Last night’s game at Apogee Stadium between North Texas and Florida Atlantic promised to be entertaining. Promise fulfilled!
The 2018 Mean Green has started fast in virtually every game but last night was faster than fast, as their all-timer of a quarterback, Mason Fine, threw for 210 yards — in the first quarter!! In this age where music blares from stadium speakers with impunity, as the first quarter ended, either of two songs should have been featured: The Chiffons’ #1 “He’s So Fine” or their smash followup, “One Fine Day.” An opportunity missed, I sadly thought. I rationalized that many in the crowd were not alive in 1963.
The game’s drama built up throughout. North Texas’ early 20-7 lead evaporated at halftime as FAU rallied to nip ahead, 21-20. Disaster seemed to strike early in the second half as Fine went out of the game with what appeared to be an injury to his non-throwing wrist. Seldom-used Quinn Shambour to the rescue! The Mean Green offense shifted game plan and relied on the rush as Shambour scampered for TD runs of 5 and 18 yards.
Still, with FAU’s productive offense (amazing to think that Devin “Motor” Singletary came to Apogee Stadium with 64 career touchdowns!) lurking, North Texas fans were relieved to see Fine later reenter the game. FAU missed a chance to tie the game at 34 when Vladimir Rivas’ 41-yard field goal attempt doinked off the right upright. I was glad President Trump was not watching the game because he would have been hopelessly conflicted by the doink. He clearly would have rooted hard for a “Vladimir” but not so much for a “Rivas.”
When DeAndre Torrey ripped off a 92-yard TD scamper with 5 minutes remaining, the Mean Green’s lead expanded to 41-31. Pretty safe one might surmise. But this is the same North Texas that has experienced double-digit hell in all three of their losses where large leads have been squandered, highlighted by last week’s horrific meltdown at ODU after being up 28-0.
Sure enough, Chris Robison promptly threw the 2nd of his 50+-yard TD bombs. 41-38. Sure enough, FAU forces a UNT punt, but exhausting their time outs in the process. Apogee ecstasy after the game-clinching interception!
Turns out that at least the North Texas band appreciates 1960’s music. In the fourth quarter, they played the #1 hit from 1962 by Texan Bruce Channel, “Hey Baby” That gem is so old it preceded the days of Hayden Fry pacing the Mean Green sideline.
Another musical moment was missed given the game’s late 8:37 PM start (CBS Sports felt compelled to push the starting time back so that an earlier game could be televised. CBS just knew that the nation would be riveted by a snowy game at perennial power, Kent State). At game’s end, Eric Clapton’s classic, “After Midnight”, should have blared. However, I was not too disappointed. Thanks to the doink, we did not have a 41-41 game that would have resulted in the first of who knows how many overtimes. As it was, already past my bedtime.