Jonesboro, AR (11/15/07) Corey Leonard threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Thompkins with two seconds left to give Arkansas State a 31-27 win against the North Texas football team on Thursday night at Indian Stadium.
Arkansas State improves to 5-6 and 3-4 in the Sun Belt, while the Mean Green falls to 1-9 and 1-5 in the conference. The Indians take a 9-8 advantage in the series with the Mean Green.
“This is a tough way to lose,” said North Texas head coach Todd Dodge. “We did a lot of great things and I think when we look at the film we will see that we played the best game of the season in a lot of areas.”
With North Texas holding a 27-24 lead, the Indians drove 80 yards in the final two minutes of the game to set up Leonard’s touchdown pass.
The Mean Green led the entire game until the last-second ASU touchdown pass. North Texas jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half before ASU scored 17 unanswered points. NT’s only points in the second half came off two Thomas Moreland field goals in the fourth quarter.
With North Texas holding a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter, Craig Robertson intercepted a Leonard toss, giving the Mean Green the ball at the ASU 39-yard line. Robertson leads the Mean Green with four interceptions this season. The North Texas drive stalled, but Moreland tied a career high with a 37-yard field goal to put North Texas ahead by 10.
ASU responded with two touchdown drives in the final four minutes to secure the come-from-behind victory.
The Mean Green jumped out to a 21-0 lead off three rushing touchdowns in the first half. After ASU scored a touchdown late the second quarter, the Indians shutout the Mean Green 10-0 in the third quarter.
For the second straight week, North Texas scored on it opening possession. Senior Jamario Thomas rushed in from four yards out to give North Texas an early lead.
Junior wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald became North Texas’ single-season record holder for receiving yards on his first catch of the game. Fitzgerald needed just five yards to eclipse the record of 1,130 yards set by John Love in 1966. His first catch of the game was for exactly five yards.
Quarterback Giovanni Vizza threw a 42-yard pass to Sam Dibrell to set up a two-yard touchdown run by Micah Mosley. The Mean Green drove 88 yards to set up the Mosley touchdown.
After Aaron Weathers blocked a field goal and then a punt, Thomas rushed for his second touchdown of the game. It was the first time that the senior running back has had multiple rushing touchdowns since his freshman year.
North Texas returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 24 when it hosts Western Kentucky at 3 pm.
