MeanGreen61

North Texas bit of mystery for MTSU MURFREESBORO — In sitting down to devise a game plan for North Texas on Saturday, Middle Tennessee State Coach Andy McCollum skipped the part about watching recent game film of his next opponent. McCollum had no choice. There was no film to watch. Blame that on Hurricane Katrina, which postponed the North Texas-LSU game scheduled last week for Baton Rouge, La. That leaves McCollum and MTSU's defense somewhat in the dark over what to expect from North Texas' offense, specifically its potentially awesome rushing attack. "It's unknown,'' McCollum said. "All you know is you've got two great running backs — two rushing champions — coming in. How are they going to use them scheme-wise? Are they going to use them at the same time, alternate them? I mean that's the unknown.'' What is known is that the Mean Green boast back-to-back NCAA Division I-A rushing champs. Senior Patrick Cobbs led the nation in 2003 with 1,680 rushing yards (152.7 yards per game) and 19 TDs. When Cobbs was lost for the season in 2004 with a knee injury in the second game, freshman Jamario Thomas stepped in. Just like that, Thomas went from preparing for a redshirt season to finishing as the nation's leader with 1,801 rushing yards (180.1 ypg) and 17 TDs. Never before have two backs from the same team led Division I-A rushers in consecutive seasons since the NCAA in 1970 started tracking rushing yards per game. Cobbs and Thomas became such a phenomenon that they were featured on the front page of USA Today last month with the headline "Duo keeps North Texas grounded.'' Expectations are naturally soaring for the North Texas rushing attack, which has been among the nation's most productive since Coach Darrell Dickey arrived in 1998. Cobbs and Thomas have been voted Sun Belt Co-Offensive Players of the Year. Both are on the Doak Walker Award Watch List, given annually to the nation's best running back. "You have a feeling for what they're going to do because they've been successful with what they've done for so long,'' McCollum said. "But, they also haven't had the situation where they've got two great running backs back there at the same time. You have a tough time preparing for that.'' MTSU's defense did well last week against one outstanding running back. Alabama's Kenneth Darby, who rushed for 1,062 yards last year, never found a rhythm against the Blue Raiders on his way to 90 yards on 17 carries. "Alabama made a few good plays on cutbacks,'' MTSU defensive end Devarick Scandrett said. "This team has good bonafide running backs, I know that. But it's all about the defensive positioning.'' —MIKE ORGAN http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../509070421/1037

September 7, 2005 Double trouble from North Texas Cody Gibson GoMiddle.com Staff Writer Most people say that the best player on the field is usually the running back. He can control the tempo and the pace of a game and change the game on one play. However, "special" running backs like these are hard to find, unless you look in the North Texas backfield. Jamario Thomas Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas spearhead an offense that looks to chew up more yards on the ground than any team in the NCAA. However, with such a huge question at QB, will the Mean Green be able to fuel the machine? Quarterbacks The position that was last decided in fall camp was quarterback. Replacing solid starter Scott Hall will not be an easy task. Daniel Meager takes over and he is in the same mold as Hall. A very, mobile quarterback who can throw deep passes when needed. Meager had a shoulder injury in the spring, but looks to be over it now as he takes the starting job. Matt Phillips appears to have the backup job and he was a highly touted recruit out of Texas as well. Look for MT to test Meager early, with blitzes and crowding the line. Running Backs Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs are the two best running backs Middle Tennessee will face this season. One problem-they both play for the same team. Thomas who last year ran for over 1,800 yards and averaged an astonishing 180.1 yards a game. Thomas is the home run threat and he more than likely will be the starter. Cobbs is not far behind, in 2002 he led the nation in rushing as well and averaged 153 yards a game. Either way both will be toting the rock a number of times on Saturday. These two players will decide the game. If MT can contain them, a victory could be in the cards for the Blue Raiders. On the other hand, if not, Middle Tennessee could be in for a long day. Patrick Cobbs Offensive Line The foundation of the Mean Green rushing attack should be in good shape again this season, with Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Dylan Lineberry paving the way. The guard dominated at times and should be a force for years to come. The other star on the line is Joel Foster, who is a strong tackle and figures to get better after converting from defensive end last season. Jason May and Chad Rose take over at the guard and center spot respectively. May looks to improve this season after starting nine games last year. Rose will have to step in for departed senior Andy Brewster. Rounding out the line is Jeremy Brown, who had an illness that limited him to only four games last year. Josh Alexander, Adam Vegas, and Ephraim Patterson will also see action and provide depth on a strong offensive line. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends One of the more underrated receivers in the Sun Belt resides in Denton, Texas. Johnny Quinn is the best receiver North Texas has had in quite some time. Quinn is a force that has caught a pass in 25 straight games. Last season he caught 49 passes for 9 touchdowns and figures again to be the focal point of the North Texas passing attack. Zach Muzzy figures to step in as the other starter and is a deep threat that could be utilized by Meager for some long gains. Joel Nwigwe and Brandon Jackson also figure to see time, but shouldn't factor into many games. At tight end, Beau Davidson and Robert Harmon will continue the tradition started by Andy Blount as a double threat tight end. Harmon and Davidson are both strong blockers and will mostly be used in this role with the running game being the centerpiece of the North Texas Offense. The Mean Green offense looks strong, with a few questions on the offensive line. This will be a tough task for Middle Tennessee. Tomorrow we will examine the North Texas defense. http://middletennessee.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=452048

