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SMU’s season opener could not have gone worse. The Mustangs were outgained, outplayed and outcoached in Saturday night’s 46-23 loss to North Texas at Apogee Stadium in Denton. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong,” SMU head coach Sonny Dykes said. SMU’s offense looked out of sync for the better part of the night. It started on the first drive, when the Mustangs went three and out after two penalties and a sack. Five of the Mustangs’ six first-half possessions ended in punts. On four of those drives, SMU went three and out. By the end of the first half, the Mustangs had just 24 total yards in the first half and only 46 by the end of the third quarter. “We never could get anything going,” Dykes said. “We couldn’t get on track. It just seemed like we were sluggish.” Ben Hicks’ struggles echoed those of the Mustangs’. He was under pressure all night long and had trouble throwing accurate passes to his receivers. He only completed three passes for 27 yards in the first half and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by North Texas’ Kemon Brooks to put the Mean Green up 14-0. Hicks rebounded in the fourth quarter, completing six of nine passes for 197 yards and two scores, but it was too little, too late. read more: http://www.smudailycampus.com/sports/everything-that-could-go-wrong-went-wrong

Did this dude show up on Sat nite or what? Guy looks like a man among boys out there. Helluva player!

Link: https://meangreensports.com/news/2018/9/1/football-defense-dominant-in-46-23-rout-of-smu.aspx DENTON - The predictions were for an offensive shootout in Saturday's opener at Apogee Stadium, that 30-plus points would be needed to win. Maybe 40. The North Texas defense, however, was having none of it. The Mean Green defense stole the show Saturday, obliterating SMU in a 46-23 North Texas victory. The Mean Green allowed the Mustangs two first downs and 46 yards total offense through the first three periods, surrendered 4 yards rushing for the game, got an interception returned for a touchdown from Kemon Hall, and forced six three-and-outs from the Ponies. "The defense set the tone," North Texas coach Seth Littrell said. "They came out blazing, really dominated. That pick six was huge. "The defense has had a chip on their shoulder," he added. "They did a tremendous job, everybody making plays. We weren't missing tackles and we were getting off the field." The North Texas offense, meanwhile, put together scoring marches of 49, 59, 93, 75 and 95 yards to pile up a 33-0 lead. Quarterback Mason Fine opened his junior season by completing 40 of 50 for three touchdowns and a career-high 444 yards, the second 400-yard performance of his career and ninth in school history. "We knew this was a big game," Littrell said. "We've been circling this one and really talking about it." The game was played before the biggest home crowd in school history of 29,519, surpassing the previous best of 29,437 set in 2003 against Baylor at Fouts Field. "I can't say enough about the great crowd we had tonight," Littrell said. "They really helped bring the energy and I thought the team fed off that, and it helped us get off to a great start. I thought the energy we came out to start the game with was the difference early on." North Texas opened the game on defense and was immediately dominant. It didn't allow a first down until the second quarter and allowed 24 yards total offense in the first half. And when the Mustangs finally picked up a first down late in the second quarter, North Texas racheted up the pressure on Hicks, forcing two incompletions and getting a sack from linebacker Brandon Garner to snuff out the Mustangs' lone incursion across midfield in the first half. It got no better for SMU in the third period, by the end of which the Mustangs' offensive totals had climbed to two first downs and 46 yards total offense. North Texas linebacker E.J. Ejiyaled the assault with five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, and Garner had six tackles. By the start of the fourth, North Texas had built a 36-0 lead. The Mean Green scored on their first drive of the game on a 15-yard toss from Fine to Jalen Guyton, who had two touchdown receptions on the night. The defense made it 14-0 when Hall intercepted a pass from SMU QB Ben Hicks and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, and the Mean Green added a pair of second-quarter field goals from Cole Hedlundfor a 20-0 halftime lead. North Texas put the game away in the third quarter with 75- and 95-yard touchdown marches. "Give North Texas credit," SMU first-year coach Sonny Dykes said. "The quarterback played really well. He made perfect throws and moved the ball well." SMU scored three touchdowns in the closing moments, and North Texas tacked on a late score on a 97-yard kickoff return from DeAndre Torrey. "It was a good start," Littrell said, "but we have a lot of work to do." Quick Hits The first possession of 2018 started with SMU on offense and ended with UNT's E.J. Ejiya sacking Mustang quarterback Ben Hicks for a 10-yard loss. On the Mean Green's first fourth-down situation of the season, North Texas eschewed the punt. Running back Loren Easley converted the fourth-and-one with a 4-yard run. Junior quarterback Mason Fine (Peggs, Oklahoma) continued his climb up the North Texas record books. He passed Scott Hall for sixth in career passing attempts with 822; Steve Ramsey for fifth in career completions with 519; and Hall for fifth in career passing yards with 6,068. Fine's career-high 40 completions tied him for third on the single-game all-time list with Giovanni Vizza (2007 vs. Navy). The first points of the year came on a 15-yard pass from Mason Fine to Jalen Guyton on the Mean Green's opening drive. Fine completed 6 of 6 passes for 50 yards, connecting with five different receivers. That opening drive was kept alive by a crucial penalty. On third and 25, North Texas threw incomplete, but SMU linebacker Trevor Denbow was flagged for targeting, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, an automatic first down, and Denbow's disqualification from the game. Fine completed his first eight passes of the game. North Texas senior linebacker Brandon Garner showed perfect timing to stop an SMU third-and-three late in the first quarter. With SMU QB Hicks rolling out, Garner picked up Hicks' intended receiver coming off the line and took him out of the play, then dropped his coverage of the would-be receiver at the right moment and closed on and tackled Hicks for no gain. The Mean Green held SMU without a first down through the Mustangs' first five possessions. Senior kicker Cole Hedlund (Argyle), taking over the kicking duties from record-setting Trevor Moore, was perfect in his debut. He made four field goals from 40, 20, 41 and 51 yards and three of extra points. This was Seth Littrell's 10th victory at Apogee Stadium and his first against SMU. Redshirt junior running back Loren Easly(Houston, Texas) had his first career start and finished with 31 yards on 17 carries. Junior wide receiver Rico Bussey, Jr.(Lawton, Oklahoma) set a new career high with nine catches, including five in the first quarter, breaking his previous high of eight. His 109 yards was two shy of his career best. Senior cornerback Kemon Hall's (Calhoun City, Mississippi) 36-yard interception return for a touchdown with 5:37 left in the first quarter was the first for UNT since Eric Jenkins' 34-yard return at Army on Oct. 22, 2016. It was Hall's first interception since last season's game at SMU. North Texas has now won eight-straight home games dating back to November 19, 2016, when it beat Southern Miss. Sophomore running back DeAndre Torrey(Gautier, Mississippi) returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:28 left in the game. It was the first time a UNT player returned a kickoff for a touchdown since 2014 (Darvin Kidsy, at Rice). What's Next North Texas hosts Incarnate Word at Apogee Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m.

