Tulsa Ends Season With Blowout Loss To North Texas

North Texas (8-4, 6-2) spoiled Tulsa's Senior Day with a 42-10 victory in front of 17,792 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Tulsa finished the season with a 3-9 mark and 2-6 in C-USA play. The win for the Mean Green snapped 10-game Golden Hurricane winning streak in the series.

North Texas' offense put up 550 total yards, including 377 rush yards and 173 receiving yards as Brandin Byrd ran for a team-high 251 yards. The Mean Green defense shut down the Hurricane offense for most of the day, holding the Hurricane to nine 3-and-out possessions and a season-low 236 total yards.

Tulsa's Trey Watts went over the 100-yard barrier for the eighth time this year and the fifth consecutive game with 114 yards. He finished the season with 1,329 yards to rank fourth on the school's single-season rushing chart

The Mean Green took control of the game in the final five minutes of the first half by scoring 14 consecutive points to take a 21-10 lead into intermission, and went on to duplicate their first-half scoring with 21 second-half points.

North Tcxas increased its halftime lead on its first play of the second half when Byrd raced 91 yards for the touchdown at the 11:25 mark, giving North Texas a 28-10 lead. Byrd added his third touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run with 3:25 left on the third period clock for a 35-10 lead. UNT's Antoinne Jimmerson ran 31 yards to cap a 63-yard, 3-play drive in taking just 1:09 off the clock to put the visitors ahead 42-10 with 6:56 remaining in the contest.

On the game's opening drive, North Texas took the ball to Tulsa's 20-yard line when Mitchell Osborne caused a fumble after a 15-yard gain. True freshman Will Barrow picked up the ball at the three-yard line and raced 97 yards down the right sideline for a score and a 7-0 Tulsa lead.

The Mean Green knotted the score on a 12-yard run by Jimmerson at the 2:37 mark of the first quarter, capping a 53-yard, six-play drive.

Tulsa took the subsequent possession 58 yards in seven plays, but had to settle for a 26-yard Carl Salazar field goal with 0:42 remaining in the first quarter.

Tulsa escaped a miscue in the second quarter when a Cody Green pass was intercepted and returned to the Tulsa 26-yard line, but the Hurricane defense held the Mean Green at the 15-yard line, forcing a field goal that went wide right.

North Texas took the lead with 4:53 left in the second period on a Mike Marshall punt block, as Jarrian Roberts picked up the ball and ran eight yards for the touchdown and a 14-10 lead. After forcing the Hurricane offense to a 3-and-out, North Texas marched 54 yards in just six plays and 2:27 to take a 21-10 lead as Byrd rushed for the 10-yard touchdown.

At halftime, North Texas dominated the stats as well as the scoreboard, out-gaining Tulsa 266 to 82 yards, and holding a 19:36 to 10:24 advantage in possession time.

In pre-game ceremonies, Tulsa honored the 12 seniors that suited up for their final game in a Hurricane uniform.

Tulsa running backs Trey Watts and Ja'Terian Douglas ended their careers with 3,515 and 2,528 rushing yards, respectively. Watts finished third on the school's career rushing chart, while finished in seventh place. Linebacker Shawn Jackson, second on the school's career tackles list, completed his career with 401 tackles.