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https://meangreensports.com/news/2020/12/21/football-big-runs-doom-mean-green-in-myrtle-beach-bowl.aspx CONWAY, S.C. – In several ways, the cards were stacked against North Texas on Monday in its Myrtle Beach Bowl showdown with Appalachian State, but despite a 56-28 loss for the Mean Green, there were a few bright spots heading into the offseason. North Texas was playing shorthanded in several areas, but specifically in the passing game as the Mean Green were without leading passer Austin Aune and their two top receivers in Jaelon Darden and Deonte Simpson, making way for Austin Ogunmakin and a true freshman in Loronzo Thompson. Ogunmakin posted career highs in catches (seven) and yards (131) and caught his first career touchdown pass, and Thompson helped provide depth on offense by grabbing five balls for 44 yards and his first two career touchdown receptions. Those two stuck out in head coach Seth Littrell's mind as positives going into next season. "I was proud of Loronzo – he's been back and forth as a true freshman and we needed him to play more wide receiver and he came in and had a couple of touchdowns," Littrell said. "He did very well. Austin did a nice job with a touchdown and some big plays. Our backs (Oscar Adaway III and Tre Siggers) ran really, really hard. And we did some good things up front, but we lost two guards in the first half. We had a lot of young guys out there. This will be a great experience for us. Obviously moving forward, it'll really benefit the young guys. I thought (quarterback Jason) Bean managed the game pretty well all night. He had the one mistake there that cost us, but I thought he saw the field well." Siggers led the way on the ground for the Mean Green, picking up a season-high 120 yards on 17 carries, while Adaway III added 97 yards on 26 carries. Bean completed 21 of 36 pass attempts for a career-high 251 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that led to the Mountaineers' final touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter. The Mean Green totaled 509 yards – just shy of their season average of 515 yards per game, which was seventh in the nation entering the game. After an inspired start to the game by UNT's defense, the Appalachian State running game began to take over in the form of big, explosive plays. "Early on, the defense did some good things," Littrell said. "We stopped the run for a stretch. We knew that was something we'd have to consistently defend. Once it got going they hit it a few times." Just when North Texas seemingly grabbed some momentum and pulled to within 28-14 with a 4-yard touchdown run from Adaway III with 27 seconds left in the first half, Appalachian State struck back in a hurry. On the Mountaineers' ensuing possession, Camerun Peoples broke off a 64-yard touchdown run to instead send Appalachian State (9-3) into the halftime break with a 35-14 lead. That was after Appalachian State's Marcus Williams Jr., reeled off a 70-yard touchdown run on the Mountaineers' previous possession. "We score with 27 seconds left and we're down 14 and, and they hit that explosive run and put us down 21," Littrell said. "Then, again, we made it 14 in the second half and then we just couldn't stop them again." Peoples added a 62-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left in the third quarter to put the Mountaineers up 42-21. Peoples had 23 carries for 319 yards and five touchdowns. Williams Jr., finished with 101 yards and a score on six carries. In all, Appalachian State's big plays on the ground killed the Mean Green, as the Mountaineers had three one-play scoring drives that featured touchdown runs of 70, 64 and 62 yards, respectively. "It was just gaps and people getting out of their gaps," senior safety Makyle Sanders said. "That was hurting us. One mistake like that and it was to the house." Littrell said the mistakes start with coaching but also must be corrected by the players, and he added he is excited to get into offseason and begin correcting those mistakes before next year. "You have to put it on the coaches," Littrell said. "It's my job as the head coach that these guys are put in the best situation, and from there the guys have to do their jobs and fit where they're supposed to fit. We have a lot we need to work on, obviously. I'm looking forward to this offseason. That's something we need right now." Despite the long list of players who weren't available for the game, most notably Darden, who was named a Pro Football Focus first-team All-American earlier Monday after declaring for the NFL draft last week, Littrell said he was proud of the way his team responded and filled several large voids. "We're