Russ Goodall: Coach can lead QBs through early pains 08:40 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 North Texas head coach Darrel Dickey has been through this before — as a coach and as a player. But this time around might be the toughest situation yet, as the Mean Green get ready to take on Middle Tennessee with an inexperienced quarterback. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips or even Kellen Haynes, it really doesn’t matter which one starts or gets most of the playing time, any of the three will have the pressure squarely on their shoulders. “Daniel is going to start, but we are looking at playing one or two other guys early and throughout the season until maybe somebody emerges,” Dickey said. “It has been a very close race, but also we have to see how they react in gameday situations. It did help them to get a few extra days of practice. … But, being honest, it probably would have been better for them to go out there, warm up and get some plays called.” As a freshman at Kansas State, Dickey found himself in a similar situation. After sitting the first three or four games and watching from sideline, and then being able to get a few snaps in the next two games of the season, Dickey made his initial start at quarterback on the road at Missouri, with KSU close to a 21-point underdog. “It was nerve racking,” Dickey said. Nerve racking enough that he led the Wildcats to a victory over the Tigers, 19-3. Which earned him Big 8 player of the week honors and the rest was history. So he has been through this as a player. As a coach, he is just three years removed from being in nearly the exact situation. Back in 2002, Scott Hall started against Texas but got hurt. In came freshman Andrew Smith. Smith took his lumps, but eventually led the Mean Green to the conference title and bowl victory. And Dickey says he sees a lot of Smith in Meager. “Scott Hall had a gunslinger attitude, while Andrew was really laid back,” Dickey said. “Scott was always fired up and ready to go, and that is not to say that Andrew wasn’t gung ho about going out there and playing. But, the two approached it in different ways. I see a lot of that same laid back attitude in Daniel. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he is raring to go.” If that’s the case, then UNT should feel confident about what it can do offensively this season. Smith finished that campaign with 91 completions on 196 attempts for 1,206 yards, with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Not great numbers, but he stayed healthy behind a seasoned offensive line that boasted three solid seniors, a junior and Andy Brewster starting his sophomore season at center. This year, on paper, the offensive line doesn’t look to be that experienced, with the loss of Brewster, Lonnie Chambers and Weston Thaggard. But don’t be so quick to judge. Back is Joel Foster, who started every game in 2004 at left tackle; Jeremy Brown, who started the first four games last season before contracting mononucleosis; Jason May, who returns after being ineligible in ’04; and Dylan Lineberry, a stalwart at right guard. The only newcomer is center Chad Rose, who Dickey believes is going to be a fixture there for years to come. Now they just need to meld. “Our biggest concern, based on our style of play, how quickly they come together and know each other,” Dickey said of his offensive line. “It is very critical in our system, that that group learns each other and learns how to play with each other. It is going to be important how quickly they come together.” And like the three-headed QB monster will have this year with Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas in the backfield, Smith had Cobbs and Kevin Galbreath — a pretty good one, two punch themselves. You can bet the line, along with the tight ends, receivers and both Cobbs and Thomas, will try to keep Meager, or whoever is taking snaps, on his feet as much as possible. “Protection will be a major part of our game plan — to make sure those guys can go back, get their feet set, look down the field and throw the ball,” Dickey said. “Actually, they are not really far enough along to read a defense based on five receivers going out. So, we might as well keep some of them in to block so they have a chance to do that. … Right now we go in with a game plan they are capable of handling, that allows them to go back there and do their jobs.” Can all his experience translate into a successful start for Meager, or whoever is under center? Win or lose this week, only time will tell how good any of the three can be. But the head coach has been through this before. And, if anybody can lead the Mean Green through the growing pains at QB, it is Dickey. Just ask the 1979 Missouri defense. RUSS GOODALL can be reached at 940-566-6871. His e-mail address is rgoodall@dentonrc.com.

