Rice over UNT?

[GOMG2013]

It seems like most fans on here are pretty much chalking the Rice game up as a loss or a very tough game. I have also seen the preseason predictions that has Rice as a surprise team and all that. Really?

I know Rice had a nice season, but why is it assumed they will do the same or even improve?

Maybe I have paid more attention to Rice and people just assume they are good cause they won a bowl game. They are decent, but not as impressive as people think in my opinion.

If you compare UNT to Rice, I think the only difference in record is schedule. Rice is very average. 7 of thier opponents finished under .500 and that is not including UTSA. 4 teams were bowl eligible.

UNT had 5 opponents under .500 & played 7 bowl eligible teams. A much tougher schedule. UNT could have went 6-6, against that same schedule.

With average qb play against Troy and WKent, UNT is 6-6.

I am going to assume UNT gets at least average Qb play this year and that is not a lot to ask for, even if it is DT. Just average. If this is the case, I just dont set Rice being s lot better than UNT. Especially good enough to just chalk up a win at apogee for Rice.

[MeanGreenTexan]

77-20. 32-31. Rice is going to be tough until that score is not the last one between us.

I stand corrected.

Edited July 3, 2013 by MeanGreenTexan

[LongJim]

Rice almost always plays their guts out. It will be a tough game for UNT.

[glick1980]

77-20. Rice is going to be tough until that score is not the last one between us.

That isn't the last score between us. 32-31 was the score the last time we played.

[Mean Green 93-98]

77-20. Rice is going to be tough until that score is not the last one between us.

That's not the last score between us. 32-31 is.

EDIT: Glick beat me to it.

As to why I expect Rice to be the 2nd-toughest team in C-USA West. . . . They were a very young team. In contrast to La Tech, who graduated most of their starters, Rice brings back almost everybody, especially their stars (e.g., McHargue and McGuffie). And they found their legs toward the end of last season. . . . if they would have been playing the way they did at the end of the season all season, they would have won 10 games. Now they bring that momentum into next season. You never know what will happen, but they should be very good.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Mean Green 93-98

[MeanGreenTexan]

That isn't the last score between us. 32-31 was the score the last time we played.

32-31 was also a loss (dang. I was there. My memory is already fading).

77-20: The last score that I remember...better? Point-being: Rice will be difficult every time we play them.

[Cougar King]

That 32-31 Rice loss was the first UNT game I ever saw in person at Fouts. It was also when I was still Eagle Green.

[emmitt01]

That 32-31 Rice loss was the first UNT game I ever saw in person at Fouts. It was also when I was still Eagle Green.

Have you noticed that Dave Campbell's picks the "lowly" Rice Owls to beat your mighty Cougars?

I agree.

[meangreener]

That 32-31 Rice loss was the first UNT game I ever saw in person at Fouts. It was also when I was still Eagle Green.

How unfortunate that we have something in common, it was mine, too.

I predicted we'd lose the game by 1 point, btw. Said the "Munthe curse" would hit UNT. We started sucking right around the time I moved to DFW, too...no coincidence...

Edited July 3, 2013 by meangreener

[GOMG2013]

As to why I expect Rice to be the 2nd-toughest team in C-USA West. . . . They were a very young team. In contrast to La Tech, who graduated most of their starters, Rice brings back almost everybody, especially their stars (e.g., McHargue and McGuffie). And they found their legs toward the end of last season. . . . if they would have been playing the way they did at the end of the season all season, they would have won 10 games. Now they bring that momentum into next season. You never know what will happen, but they should be very good.

Sam Mcguffie is in Oakland raiders camp. UNT is young also. Maybe the youngest team in CUSA. Rice came onat the end. Last 6 games included UTSA, So Miss, UTEP, and Tulane. Not hard to get momentumn with those teams. I give UNT 4 wins against that finish...UNT final 6 had 5 bowl teams. Much tougher schedule. Rice would have been 5-7 at best against UNTs schedule.

[Mean_Green09]

Sam Mcguffie is in Oakland raiders camp. UNT is young also. Maybe the youngest team in CUSA. Rice came onat the end. Last 6 games included UTSA, So Miss, UTEP, and Tulane. Not hard to get momentumn with those teams. I give UNT 4 wins against that finish...UNT final 6 had 5 bowl teams. Much tougher schedule. Rice would have been 5-7 at best against UNTs schedule.

UNT young? No we've been young for the past two years. This is an experienced team with exception of a few positions. They are most likely the most experienced team in CUSA. Well now looking at it they will be like the second most experienced team in CUSA behind Rice (86% of their lettermen returning). Anyways I would rather have experience over youth. If we had their schedule with our team last year I could see us winning 3 games. They were just better than us plain and simple. They won a bowl game. So why wouldn’t you pick them over us? What did we do to make me people think we are better than them? Did we out recruit them in the offseason? No. Until we prove it on the field there is no reason other than it being a home game to pick us to win. The great thing about that though is it can all change come August & September. We may prove it. Its just so hard to believe anything this far away from the Rice game.

[Side Show Joe]

Rice has most of their team returning. They are going to be a tough match-up. We have the advantage of playing the game at Apogee. If we have solid QB play and our D-line plays well, we could win this game.

[GOMG2013]

If we had their schedule with our team last year I could see us winning 3 games. They were just better than us plain and simple. They won a bowl game.

So you think UNT would only win 3 games against UTSA, So Miss, Tulane, UTEP, Memphis, and Kansas last season? Why even bother following the team this year then?

The only reason you think Rice is good is based on that bowl win against Air Force and that 6 win season against one of the weakest schedules in football. Its not just you though. Lots of people are believing that hype.

