Senior quarterback Mason Fine's name is all over the Mean Green record books, and other key categories are in his sights. What else is left before he moves on to his next chapter?
First things first -- check the career passing touchdowns record off the list. Prior to the first game of the season, Fine already owned program records for career passing yardage, career completions, career pass attempts, career passing efficiency and career 300-yard passing games. He entered this season with 64 career passing touchdowns, second only to the great Steve Ramsey (1967-69), who held the school record of 69. By game two, versus the SMU Mustangs, Fine had tied the record. By game three, against California, he had tied the record with 71 career passing touchdowns.
Currently, Fine is second in career completion percentage, trailing Riley Dodge (2008-10), who completed 64.7% of his career pass attempts. Fine has seen his completion percentage rise in each of his three seasons -- in fact, he reached 64.6% in 2018. Under new offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder, he has the opportunity to continue to see those numbers rise.
He's also looking for a bowl win this season. North Texas resurrected itself quickly from the 1-11 2015 season prior to head coach Seth Littrell and Fine's arrival. Still, Fine missed the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2016 due to injury, 2017 ended with a New Orleans Bowl loss, and last season he suffered a leg injury in the first quarter of the New Mexico Bowl that cost him the remainder of the game. The Mean Green are again well positioned to compete for a conference championship and find success in bowl season. One of the only things left on Fine's resume is a win in that last game.
And, finally, the legendary QB has a chance to break UNT's 15-year draft drought. With offensive trends shifting more toward a spread and in some cases an air raid approach, and with the recent and potential success of quarterbacks with similar builds -- like Baker Mayfield in Cleveland and last year's No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in Arizona -- Fine should stand out as a great fit in a league that continues to progress.