Andy MAC being defended & catching flak http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....31&sid=&style=2

The Third Nightmare

You can bet that the MUTS will be crowding the line trying to force UNT into a passing game and blitzing,blitzing, blitzing in an attempt to rattle Meager. This game really rest heavily on our O-line.

Oops. Arkstfan pointed on some fine print I didn't see. Note: The Bottom 10 wishes all the best to those suffering from Hurricane Katrina. No team from Louisiana was considered for this week's rankings.

Big improvement over last week. One team listed, none on waiting list. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2153153

52 North Texas 89 MTSU 94 Troy 102 ULL 111 FAU 116 FIU 117 Arkansas State 118 ULM Remaining OC Opponents 60 Kansas State 88 Louisiana Tech 98 Tulsa http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/polls/119/index2

The game is at Eastern Michigan and they did play pretty good at Cincy losing 28-26.

Harmon Forecast from CBS Sportsline North Texas 28 MUTS 24 Wyoming 31 UL-Monroe 10 UAB 27 Troy 17 Oklahoma State 31 FAU 10 Eastern Michigan 29 UL-Lafayette 10 Arkansas State 31 Tennessee-Martin 10 Texas Tech 48 FIU 14 http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/5625861

Week One, Sun Belt Roundup http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sun_belt/Sun%20Belt.htm

Louisiana Tech to Welcome Tulane Posted Sep 6, 2005 09:35:51 RUSTON – Due to the affects of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane’s football team will now call Louisiana Tech home for the 2005 season. Both universities made the announcement Tuesday morning that the Green Wave football program – players, coaches and support staff – would be moving from their temporary home in Dallas to Ruston later this week. The Green Wave football players will be enrolling in classes, which don’t begin at Tech until Sept. 12, and using the universities athletic facilities during this season. The players and coaches will be housed in Caruthers Dorm on the university campus at first until additional housing becomes available. “I’m absolutely delighted that we are able to help our sister institution,” said Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau. “We will make every effort to make their stay as pleasant as possible.” Last Tuesday following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall along the gulf coast, Tech Athletic Director Jim Oakes called Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky to offer assistance to both Tulane and Southern Mississippi. At the time, Southern Mississippi opted to head to Memphis while Tulane went to SMU’s campus in Dallas. However, head coach Chris Scelfo and associate athletic director Scott Sidwell ventured to Ruston Monday to meet with university officials and survey the situation. Following the visit, Tulane officials told Tech officials they would accept the offer and are expected to be in Ruston by Monday in time for the first day of classes. “Louisiana Tech University is more than happy to have Tulane’s football players, coaches and support staff call Ruston, La., home for as long as is needed," Oakes said. "It’s in times like these that it is so important to reach out to your neighbors. Dr. Reneau, the entire university and our community are more than happy to accommodate Tulane in any way possible.” In addition to Tulane’s football team moving to Louisiana Tech, the other Green Wave athletic programs will be based at Texas A&M, Texas Tech, SMU and Rice. Tulane is scheduled to hold a teleconference today at 11 a.m. CST. To participate in the conference call, dial 719-933-1363 and enter the passcode 692583. Posted by: LaTechSports.com on Tuesday, September 06, 2005 - 07:52 AM

