FW*Telegram NT gives up late lead

[OldTimer]

N. Texas gives up late leadBy TROY PHILLIPS

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Chart: Game statisticsDENTON -- North Texas calls them the "Green Team." On Saturday, they generated offense and turned another eye-aching UNT defeat into a game worth watching.

Then again, it was another defeat.

UNT (2-7) had its best offensive night this season but couldn't score in the final 23 minutes as Louisiana Tech (3-6) held on for a 34-31 victory at Fouts Field.

Louisiana Tech lived down to its Division I-worst defensive ranking by making UNT's Division I-worst offense look potent. UNT scored 17 unanswered points on three drives with its Green Team, 11 mostly unused offensive reserves assembled Monday.

UNT went from trailing 21-0 to leading 31-21 with 8:26 to play in the third quarter after the starting offense returned late in the first half. Three interceptions and a punt on UNT's last four drives, as well as poor defensive play, let Louisiana Tech escape.

"We haven't been doing our job all year," UNT receiver Johnny Quinn said of the starting offense. "If you're not doing your job, you get fired. We got fired."

On UNT's first three drives, the offense had 17 yards and two lost fumbles that resulted in 14 Tech points.

Quarterback Matt Phillips led the Green Team on the next three drives, getting a 33-yard Denis Hopovac field goal and touchdown passes to fullback Ryan Davenport and wideout Casey Fitzgerald.

"I probably should have played them more," said UNT coach Darrell Dickey, who went back to the starters before halftime because of the Green Team's limited hurry-up experience. "They were walking it up and down the field on us in the first quarter, and we couldn't make a yard, so what did we have to lose?"

Quinn turned a Daniel Meager screen pass into a 54-yard touchdown before the half for a 24-21 UNT lead. Quinn and Evan Robertson led an 86-yard scoring drive to open the second half. Robertson's 4-yard run gave UNT a 31-21 lead.

LA. TECH 34, UNT 31

In the know

BREAKDOWN

Why Louisiana Tech won: The Bulldogs gave up 415 yards but gained 448 and forced five turnovers.

Why North Texas lost: Late turnovers and poor tackling all night hurt the Mean Green.

Notable

Johnny Quinn became UNT's career receiving yardage leader (2,606 yards).

UNT lost for the first time in 25 games when scoring 30 or more points.

Up next: UNT at Louisiana-Lafayette, 4 p.m. Saturday.

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Troy Phillips, 817-390-7760 tphillips@star-telegram.com

[UNTFan23]

"I probably should have played them more," said UNT coach Darrell Dickey, who went back to the starters before halftime because of the Green Team's limited hurry-up experience. "They were walking it up and down the field on us in the first quarter, and we couldn't make a yard, so what did we have to lose?"

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So why didn't you coach?

[UNT_playmaker]

So why didn't you coach?

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The problem is taht he never learns from our mistakes.....

Bring in a big name D-1 coach and you will see NT making a huge turnaround

[GreenBat]

Bring in a big name D-1 coach and you will see NT making a huge turnaround

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North Texas does not need a big name D1 coach, it just needs a compitent coach that understands "GO WITH THE HOT HAND."