not going to make excuses," Littrell said. "You have to give App State credit. They're a very good team. They're tough to beat when you're fully healthy. But I was proud of how we responded. It's going to happen in college football. You have to have that depth and the next guy up mentality." QUICK HITS Appalachian State now has a 1-0 all-time series advantage over the Mean Green in their first-ever meeting. The Mean Green played in their fourth bowl in five seasons under head coach Seth Littrell but have to yet to claim a bowl victory under Littrell. The game marked the 12th bowl appearance in Mean Green history, and they are now 3-9 all-time in bowl games. The last Mean Green bowl win came in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1, 2014. The Mean Green allowed a season-high 502 rushing yards, and Appalachian State's Camerun Peoples ran for 319 yards on 23 carries, which was the most rushing yards for an opposing player this year. He also scored five touchdowns. The Mean Green totaled 509 yards (267 passing and 242 rushing), which was just shy of their season average of 515 yards per game, which ranks seventh in the nation in total offense. Redshirt sophomore QB Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) started the game but left early in the second quarter after taking a late hit to the head. Bean re-entered the game after missing the one snap that led to the Martin-to-Johnson touchdown pass. He finished the day with a career-high 251 passing yards on 21-of-36 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Redshirt sophomore QB Kason Martin (Manvel, Texas) entered the game in relief of Bean, marking his first action at quarterback since the season-opening win over Houston Baptist. Martin finished the day with 16 yards on 1-of-1 passing with a touchdown. Martin's first snap was a 16-yard touchdown pass to Loronzo Thompson with 13:41 left in the second quarter. It was his second career touchdown pass and first since the 2018 New Mexico Bowl, when he replaced an injured Mason Fine, on what was also his first attempt of that game. Redshirt freshman RB Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) finished the day with 97 yards on 26 carries. Adaway III's 4-yard touchdown run with 0:27 left in the first half was his third of the season. Redshirt junior RB Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) finished the day with a season-high 120 yards on 17 carries. It was Siggers' second 100-yard rushing game of the season with the first coming at Middle Tennessee. Freshman WR/DB Loronzo Thompson (Friendswood, Texas) had his first career catch and later in the same drive had his first career touchdown reception on a 16-yard catch from Kason Martin. Thompson finished the day with five catches for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Thompson scored his second touchdown of the game, and of his career, with 6:12 remaining when he caught a 7-yard touchdown from Bean. Redshirt sophomore WR Austin Ogunmakin (Alief, Texas) finished the day with career highs in catches (seven) and yards (131) and his first career touchdown. Ogunmakin tallied the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, as his previous single-game high was 60 yards earlier this season against Rice. His 34-yard touchdown reception from Bean with 6:14 remaining in the third quarter was the first touchdown reception of his career. Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) finished the day with eight tackles, including six solo stops. Senior safety Cameron Johnson (Houston) finished the day with eight tackles, including three solo stops, and had a pass breakup. Junior LB KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) finished the day with five tackles. Redshirt senior DL Caleb Colvin (Owasso, Oklahoma) had a career-high five tackles, including two solo stops. direct link: https://meangreensports.com/news/2020/12/21/football-big-runs-doom-mean-green-in-myrtle-beach-bowl.aspx

So, The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, in Waco, is the first to receive the New Dave Campbell Texas Football. Now granted that we are non to happy of UT's Sam Ehlinger on the cover and not Our Mason Fine They do have us going 9-3 overall (7-1 conference) in the 2019 Season. In fact, Greg Tepper of Texasfootball.com ask "Can a Texas team finally break Through in Wide-open C-USA?" He goes on to say that "The Lone Star State's best hope appears to be North Texas." Small Breakdown: Mean Green Offense : QB's = A+ RB's = A OLine = B- Receivers = A Defense: D-line = C LB's = D+ D-backs = B Special Teams = C Game of the Year: Mean Green at Southern Miss Oct 12. that being the conference loss. Let the debating continue....

