Coach Andy Mac

DENTON – The UNT football team will make a second trip to the Alamodome in just more than a month to take on rival UTSA on Friday night at 6:30 p.m., with the Conference USA championship on the line. The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network with the radio broadcast on KHYI 95.3/KXXN 97.5 (Wichita Falls)/The Varsity Network. Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, how the team envisioned this rematch as soon as they left the Alamodome turf last month, what needs to be done to remedy its potent rushing attack after being shut down in the last meeting and what it would mean for the program to win its first conference championship since winning a Sun Belt crown in 2004. Revenge an added motivator as Mean Green seek championship It was a month ago when defending Conference USA champion UTSA ended the Mean Green's eight-game conference winning streak inside a raucous Alamodome environment. As soon as the team got back to its locker room that night after a heartbreaking, last-second loss, the players and coaches alike already had their sights set on a seemingly inevitable rematch with the conference championship on the line. "I think we walked off the field and told them we'd be back," senior defensive back Sean-Thomas Faulkner said. "It's proving what we all knew. With there being no more divisions, we all knew we could still control our own destiny. We knew we'd be back and would get another shot at them." In the last meeting, UTSA (10-2, 8-0) ended the game with an acrobatic touchdown reception with 15 seconds remaining to pull out a 31-27 victory over the Mean Green (7-5, 6-2). "They made one more play than we did down the stretch," Littrell said. "That's football. It was a very competitive game. We knew leaving that field that we wanted another opportunity to get back out there and compete against those guys, and our guys did enough down the stretch to put ourselves in a position to do that." Not only are the Mean Green trying to avenge a loss earlier in the season, and doing so in a conference championship game, but it also happens to be against one of, if not their most heated rival, as they enter Friday's game with an even split in the all-time series. "Rivalries are always great to be in and to be playing your rival for a championship is unmatched," sophomore running back Isaiah Johnson said. "I wouldn't want it any other way. I've really grown to not like UTSA but they're a great team and I'm happy to get a chance to play them again." UNT looking to correct rushing woes against UTSA Heading into their previous meeting in San Antonio, the Mean Green were fresh off a school-record rushing day when they rolled up 475 yards on the ground in a win over Louisiana Tech the previous week. That momentum was quickly thwarted by the Roadrunners, as they held UNT to just 22 yards on 21 carries for the typically run-heavy and productive offense. Senior center Manase Mose, who will be making his 61st career start (good to tie him for third all-time in NCAA history), said he and his teammates in the trenches were simply outplayed on that day and they must do better Friday night to bring home a trophy. "They just played better football that day," he said. "We kind of lost focus in the first half and slowly picked it up in the second half. The O-line and offense as a whole, we have to focus on the little things and do things right on our end. "Their D-line and whole front-seven is a good unit. They're strong and big. It's gonna be a challenge for us to get them moving and get rolling." Littrell said the reason UTSA shut down his ground attack in the last meeting was simple math and the extra men the Roadrunners put in the box. There is one way to exploit that, and that's with explosive plays in the passing game. "You gotta hit plays in the passing game, for sure," Littrell said. "We had to do that in the second half and we did make some big plays. That's something we have to do. The biggest thing is you have to trust and believe in making your routine plays. There were five or six explosive plays we left out there in the first drive that could've changed the game. You just have to make routine plays. You only get so many opportunities to make them. When you get them, you have to finish them off." Littrell, players know what a championship would mean As the Mean Green prepare to play their second-to-last game as a member of Conference USA before next year's move to The American, and their final conference game in the league, they are all aware of what a win and a championship would mean for the program moving into the future. UNT hasn't won a conference championship since the 2004 Sun Belt title and hasn't played in a conference championship game since a 41-17 loss to FAU in the 2017 Conference USA Championship. "Any time you have that opportunity to win a championship, it's huge," Littrell said. "We all understand that. You only get so many opportunities to do this. Some of these guys, it might be their only opportunity to play in a championship game and win a championship. You never know how often they come around. You have to be prepared for it and enjoy that preparation and go out and perform at the highest level. "Winning a championship would be big. That's what the goals are. That's what I envisioned for this university is to go compete for and win championships and win bowl games. Now is a great opportunity to achieve some of those goals." Even for guys like Faulkner and Mose, whose UNT careers are coming to an end, the importance of Friday's game for the future isn't lost on them. "For me, being a senior, next year I'll be gone," Faulkner said. "It doesn't affect me. But this program, as a whole, going to a new conference and leaving on a championship note would be a big deal for the whole program – support, recruiting, everything. It's huge for the future of North Texas." LINK: https://meangreensports.com/news/2022/11/29/football-unt-out-for-revenge-with-c-usa-title-on-the-line