[GOMG2013]

Rice has most of their team returning. They are going to be a tough match-up. We have the advantage of playing the game at Apogee. If we have solid QB play and our D-line plays well, we could win this game.

I agree

[Mean_Green09]

So you think UNT would only win 3 games against UTSA, So Miss, Tulane, UTEP, Memphis, and Kansas last season? Why even bother following the team this year then?

The only reason you think Rice is good is based on that bowl win against Air Force and that 6 win season against one of the weakest schedules in football. Its not just you though. Lots of people are believing that hype.

What does comparing schedules with last year have to do with watching this years team? You intially wanted to know why Rice was being favored over us by our fans and the media. Which its pretty easy to see why. I believe we could have beaten either UTSA, So Miss, UTEP, or Memphis. Not Kansas or Tulane.

[MeanGreenTexan]

What does comparing schedules with last year have to do with watching this years team? You intially wanted to know why Rice was being favored over us by our fans and the media. Which its pretty easy to see why. I believe we could have beaten either UTSA, So Miss, UTEP, or Memphis. Not Kansas or Tulane.

key words.

[Mean_Green09]

I refuse to say anybody is good at this point because no one has played a game yet. Is Rice good? I dont know, but they can be. Are we better than Rice? Won't find out till we play them.

Was Rice a better team then us last year? Yes that is a fact. No matter how weak the schedule you still have to go out and excute during the games. I don't think we were very good at excuting when it mattered last year. We let some opportunites slip away. Oh well!. Its time to move on. I think UNT can beat Rice this year, but it sets its self up on PAPER to be a tough match-up for us. We still don't have a proven QB they do.

[GOMG2013]

Wow! Its a lot of defeat on here if fans dont think the team can win against teams that won 3 games or less. No wonder yall think Rice is that good.

UNT has been sorry. I get it. But if fans dont feel they cant beat average teams (Rice) at home and horrible teams like a 1-11 Kansas, 2-10 Tulane, then why complain when a recruit has no confidence. UNT is sorry, but not that sorry.

recruits need to stay away from the UNT forum until the team wins some games.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Sam Mcguffie is in Oakland raiders camp.

My bad. . . I hadn't heard a thing about that, and could have sworn he had another year of eligibility. They've still got more talent on campus than we have. . . . They have been stocking their rosters with talent as they have consistently been recruiting better than us since Coach Mac got here (not the case during most of the Dodge years).

UNT is young also. Maybe the youngest team in CUSA.

My point wasn't that Rice is young now--my point was that they were young last year and return the vast majority of their talent. . . . So there is every reason to expect them to be a better team than they were last year.

Rice came onat the end. Last 6 games included UTSA, So Miss, UTEP, and Tulane. Not hard to get momentumn with those teams. I give UNT 4 wins against that finish...UNT final 6 had 5 bowl teams. Much tougher schedule. Rice would have been 5-7 at best against UNTs schedule.

Their closing stretch included those teams, but those weren't all the teams. They also whupped up on SMU and beat Air Force in their bowl game. Their one loss in that stretch was a close (28-24) loss against 11-3 Liberty Bowl Champions Tulsa. You give UNT 4 wins against that schedule--okay. Rice had 5 wins, plus a bowl win. Which team was better?

[Mean Green 93-98]

if fans dont feel they cant [i assume you mean can] beat average teams (Rice) at home and horrible teams like a 1-11 Kansas, 2-10 Tulane

Who said that?

[Mean_Green09]

Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes fans cant handle the truth. We werent good last year and we havent been for sometime. That all can change and I'm optimistic it will. Its a defeated attitude when you think your upcoming season is a wash, not when your talking about last year.

[GOMG2013]

My bad. . . I hadn't heard a thing about that, and could have sworn he had another year of eligibility. They've still got more talent on campus than we have. . . . They have been stocking their rosters with talent as they have consistently been recruiting better than us since Coach Mac got here (not the case during most of the Dodge years).

My point wasn't that Rice is young now--my point was that they were young last year and return the vast majority of their talent. . . . So there is every reason to expect them to be a better team than they were last year.

Their closing stretch included those teams, but those weren't all the teams. They also whupped up on SMU and beat Air Force in their bowl game. Their one loss in that stretch was a close (28-24) loss against 11-3 Liberty Bowl Champions Tulsa. You give UNT 4 wins against that schedule--okay. Rice had 5 wins, plus a bowl win. Which team was better?

I think Rice is equal or slightly better than UNT. They went 6-6 against a super weak schedule. I feel UNT probably goes 6-6 against that same schedule. Cant take away the bowl win from Rice and I cant assume UNT can beat a decent team. They were sorry. I just figure they would fare better against super sorry teams that Rice played.

Since I feel Rice is only slightly better than UNT, I figure since UNT has the game at home, it should be even odds. I have this as a pickem game. 50/50.

Most UNT fans has this game as a sure loss. I would guess 80-70%. Come on now. Rice is an average team, but lets noy act like they are good enough to start having guaranteed wins on the road. If the game was at Rice or a neutral field, I would have Rice as the favorite.

And before people bring up Troy, yes, if UNT plays that way, they can go 0-12. But, If they play like they played against K State and ULL, they could go 7-5 also.

Edited July 4, 2013 by GOMG2013

[UNT90]

We will be a touchdown dog in this game.

[GOMG2013]

So if we play like we played in 2 losses, we would be better? Our bar is pretty low.

Meant ULL...

[rws69]

It may come down to which team plays best is Halloween costumes.