Are you as excited for #NorthTexasFootball season as I am?! Join #UNTAlumni next Saturday, June 1st for the Coaches Caravan @ Texas Live from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.! YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE COACHES AND ATHLETES! REGISTER NOW! https://lnkd.in/eyysTrQ

Are you as excited for #NorthTexasFootball season as I am?! Join #UNTAlumni next Saturday, June 1st for the Coaches Caravan @ Texas Live from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.! YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE COACHES AND ATHLETES! REGISTER NOW! https://lnkd.in/eyysTrQ

It was just barely enough. Winless UTEP, playing like a team desperate to snap the nation's longest losing streak, hung with the Mean Green all night. Twice North Texas built a 10-point lead in the second half, and twice the Miners pulled within a field goal. It took a quarterback sack by North Texas' E.J. Ejiya and Bryce English in the final two minutes, then surviving a Miners' near miss on fourth down, before the Mean Green finally sent the Miners to their 18th-straight loss, 27-24. "I want to give coach (Dana) Dimel and UTEP a lot of credit," North Texas coach Seth Littrell said. "They played extremely hard. "But we have to play a lot cleaner," he added. "We couldn't get into rhythm or sync offensively in the first half. We didn't play to our standards whatsoever. Just way too many mistakes." North Texas is 5-1, its best start since 1988. The Mean Green got off to their slowest start of the season, failing to score on their opening two possessions as UTEP generated early pressure on Fine. The Miners, meanwhile, with Ryan Metz starting at quarterback for injured Kai Locksley, put together a pair of sustained drives and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. An interception by North Texas' Tyreke Davis, however, turned away the second threat. North Texas mounted its first scoring drive late in the first quarter on the strength of a 38-yard pass from Fine to Bussey, followed by an 18-yard TD pass to Darden, who broke a tackle at the 7-yard line and tight-roped down the sideline for a touchdown. But the North Texas offense could not find consistency. Big plays were followed by critical mistakes, including dropped passes by multiple receivers and an inconsistent running game. UTEP, meanwhile enjoyed success through the air, especially on yards after catch, including turning a short toss into a 29-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to give the Miners a 10-7 lead. However, North Texas made three plays late in the half to stem UTEP's momentum. First, wide receiver Cudjoe Young fought his way through a defender for a 23-yard reception on third and 10. Five plays later, Cole Hedlund made a 52-yard field goal, the longest of his career and tied for the ninth longest in school history, to tie the game at 10-10. Then defensive back Nate Brooks stopped a UTEP threat just before halftime with his fourth interception of the season at the goal line. "We had some come-to-Jesus talks," Littrell said of the Mean Green halftime locker room. "We had too many drops. That's when we lose focus a little bit." The Mean Green found its offense in the third quarter, getting another field goal from Hedlund and an 11-yard touchdown on a shovel pass from Fine to Bussey for a 20-10 lead, as Fine completed 14 of 15 passes in the second half. But UTEP refused to fold. It responded early in the fourth quarter with a 90-yard scoring drive, the longest march North Texas has allowed this year, to edge within 20-17 with 10:43 to play. North Texas answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive, burning up half of the period's remaining clock and opening a 27-17 lead on a Nic Smith 20-yard touchdown run. And UTEP struck back immediately with a 67-yard touchdown pass. The Miners then stopped the Mean Green's next possession, setting the stage for one final comeback attempt. That final rally, however, was foiled by Ejiya and English, who sacked the Miners' QB for a 10-yard loss to set up fourth and 17. The fourth-down play narrowly failed when a pass over the middle slipped off the receiver's finger tips. "A W is a W," Littrell said. "We're going to enjoy this win. But we are going to clean up these mistakes." Quick Hits North Texas' 5-1 start is its best since 1988, when it opened 6-1. The 1988 and 2018 starts each include a road win over a Power 5 opponent; at Arkansas in 2018, at Texas Tech in 1988. Junior quarterback Mason Fine (Peggs, Okla.) moved into second place in career passing yards at North Texas, surpassing Heart of Dallas Bowl MVP Derek Thompson (2009-13). Fine has 7,542 yards, and trails only Mitch Maher (1991-94) on the all-time list. Maher had 8.519 yards. If Fine maintains his current pace, he will overtake the top position this season. Fine had the 22nd 200-yard passing game of his career, second most in UNT history. Sophomore defensive back Tyreke Davis (Denton Ryan) had the Mean