Monroe News Star article http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../509060350/1006 And from the Dallas Morning News UNT looks to reschedule LSU game Oct. 29 appears to be best option, but hurdles still remain 08:37 PM CDT on Saturday, September 3, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle North Texas and the Sun Belt Conference have examined scenarios to reschedule the Mean Green's game at LSU only to arrive back at square one – a three-team switch, UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said Saturday. UNT and LSU postponed their season opener scheduled for Saturday because of Hurricane Katrina. The plan includes the following: •UNT and LSU would reschedule their game for Oct. 29; •UNT would move its game against Louisiana-Monroe to Nov. 19, a bye week for the Mean Green; •La.-Monroe would push back its game against Louisiana-Lafayette from Nov. 19 to Nov. 26. La.-Monroe athletic director Bobby Staub said late Friday he would look at options, but that the switch would be problematic because it would leave the team with consecutive open weeks. If the game is not made up, UNT would need to make $500,000 the school would receive for playing LSU, Villareal said. E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

Football: Lot riding on QB’s first start 25-game SBC win streak on line when Meager, UNT open against Blue Raiders 07:51 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Running from a horde of defensive linemen on the road against a nationally-ranked team doesn’t sound like an inviting way to start a career, but that is how North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager would have preferred to spend Saturday night. The redshirt freshman wanted some experience on the college level heading into the Mean Green’s Sun Belt Conference opener against Middle Tennessee this week, even if it meant risking a pummeling against LSU. The opportunity slipped away when the Mean Green’s game against the Tigers was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. “I would have liked to have gotten the game in, but we will have to go out this weekend and do our thing,” Meager said. “All I have to do is stay within myself and the offense.” UNT is hoping Meager can follow that plan and extend its run of dominance in the Sun Belt. The Mean Green have won 25 straight conference games, captured four consecutive league titles and made four straight trips to the New Orleans Bowl. Middle Tennessee could be the team with the best chance of breaking the Mean Green’s grip on the league. The Blue Raiders return 17 starters and feature quarterback Clint Marks, a preseason All-Sun Belt selection. MTSU opened its season at Alabama on Saturday and trailed by just two points halftime before succumbing to the Crimson Tide 26-7. “So many things come up during a college football season that we have no control over,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “We don’t know if not playing LSU will give us an advantage or a disadvantage against Middle Tennessee.” Introducing Meager into the starting lineup is just one of the adjustments the Mean Green will make against the Blue Raiders. UNT has just eight returning starters and will depend on several inexperienced players to make an immediate impact. UNT is replacing all four of its starting defensive linemen, three of its defensive backs and three offensive linemen. “We will still be ready for Middle [Tennessee],” UNT defensive back Ja’Mel Branch said. “The new guys will just need a couple of plays at the beginning of the game to settle in and we will go from there.” Even when the Mean Green has been loaded with experienced players, its game against Middle Tennessee has ranked among the most difficult of the Sun Belt season. UNT has won all four meetings in the series, but has never beaten the Blue Raiders by more than 10 points. If the Mean Green has an advantage this season, it will be the element of surprise. UNT returns the last two national rushing champions in Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas. No one is quite sure how UNT will mix and match both players. “North Texas is tough no matter when you play them,” MTSU coach Andy McCollum said. “We don’t know what they will do with those two running backs, but I don’t see them getting away from what has made them successful.” UNT’s formula for success in the past has included a brutal non-conference schedule that has prepared the Mean Green for Sun Belt play. Hurricane Katrina changed those plans, leaving UNT with a new challenge and its most important opener in years. “We will be ready because it’s a conference game,” UNT offensive lineman Jason May said. “If we can come in and get a win, it will set the tempo for the season.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. SLOW START, QUICK FINISH North Texas has started slowly during tough non-conference campaigns the last four seasons only to battle back and win the Sun Belt Conference title. The following is a year-by-year comparison. Season Non-Conf. SBC start record 2001 0-4 5-1 2002 1-5 6-0 2003 1-3 7-0 2004 0-4 7-0

Ah-Ha a Coaching 101 thread (Just kiddin')

Not exactly. Passing has been the MUTS downfall in our last two games. In '03 Two long TD passes (63 & 47 yds) to Nwigwe were keys. Last year Hall passed for 285 yards, Quinn had 153 & a TD receiving.

