Following a rollercoaster win over Florida International the week prior, the MTSU Blue Raider football team felt rejuvenated and reinvigorated after an 0-4 start to the season coming into the weekend’s matchup vs North Texas.
And after a great first quarter that saw MTSU go up 21-7 over North Texas Saturday afternoon, the Blue Raiders seemed poised to nab its second win in a row. And then the other three quarters happened.
North Texas (2-3, 1-2 Conference USA) would outscore MTSU (1-5, 1-3) 45-14 from the beginning of the second quarter to the end of the game, as the Mean Green ran all over a porous Blue Raider defense to the tune of 768 total yards for a final score of 52-35 in Floyd Stadium.
The game started hot for MTSU and specifically redshirt freshman Quincy Riley who snagged two interceptions off Mean Green quarterback Austin Aune, forcing UNT head coach Seth Littrell to yank Aune in favor of backup sophomore Jason Bean.
The move would instantly prove fruitful for North Texas as the fresh face would toss two touchdowns through the air and run for three more scores on the ground for a total output of 350 yards of offense on the day for Bean.
While Asher O’Hara and the MTSU offense would start well also, much like the defense, the lights went off in the second half with an early interception and missed field goal putting the Blue Raiders behind the 8-ball as North Texas continued to move the ball with ease.
O’Hara finished with 243 total yards of offense combined including three passing touchdowns.
MTSU tailback Chaton Mobley was a silver lining for the Blue Raiders, racking up 156 yards on fourteen carries including a 30-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter as MTSU mounted a comeback that, once again, fell short of the goal. The total is the second-highest in Mobley’s collegiate career, only trailing his monstrous 198-yard bulldozing of Western Kentucky in 2018.
What’s Next:
MTSU hits the road again next week to play in the season opener for Rice who has remained sidelined due to its schedule being postponed because of COVID concerns. The Owls notoriously broke a long losing streak for the program last year at Floyd Stadium in one of the most embarrassing losses in MTSU history with the Owls pulling off the upset 31-28.
