Lance Dunbar
Encyclopedia
Lance Dunbar is an American football
player for the University of North Texas
Mean Green
. He led the team in rushing yards during the 2009 and 2010 seasons and is one of the best running back
s in North Texas history.
. His family settled in Haltom City, Texas
. In his junior and senior years of high school, he had over 2,200 combined rushing yards and was named first-team all-district both years.
Dunbar then opted to attend the University of North Texas, as it was close to his home.
. He had 10 rushing attempts for 72 yards and a touchdown
, and he also had three receptions
for 25 yards. He played in five games that season, finishing with 178 rushing yards on 39 attempts, for a 4.6 average.
In 2009, Dunbar played in all 12 of North Texas' games. He did not have more than 16 rushing attempts during the first four games. On October 10, against Louisiana-Lafayette
, he had 32 carries and set career-highs with 187 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Against Florida Atlantic
a week later, he ran for 238 yards, his highest total of the season, and scored three times. Dunbar had 1,378 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 2009 and was the team's leading rusher. North Texas had a record of 2-10.
Dunbar was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt
team in 2010. He did not rush for over 141 yards in any of the first seven games that year. However, in the last five games, he rushed for over 200 yards three times. During the final game of the season, against Kansas State
, he set a career-high for rushing yards, with 270. He had 22 carries and averaged 12.3 yards per attempt that day. In addition, he scored three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. North Texas lost that game and had a 3-9 record in 2010.
Dunbar finished his junior year with 1,553 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He led North Texas in rushing yards for the second-straight season and also ranked sixth in the entire country. Through 2010, he was second in his school's history in three statistical categories: career touchdowns, all-purpose yards
, and 100 yard rushing games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player for the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
. He led the team in rushing yards during the 2009 and 2010 seasons and is one of the best running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s in North Texas history.
Early life
Dunbar lived in New Orleans until 2005, when he was forced to move due to Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. His family settled in Haltom City, Texas
Haltom City, Texas
Haltom City is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Haltom City is an inner suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 42,409 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Haltom City is located at ....
. In his junior and senior years of high school, he had over 2,200 combined rushing yards and was named first-team all-district both years.
Dunbar then opted to attend the University of North Texas, as it was close to his home.
College
Dunbar played in his first college football game on September 6, 2008, against TulsaTulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
. He had 10 rushing attempts for 72 yards and a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, and he also had three receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for 25 yards. He played in five games that season, finishing with 178 rushing yards on 39 attempts, for a 4.6 average.
In 2009, Dunbar played in all 12 of North Texas' games. He did not have more than 16 rushing attempts during the first four games. On October 10, against Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference.-Football classifications:*1937–1962: National Junior College Athletic Association...
, he had 32 carries and set career-highs with 187 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Against Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic Owls football
The Florida Atlantic Owls football team represents Florida Atlantic University, a mid-major NCAA Division I-A college football team, that competes in the Sun Belt Conference.-Overview and history:...
a week later, he ran for 238 yards, his highest total of the season, and scored three times. Dunbar had 1,378 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 2009 and was the team's leading rusher. North Texas had a record of 2-10.
Dunbar was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
team in 2010. He did not rush for over 141 yards in any of the first seven games that year. However, in the last five games, he rushed for over 200 yards three times. During the final game of the season, against Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, he set a career-high for rushing yards, with 270. He had 22 carries and averaged 12.3 yards per attempt that day. In addition, he scored three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. North Texas lost that game and had a 3-9 record in 2010.
Dunbar finished his junior year with 1,553 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He led North Texas in rushing yards for the second-straight season and also ranked sixth in the entire country. Through 2010, he was second in his school's history in three statistical categories: career touchdowns, all-purpose yards
All-purpose yardage
All-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the...
, and 100 yard rushing games.