New Orleans Bowl: Brandon Silvers lifts Troy over North Texas

Brandon Silvers passed for four touchdowns and ran for another, Troy produced five turnovers and the Trojans beat North Texas 50-30 in the New Orleans Bowl on Saturday.

Josh Anderson, filling in for injured starter Jordan Chunn, rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and Silvers also scored on a short run to help Troy (11-2) win for the 21st time in two seasons.

Silvers passed for 306 yards. Two of his TD passes went to Damion Willis, who had 136 yards and two TDs receiving on a New Orleans Bowl-record-tying 11 catches.

Mason Fine passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns for North Texas (9-5), but was intercepted twice and fumbled twice. He finished with Mean Green single-season records of 4,052 yards and 31 TDs passing.

Troy largely dominated the second half after its own turnover trouble gave North Texas hope at halftime.

The Trojans were threatening to take a three-touchdown lead in the second quarter when a bad snap sailed over Silvers’ head and linebacker Colton McDonald scooped it for a 56-yard fumble return to make it 22-13. Fine later connected from 13 yards with Michael Lawrence for a diving catch on the edge of the end zone, making it 22-20.

UNT opened the second half with the ball, but Fine’s short pass was deflected backward to linebacker Hunter Reese, who intercepted it to give the Trojans the ball on the North Texas 27. That set up Silvers’ keeper to make it 29-20.

Troy widened the lead when Silvers rifled a pass deep down the middle to Tevaris McCormick for a 59-yard TD. McCormick’s 107 yards on five catches.

Troy raced to a 15-0 lead, driving 80 yards for the opening score on Anderson’s 1-yard run before converting Fine’s first fumble into points.

Fine lost the ball trying to escape the unabated rush of Troy defensive tackle Jamal Stadom. Linebacker Sam Lebbie recovered inside the UNT 20. Anderson scored from 2 yards out a couple plays later.