We had the ball 3 times as long as the ponies. We more than doubled their yards offensively. And held them to 4 yards rushing.

Link: https://meangreensports.com/news/2018/9/1/football-defense-dominant-in-46-23-rout-of-smu.aspx DENTON - The predictions were for an offensive shootout in Saturday's opener at Apogee Stadium, that 30-plus points would be needed to win. Maybe 40. The North Texas defense, however, was having none of it. The Mean Green defense stole the show Saturday, obliterating SMU in a 46-23 North Texas victory. The Mean Green allowed the Mustangs two first downs and 46 yards total offense through the first three periods, surrendered 4 yards rushing for the game, got an interception returned for a touchdown from Kemon Hall, and forced six three-and-outs from the Ponies. "The defense set the tone," North Texas coach Seth Littrell said. "They came out blazing, really dominated. That pick six was huge. "The defense has had a chip on their shoulder," he added. "They did a tremendous job, everybody making plays. We weren't missing tackles and we were getting off the field." The North Texas offense, meanwhile, put together scoring marches of 49, 59, 93, 75 and 95 yards to pile up a 33-0 lead. Quarterback Mason Fine opened his junior season by completing 40 of 50 for three touchdowns and a career-high 444 yards, the second 400-yard performance of his career and ninth in school history. "We knew this was a big game," Littrell said. "We've been circling this one and really talking about it." The game was played before the biggest home crowd in school history of 29,519, surpassing the previous best of 29,437 set in 2003 against Baylor at Fouts Field. "I can't say enough about the great crowd we had tonight," Littrell said. "They really helped bring the energy and I thought the team fed off that, and it helped us get off to a great start. I thought the energy we came out to start the game with was the difference early on." North Texas opened the game on defense and was immediately dominant. It didn't allow a first down until the second quarter and allowed 24 yards total offense in the first half. And when the Mustangs finally picked up a first down late in the second quarter, North Texas racheted up the pressure on Hicks, forcing two incompletions and getting a sack from linebacker Brandon Garner to snuff out the Mustangs' lone incursion across midfield in the first half. It got no better for SMU in the third period, by the end of which the Mustangs' offensive totals had climbed to two first downs and 46 yards total offense. North Texas linebacker E.J. Ejiyaled the assault with five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, and Garner had six tackles. By the start of the fourth, North Texas had built a 36-0 lead. The Mean Green scored on their first drive of the game on a 15-yard toss from Fine to Jalen Guyton, who had two touchdown receptions on the night. The defense made it 14-0 when Hall intercepted a pass from SMU QB Ben Hicks and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, and the Mean Green added a pair of second-quarter field goals from Cole Hedlundfor a 20-0 halftime lead. North Texas put the game away in the third quarter with 75- and 95-yard touchdown marches. "Give North Texas credit," SMU first-year coach Sonny Dykes said. "The quarterback played really well. He made perfect throws and moved the ball well." SMU scored three touchdowns in the closing moments, and North Texas tacked on a late score on a 97-yard kickoff return from DeAndre Torrey. "It was a good start," Littrell said, "but we have a lot of work to do." Quick Hits The first possession of 2018 started with SMU on offense and ended with UNT's E.J. Ejiya sacking Mustang quarterback Ben Hicks for a 10-yard loss. On the Mean Green's first fourth-down situation of the season, North Texas eschewed the punt. Running back Loren Easley converted the fourth-and-one with a 4-yard run. Junior quarterback Mason Fine (Peggs, Oklahoma) continued his climb up the North Texas record books. He passed Scott Hall for sixth in career passing attempts with 822; Steve Ramsey for fifth in career completions with 519; and Hall for fifth in career passing yards with 6,068. Fine's career-high 40 completions tied him for third on the single-game all-time list with Giovanni Vizza (2007 vs. Navy). The first points of the year came on a 15-yard pass from Mason Fine to Jalen Guyton on the Mean Green's opening drive. Fine