I am trying to find the obscure NCAA Records that you likely are not aware of and then couple it with the school that set the record really not celebrating it. You may know about this record, but you likely don’t. If you do know about this record, awesome, but keep it quiet so you don’t spoil it for anyone else. Sometimes the records are ones you may want to forget ever happened too and this may just be the case for this NCAA record.

October 7th, 2006, Denton, Texas.

The North Texas Mean Green, sitting at 1-4, welcomed in a Sun Belt Conference rival to Fouts Field. The FIU Panthers limped into Denton, sitting at 0-5 on the season. Yes, I know both of these teams are longer in the Sun Belt Conference. This was classic Fun Belt action, and we would have been all over this game in the Sickos Committee Game of the Week Rankings. If we had a TV channel, this game would run on Sickos Committee Classic too. One issue for getting the game though it was one something called Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast that no longer exists. Alas no video could be found in my cursory search. Maybe Quirky Research finds something.

There were two records set on the night; one was not forgotten and mentioned on the Wikipedia page, but the one I want to talk about, of course, is the forgotten one. These two teams combined to attempt the Most Field Goals in a Single Game. Another one was for most field goals attempted by a single player but that one was mentioned on the North Texas Wikipedia page.

Was there a reason why so many field goals were attempted? I’ll get to that a bit later.

Kickoff Time

You know, every great Sickos game starts with a safety. Guess what? This game was no different. North Texas’ first play from scrimmage was an interception. FIU got the ball and proceeded to go three and out. Then came the classic safety we all love. FIU’s Caleb Miller snapped the ball over punter Chris Cook's head, and through the end zone, the Mean Green led 2-0. SAFETY ALERT is what we would have posted when this happened.

The Mean Green took the safety punt/kickoff 13 plays for 34 yards in 7 minutes and 34 seconds settling for a 35 yard Denis Hopovac field goal.

North Texas led 5-0. The rest of the drives in the first half went Punt, Interception, Punt, Punt, Turnover on Downs, Turnover on Downs, Turnover on Downs, where North Texas stuffed FIU on the 1-YARD LINE, then QB Sneak/kneel to make it to halftime.

North Texas leads FIU 5-0 at halftime, with only ONE FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTED. They are so far off the record pace right now.

Get ready for the flurry of field goal attempts in the second half, right? Not yet…

FIU takes their opening possession of the second half 80 yards down the field for a 6-5 lead. Place kicker Dustin Rivest missed the extra point, but the Panthers lead 6-5. Then we go Punt, Punt, Pick-6! FIU leads 13-5 as Rivest makes the extra point this time.

Daniel Meager, who had replaced starting quarterback Woody Wilson in the fourth quarter, led North Texas' rally for a 16-13 lead. Hopovac kicked a 23-yard field goal after an FIU fumble to make it 13-8. Then Meager threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Quinn, then Meager scampered 2 yards for a 2-point conversion with 2 minutes to play. Mean Green led 16-13.

FIU's Lionell Singleton returned the kickoff 40 yards to midfield. From there, the Golden Panthers moved in to set up Rivest's tying 28-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining.

TIED 16-16, we’re going to OVERTIME. Funny thing here, too: North Texas entered the game as the only Division I-A team that hadn't played an overtime game since the NCAA instituted the rule in 1996.

That’s great and all, but how the hell did this game set the record for Most Field Goals Attempted in a Game by Both Teams??? We’ve only had THREE FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED???

OVERTIME BEGINS

First Overtime: FIU fumbles on the first play of OT, and North Texas recovers. The Panthers stiffen and force a 3rd and 19 at the FIU 34 after forcing two runs for losses. A Meager pass falls incomplete, and they send out Hopovac for a 51-yard game winner (4th Field Goal Attempt). It was missed short.