Green's 11th interception of the season and the first of his career when he undercut a UTEP receiver and made a diving catch to stop a Miner drive at the North Texas 28-yard line. Junior wide receiver Rico Bussey, Jr., (Lawton, Okla.) continued what is becoming the best season by a North Texas wide receiver since Casey Fitzgerald rewrote the UNT record book in 2007 and 2008. With 117 yards on 8 receptions against UTEP, Bussey is on pace to join UNT's list of top-10 single-season receiving seasons in yards, receptions and touchdowns. An 11-yard score in the third quarter was Bussey's eighth receiving TD of the year, which ties for the 10th most in a single season at UNT with Troy Redwine (1993-95). Bussey had the sixth 100-yard receiving game of his career, which ties for sixth most all-time at UNT with Johnny Quinn (2003-06), Redwine and David Yaege (1971-72). Senior wide receiver Cudjoe Young (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had the longest reception of his career, a 23-yard catch to set up UNT's game-tying field goal in the second quarter. Senior kicker Cole Hedlund (Argyle, Texas) hit a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter, the longest of his career and tied for the ninth longest in school history. Sophomore wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) had a career high in receiving yards with 91, on 5 catches. Senior defensive back Nate Brooks (Whitehouse, Texas) recorded his fourth interception of the season, matching his season best in 2016. It was the eighth of his career. Redshirt sophomore running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Miss.), who took over the primary rushing duties following the season-ending injury to Loren Easly, had a career-high 70 yards on 19 carries. Sophomore defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) had the first field goal block of his career, tipping a 53-yard attempt in the third quarter. It was the Mean Green's first field-goal block since Zach Orr blocked a field goal in 2013, also against UTEP. Senior linebacker E.J. Ejiya (Blaine, Minn.) had one tackle for loss Saturday to give him 26.5 for his career, moving ahead of Corbin Montgomery (1996-99) for fifth most in UNT history. UNT's Keegan Brewer, of the famous punt return against Arkansas, was again on punt return duty. Each time Brewer called a fair catch, the Miners had a defender keeping a close eye on Brewer until he actually surrendered the ball to the officials. Although North Texas and UTEP have met in football 27 times (with UNT holding a 16-8-3 advantage), this was just the sixth meeting since 1980. All six have been since the Mean Green joined Conference USA in 2013. This was UNT's first win in El Paso since 1980, and it levels the C-USA series against the Miners at 3-3. Saturday was UTEP's homecoming, and the Miners celebrated their 1988 team. A member of that squad was North Texas defensive coordinator Troy Reffett, who, in addition to playing at UTEP, was on the Miners' coaching staff for 14 seasons. The UTEP-UNT connections run both ways. UTEP offensive coordinator Mike Canales was offensive coordinator, associate head coach, quarterbacks coach and twice an interim head coach at North Texas from 2010 to 2015, and UTEP offensive line coach Mike Simmonds held the same position with the Mean Green from 2011 to 2015. link: https://meangreensports.com/news/2018/10/6/football-mean-green-escape-el-paso.aspx View full article

Date North Texas Opponent Location Time/Network Official/Fan Website 09/01/18 vs. SMU Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST Stadium SMU Official Football Site Ponyfans.com Football Fan Site 09/08/18 vs. Incarnate Word Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST ESPN+ Incarnate Word Official Football Site 09/15/18 @Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas 3PM CST SEC Network Alt Arkansas Official Football Site Hogville Fan Site 09/22/18 @Liberty Lynchburg, Virginia 5PM CST Liberty Official Football Site A Sea of Red Fan Site 09/29/18 vs. Louisiana Tech Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST beIN La. Tech Official Football Site Bulldawg Bark and Bytes Fan Site 10/06/18 @UTEP El Paso, Texas 6:30PM CST beIN UTEP Official Football Site MinerDigs Fan Site 10/13/18 vs. Southern Miss Denton, Texas 1PM CST ESPN3 USM Official Football Site The Perch Fan Site 10/20/18 @UAB Birmingham, Alabama 6:30PM CST beIN UAB Official Football Site Blazer Talk Fan Site 10/27/18 vs. Rice Denton, Texas 3PM CST ESPN+ Rice Official Football Site The Parliament Fan Site 11/10/18 @Old Dominion Norfolk, Virginia 2:30PM CST ESPN3 ODU Official Football Site Lion's Den Fan Site 11/15/2018 vs. Florida Atlantic Denton, Texas 8:30PM CST CBSSN FAU Official Football Site FAU Owl's Nest Fan Site 11/24/2018 @Texas San Antonio San Antonio, Texas 6PM CST ESPN+ UTSA Official Football Site Rowdy Talk Fan Site * Home games denoted in bold

I had this discussion with a fan last night and it turned it to a good debate.