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...00&ATCLID=79311

Here's a prediction thread from the MUTS board. http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....23&sid=&style=2

Muts -4 v North Texas Oklahoma State -15.5 v FAU E. Michigan -4.5 v UL-Lafayette UAB -9 v Troy Texas Tech -34.5 v FIU Wyoming -18 v UL-Monroe Arkansas State v Tennessee Martin (No line 1AA ) http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/

Hutyra Posts Hat Trick in 3-1 Victory Against SMU Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 09/04/2005 Courtesy of Rick Yeatts DALLAS (9/4/05) - Sophomore forward Heather Hutyra tallied her first career hat trick to power the North Texas (2-2) women’s soccer team past SMU 3-1 at Westcott Field. The win by the Mean Green is the first over the Mustangs since the 2000 season and the first victory on the road against SMU (3-2) since 1998. Sophomore goalkeeper Kandice Ellis had her best day in net as she recorded a career-high 11 saves to pick up her second consecutive win of the year. Hutyra gave North Texas the early 1-0 lead in the 18th minute of play with a goal off a free kick. Hutyra made it 2-0 Mean Green in the 29th minute of play when she scored her second goal of the day with a shot 10 yards out from the top of the box. North Texas carried the 2-0 lead into the break after out-shooting the Mustangs 6-4 in the first half. The second half was a tight battle until Kimberly Bailey’s goal with less than seven minutes left put SMU on the board and cut the North Texas lead to 2-1. Hutyra was able to ice the game for North Texas with 49 seconds left with her third goal of the day on a one-on-one breakaway to secure the win. Hutyra now has four goals and eight points on the year. Freshman Kelli Lunsford and Brittany Cleveland both had assists in the win. North Texas returns home to begin a four-game homestand starting on Wednesday, Sept. 7 against Grambling State.

Blue Raiders turn focus to North Texas By ADAM SPARKS sparks@dnj.com MTSU football coach Andy McCollum likes to say his team knows how to turn the page. Last week the Blue Raiders lost respectably to Alabama, 26-7, and collectively opened a new book they had been itching to read for quite some time. MTSU plays host to four-time defending Sun Belt champion North Texas Saturday in perhaps the most anticipated game in the Division I-A era for the Blue Raiders. So when did the focus shift from a moral victory at Alabama to a hopeful win in a Sun Belt tilt? "Now," said McCollum abruptly after the Alabama game Saturday night. "It started five minutes ago." Indeed, the Blue Raiders understand the magnitude of a matchup with the Mean Green, who tout a 25-game conference winning streak. MTSU has its best roster since splitting the conference title with North Texas in 2001, a year when the Mean Green's head-to-head win over MTSU earned the first of four trips to the New Orleans Bowl. McCollum's squad has been an upper-echelon squad in the Sun Belt since that first season in league play. However, an outright crown has never been in the Blue Raiders' grasp, and this meeting appears to be their best opportunity to sit atop the conference. The game kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. at MTSU's Floyd Stadium, and the Blue Raiders aren't hiding their anticipation of the meeting. "We know how important this next one is," said senior defensive lineman Jeff Littlejohn, who has played in three previous losses to North Texas. "As soon as (the Alabama) game ended, it was in the past. We start thinking about North Texas now, and we start working for that game every day." The coupling of a rare early season matchup and the destruction of Hurricane Katrina make for an interesting situation for Saturday's Sun Belt showdown. North Texas' season-opener at LSU was postponed due to hurricane effects, and MTSU revealed its new squad for the Mean Green to evaluate in the loss to Alabama. The Blue Raiders were fortunate to survive the Alabama game without serious injuries. McCollum said he now must focus his team's energy on building off scattered success against the Crimson Tide. "We'll be banged up a little bit, and maybe our feelings are hurt a little bit because we know that if we would've done some things different here or there, we could've changed things for us (against Alabama)," McCollum said. "But we saw some things we can sure build on, and that's a good feeling, especially with some of the young ones we're putting out there. "We'll watch the film and see what things need to be fixed, but we feel pretty good about our effort right now. We've just got to improve on some things before this next one." Originally published September 5, 2005

