North Texas tops UNLV 36-14 in Heart of Dallas

[Harry]

DALLAS (AP) — Derek Thompson and Brelan Chancellor were among the seniors who wanted North Texas' first bowl game in nine years to be close to family and friends.

They made a lot of green-clad fans very happy.

Thompson threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, Chancellor scored twice and the Mean Green dominated the second half of a 36-14 victory over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Wednesday.

North Texas (9-4) pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie for its first bowl win since New Orleans in 2002. The school's third postseason victory came in front of a strong turnout of 38,380 on a sunny day at the Cotton Bowl, just 45 miles from the Denton campus.

"It was so exciting running on the field and seeing a sea of green," said Thompson, who was 21 of 30 without an interception and voted the game's MVP. "We love our fans."

UNLV (7-6) drove 95 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession but didn't score again until the Mean Green were up 28-7 in the fourth quarter.

- See more at: http://www.thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/433507/North-Texas-tops-UNLV-36-14-in-Heart-of-Dallas.html?isap=1&nav=5017#sthash.8P2PyDz0.dpuf