COL FB: Texas 56, North Texas 7

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Colt McCoy passed for 177 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as No. 3 Texas trounced North Texas, 56-7, beginning its defense of the national title.

McCoy's first scoring pass was for 60 yards to Limas Sweed with the game barely one minute old.

Sweed had five catches for 111 yards and scored his second touchdown on a 29-yard pass from McCoy in the third quarter.

Jamaal Charles rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries. Selvin Young ran one-yard for a score in the second quarter and McCoy, a red-shirt freshman, was 12-of-19 passing with no interceptions.

Jamario Thomas ran for 37 yards on 14 attempts and Brandon Jackson caught two passes for one touchdown and 46 yards as the Mean Green was limited to 88 passing yards.

The contest was barely a warm-up for the Longhorns, who play top-ranked Ohio State in Austin next Saturday.