UNT Football: ‘Resolve, heart and courage’

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UNT rallies from 18 down to beat Ball State

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Published: 14 September 2013 11:49 PM

Derek Thompson came up holding his right hand after a push from a Ball State player sent him sailing over the North Texas bench and out of the game Saturday at Apogee Stadium.

Fortunately for the Mean Green, the senior quarterback was able to get up off the deck and help UNT do the same in a 34-27 come-from-behind win over the Cardinals.

The Mean Green had a grand opportunity in its second home game of the season to reach a host of milestones and take a big step toward the six-win mark that is its stated baseline goal for this season.

That opportunity appeared to be slipping away after UNT got off to a horrible start and trailed 27-9 in the second quarter.

There were several players who helped the Mean Green recover, from hard-hitting safety Marcus Trice to Zach Orr, the anchor of UNT’s defense.

Just don’t forget Thompson, who scored the game-winning touchdown to cap a run of 25 UNT points to close the game after his ill-fated flop over the bench.

The resolve Thompson and the Mean Green showed while recovering from some down times gave UNT a 2-1 start — its best since it resumed playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1995.

“This is a great win for our program,” UNT coach Dan McCarney said. “We showed great resolve, heart and courage. When you dig a hole like we did for ourselves, it’s hard. But we were able to make enough big plays.”

Thompson made several while throwing for 274 yards against the Cardinals (2-1). The former Glen Rose standout isn’t known for his speed but scored the winning touchdown on a 26-yard run.

Thompson made that play after safety Martez Hester

shoved him out of bounds on the UNT sideline, sending him over the Mean Green’s bench.

“My thumb locked up on me and started cramping,” Thompson said. “I wasn’t sure what was wrong. I couldn’t move my thumb, which scared me a little.”

Thompson quickly recovered and returned to finish a solid performance, one UNT needed after falling behind.

Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20130914-football-resolve-heart-and-courage.ece