Ninety-eight yards, 57 seconds. In one, game-winning drive last October vs. Conference USA rival UT-San Antonio, North Texas quarterback Mason Fine gained a national reputation. The sequence included Fine rolling out and then delivering a bomb through three defenders into the hands of receiver Michael Lawrence. Fine completed the drive when he found wide receiver Rico Bussey up the middle a fraction-of-a-second before a Roadrunners defender made contact. Bussey took Fine's fifth completion of the possession to pay dirt for the win. The drive made highlight shows and was aired on telecasts coming out of timeouts around the nation. "I never felt we couldn’t do it," Fine said. "Looking back on it, the probability of actually pulling that off is really low. But everyone had confidence: the [offensive] line, the coaches, the receivers, and nobody blinked." Fine's assessment of the actual likelihood North Texas could pull off that rally isn't wrong. ESPN.com's Win Probability chart gave the Mean Green a 1.2 percent chance to win when they took the field for that drive. That march down the field there may not be a better quarterback at defying odds than Fine. Despite being recognized as 2014 USA Today Oklahoma Player of the Year at Locust Grove High School, Fine garnered interest mostly from Div. II programs, and just one scholarship offer from a Div. I university: Austin Peay -- which, with a 3-43 record in the previous four seasons, was arguably the worst program in the Football Championship Subdivision. "I’d be lying if I said it didn’t frustrate me, because that was a dream of mine, to play Div. I football," Fine said. "I’ve been working toward that for the past 10 years, then not seeing the letters come in, not seeing the offers come in." Read more: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/mason-fine-ty-gangi-andrew-ford-lead-group-5-qbs-watch-2018

Join Harry, @TheReal_jayD and @GMG24 as we discuss UNT's first Fall Camp practices of the 2018 season as well as the latest in recruiting and of course the big opener against SMU.

As the 2018 North Texas football season inches closer, there is no disputing the level of excitement and anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. Optimism abounds and it’s not just from the die-hard fans who frequent the GoMeanGreen.com fan website. The Mean Green were picked to place first in the Conference USA Western division in the league’s 2018 preseason poll and junior quarterback Mason Fine was selected as the league’s most valuable offensive player. UNT returns 17 starters, and pretty much it’s entire coaching staff including head coach Seth Littrell who led the program to bowl games in both of his first two seasons. They also can boast the #1 ranked 2019 recruiting class in Conference USA according to 247 Sports. North Texas had struggled for most of the past decade prior to Littrell’s hiring in 2015, notching only one winning season in 2013 under then coach Dan McCarney. In 2016, Littrell took a 1-11 team he inherited from McCarney to a bowl game in his first season as head coach. Later, in the summer of 2016 UNT hired athletic director Wren Baker and after solid 2017 performances in all three major revenue sports the future could not look brighter. Yet, despite good signs, as a long down trodden North Texas fan, there is always that chip on your shoulder, and concern that even the best of expectations can be derailed. It's just not that easy being green. If that admission means I fall into the #OLDDENTON category so be it. I could not help but think back to a similar place we – as North Texas fans – found ourselves just four short years ago back in 2014, after an amazing Heart of Dallas bowl win on New Years day against UNLV. Dan McCarney was hired as head football coach by North Texas in November 2010. This hire was the culmination of a prior disastrous hire of high school coach Todd Dodge made by then athletic director Rick Villarreal. McCarney seemed to be everything Dodge wasn’t. He had experience, having been a player at Iowa under former North Texas legend Hayden Fry and the head coach at Iowa State in some of their glory years. Oh, and by the way, he also won a national championship ring as a defensive coordinator at Florida. McCarney immediately played the “major rebuild” card that newly installed coaches like to play, and quite honestly, he was probably right as Dodge had run this thing into the ground. His first season at UNT (2011) in the Sun Belt conference earned him a 5-7 record; in 2012 he regressed to 4-8. Alumni and boosters were antsy. How long and could he ever get things on track? 