip through its fingers
Summary
Scoreboard
More Colleges
"I don't think anyone thought it was going to last forever," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "I wish we'd have played a lot better than we did tonight when we lost it, but give Troy credit. They came in with a good plan. They ran the ball extremely well, shut us down offensively for most of the game and made plays."
The Mean Green (1-3, 0-1) was the team that came up with those key plays throughout the streak that ranked as the second-longest in the nation behind Boise State's 27-game run in the Western Athletic Conference.
UNT's defense continued to make those plays against the Trojans, but its offense squandered the majority of the opportunities it provided.
Quarterback Daniel Meager threw two interceptions and the Mean Green lost three fumbles, including one by sophomore Jamario Thomas after he appeared to pick up a first down on third-and-1 from the Troy 36-yard line in the third quarter.
The five turnovers were the most for the Mean Green since a loss to South Florida in the 2002 season.
Those mistakes killed a few of what turned out to be three drives into Troy territory that failed to result in points.
UNT didn't reach the end zone until Meager scored on a 20-yard run with 1:38 left to cut the Mean Green's deficit to 13-10, but Troy (2-3, 1-0) recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
"We would drive and have a turnover or two," Meager said. "That just killed us. You can't win games when you turn the ball over."
Meager led UNT with 129 yards passing, but he completed only nine of 26 passes. Running back Patrick Cobbs finished with 56 yards rushing. He had rushed for 100 yards in seven consecutive games against Sun Belt teams.
UNT's struggles offensively proved costly when Troy took advantage of an early turnover with a 16-yard scoring pass from Carl Meadows to wide receiver Torris Rutledge. Rutledge's touchdown came after UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn fumbled a punt deep in Mean Green territory, and it staked Troy to a 7-3 halftime lead.

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN
UNT's Johnny Quinn (81) muffs a punt as he tries to catch it in the first quarter. Troy recovered the ball deep in UNT territory and turned it into its only touchdown of the half.
UNT had a chance to even the score, but had to settle for a Nick Bazaldua 21-yard field goal after defensive end Willie Ransom recovered a fumble by Troy running back Joel Whinghter at the Trojans' 17-yard line Troy kicker Greg Whibbs extended the Trojans' lead to 13-3 with a pair of field goals in the second half.
The deficit turned out to be too much for the Mean Green to overcome.
"We got beat by a good team," Cobbs said. "The defense gave us a chance to win, but we didn't take advantage."
Briefly: UNT honored former coach Hayden Fry at halftime. Fry coached at UNT from 1973 to '78, led the Mean Green to the 1973 Missouri Valley Conference championship and posted a 40-23-3 record.
E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com
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