North Texas dug itself into a decent hole early in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, partly because of a costly fumble.
Troy took a quick 7-0 lead after scoring on it's first possession. Then on the next drive, Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine was sacked and fumbled, and the Trojans recovered the ball and scored three plays later.
But North Texas got an early shot at revenge, this time making Troy pay for a mistake and shrinking the Trojans' 22-7 second-quarter lead. With a little less than six minutes left in the first half, the ball was snapped way above the head of quarterback Brandon Silvers.
North Texas linebacker Colton McDonald scooped it up and returned it for an awesome 56-yard touchdown. Although the Mean Green failed on its two-point conversion attempt, this defensive touchdown is a huge reason why North Texas didn't enter halftime with a double-digit deficit to overcome.
A late touchdown in the second quarter caught North Texas up to Troy even more, and the Trojans entered halftime with a 22-20 lead.
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