Fine's 3 TD passes lift North Texas over SMU 46-23
DENTON, Texas -- Mason Fine threw for 444 yards and three touchdowns, Kemon Hall returned an interception for a touchdown and DeAndre Torrey had a 96-yard kickoff return for North Texas in a 46-23 win over SMU in a season opener on Saturday night.
Fine threw two TD strikes to Jalen Guyton, and another to Nic Smith. Hall picked off a pass by Ben Hicks and returned it 36 yards for another Mean Green score.
SMU trailed 36-0, and had only one first down compared to UNT's 27, before scored all of its points in the final 8 1/2 minutes of coach Sonny Dykes' debut with the Mustangs. Braeden West had a 5-yard TD run and Hicks threw two TD passes in the final 1:41 -- 59 yards to James Proche and 71 yards to West.
North Texas outgained the Mustangs 529 total yards to 256. Hicks threw for 252 yards, and SMU had only 4 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Fine completed 40 of 50 pass attempts and has thrown a TD in each of his last 13 games. Rico Bussey Jr. had nine catches for 109 yards and Cole Hedlund kicked four field goals.
Game Information
2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Florida State | 8-0 | 13-1 |
Louisville | 7-1 | 10-4 |
NC State | 6-2 | 9-4 |
Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 7-6 |
Virginia Tech | 5-3 | 7-6 |
Clemson | 4-4 | 9-4 |
North Carolina | 4-4 | 8-5 |
Duke | 4-4 | 8-5 |
Miami | 3-5 | 7-6 |
Boston College | 3-5 | 7-6 |
Syracuse | 2-6 | 6-7 |
Pittsburgh | 2-6 | 3-9 |
Virginia | 2-6 | 3-9 |
Wake Forest | 1-7 | 4-8 |
2023 American Athletic Conference Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
SMU | 8-0 | 11-3 |
Tulane | 8-0 | 11-3 |
UTSA | 7-1 | 9-4 |
Memphis | 6-2 | 10-3 |
South Florida | 4-4 | 7-6 |
Rice | 4-4 | 6-7 |
Navy | 4-4 | 5-7 |
North Texas | 3-5 | 5-7 |
UAB | 3-5 | 4-8 |
Florida Atlantic | 3-5 | 4-8 |
Charlotte | 2-6 | 3-9 |
Tulsa | 2-6 | 4-8 |
Temple | 1-7 | 3-9 |
East Carolina | 1-7 | 2-10 |