North Texas 45, Florida Atlantic 28
Associated Press
DENTON, Texas - Austin Aune threw three touchdown passes to Jyaire Shorter in the first half to guide North Texas to a 45-28 victory over Florida Atlantic.
Aune hit Shorter for a 25-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Aune sandwiched touchdown throws to Shorter covering 2 and 25 yards around a pick-6 by Ridge Texada and North Texas (3-3, 2-0 Conference USA) led 28-7 with 5:36 left in the second quarter.
Florida Atlantic (2-4, 1-1) got within seven points at halftime after Teja Young picked off an Aune pass and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. N'Kosi Perry threw a 35-yard scoring strike to Larry McCammon with 21 seconds left before intermission.
The Mean Green pulled away in the third quarter on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Ikaika Ragsdale and Isaiah Johnson, taking a 42-21 lead.
Aune completed 14 of 20 passes for 180 yards. Ragsdale carried 16 times for 119 yards.
Perry completed 26 of 50 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for FAU. LaJohntay Wester had 10 catches for 113 yards and a score.
North Texas finished with 300 yards on the ground, rushing 51 times.
| Scoring Summary |
| First Quarter |
FlaAtl | NorTx |
| NorTx |
TD |
11:17 |
Jyaire Shorter 25 yd pass from Austin Aune (Ethan Mooney kick) |
0 |
7 |
| FlaAtl |
TD |
7:46 |
N'Kosi Perry 12 yd run (Morgan Suarez kick) |
7 |
7 |
| Second Quarter |
FlaAtl | NorTx |
| NorTx |
TD |
14:56 |
Jyaire Shorter 2 yd pass from Austin Aune (Ethan Mooney kick) |
7 |
14 |
| NorTx |
TD |
9:22 |
Ridge Texada 58 yd interception return (Ethan Mooney kick) |
7 |
21 |
| NorTx |
TD |
5:36 |
Jyaire Shorter 25 yd pass from Austin Aune (Ethan Mooney kick) |
7 |
28 |
| FlaAtl |
TD |
3:24 |
Teja Young 64 yd interception return (Morgan Suarez kick) |
14 |
28 |
| FlaAtl |
TD |
0:09 |
Larry McCammon III 35 yd pass from N'Kosi Perry (Morgan Suarez kick) |
21 |
28 |
| Third Quarter |
FlaAtl | NorTx |
| NorTx |
TD |
9:56 |
Ikaika Ragsdale 1 yd run (Ethan Mooney kick) |
21 |
35 |
| NorTx |
TD |
8:23 |
Isaiah Johnson 1 yd run (Ethan Mooney kick) |
21 |
42 |
| Fourth Quarter |
FlaAtl | NorTx |
| FlaAtl |
TD |
14:44 |
LaJohntay Wester 13 yd pass from N'Kosi Perry (Morgan Suarez kick) |
28 |
42 |
| NorTx |
FG |
3:59 |
Ethan Mooney 43 yd FG |
28 |
45 |
| Team Stats |
| |
Florida Atlantic |
North Texas |
| First downs |
24 |
21 |
| Rushing |
8 |
12 |
| Passing |
15 |
8 |
| Penalty |
1 |
1 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency |
8-19, 42% |
4-12, 33% |
| 4th down efficiency |
1-2, 50% |
1-1, 100% |
| Rushes-Yards |
29-137 |
51-300 |
| Passing Yards |
295 |
181 |
| Return Yards |
75 |
146 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int |
26-50-2 |
15-21-1 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost |
1--10 |
2--4 |
| Punts |
6 |
5 |
| Punts-Average |
43.2 |
40.8 |
| Fumbles Lost |
0-0 |
2-1 |
| Penalties - Yards |
3-14 |
9-69 |
| Time of Possession |
26:26 |
33:34 |
| Florida Atlantic Passing |
| Player |
Cmp |
Att |
Yds |
TDs |
Int |
| N. Perry |
26 |
50 |
295 |
2 |
2 |
| North Texas Passing |
| Player |
Cmp |
Att |
Yds |
TDs |
Int |
| A. Aune |
14 |
20 |
180 |
3 |
1 |
| S. Earle |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Florida Atlantic Rushing |
| Player |
Carries |
Yds |
Avg |
TDs |
| L. McCammon III |
15 |
79 |
5.3 |
0 |
| Z. Mobley |
7 |
27 |
3.9 |
0 |
| N. Perry |
5 |
27 |
5.4 |
1 |
| J. Posey |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
0 |
| L. Wester |
1 |
-1 |
-1.0 |
0 |
| North Texas Rushing |
| Player |
Carries |
Yds |
Avg |
TDs |
| I. Ragsdale |
16 |
119 |
7.4 |
1 |
| A. Adeyi |
6 |
75 |
12.5 |
0 |
| O. Adaway III |
16 |
71 |
4.4 |
0 |
| I. Johnson |
6 |
17 |
2.8 |
1 |
| S. Earle |
2 |
10 |
5.0 |
0 |
| A. Aune |
4 |
9 |
2.3 |
0 |
| Florida Atlantic Receiving |
| Player |
Rec |
Yds |
Avg |
TDs |
| L. Wester |
10 |
113 |
11.3 |
1 |
| J. Burton |
6 |
61 |
10.2 |
0 |
| L. McCammon III |
2 |
43 |
21.5 |
1 |
| J. Edrine |
4 |
42 |
10.5 |
0 |
| J. Young |
3 |
31 |
10.3 |
0 |
| T. Johnson |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
0 |
| North Texas Receiving |
| Player |
Rec |
Yds |
Avg |
TDs |
| R. Burns |
3 |
69 |
23.0 |
0 |
| J. Shorter |
3 |
52 |
17.3 |
3 |
| V. Gumms |
3 |
22 |
7.3 |
0 |
| J. Roberts |
1 |
20 |
20.0 |
0 |
| K. Horton |
1 |
8 |
8.0 |
0 |
| J. Smart |
2 |
7 |
3.5 |
0 |
| I. Johnson |
1 |
2 |
2.0 |
0 |
| O. Adaway III |
1 |
1 |
1.0 |
0 |
| Florida Atlantic Interceptions |
| Player |
Int |
Yards |
| T. Young |
1 |
64 |
| North Texas Interceptions |
| Player |
Int |
Yards |
| R. Texada |
2 |
60 |
| Florida Atlantic Punting |
| Player |
Punts |
Yards |
Avg |
| R. Thompson |
6 |
259 |
43.2 |
| North Texas Punting |
| Player |
Punts |
Yards |
Avg |
| B. Rodriguez |
5 |
204 |
40.8 |
| Florida Atlantic Punt Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| L. Wester |
1 |
-1 |
-1.0 |
| North Texas Punt Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| R. Burns |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
| Florida Atlantic Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| J. Platt |
1 |
12 |
12.0 |
| North Texas Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| K. Horton |
2 |
36 |
18.0 |
| J. Smart |
2 |
33 |
16.5 |
| X. Kautai |
1 |
12 |
12.0 |
| Florida Atlantic Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
| M. Suarez |
40 |
| North Texas Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
