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
2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| SMU | 8-0 | 11-3 |
| Clemson | 7-1 | 10-4 |
| Miami | 6-2 | 10-2 |
| Syracuse | 5-3 | 9-3 |
| Louisville | 5-3 | 8-4 |
| Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Duke | 5-3 | 9-3 |
| Virginia Tech | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| Boston College | 4-4 | 7-5 |
| Pittsburgh | 3-5 | 7-5 |
| NC State | 3-5 | 6-6 |
| North Carolina | 3-5 | 6-6 |
| Virginia | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| California | 2-6 | 6-7 |
| Wake Forest | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Stanford | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Florida State | 1-7 | 2-10 |
2024 American Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Army | 8-0 | 11-2 |
| Tulane | 7-1 | 9-5 |
| Navy | 6-2 | 9-3 |
| Memphis | 6-2 | 11-2 |
| East Carolina | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| South Florida | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| UTSA | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| Charlotte | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| North Texas | 3-5 | 6-6 |
| Rice | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Temple | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| UAB | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Florida Atlantic | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Tulsa | 1-7 | 3-9 |
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