Brett Vito: MTSU game could be trap for Mean Green 08:22 AM CDT on Monday, September 5, 2005 Desperation can do wonders for a college football team. Just ask a few North Texas veterans who were playing for the Mean Green all the way back in 2001. The memories have faded, but players like offensive lineman Jason May and head coach Darrell Dickey remember just what it is like to have their backs against the wall. It’s a feeling that is probably common in Murfreesboro, Tenn., this week. Middle Tennessee might have looked good at times against Alabama on Saturday. They might have the potential to make a run later in the year. But make no mistake, this weekend’s game against UNT could be the contest the Blue Raiders’ season is judged by, and that makes it the most dangerous conference game on the Mean Green’s schedule. The Blue Raiders were in the thick of their game with Alabama at halftime before the Crimson Tide pulled away late. “There is no question they are a dangerous team,” Dickey said of MTSU. “Our games are always very hard-hitting and physical. Both sides always play with great effort. We have been fortunate to be able to pull them out at the end.” UNT has never lost a game to the Blue Raiders, winning all four games in the series, including a 24-21 victory in 2001 that started the Mean Green’s 25-game conference winning streak. If the Blue Raiders are ever going to find a time to turn the tide, this will be the season. MTSU returns nearly all of its starters, has arguably the Sun Belt’s top quarterback in Clint Marks and an opportunity to play at home against an inexperienced Mean Green team that has yet to play a game. Hurricane Katrina forced UNT to postpone its season-opening game against LSU on Saturday. Skipping that game with the Tigers might be better for UNT in the long run. The Mean Green didn’t take a pounding in the opening week of the season, but they also won’t have any experience heading into their game against the Blue Raiders. Redshirt freshman Daniel Meager will take his first snap in a college game Saturday. Senior defensive back Ja’Mel Branch will play his first game on defense in years after coming over from the offensive side of the ball. Safety Aaron Weathers will start his first game after transferring from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College and his former JUCO teammate Willie Ransom will get a chance to see if his ability to rush the passer from his defensive end slot will translate to the Division I level. That’s a lot of questions to answer in one night. It’s also quite a few newcomers to put on the field in what could be a match-up of the Sun Belt’s top two teams. MTSU has long had some of the best talent in the league and is under pressure to finally take advantage of it. A few veterans like May have tried to impart on their young teammates just how tough — not to mention how important — this game will be to the Mean Green. “They are going to be ready because it’s the first conference game of the year,” said May, a senior offensive lineman who was a redshirt freshman in 2001. “We are making sure that the young guys know that this is a conference game and we don’t lose conference games. We try to win them all.” That is just what UNT has done since starting the 2001 season with five straight losses. The Mean Green came into their game against MTSU that season as a decided underdog against a team that was 5-0. UNT won that night 24-21 and has not looked back while winning four straight conference titles. There have been plenty of ups and downs along the way and a few close calls during the streak. That goes with the territory when a streak is spread over four seasons. What the Mean Green will run into this week is different then all of those previous challenges. UNT has never played a conference game to open the season during the streak and has rarely faced the challenge of starting so many young players in a key game. Throw in the fact that MTSU will have its backs to the wall, and UNT’s first game of the season has all the makings of a trap for the Mean Green. Desperate times call for desperate measures. For the Blue Raiders that will mean pulling out all the stops to make sure they end their four-game losing streak to the Mean Green. UNT knows well what can happen when a team reaches that point of no return. Just a few years ago, the Mean Green were the underdogs and changed the course of the program with a key conference win. The feat is one the Blue Raiders will aim to duplicate on Saturday. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Has this turned into a UL-Lafayette 'feel good' thread ? Nothing new. They just got steamrolled by a superior Longhorn team.