The record-setting quarterback set a new career-high for passing touchdowns in a game with five and threw for just shy of 400 yards, but the Mean Green were stunned late in a one-point loss.
On Saturday at Apogee Stadium, Fine broke his single-game mark again, but this time it'll be a night he never forgets – right down to the postgame press conference when he donned a T-Rex costume for a late Halloween celebration.
Fine completed 24 of 39 pass attempts for 332 yards and seven touchdowns – one off the program's all-time high of eight in a game – in a 52-26 win over UTEP and further etched his name in UNT lore with one home game remaining in his decorated career.
"It all starts with our preparation," Fine said, through the T-Rex costume. "I think the juice on the sideline was there and everyone just had fun and did their job. We started fast and that momentum continued throughout the game. It's awesome when you prepare the right way and then go out and perform the right way."
UNT (4-5, 3-2 Conference USA) got off to a blazing start, as the Mean Green jumped out to a 14-0 lead 29 seconds into the game. It started when Deion Hair-Griffin returned the opening kickoff 63 yards, and Fine found freshman Deonte Simpson for a 33-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage. After recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, UNT struck again when Fine found former high school teammate Jason Pirtle for a 17-yard touchdown on the game's second offensive snap.
"That was huge," UNT head coach Seth Littrell said. "We talk a lot about starting fast and finishing strong. I thought special teams did a great job with the returns tonight. …They gave us a great start and gave our offense a chance to get off to a hot start."
The UNT defense also did its part in building a comfortable lead that grew to 38-14 at the half, as the unit held UTEP (1-7, 0-5) to 275 total yards and had four sacks.
"To lose how we lost last week puts a chip on our shoulder, and we knew we could've affected that game more, as a unit," junior nose tackle Dion Novil said, referring specifically to the defensive line. "The coaches challenged us to be more dominant and affect the quarterback more, and I think we did that."
Fine found nine different receivers on the afternoon, and his first eight completions went to eight different receivers. Senior Michael Lawrence led the way with six grabs for 87 yards, while junior Jaelon Darden had six catches for 60 yards and three touchdowns – his second three-touchdown game of the year.
"Mason's been playing at a high level, and I think some of that is getting better chemistry with the younger receivers," Littrell said. "Those guys have really grown and are better understanding their assignments – the Jyaire Shorters, Deonte Simpsons and those guys. The more comfortable they get together, it's a lot easier to manage a game that way. The run game has helped too over the past few weeks. They were committed to not letting us run, so we were able to be explosive in the pass game. Being able to have that balance offensively if they aren't going to allow you to run the ball was big. Mason did a great job and had a great game overall."
Darden moved into a tie for fourth on the all-time, single-season touchdown reception list with 11 and is now seventh for career touchdown receptions with 18. He's also now ninth on the all-time receptions list with 139 in his career.
"He's a special player," Fine said of Darden. "As soon as he stepped on campus, he was going to be special. He's one of the hardest workers I know and he can catch anything. His route running is some of the best I've ever seen. I'm proud for him – the way he's been playing. It's something special. There's not many like him."
Speaking of special players, Fine now sits 36th in NCAA history in career passing at 12,026, as he passed players such as Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer on Saturday.
For that, Darden could do nothing but reciprocate the compliments from his quarterback.
"I'm proud of him," Darden said. "He's a great dude and a great leader and teammate. I see him come to work every day and do what he does. It makes me want to go harder. It makes our whole team go harder."
QUICK HITS
- The UNT win gives the Mean Green a 17-8-3 record in the all-time series against UTEP and three straight wins in the series, including the last two in Denton.
- The Mean Green win puts the program record at 18-5 in Apogee Stadium under head coach Seth Littrell, and moves the mark to 4-1 at home this season.
- North Texas is now 4-1 when leading at the half this season.
- Senior QB Mason Fine (Peggs, Oklahoma) finished 24-for-39 passing for 332 yards and seven touchdown passes.
- Fine's 20-yard scoring strike to Deonte Simpson with 9:17 remaining gave Fine seven touchdown passes on the day to break his career high for single-game touchdown passes, set last week at Charlotte when he had five. His seven touchdown passes is one off the all-time program mark of eight by Giovanni Vizza (vs. Navy, 2007).
- Fine's seven touchdown passes sets a new all-time high in the history of Apogee Stadium. The previous high was five, which was done by Houston's Case Keenum (Sept. 10, 2011).
- Fine's 27 touchdown passes on the season equals his 2018 season total.
- Fine is the first Conference USA quarterback to throw for seven touchdowns in a game since Marshall's Rakeem Cato on Nov. 28, 2014. One C-USA quarterback has thrown eight and one has thrown nine.
- Fine started the game 2-for-2 for 50 yards and two touchdown passes, as North Texas took a 14-0 lead just 29 seconds into the game.
- Fine extended his program records for career completions (992), career touchdown passes (91), career touchdowns responsible for (97), career passing yards (12,026) and career 300-yard passing games (18).
- Fine is tied with Georgia QB Jake Fromm for consecutive starts by an FBS quarterback with 36.
- Fine completed passes to nine different receivers. His first eight completions of the day were to eight different receivers.
- Junior WR Jaelon Darden (Houston) had six catches on the day for 60 yards and three touchdowns.
- His 14-yard touchdown reception with 0:46 left in the quarter was his third of the day and put him in a tie for fourth place on the all-time program list for single-season touchdown receptions (11) and seventh in all-time touchdown receptions (18), as he passed John Love (1965-66) in both categories.
- Darden's six catches put him at 139 for his career, putting in him ninth on the all-time program list for career receptions, one behind No. 8 Barry Moore (1968-69).
- It was the second time this season Darden has had three touchdown receptions in a game, with the first coming at Southern Miss on Oct. 12.
- Redshirt freshman Jyaire Shorter (Killeen, Texas) hauled in two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. His first catch of the day went for a 48-yard touchdown with 4:17 to play in the first quarter. Shorter had touchdowns of 40, 57 and 14 yards and tallied his first career 100-yard receiving day in last week's loss at Charlotte.
- Shorter now has eight touchdown receptions in his last seven games on just 19 receptions.
- Freshman WR Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas) caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mason Fine on the game's first play from scrimmage. It was Simpson's first career touchdown. He added a second when he hauled in a 20-yarder with 9:17 to play.
- Redshirt junior TE Jason Pirtle (Locust Grove, Okla.) caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Fine, his high school teammate, on the game's second play from scrimmage to give UNT a 14-0 lead just 29 seconds into the game after North Texas recovered a fumbled kickoff.
- Redshirt junior WR Deion Hair-Griffin (Fort Worth, Texas) returned the opening kickoff 63 yards after entering the game averaging 41.6 yards per kickoff return this season. He added a 71-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter to give North Texas the ball at UTEP's 17.
- Senior DE Ladarius Hamilton (Corrigan, Texas) tied a season-high with two sacks, matching his total from UNT's game at SMU.
Head Coach Seth Littrell's Postgame Press Conference