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  1. NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN COACH: Seth Littrell, 14-13, third season at North Texas 2017 RECORD: 9-5, 7-1 C-USA POSTSEASON: lost to Troy 50-30 in New Orleans Bowl » A LOOK BACK The Mean Green made a dramatic turnaround in Littrell’s second season at the helm. North Texas won nine games for the seventh time in program history thanks to a prolific offense that featured 4,000-yard passer Mason Fine and 1,000-yard running back Jeffery Wilson. Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsadvance.com/sports/damien-sordelett-blog/get-to-know-an-liberty-opponent-north-texas/article_9292dbf4-96cf-11e8-b45f-df89d2c0431a.amp.html
  2. Calhoun City, Mississippi, is a small dot on the map. The population of the tiny town about an hour northwest of Starkville registered at a shade over 1,700 in the 2016 census. But Calhoun City is home for North Texas senior cornerback Kemon Hall. "Calhoun City is a small little town, but the country life allowed me to learn a lot from a lot of the older people in town," Hall said. "There are a lot of people that I look up to there and they have always been there for me." One of Hall's biggest passions off the field has played a big role in his life, and has provided parallels that have helped him grow in football – hunting. "I've seen my granddad come in and out of the house after hunting since I was like five," Hall said. "I just caught on to it and from there, I always wanted to do what he was doing. That's where I got the love from. "I hunted with my granddad when I was old enough to tote my own gun," Hall said. "He used to take me when I was younger and couldn't carry a gun, but when I got to be about eight, he got me a single-barrel 20 gauge and I was shooting at deer but not touching them. I was killing rabbits and other smaller animals. The experience with the beagles and we had to feed them every morning. That is what I liked best, was loading up the dogs, getting the four-wheeler and just going to the store to meet up with our hunting buddies and go out and have fun." Hall sees similarities between hunting and his other passion, football. The biggest crossover between the two comes down to focus and discipline. Both traits translate to success in both arenas. "It's a challenge when you're hunting. "Just going out there is peaceful and allows me to get away. It lets me stay out of trouble and stay out of the neighborhood." On a roster composed of 75% native Texans, Hall is one of just two Mean Green players that hail from the Magnolia State. He carries his home with him near and dear to his heart while in Denton, and his country-style upbringing has helped shape him into who he is today. "I am a person that always tries to do the right thing," Hall said. "I never get too high or too low and always try to lead by example." The example Hall followed as a kid came from former Green Bay Packers safety, M.D. Jennings, who spent three seasons in the National Football League following a successful career at Arkansas State. Nine years his senior, Jennings served as a father figure for Hall, providing guidance and a road map for Hall to follow a similar path in life and football. Read more: https://meangreensports.com/news/2018/8/10/football-hunt-for-success.aspx
  3. The Mean Green could be a threat if they can get their defense up to speed with their offense. They’re a one sided opponent - outscore them, because they can go on offense but they can’t dictate pace." "Strong offense, the wide receiver from Notre Dame [Jaylen Guyton] really stands out on film." "The offensive system is interesting, they’re doing more experimental stuff than you’d expect from a Leach tree OC [Graham Harrell].” read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/athlonsports.com/college-football/c-usa-coaches-talk-anonymously-about-conference-foes-2018%3Famp
  4. https://meangreensports.com/news/2018/8/9/football-get-to-know-rb-deandre-torrey.aspx
  5. Pete Thamel says Seth Littrell is a candidate to look for at th Kansas job: https://sports.yahoo.com/college-footbal...08676.html
  6. On Tuesday morning, a literal dark cloud hovered above the building that houses the office of University of Tulsa athletic director Derrick Gragg. At the same time that the TU campus was soaked with rain, and as Gragg provided a fairly startling revelation about his department, there seemed also to be a figurative dark cloud above Golden Hurricane sports. Not true, Gragg said. TU’s current budget situation is a difficult circumstance, he acknowledged, but not a crisis. What would qualify as a startling revelation? Specific numbers aren’t known, but recent budget cuts have affected all aspects of TU’s operation. In an effort to avoid a reduction in services for student-athletes, Gragg said, Hurricane football coach Philip Montgomery, men’s basketball coach Frank Haith and Gragg himself all have accepted pay cuts. At the major-college level, this could be unprecedented — that a football coach, men’s basketball coach and an AD simultaneously and willingly absorbed salary reductions for the sake of the greater good of a money-starved school’s sports programs. “Basically, the budget reductions to me are a microcosm of what’s going on, not just at TU but across the country at a lot of different places,” Gragg said. “We’re like a lot of other athletic departments — we’ve been asked to tighten our belt. Full article link: https://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/tusportsextra/bill-haisten-derrick-gragg-philip-montgomery-and-frank-haith-accept/article_833b8a0b-9b60-5982-be6d-ecda78465987.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true
  7. BOCA RATON — After months of searching, Lane Kiffin has finally found his graduate transfer quarterback. Former Arkansas and SMU quarterback Rafe Peavey has officially joined the Owls as a grad transfer and is immediately eligible to play. Peavey was cleared shortly before Tuesday’s practice and took reps with the first, second, and third-teams. “We’re always looking for people,” Kiffin said, “and we had looked for a while for the right fit of a quarterback due to numbers once Jason (Driskel) left.” Peavey, 22, was a perfect four-of-four for 116 yards and a touchdown in three games last season. A former three-star recruit from Missouri, Peavey transferred to SMU in 2016 and mainly served as Ben Hicks’ backup last season. Redshirt junior De’Andre Johnson is currently battling redshirt freshman Chris Robison for the starting quarterback job. Kiffin said the addition of Peavey is “not any reflection upon” Johnson and Robison’s performances. LINK: http://faufocus.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2018/08/07/florida-atlantic-adds-former-arkansas-quarterback-rafe-peavey-as-graduate-transfer/
  8. 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.
