Recap: North Texas vs. Arkansas State

Denton, TX (Sports Network) - Ryan Aplin threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another as the Arkansas State Red Wolves posted a 37-19 win over the North Texas Mean Green in Sun Belt Conference action at Apogee Stadium.

Aplin completed 25-of-32 passes for 328 yards for the Red Wolves (6-3, 4-1 Sun Belt) as they won their fourth straight outing in order to become bowl eligible. J.D. McKissic caught 10 passes for 96 yards and David Oku ran for a game-high 71 yards and a score for ASU as well.

The Mean Green (3-6, 2-3) were paced by Derek Thompson who hit on 28-of-47 passes for 316 yards and a score, while being sacked once and having a pass picked off in the team's second loss in as many outings.

North Texas kicked off the game's scoring with a safety right off the bat and added a two-yard TD run by Thompson later in the first quarter, but in between ASU registered a touchdown of its own when Aplin combined with Julian Jones on a 59-yard pass play.

With under one minute remaining in the opening period the Red Wolves capped a 10-play, 54-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal by Brian Davis to assume the lead at 10-9.

Early in the second ASU struck again, this time on a five-yard TD run by Aplin to move the advantage to 16-9 following a failed PAT.

North Texas kicker Zach Olen booted a 43-yard field goal for the hosts at the 10:18 mark of the second quarter, but that was before the Red Wolves rattled off two more touchdowns prior to halftime.

Oku scored on a one-yard run for the visitors and Aplin hooked up with Kedric Murry on a four-yard scoring toss to make the score 30-12 at the break.

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter as Thompson combined with Antoinne Jimmerson on a three-yard TD pass play for UNT, followed by a 19-yard scoring run by Rocky Hayes for the Red Wolves, giving Arkansas State a 37-19 advantage heading into what would be a scoreless fourth period.

Arkansas State, which averaged 7.3 yards per snap, scored on all four opportunities in the red zone and overcame eight penalties for 89 yards in the triumph.