completed 6 of 6 passes for 50 yards, connecting with five different receivers. That opening drive was kept alive by a crucial penalty. On third and 25, North Texas threw incomplete, but SMU linebacker Trevor Denbow was flagged for targeting, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, an automatic first down, and Denbow's disqualification from the game. Fine completed his first eight passes of the game. North Texas senior linebacker Brandon Garner showed perfect timing to stop an SMU third-and-three late in the first quarter. With SMU QB Hicks rolling out, Garner picked up Hicks' intended receiver coming off the line and took him out of the play, then dropped his coverage of the would-be receiver at the right moment and closed on and tackled Hicks for no gain. The Mean Green held SMU without a first down through the Mustangs' first five possessions. Senior kicker Cole Hedlund (Argyle), taking over the kicking duties from record-setting Trevor Moore, was perfect in his debut. He made four field goals from 40, 20, 41 and 51 yards and three of extra points. This was Seth Littrell's 10th victory at Apogee Stadium and his first against SMU. Redshirt junior running back Loren Easly(Houston, Texas) had his first career start and finished with 31 yards on 17 carries. Junior wide receiver Rico Bussey, Jr.(Lawton, Oklahoma) set a new career high with nine catches, including five in the first quarter, breaking his previous high of eight. His 109 yards was two shy of his career best. Senior cornerback Kemon Hall's (Calhoun City, Mississippi) 36-yard interception return for a touchdown with 5:37 left in the first quarter was the first for UNT since Eric Jenkins' 34-yard return at Army on Oct. 22, 2016. It was Hall's first interception since last season's game at SMU. North Texas has now won eight-straight home games dating back to November 19, 2016, when it beat Southern Miss. Sophomore running back DeAndre Torrey(Gautier, Mississippi) returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:28 left in the game. It was the first time a UNT player returned a kickoff for a touchdown since 2014 (Darvin Kidsy, at Rice). What's Next North Texas hosts Incarnate Word at Apogee Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m.

Record crowd for North Texas State Super Bowl! link: http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86199 anybody know if they sell beer at Mean Green stadium?looks like it's gonna be hotter than hell in no shade and even in the shade! link: http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86169&sid=4a1e04d307c88a1d4f2b334426f80267 Any good BAR OPTIONS for PRE-GAME SMU Party in Denton? link: http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86176

...and at night ...after some extensive Photoshop/Lightroom work.

Alright post your bold sleepers here. This isn't a "DON'T SLEEP ON GUYTON" thread. More about the lesser mentioned guy on offense or defense. For reference, here is 2016 (I couldn't try hard enough to find 2017). I think 2017 had a 6-6 o/u bold prediction in there somewhere iirc...

CARTHAGE — Terian Goree had things going his way during his sophomore season at the University of North Texas. Goree was one of the top offensive targets, leading all Mean Green receivers with 36 receptions for 328 yards and two touchdowns. The 2014 Carthage graduate was excelling at the highest level when it all came to a sudden halt. UNT announced prior to its Nov. 19 game with Southern Mississippi that Goree was suspended from the program. Goree eventually left the program and transferred to Stephen F. Austin. It's there where Goree gets a clean slate along with a new lease on life and he couldn't be happier. "I enjoyed my time in Denton. It was like my second home. I made a lot of good friends and loved the environment. But I got in some trouble and left the program," Goree said. "Life is about learning from your mistakes. You grow each day and you become a better man. SFA was the right place for me. My grandparents are my backbone and they're just 45 minutes down the road." read more: https://www.news-journal.com/etvarsity/sports/hsfootball/carthage-s-goree-kilgore-s-foy-now-teammates-for-sfa/article_85970619-1eac-5d4c-9eac-f9ffd3afeee7.html

link: https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/college/mtsu/2018/08/19/mtsu-football-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders-brent-stockstill/996739002/

What will it be folks?

