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DALLAS – North Texas junior quarterback Austin Aune was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week presented by Blenders Eyewear, the league announced on Monday. The junior from Argyle, Texas, made the first opening-game start of his career after throwing for 236 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-29 passing in the Mean Green's 31-13 win in El Paso on Saturday night. Aune's stat line stretched his career totals against UTEP to 778 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and no interceptions to go with his 3-0 record. He is the first UNT student-athlete to garner Player of the Week honors since Jaelon Darden in December of 2020. With his three touchdown passes in the game, Aune moved to ninth on the program's career touchdown passes list with 26. His yardage total brought his career output to 4,013 passing yards to put him in eighth place on the program's career passing list. Aune and the Mean Green will host SMU in their home opener at Apogee Stadium on Saturday with the game set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

6. North Texas The Mean Green overcame a 1-6 start by winning their last five regular-season games (including a win over undefeated UTSA) to earn the program’s fifth bowl trip in six years under coach Seth Littrell. But after an 18-9 mark from 2017-18, North Texas is only 14-21 over the last three seasons and the pressure is building on Littrell. A step forward in ’22 will require more consistency out of the passing game (197.1 yards a contest last fall), which could come in the form of Memphis/Arizona transfer Grant Gunnell after he joined the mix to push Austin Aune after spring ball. The Mean Green are deep at running back – a unit bolstered by promising sophomore Oscar Adaway III returning from an ACL tear to join Ikaika Ragsdale and Ayo Adeyi. Players returning from ailments also boost the receiving corps with Tommy Bush and Jyaire Shorter joining Damon Ward and Roderic Burns to form a standout receiving corps. Four starters return along an offensive line that should rank among the best in the conference. The hire of veteran play-caller Phil Bennett had a massive impact on North Texas’ defense last fall. In 2020, this unit surrendered 6.94 yards per snap and 42.8 points a game but cut those totals to 27.5 a contest and 5.7 yards a play. Improving on those numbers will require replacing ends Grayson and Gabriel Murphy (transferred to UCLA) and tackle Dion Novil. Linebacker KD Davis is among Conference USA’s top returning defenders for ’22. Key swing games against Louisiana Tech, FAU and Rice take place in Denton. Read more: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/conference-usa-football-2022-predictions

Amir Siddiq, DL, CharlotteKeem Green, Green, FAUJosiah Miamen, TE, FIUMyles Brooks, CB, Louisiana TechTimar Rogers, LB, Middle Tennessee StateZahodri Jackson, CB, North TexasLitchfield Ajavon, S, RiceJackson Bratton, LB, UABNicktroy Fortune, CB, UTSAVincent Murphy, OL, Western Kentucky read more: https://dknation.draftkings.com/platform/amp/2022/6/20/23145447/conference-usa-new-players-transfers-portal-wku-utsa-la-tech-trelon-smith-jarrett-doege-devonta-lee

Charlotte 49ers Preview 2022 The 49ers are still trying to find the consistency needed to be a bigger factor in Conference USA. The breakthrough bowl season in 2019 was fun, the 2-4 season in 2020 was because of 2020 – there weren’t any bad losses among the four – and last year a bowl game was well within each, but the defense went bye-bye over a three game losing streak to close out the year. The experience is there to be better after a decent season, but it’ll be all about the improvement on the other side of the ball. The new-look Conference USA schedule just got a lot easier, but it’s still going to be a fight to get close to six wins if the D isn’t far, far better. But first … Link: https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/05/charlotte-49ers-preview-2022-season-prediction-breakdown-key-games-players

North Texas Mean Green Draft Prospects When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose receiver Jaelon Darden in Round 4 of the 2021 NFL Draft, it was the first time in 32 years a UNT player broke into the top 130 selections.On the contrary, it’s unlikely any player from the program is selected in the NFL Draft come 2022. Jyaire Shorter, WR | Grade: 3.38 | Projected Round: 6th Wide receiver Jyaire Shorter showed a lot of potential in 2019 but played in just two games last season and finished with 4 receptions. Shorter is a big-bodied, sure-handed receiver with reliable hands. I graded Shorter as a sixth-round prospect off the 2019 film, but the fourth-year junior needs a big year and must get his game back on track. Dion Novil, DL | Grade: 3.05 | Projected Round: FA Dion Novil is an explosive 3-technique tackle who showed great potential in 2019 then watched his game level off last year. He possesses a great first step off the snap and a burst of closing speed. That being the case, Novil shows limited strength in his game, gets handled by blocks, and really doesn’t play like a 310-pound defensive lineman. read more: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/conference-usa-draft-prospects-scouting-reports-2022-nfl-draft/