  9. read more: https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/pig-trail-nation/top-10-questions-entering-the-hog-football-season-no-4-kicking-game/1335555116
  10. 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.
  11. North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora blew up ACC Media Day by saying the future of the United States of America hinges on football and questioning CTE research. Could, should and will North Carolina fire him? If so, what precedent would it set for other programs? And who could replace him as head coach in 2019? Seth Littrell, Neal Brown and Blake Anderson are among the possibilities. Read more: https://herosports.com/college-football/larry-fedora-north-carolina-fired-candidates-cte-ahah
  12. “In every key indicator that can be used to evaluate the strength of a conference, the Sun Belt has risen in recent years,” Benson said. “In contrast to some leagues, our attendance is up and we’ve provided record end-of-year distribution to our schools that is 10 times greater that it was in 2014.” n 2013, the Sun Belt Conference – along with a few other conferences – were forced to make drastic changes in their alignment. The Sun Belt lost Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky and North Texas. In 2014, the Sun Belt went into action, bringing in five new teams including Georgia Southern, Texas State, Appalachian State and Georgia State to fill the void. Over the next few seasons, the Sun Belt was widely believed to be towards the bottom of the “group of five” Conferences, which includes the Conference USA, American, Mid-American and Mountain West conferences in addition to the Sun Belt. That is no longer the case. Benson believes the conference has quickly climbed the ranks within the Group of Five. “The Sun Belt was labeled so long at the bottom of the 10 conferences and that is no longer the case,” Benson said. “We’ve established the brand, established the credibility. As we compete with our four peer conferences, our goal remains the same: to be the highest-rated league in the group of five and send our team to one of the New Year’s Day games. There’s no reason we can’t do that and do it this year.” read more: https://www.troymessenger.com/2018/07/24/the-sun-belt-conference-continues-to-rise-within-the-group-of-five/
  13. Miner: UTSA’s inaugural football season was 2011; was last year was supposed to be ‘the year’? Karels: “Yes it was. It was the year to get a 10 win season, so it was disappointing when they finished 6-5. Their first game against Houston was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey, and they still came out and beat Baylor at McLane Stadium to open the season. The momentum of a 3-0 start, however, kind of fizzled out. The Roadrunners lost five of their last eight games and missed a bowl game. Four of those losses were by one possession and a total of 17 points.[4]” read more: https://247sports.com/college/baylor/Article/I-interview-Roadrunner-expert-Karels-on-last-years-UTSA-upset-over-Baylor-this-years-contest-and-general-thoughts-on-both-teams-120007832/
  14. 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.
  15. FRISCO, Texas – North Texas spent more than a decade in the football wilderness. The Mean Green were 41-104 from 2005-16, with only one winning season during that period. North Texas finally broke through last season in its second year under coach Seth Littrell. The Denton, Texas, school went 9-3 during the regular season and won the Conference USA West Division title. Losses by a combined 44 points to Florida Atlantic in the C-USA title game and Troy in the New Orleans Bowl put a sour end to that season. But the 9-5 campaign was still overwhelmingly positive for a program that struggled for so many years. The Mean Green were announced Tuesday as favorites to repeat as C-USA West champs. North Texas received 18 of 26 first-place votes in the league’s preseason media poll. Quarterback Mason Fine is a key reason the expectations remain high in Denton. He was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and beat out Western Kentucky QB Mike White for a first-team all-conference selection. read more: https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/wku/fine-north-texas-picked-atop-competitive-west-division/article_d4661ed8-b1e2-5f6b-b02a-ec849e841689.html
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