Huskies Open at North Texas

[Coach Andy Mac]

HBU Huskies (0-0) at North Texas Mean Green (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Denton, Texas – Apogee Stadium
 
Watch (ESPN3)
Listen with Lonnie King & Russ Reneau
Live Stats
Game Notes (PDF)
 
DENTON, Texas –HBU kicks off its three-game 2020 schedule against FBS opponents with North Texas Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Apogee Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Husky Sports Network audio broadcast with Lonnie King and Russ Reneau will be available on KKME Digital Radio and HBUHuskies.com.

The Huskies (0-0) return seven starters on offense, including senior preseason All-America quarterback Bailey Zappe, their leading rusher in senior running back Dreshawn Minniewether and leading receivers in senior Ben Ratzlaff and junior Jerreth Sterns. Zappe completed 357-of-560 passes for 3,811 yards and 35 touchdowns, leading the FCS in completions and attempts, ranking second in passing yards and leading the nation in touchdown passes during the regular season. Minnieweather rushed for 723 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 11 catches for 141 yards and three touchdowns, despite missing four games with an injury and most of the season finale. Ratzlaff made 87 catches for a school-record 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Sterns led the nation with 105 catches for 833 yards and nine touchdowns.

Junior linebacker Brennan Young and senior linebacker Caleb Johnson ranked first and second, respectively, in the Southland Conference in tackles and both ranked among the top 10 nationally. Young posted 124 tackles and a pair of interceptions and Johnson racked up 104 stops with six sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Sophomore safety Tra Fluellen tallied 101 tackles, two interceptions, six pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and a fumble forced. Although the Huskies return eight starters on defense, their key loss is defensive end Andre Walker, who led the FCS with 15.0 sacks.

Sophomore kicker Gino Garcia scored a school-record 101 points, making 18-of-26 field goals, including three from beyond 50 yards, and 47-of-51 extra points. Senior all-conference punter Blake Patterson ranked second in the league with a 42.1-yard average.

UNT has seen the departure of quarterback Mason Fine, who started all 12 games and completed 257-of-414 passes for 3,088 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. The Mean Green does return leading rusher Tre Siggers (853 yards, six TDs) and leading receiver Jaelon Darden (736 yards, 12 TDs).

The Mean Green returns its top two tacklers from a year ago in KD Davis (88) and Tyreke Davis (80). Tyreke Davis is UNT's returning leader in sacks with 4.5, after the graduation of LaDarius Hamilton, who had 8.0.

HBU will travel to face Texas Tech next Saturday in Lubbock, before finishing off the fall against Louisiana Tech in Ruston on Sept. 26.

Read more:  https://hbuhuskies.com/news/2020/9/2/football-fb-huskies-open-at-north-texas.aspx