LA Tech defeats North Texas 52-17 - KSLA

Justin Henderson added to his league high total with two more touchdowns and led a Bulldog ground attack that amassed 264 yards on the ground. Tech controlled the game on both sides of the ball, totaling 37 first downs and more than 39 minutes of possession in the lopsided victory. The 37 first downs are the most by a Conference USA team in a game this season.The Bulldogs defense knocked North Texas quarterback Mason Fine out of the game in the second quarter with Tech leading 10-3. A fumble late in the first half by the Mean Green gave Tech an opportunity and the Bulldogs capitalized with a 1-yard TD run by Henderson on the final play of the quarter. Tech led 17-3 at the half.Even with Fine playing for the majority of the first two quarters, North Texas failed to move the ball against the Bulldogs, totaling just 85 yards on offense on 27 offensive plays in the first 30 minutes of the game."This is a team that’s been averaging 37 points per game, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way our defense stepped up and played tonight," said Holtz. "Earlier in the season, there was some criticism about this group outside, and I think Coach (Bob) Diaco and the rest of the defensive staff have done an incredible job of rallying these guys and getting them to buy into the system. “That would’ve made it very easy to take a step out and not buy in, and yet these players have believed in these coaches and understanding what they’re being asked to do. You’re watching a group of guys that are playing with an incredible amount of confidence right now. They’re encouraging each other, communicating with each other, and understanding where they’re fitting into the scheme of the defense. I just thought it was a phenomenal group effort on that side of the ball.”Without Fine, North Texas didn’t fare any better in the second half. With the Mean Green offense unable to pick up first downs, the Bulldog offense had zero trouble.