Belt Busted - 26 Game Streak Is History

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Football: Belt busted

UNT’s 26-game conference win streak is history

09:52 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 5, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

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 all the way back in the 2001 season.

“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, 1-1) were 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 streak in the Western Athletic Conference.

UNT’s defense continued to make those plays against Troy, but saw its counterparts on offense squander the majority of the opportunities it provided. Troy (2-3) improved to 1-0 in Sun Belt play and solidified its status as a favorite to win the Sun Belt title and earn a berth in the New Orleans Bowl that goes to the league champion.

UNT saw is chances of winning the conference title and a bowl berth diminish after making a series of key mistakes against Troy.

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 3rd-and-1 from the Troy 36-yard line in the fourth quarter.

UNT’s five turnovers were the most for the Mean Green since a loss to South Florida in the 2002 season and the most in Dickey’s tenure with the team.

Those mistakes helped kill what turned out to be three Mean Green 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 in the game to cut the Mean Green’s deficit to 13-10. Troy recovered the ensuing 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 had 129 yards passing but completed just 9-of-26 passes. Running back Patrick Cobbs finished with 56 yards rushing and saw his streak of seven consecutive games with 100 yards rushing in games he started against Sun Belt teams come to an end.

UNT’s struggles offensively proved costly when Troy took advantage of an early UNT turnover and grabbed a 7-3 lead at halftime on a 16-yard pass from Carl Meadows to wide receiver Toris Rutledge.

Rutledge’s touchdown came after UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn fumbled a punt deep in Mean Green territory. The Mean Green 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 in the second quarter.

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.”