Florida Atlantic Rolls Over North Texas 46-13

Rusty Smith threw four touchdown passes as Florida Atlantic routed North Texas 46-13 on Saturday.

It was the third straight win for the Owls (4-5, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference), who are 5-0 all-time against the Mean Green (1-9, 0-5).

Smith was 15 for 23 for 237 yards and one interception before giving way to backup Jeff VanCamp in the third quarter. Smith threw touchdown passes of 13 and 16 yards to Cortez Gent in the first half, and hit Willie Rose and DiIvory Edgecomb for scores of 3 and 57 yards in the third quarter.

North Texas' Giovanni Vizza was 13 of 23 for 125 yards and two interceptions.

Trailing 9-0 in the second, the Mean Green's Cam Montgomery scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to pull within three points. But the extra point was blocked by Austin Jensen and picked up at the 20-yard line by the Owls' Darian Thomas, who returned it for two points to give Florida Atlantic an 11-6 lead.

On its ensuing possession, Florida Atlantic scored on Charles Pierce's 41-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 18-6. Gent's second touchdown reception gave the Owls a 25-6 halftime lead.

The Owls padded the lead on Smith's third and fourth touchdown passes in the third, and Jeff Blanchard's 10-yard score gave Florida Atlantic a 46-6 lead to close the third.