2013 was the season that it all came together and in hindsight unfortunately extended McCarney’s stay an additional 2-years. North Texas went 9-4, and despite not winning their division were able to secure a rare bowl win in front of a good crowd. Suddenly, the whispers of who would replace McCarney became a chorus of demands to renew his contract as quickly as possible although very few will admit this sin today. There are certainly some similarities between how North Texas fans felt heading into the 2014 season and how they feel now. Int 2014, North Texas was picked to win the West division of Conference USA and Marshall was expected to win the East. UNT returned seasoned offensive coordinator Mike “Chico” Canales and talked defensive wizard John Skladany out of retiring. They returned 5 offensive starters and 4 defensive starters from their 9-4 squad and recruiting had been solid. The season started off roughly on the road at the University of Texas as hopes for a major step forward against a P5 program were dashed. UNT would lose the game 38-7 despite a good defensive showing in the 1st half. In week two, UNT bounced back in a big way, defeating arch rival SMU in Denton by a score of 43-6 and the bandwagon started back up. Fans were bleeding green again. Then reality sunk in after a disastrous home loss against Louisiana Tech by a score of 42-21. After a cupcake win against out-manned Nicholls State, the Mean Green would go on to lose four straight conference games. McCarney would only manage two more conference wins that season against the bottom tier Florida C-USA schools and finished the season at 4-8. Much of the issues UNT faced in 2014 revolved around the quarterback position. They tried several options during the season, including Iowan Andrew McNulty, juco-transfer Josh Greer, and Dajon Williams. None of them seemed to work, with junior, and McCarney favorite McNulty earning the most game reps. UNT hoped this setback season was just a blip on the radar screen but the worst was yet to come. In 2015, McCarney would start out 0-5 and was summarily fired after a disastrous 66-7 loss to FCS program Portland State at home. One could argue that the North Texas program is under solid footing with Coach Littrell and his staff heading into the 2018 season. The biggest difference appears to be the return of junior quarterback Mason Fine. One cannot question the importance of the quarterback position and UNT appears miles ahead of where they were in 2014 both in terms of talent and depth. Mason Fine will go down as one of the most prolific quarterbacks North Texas has ever had on the field. But he is a not a big guy, and with a porous offensive line, he has had some injury issues in his first two seasons. If you lose Fine, it could put you in a similar situation that McCarney faced in 2014 where he had no significant experience at the most important position on the team. A look back at North Texas’ 2017 season reveals that Littrell won a fair amount of close games, especially in conference. UNT beat UAB by only 3 points at home and just bested UTSA by 3 at home with seconds left on the clock. They beat Old Dominion by only a touchdown, and La. Tech by only 1-point. Turn those around and throw in an Army non-conference 3-point win and the season could have looked a whole lot different in terms of the record. UNT also benefitted from some lucky breaks, for instance Southern Miss losing their starting quarterback. And you have to factor in that they lose all-time great field UNT goal kicker Trevor “Ice” Moore. The loss of Moore makes the parity in the conference more concerning heading into this important season. The other factor is the strength of the league. In 2013, many feel McCarney caught Conference USA in a down cycle. In 2013 opponent Tulsa went 3-9, UTEP 2-10, Southern Miss was 1-11 and La. Tech went 4-8. SMU is always a nice win, but that was one of the worst seasons they had in a long time. In 2018 you know the Western division won’t be easy. La. Tech will likely be back strong after beating SMU in the 2017 Frisco bowl. Southern Miss returns a bowl team, UTSA is always tough, and UAB may have some of the best returning talent in the west. The non-conference slate includes a powerful Florida Atlantic squad, a rising Old Dominion program and Arkansas from the SEC. Recruiting is another factor to consider, as 2014 unveiled the stark reminder that in his fourth season Dan McCarney’s recruiting abilities – with a few exceptions - had been abysmal. In 2018, Littrell will have more of his players that fit his system in place. He has proven that he and his staff can identify and develop good offensive players such as Fine, and receivers Jalen Guyton, Michael Lawrence and Rico Bussey. As to whether this skill translates to the defensive side of the ball remains to be seen. If anything, the 2014 season reminds us that expectations can be misleading. There is a real momentum that is being felt around 1301 Bonnie Brae right now. Can Littrell take this program to another level? Or will he fall victim to the curse that North Texas coaches before him have fallen? A solid season could catapult an already amazing recruiting haul into one for the record books and cement Littrell’s legacy as a head coach at the G5 level.