Second Overtime: North Texas picks up a first down, and they get closer, and Hopovac makes a 26-yarder for the 19-16 Mean Green Lead (5th Field Goal Attempt). FIU gains a few yards but no first down. Rivest answers from 37 yards out (6th Field Goal Attempt), and it's 19-19. To TRIPLE OVERTIME WE GO.

Third Overtime: FIU gets a first down and to the Mean Green 9-yard line. Oh no, Rivest misses wide right from 26 yards out! (7th Field Goal Attempt). All the Mean Green needs are some points to win this one, and they get a first down. They send out Hopovac for the 29-yard winner (8th Field Goal Attempt), but nooooo DOINK, HITS THE LEFT UPRIGHT! WHY DON’T WE HAVE VIDEO OF THIS GAME UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Fourth Overtime: North Texas cannot get a first down and Hopovac misses a 38-yarder (9th Field Goal Attempt). FIU cannot get a first down either, and Rivest misses the 36-yarder short! (10th Field Goal Attempt). WE ARE OFF TO A FIFTH OVERTIME.

Fifth Overtime: FIU gets it all the way down to the North Texas 2-yard line but settles for a 19-yard field goal from Rivest. (11th Field Goal Attempt) It’s good! Panthers lead 22-19. North Texas cannot get a first down, and they send out Hopovac for the tying 38-yarder (12th Field Goal Attempt) and... IT’S GOOD!!! 22-22, WE GO TO A SIXTH OVERTIME!!

Sixth Overtime: North Texas gets down to the FIU 10-yard line for a 1st and Goal. They lose two yards, then Meager takes an intentional grounding penalty, losing 18 yards on the play. (This is what Meager knew would happen in that earlier photo) The Mean Green sends out Hopovac for a 47-yard attempt (13th Field Goal Attempt), and like the 51-yarder, it’s short. FIU doesn’t gain a yard on their possession, and they send out Rivest for a 42-yard game winner (14th Field Goal Attempt), and it was WIDE LEFT. WE GO TO A SEVENTH OVERTIME!!!

If you had Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast you were getting your money’s worth on this game.

Seventh Overtime: FIU cannot get a first down, and they trot out Rivest for a 35-yard attempt (15th Field Goal Attempt). Rivest over-corrects from the kick in the sixth overtime and goes Wide Right! North Texas cannot get a first down, and they trot out Hopovac again for a 34 yard field goal for the win (16th Field Goal Attempt and Forgotten NCAA Record). HOPOVAC NAILS IT AND THE FOUTS FIELD CROWD GOES WILD!

Dustin Rivest had a day to forget kicking, finishing 3 of 7 on the day, but I can’t blame him really. He didn’t attempt a field goal until there were TWO SECONDS LEFT IN THE GAME. Also, Rivest was a true freshman kicker. He only kicked three more field goals the rest of the year. But guess what, Dustin, you’re a part of an NCAA record for most field goals attempted in a game by both teams!

Hopovac (a Senior) got the game winner and tied another NCAA record for most field goal attempts in a game with 9. The other record holder for that is Mike Prindle, of Western Michigan. Vs. Marshall, Sept. 29, 1984 (7 made). Denis went 5 for 9 in this game and only missed two other field goals the rest of the year, finishing 15 of 21 in his only senior season kicking for the Mean Green.

Here are the team stats for the day. The teams were a combined 8 for 39 on 3rd down. Nothing like a 20.5% 3rd Down Conversion rate. Oddly strange is that both FIU and North Texas had three turnovers each, but FIU had three fumbles and North Texas had three interceptions. Absolutely crazy that both teams could only manage basically 2 yards per carry on the ground, too!

Also, a special thank you to FIU Athletics for having the drive chart of this game. I linked it here for you too. Enjoy.

A FOUR HOUR AND TWENTY-FIVE MINUTE EPIC SICKOS CLASSIC.

This game also tied the most overtimes in a game which was later eclipsed by the Illinois and Penn State 9 Overtime game in 2021.

Thank you for reading!