Mason Fine’s inclusion on the Manning Award Watch List, makes it the sixth such list he’s been named to prior to the 2018 season (including Walter Camp, Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Touchdown Club of Columbus Player to Watch for the Sammy Baugh, and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose)!!! When's the last time that happened to a JUNIOR QB at UNT?

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

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

August 13, 2018 New SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to be played at Cotton Bowl Stadium DALLAS – In a joint effort to honor the service and sacrifice of America’s First Responders, the annual college football bowl game played at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas has been renamed the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Kickoff for the newly christened SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is set for December 26 at 12:30 p.m. CT (1:30 p.m. ET) and will be televised by ESPN. The agreement between ESPN Events and SERVPRO was brokered by Denver-based Impression Sports & Entertainment. "We are truly grateful for all first responders’ sacrifice and service,” said Brant Ringler, Executive Director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. “It is a tremendous privilege to honor these brave men and women who protect our communities 24/7/365. As this game continues to grow, so do our ties with first responders. Additionally, having a sponsor like SERVPRO who works along-side and supports these community heroes reinforces our goals of recognizing our first responders.” "We are proud to present the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl dedicated to honoring some of the hardest working men and women in our country" said Sue Steen, CEO of Servpro Industries, Inc. "We recognize the dedication and selfless acts of our First Responders and are honored to help highlight and celebrate the commitment of these everyday heroes." The 2018 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is the ninth edition of the bowl game, formerly known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl, and part of the 89-year history of games being played at Cotton Bowl Stadium on the grounds of Dallas’ Fair Park, which features 227 acres of museums, attractions, history, art and performances located in the heart of the ninth largest city in the United States. First responders to be honored include police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency. “This is an exciting change, and we are humbled by the fact that an actual bowl game has been named exclusively for the first responders of this country,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Fire Chief David Coatney said. “We are truly honored to have a bowl game here in Dallas named after the hard working men and women serving and protecting communities across this country. It always feels great to be recognized, and I know our officers and firefighters are touched by this overwhelming show of support,” said Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall. The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl tickets will go on sale in September. Tickets for First Responders will continue to be underwritten by our corporate sponsors. Planning for the First Responder Fan Fest in Cotton Bowl Plaza will begin immediately. Anyone wanting more information on the bowl game can visit www.firstresponderbowl.com. The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 14 owned and operated bowl games by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. ESPN Events ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 32 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 12 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program. Collegiate Football Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Fla.); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Frisco Bowl (Texas); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Atlanta); Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); ServPro First Responder Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) Collegiate Basketball AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Fort Bliss, Texas); Charleston Classic (South Carolina); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (South Bend, Ind.); Myrtle Beach Invitational (Conway, S.C.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off; State Farm Champions Classic (Indianapolis) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.) Collegiate Softball St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.) For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages. About SERVPRO® Founded in 1967, the SERVPRO® Franchise System is a leader and provider of fire and water cleanup and restoration services, and mold mitigation and remediation. SERVPRO's professional services network of more than 1,700 individually owned and operated Franchises responds to property damage emergencies ranging from small individual disasters to multi-million dollar large-loss events. Providing coverage in the United States and Canada, the SERVPRO® System has established relationships with major insurance companies and commercial clients, as well as individual homeowners. About Impression Sports & Entertainment Impression Sports & Entertainment (Impression Sports) specializes in providing clients with full-service sponsorship sales representation, sponsorship consulting and venue naming rights services. Founded in 2011, Impression Sports has established itself as one of the leading firms in the industry by working with top brands, including USC, the San Antonio Spurs, Auburn University, the Fiesta Bowl organization, USA Swimming and ESPN Events among others. Its management team provides in-depth experience and results-driven success in venue naming rights, title sponsorships and high-profile sales and sponsorship platforms. Based in Denver, CO, Impression Sports is owned by Home Team Sports (HTS). HTS is a sales unit of FOX Sports that offers advertisers one-stop shopping for TV and digital media sponsorship of every MLB, NBA and NHL home team across the U.S., reaching 90+ million homes with its platforms. For more information on Impression Sports, including a complete client roster and testimonials, visit www.impressionsports.com.