North Texas beats Wyoming in a comeback win and boosts bowl hopes

DENTON – Eric Morris left little doubt about the nature of the challenge North Texas faced before playing Wyoming on Saturday.

The Mean Green were beaten by Texas Tech last week and lost several key players to injuries.

“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror,” the UNT coach said earlier this week.

In other words, it was time for the Mean Green to come back and UNT responded in style, winning 44-17 at DATCU Stadium, which changed the team's fortunes.

The Mean Green improved their season record to 3-1, their best start since opening with four straight wins in 2018.

UNT is now halfway to bowl eligibility with six wins after defeating the Cowboys (0-4), and Morris has set that milestone as the Mean Green's priority for the season.

It was gratifying for UNT to reach this milestone just a week after its 21-66 loss to the Red Raiders.

The Mean Green looked like a different team, thanks largely to the efforts of several of their substitutes on a night when UNT was missing several of its star players.

The Mean Green's three best running backs were out due to injury, so UNT had to rely on the combination of Shane Porter and Makenzie McGill.

Both had only seven carries this season entering the evening. Porter led UNT with 120 rushing yards, while McGill scored the first three touchdowns of his career.

Wide receiver Nick Rempert, who transferred from Tulsa, had not made a single catch this season. He finished the game against Wyoming with five passes for 31 yards, helping fill the void created when Jeremiah Aaron, a key player in UNT's rotation, sat out with an injury.

These players helped UNT to a 27-17 lead at the end of the first half, which the Mean Green extended with 17 consecutive points starting early in the first quarter.

Chandler Morris completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to DT Sheffield and later came back for a 19-yard touchdown pass to Blair Conwright.

UNT led 24-10 after McGill scored his first career touchdown on a 4-yard run.

Wyoming responded with a 100-yard kickoff return by Tyler King. UNT had one last chance to score at the end of the half and capitalized when Kali Nguma kicked a 45-yard field goal on the final play of the game.

The Mean Green stayed on track in the second half and gained momentum for the start of American Athletic Conference play.

UNT will open its conference season next week with a home game against Tulsa.

The Mean Green enter their league on the back of their best run of non-league play in years.

UNT capped off that run with a memorable night for the program. The school honored its 1994 and 2004 conference championship teams during the game.

Hall of Fame coach Darrell Dickey, who led the Mean Green to four consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles from 2001 to 2004, as well as numerous players from both teams were in attendance.

UNT had hoped to sell out the game. While the school did not reach that goal, it did attract 27,049 fans, ranking fifth in the history of DATCU Stadium, which opened in 2011.

Even though UNT didn't have the full stadiums they had hoped for, the team still played one of its best games in recent memory.

Chandler Morris threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns.

UNT’s defense also delivered one of its best performances of the year.

The Cowboys only managed 240 yards.

UNT's performance was a dramatic step forward after a tough showing at Texas Tech. The Mean Green gave up 586 yards to the Red Raiders.

Eric Morris challenged UNT to be better against Wyoming, and the Mean Green accomplished that goal and entered conference play with momentum.

Click here to read the story in the Denton Record-Chronicle.