SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 12, 2013
North Texas 34, Middle Tennessee 7: Brandin Byrd rushed for a career-high 139 yards and a touchdown to help the Mean Green overcome three turnovers for a Conference USA victory over the visiting Blue Raiders.
Reggie Pegram added 88 yards and two scores on the ground for North Texas (3-3, 1-1 C-USA), which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Mean Green rolled up 303 rushing yards and held the Blue Raiders to 205 total yards.
Austin Grammer rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown for Middle Tennessee (3-4, 1-2), but he struggled in the passing game, going 6-of-22 for 36 yards with an interception. He and Logan Kilgore combined for just 66 yards through the air.
Grammer's 5-yard touchdown run for the Blue Raiders tied it 7-7 with 11:48 left in the second quarter, but the Mean Green scored on consecutive plays from scrimmage later in the quarter to take control. Byrd capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 lead, and Lairamie Lee picked off Grammer and went 20 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive.
Zach Paul's 21-yard field goal pushed the lead to 24-7 at halftime, and he added a 22-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Pegram's second touchdown run of the night made it 34-7 with 2:56 remaining.