North Texas football survives test by FAU in narrow C-USA victory

North Texas football won an instant classic at home on Thursday night, holding off the tense challenge by Lane Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic squad in Denton.

Back in mid-September it looked like Florida Atlantic and North Texas might play a rematch of last year’s Conference USA title game three months down the road. Then October rolled around, and the fortunes started to fade for both programs. Instead of meeting for a prelude of the conference championship on Thursday night, the Mean Green met an Owls team that is still trying to reach bowl eligibility instead of preparing for a title defense.

In the end, the two teams traded punches in a back-and-forth 41-38 North Texas win. In the first quarter, the Mean Green ran out to a 17-7 lead. Florida Atlantic pulled the score back to take a slim 21-20 advantage into the locker room at the half. North Texas regained the lead in the third quarter and were ahead 34-31 heading into the final frame.

Through most of the fourth quarter, the two teams forgot how to score. Then DeAndre Torrey punctuated the victory by the home side with a 92-yard scoring run. The carry came on the first play after Florida Atlantic punted and pinned their opponent inside their own 10. Chris Robison threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jovon Durante three plays later on the ensuing drive to pull back within three points, but the Mean Green never ceded the lead again on Thursday night.

Mason Fine was his usual gunslinger self for the hosts, throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-33 passing. Fine also threw two interceptions along the way, but it wasn’t enough to derail the victory bid in the end. His counterpart, Robison, was less efficient as he went 21-of-35. Otherwise, his 294 yards with two passing scores and a pair of picks in the close defeat nearly matched the winning quarterback in the contest.

Robison’s second interception, with 1:53 remaining, allowed North Texas to bleed the clock down to zeroes. In the process, Florida Atlantic must win their regular-season finale against Charlotte on Thanksgiving weekend just to reach bowl eligibility. With the Owls coming off a C-USA title and an 11-win season in 2017, it is a hard fall from grace.

North Texas has no chance of overtaking UAB in the C-USA West standings, but they still could get to 10 wins in 2018 for the first double-digit winning season in school history. They take on a 3-7 UTSA team at the Alamodome on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to conclude the regular season.