Technically, UAB has been on the clock to find its next head football coach longer than any other program in this cycle. It’s been more than five months since Bill Clark’s abrupt resignation/retirement from the Blazers’ position shocked both school officials and the college football world. After a 6-6 season under interim coach Bryant Vincent, which is landing the Blazers in the Bahamas Bowl Dec. 16, current UAB players are asking that the school promote Vincent to the job in a full-time capacity. An unspecified number of players sent an undated letter to UAB President Dr. Ray L. Watts, in which players asserted that they had been denied an opportunity to meet with Watts via his secretary and also said that, “We, as a team, want our voices to be heard. We have fought and brought championships and bowl wins to this University. Championships and bowl wins that have never been done in the history of this program. We have accomplished things that nobody thought would ever happen here.” The players in their letter said that “On June 27, (UAB Athletics Director) Mark Ingram, told us that he will conduct a national search for our coach. That was all he said. He didn’t talk to any of us players or ask us any questions. … read more: https://footballscoop.com/news/uab-players-accuse-president-of-not-granting-meeting-want-our-voices-to-be-heard

Regents said they chose the UT System because of its access to the Permanent University Fund, which consists of oil and gas assets. The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents voted Tuesday to accept an invitation to join the University of Texas System, selecting the Austin-based system from four across the state that had extended invitations to join their ranks this year. Board members said all four systems — the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System, the Texas Tech University System and the University of Texas System — assured them that the East Texas university would be able to keep its autonomy, as well as its name, mascot and school colors. And a financial analysis showed the university would benefit financially in some form from joining any of the systems. But regents said joining the UT System was the most attractive option because of the access to funding from the Permanent University Fund, which consists of assets created by oil and gas revenue from 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas that rake in billions of dollars annually. “Any other regional comprehensive university in the state would give its proverbial right arm to be in the position we're in today,” said regent David Alders, who said the board has discussed over the years how nice it would be to “secure a piece of a [Permanent University Fund] pie.” “Here, this slice of that pie is being presented to us on a silver platter. I believe it would represent a dramatic dereliction of our duty to not accept this invitation,” he said. read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/29/stephen-f-austin-state-university-system-vote/

GMG 1 UNT_FB_Game_Notes 2022 13_CUSA MON.pdf

SAN ANTONIO – Jeff Traylor did not mince words at his postgame press conference Saturday evening. “We need the city to show up.” UTSA’s third-year head coach had just seen his resilient squad complete a thrilling and historic comeback to defeat UTEP 34-31. The Roadrunners finished the regular season with a 10-2 overall record including a perfect 8-0 mark against Conference USA opponents, a first in program history. Over the past two seasons, only four college football programs have a better overall record than UTSA’s 22-4 mark: Georgia (26-1), Michigan (24-2), Ohio State (22-3) and Alabama (23-4). Additionally, the team finally broke back into the AP Top 25 over the weekend at No. 23 overall and moved up a spot in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll to No. 24. Even with all of that success, Traylor was laser-focused on the challenge ahead: hosting North Texas in their second straight Conference USA Championship Game at the Alamodome. Saturday’s victory happened in front of 26,061 fans, the fourth-largest crowd this season, and the fans made their presence felt multiple times during UTSA’s remarkable comeback. Traylor wants an even larger crowd on Friday night. “It’s got to be like tonight times two for us to have a competitive chance,” Traylor said. “We worked hard to get that home-field [advantage]. We can’t waste it, man. We cannot waste it. We need to get this place packed.” The Roadrunners will have to battle the Mean Green without several key contributors. Wide receiver De’Corian “JT” Clark, who caught the game-winning touchdown against UNT, is already out for the season after suffering a leg injury in UTSA’s 44-38 overtime victory over UAB. Running back Brenden Brady, who carried the ball 19 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns against UNT, suffered an arm injury during UTSA’s win over UTEP and will miss the title game. Tight end Gavin Sharp suffered an ugly leg injury in the UTEP game as well, adding to a list of eight one-time starters who will not suit up on Friday. read more: https://www.ksat.com/sports/local/2022/11/29/pack-the-dome-traylor-utsa-want-record-setting-crowd-for-conference-usa-championship-game/

