Southern Miss went 75 yards in four plays in which Golden Eagles quarterback Jack Abraham connected with De' Michael Harris on a 59-yard screen pass for a touchdown. However, the Golden Eagles did not convert the extra point.
North Texas responded with a touchdown. After a huge kick return by DeAndre Torrey for North Texas, the Mean Green went 50 yards in two plays as quarterback Mason Fine connected with Jyaire Shorter for a 45-yard touchdown pass.
In the final minutes of the quarter, Harris ran 60 yards for a touchdown, giving the Golden Eagles a 13-7 lead going into the second quarter.