I've long been a fan of the College Football subreddit for its humor, in depth analysis and reporting, and just overall good community. The subreddit's main Moderator, /u/Honestly__ went and represented during CUSA Media Days and got some great interviews in of Mason Fine, E.J. Ejiya, and Seth Littrell. The rest of the Reddit thread is a goldmine of good Q&As.

I know the first rule of the “Fight Club” movie starring Brad Pitt was you were never to talk about Fight Club. But when it comes to #F19HTCLUB, the official social media moniker for North Texas Football’s 2019 signing class, I feel compelled to break the rule. Not only is this class off to great start with fourteen 3-star ranked commitments in just early July, but potentially looking like it could be one of the best in program history. Perhaps it could even be in the running for one of the top G5 classes in the country. This is new territory for a North Texas program who has struggled at times to land higher ranked players, despite being in a hot bed of Texas high school talent in past years. The 2019 class not only has high rankings, but also many hold quality offers from G5 and, yes even *gasp* P5 programs with significant more funding and resources. One of the only knocks on Seth Littrell in his tenure thus far at North Texas is the perception he has not recruited at a high enough level, certainly in the eyes of the recruiting services. One argument was Littrell’s signing classes did not have enough 3 star ranked players. Another would be that his recruits did not have enough P5 school offers. Here’s the real story, in just over two years Littrell and company has done a remarkable job completely rebuilding the roster and culture of a program that had been decimated after a string of bad hires. You don’t take a 1-win team to a C-USA conference championship game in 2 seasons without upgrading the talent on the roster. Over 50% of the starting line up in the 2017 C-USA conference championship were brought in after Seth Littrell took over. The good news is that the proportion of Littrell recruits will only increase in the 2018 season and there were some good players who redshirted last season making their debut in 2018. And no one has ever questioned Littrell and his staff’s ability to identify and develop talent. One need only look to starting junior quarterback Mason Fine who most every division I program thought was too small to play. Fine passed for 4,052 yards in 2017 with 31 touchdowns making him the #6 ranked passing leader in the entire NCAA. In fact, he sat just one chair behind #5 ranked Sam Darnold of USC (4,143) who just signed with the NY Jets as the 3rd pick in the draft. As North Texas has improved in the win column (9-5 in 2017; 2 consecutive bowls) there are also encouraging signs the recruiting efforts have trended upward each cycle since Littrell’s hiring. That said, the 2019 class – thus far – appears to be the cycle where everything seems to be falling into place. Winning helps for sure, as top players want to join a program that is winning consistently and going to bowl games. In retrospect, the key difference may well be Littrell’s hiring director of recruiting, Luke Walerius. Walerius’ most recent stop was at Kentucky in the SEC and is primarily responsible for North Texas’ recruiting program including organization and talent evaluation. The social media efforts and communication have taken took huge steps since his arrival. When talking to both prospect and commits a common theme is that North Texas is the team showing the most love and the best family culture to them. Another key impact that Walerius has made has been to take the natural resources North Texas has, in terms of staff, location, facilities, academics and communicate it effectively in language that the prospects and their respective coaches understand. Twitter has become the king of football recruiting and North Texas has embraced communicating it’s strengths in that medium under Walerius’ lead. Two positions they may be set in terms of numbers in this class are WR and LB. Littrell and his staff have had great success at the wide receiver position since coming on board. They are returning Jalen Guyton, Rico Bussey, Michael Lawrence and Jaelon Darden, all guys brought in by current staff. They also have some exciting freshman and transfers that could contribute this fall including redshirt Greg White from Georgia and Kansas transfer Keegan Brewer. There are currently 3 receivers committed to North Texas this cycle including Damon Ward and Deonte Simpson both from West Brook as well as Kealon “Action” Jackson from Shadow Creek. All three have two things in common, speed and versatility. All three will contribute and be exciting in this spread offense. North Texas has had great success at LB in recent history including sending Craig Robertson (Saints) and Zach Orr (Ravens/Retired) to the NFL. In 2018 North Texas will have a very veteran LB Squad led by seniors EJ Ejiya and Brandon Garner. The quartet of 2019 LB recruits could be the most talented group of commits as whole by