College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
North Texas 44, Arkansas 17
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 15, 2018
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Temperature: 88°
Head Official: Matt Loeffler
Attendance: 62355

Quarterback Mason Fine threw for 281 yards and accounted for two touchdowns and North Texas posted its first win over Arkansas, a 44-17 victory Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

Fine, a junior, was 24-for-445 passing and one touchdown and rushed for a touchdown. He entered the game averaging an NCAA-best 431 yards passing.

The Mean Green improved to 3-0 for the time since 1989 and defeated the Razorbacks for the first time in 10 tries. North Texas is 5-37 against teams from the Southeastern Conference.

Arkansas (1-2) turned the ball over six times. Quarterback Cole Kelley was 16-for-35 for 185 yards with four interceptions. The Razorbacks were able to rush for only 126 yards, 68 of that coming on a Maleek Williams run late in the fourth quarter.

North Texas set the pace by scoring 17 straight points in the first quarter. Fine began the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Keegan Brewer faked a fair catch on a punt and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. Cole Hedlund added a 24-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead.

Arkansas cut the lead to 17-10 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Kelley and a 54-yard Connor Limpert field goal.

But North Texas scored 17 straight to finish the quarter and took a 34-10 halftime lead. Loren Easly scored on a 3-yard run, Fine threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Rico Bussey Jr. and Hedlund added a 26-yard field goal. Easly led the team with 68 yards rushing on 13 carries

The Mean Green added another field goal in the third quarter, with Hedlund making a 20-yarder. Hedlund, a graduate student who transferred after four seasons at Arkansas, is 10-for-10 on field goals.

North Texas got its final score when Kemon Hall intercepted a John Stephen Jones pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
North Texas   Arkansas
Loren Easly Player Maleek Williams
13 Attempts 5
68 Yards 74
5.2 Avg Yards 14.8
1 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Receiving
North Texas   Arkansas
Jaelon Darden Player Michael Woods
5 Receptions 4
87 Yards 61
17.4 Avg Yards 15.2
0 Touchdowns 0
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
North Texas 376 95 281 5 3 6 5.0 0
Arkansas 336 126 210 2 1 0 2.0 1