Littrell listed along with Fuente, Gillespie, Kinne, Odom and Riley as candidates: https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/tu/a-look-at-some-possible-candidates-to-replace-philip-montgomery/collection_35e19b36-6f59-11ed-8b02-97325eee3534.html#4

https://247sports.com/college/texas-am/Article/Texas-AM-offensive-coordinator-Darrell-Dickey-fired-terminated-relieved-Aggies-2022-198944589/

https://gotigersgo.com/sports/football/coaches/2015

Former Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente is an Oklahoma native with deep ties in Texas and 10 years of head coaching experience. He built Memphis from one of the worst situations in the country into a conference champion in his third season. He won 19 games in his first two seasons at Virginia Tech, but things unraveled down the stretch, though he finished with a 43-31 record there. Fuente’s name has also been around the UAB job and some other potential openings. read more: https://theathletic.com/3941164/2022/11/27/texas-state-football-coach-candidates-spavital/

The North Texas Mean Green and UTSA Roadrunners meet Friday in the college football Conference USA Championship at the Alamodome. The North Texas Mean Green have won 5 of their last 7 games. The UTSA Roadrunners have won 9 straight games. The North Texas Mean Green have lost 4 of their last 5 road games. Austin Aune is completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 3,115 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Roderic Burns and Jyaire Shorter have combined for 1,194 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while Var’Keyes Gumms has 31 receptions. The North Texas Mean Green ground game is averaging 205.7 yards per contest, and Ayo Adeyi leads the way with 690 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, North Texas is allowing 30.1 points and 451.7 yards per game. KD Davis leads the North Texas Mean Green with 118 tackles, Mazin Richards has 7.5 sacks and Ridge Texada has 3 interceptions. The UTSA Roadrunners have been the C-USA team to beat all season, and they’re on a heater of all heaters. At home, you can understand why they’re favored heavily. With that said, these clubs met a couple of months ago and North Texas held its own on the road, losing by just 4 points. UTSA has more balance, but North Texas has one of the best offenses in the country, and it’s enough for a fighting chance here. The hook may be key. Give me the Mean Green and the points. Randy Chambers's Free Pick: North Texas Mean Green +7.5 read more: https://sportschatplace.com/cfb-picks/2022/utsa-vs-north-texas-12-2-22-college-football-picks-predictions-odds/

The North Texas Mean Green (7-5, 6-2 C-USA) and No. 24 UTSA Roadrunners (10-2, 8-0) meet Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, for the Conference USA Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Below, we look at North Texas vs. UTSA odds from Tipico Sportsbook; check back for all our college football picks and predictions. Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. The Mean Green squeaked by Rice in the regular-season finale Saturday 21-17 as 14.5-point favorites to clinch a spot in the C-USA title game. A 40-13 win at Western Kentucky on Oct. 29 gave North Texas the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage. North Texas has won 3 of its last 4 games, and is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games, including a cover against the Roadrunners in the 1st meeting, won by UTSA 31-27. UTSA remained unbeaten in C-USA play with a 34-31 win over UTEP, although it came nowhere near covering a 16.5-point spread. The Roadrunners have scored 30 or more points in 9 consecutive games, and they hit the mark in 11 of 12 games overall. North Texas at UTSA odds Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 2:44 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML): Off the board (OTB) Against the spread (ATS): North Texas +8.5 (-109) | UTSA -8.5 (-111) Over/Under (O/U): 66 (O: -108 | U: -112) 2022 betting stats ML: North Texas 7-5 | UTSA 10-2 ATS: North Texas 7-5 | UTSA 6-6 O/U: North Texas 7-5 | UTSA 7-5 READ MORE: https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/2022/11/27/first-look-c-usa-championship-north-texas-at-utsa-odds-and-lines/

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The North Texas men’s basketball team fell to UNC Wilmington Sunday night in the 2022 Baha Mar Nassau Championship title game, 55-51, at the Baha Mar Nassau Convention Center. In a game where points were at a premium for both teams, UNT (5-2) had a season-high 17 turnovers that the reigning CBI champion Seahawks (5-3) turned into 20 points. Mean Green senior Tylor Perry who led the eight-team tournament in scoring with 64 total points was named to the all-tournament team. He finished with a team-high 17 on Sunday. “Our team was looking forward to playing in the championship game,” said head coach Grant McCasland. “But credit UNCW. They were physical and did some really tough things. We love the mantra ‘toughest team wins’ and I definitely thought they were the toughest team tonight.” Senior Kai Huntsberry finished with 53 total points over the three games in three days, which was the second most in the tournament. He had 15 points on Sunday in the tournament title game. North Texas will return home on Saturday to host Omaha at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the Mean Green Sprots Network, presented by Learfield on the Varsity Network app.

Coaching Cycle Changes: https://footballscoop.com/news/2022-23-nfl-and-college-head-coaching-changes

According to a report from the Daily Memphian, head coach Ryan Silverfield will return for a fourth season at Memphis. https://footballscoop.com/news/ryan-silverfield-will-reportedly-return-at-memphis