position. Twins Gabriel and Grayson Murphy (Bishop Lynch) and Taylor Jacobs (South Grand Prairie) all listed at 6-2, 215 and have versatility to play both linebacker positions and the potential to move down to defensive end. The fourth linebacker commit Kevin Wood (Judson) is listed at 6-0 200, and on film is a tackling machine with a nose for the ball. Watching his highlight film is exciting. He also has versatility and speed to not only play linebacker but also slide back to a safety position in the 3-3-5. The quarterback commit position is in good hands as well. North Texas went back to familiar territory and went back to Oklahoma landing the commitment of State Champion Owasso QB Will Kuehne. Kuehne is a very good QB prospect with a very bright future and a ton of potential. He held offers from Maryland, Arkansas State and several Ivy League schools. Defensive back is one of the most important position groups in the 3-3-5 defense. Mean Green added 4 safeties in the last class. I project they will add close to the same number this class. Currently they just have one committed but that one is a BIG one. Jevin Murray (Shadow Creek) is one of the top defensive backs in the state. He can be an instant contributor for defensive coordinator Troy Reffett’s defense. He held 13 offers including multiple P5 offers. Jevin’s main recruiter is special teams coach Marty Biagi who is having a great recruiting season so far. Marty’s covers the critical Houston-area region which many believe has more prospects than any other region in Texas and possibly the nation. North Texas is having great success in Houston this year. including two of the top-rated recruits running back Garrison Johnson (Manvel) and tight end Asher Alberding (Clear Lake). Garrison choose to commit to North Texas over P5 offers including Syracuse and Nebraska. He has the talent to fall right in North Texas run of talented running backs. Asher (6-4, 235) is an intriguing combination of old school blocking and new age receiving tight end. Coach Littrell success with Rob Gronkowski at Arizona played a big part in Asher decision. It will be fun to watch him develop. The hardest position groups for G5 and even P5 teams to recruit consistently on both sides of the ball is the offensive and defensive lines. In the 2019 cycle, North Texas has done a great job finding big athletic guys that you can develop. They currently have two offensive linemen in John Brunner (6-5, 300 / Brock) and Chris Cassidy (6-4, 280 /Angleton). Both fit the build of athletic/people movers that can develop for offensive line coach Chuck Langston. Look for UNT to try and add at least one more offensive lineman this class. On the defensive side of the ball they have one defensive lineman committed in Demeco Roland (6-3, 275 / Broken Arrow, OK). He comes from the same school as Derrick Shaw a defensive tackle signee from last year class that the staff is very excited about. Demeco is another guy with a lot of potential. Look for him to have big senior season. With 14 commits so far, I figure the staff has around 9 to 10 more scholarships to fill out. I would expect 2 to 3 more commits before the season starts. Don’t be surprised if North Texas doesn’t save the rest of the scholarships for the frenzy that happens as signing day nears and prospects realize they can’t all go to Texas and A&M. With coaching changes and stuff, it is a mad dash as national signing day gets near. And in Seth’s time at North Texas they have really capitalized on some of these later commitments. There is also the opportunity to add some junior college transfers at positions of need. Of course, when you sign the best, you better be prepared when bigger schools lose their commits and decide to start poaching. In prior regimes, North Texas seemed ill prepared for this annual ritual. With Walerius managing the process, it appears that the program is doing everything you have to do to circle the wagons, maintain strong relationships and keep these committed players in place. Time will tell. This is an exciting time to be a North Texas fan. There can be no doubt that North Texas is trending upward in the college football ranks. Back to back bowl games and a trip to the conference championship is potentially just the tip of the iceberg. Between the talent added last class and the talent currently committed this could be the boost needed to push North Texas to the top of G5 rankings and beyond. For a long time UNT has been referred to as the “sleeping giant” due to great location, and school size. But now all the necessary pieces seem to finally be in place to take that next step. North Texas is benefiting from great leadership starting with university president Neal Smatresk and athletic director Wren Baker. North Texas made a phenomenal coaching hire in Seth Littrell and with the aid of director of recruiting Luke Waleruis. #F19HTCLUB could be the signing class that finally woke the sleeping giant.

read more: https://247sports.com/college/southern-methodist/Article/College-football-SMUs-2018-opponents-at-a-glance-North-Texas-118765762