Dana Dimel and the UTEP football program have been on a multi-year rebuild that is now at a really interesting place entering year four. The former Kansas State offensive coordinator has been extremely cautious when throwing out any guarantees for his team in the past, and since he was hired back in 2018 to help turn the squad into a winner, he's maintained a five-year plan. However, the talent across the roster has started to fill out a little faster than expected and the Miners proved in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season that they can be competitive. Year four brings a lot to the table for the Miners. Dimel is in the fourth season of his five-year contract. The team returns 11 starters on offense and about nine defensively. The schedule favors the Miners early on. They have made lots of coaching shifts over the offseason. JUCO recruits are still signing to the program. And their opener against NM State (Aug. 28) is less than 60 days away. “I think we’re right on queue where I thought we would be," Dimel told 600 ESPN El Paso. "You’re not going into a place thinking that you’re going to change it in a year. You try to build a big picture concept and we feel we’re right on track to do that. We feel like we were really close last year, but that was last year. We need to continue to get better, continue to tweak our roster; and take guys that came onto the scene from last year and push them to a whole other level." Read More: It's Time to Talk UTEP Football: 2021 Season Preview | https://krod.com/its-time-to-talk-utep-football-2021-season-preview/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Big accomplishment for the conference as UTSA running back Sincere McCormick landed on the Phil Steel All American list second team. Last week, McCormick was named a Walter Camp Preseason Second-Team All-American. He also was named Best Running Back and first-team All-Texas College by Dave Campbell's Texas Football earlier this month, as well as a preseason first-team all-conference selection by Athlon Sports in May. Read more: https://goutsa.com/news/2021/6/24/football-mccormick-collects-second-preseason-all-america-nod.aspx

HUNTINGTON — The good news is that North Texas’ offense was the best offense in Conference USA last season. The bad news that the North Texas defense was one of the worst defenses in FBS, if not THE worst. That porous defense led Seth Littell’s bunch to a losing record overall and even in Conference USA, which was not the expectation coming into a season in which they featured one of the nation’s best receivers in Jaelon Darden. Unfortunately for the Mean Green, Darden is gone to the NFL and the defensive problems still are present. Former SMU head coach Phil Bennett takes over the defense, which is a big step forward, but North Texas needs more than Bennett’s expertise to fix a defense that allowed an FBS-worst 43 points while also yielding 522 yards per game. The good news for Bennett is that, from a production standpoint, there are plenty of pieces returning who can help. Up front, All-Conference USA tackle Dion Novil returns and there is young talent at the end spots with Grayson and Gabriel Murphy, but defending the run and getting a more consistent pass rush are pivotal to improving the 2020 numbers. read more: https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/2021-marshall-football-opponents-north-texas-has-to-improve-defense/article_88448e57-cd3f-5230-9726-58e5c1f6a1be.html

Florida International: 4.5 Wins Well, that was a forgetful year. Butch Davis has been coaching football for a long time, with a lot of successful seasons under his belt, but even the veteran HC had no answers for the debacle that was 2020. A common theme among teams that struggled last year, FIU was hit extremely hard by COVID. However, this past season came on the heels of a 6-7 record in 2019. Is the program slipping a bit? A main reason the Golden Panthers struggled was a complete lack of a passing game. Davis shuffled in three different QBs under center but none were effective. Max Bortenschlager and Kaylan Wiggins return while a couple of freshmen come into the program. Someone has to step up and lead this offense that is returning four starting offensive linemen and two solid RBs. Defensively, the unit should be much improved this year. They have one of the best secondaries in the conference and are loaded with upperclassmen throughout the starting 11. Butch Davis has always been able to bring in defensive talent and deserves the benefit of the doubt coming into the season. read more: https://www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com/2021/06/21/college-football-win-total-predictions-conference-usa-east-ncaaf-over-under-middle-tennessee-state-charlotte/

Here's a short article I wrote for CUSA Report way back in August that kind of covers (from a 30k foot perspective) what has been making us sad lately: parity in this league. It sucks we are not going to make a repeat championship appearance. But it also speaks to how competitive this league has become, compared to how top heavy it was just a few years ago. As a whole, that is good for the league when we get lots of attention. The focused effort by C-USA schools on bringing in coaching talent has paid dividends throughout the league. All new coaches hired since 2016 made a bowl appearance in their first year (we are counting UAB’s Bill Clark’s Return Year as a Year One because of the circumstances). “In this conference you better be ready to play. First of all, there’s excellent coaches,” FIU’s Butch Davis said when asked about the influx of new coaches. “The competitiveness: they recruit well, there’s a lot of talent…if you don’t show up and you’re not prepared to play on Saturday, you’re going to get your butt beat.” https://cusareport.com/2018/08/10/rebuilding-conference-usa/

Good thing we have the week off. He took a lot of nasty hits before and AFTER releasing the ball yesterday. We have to get these o-line issues addressed and quickly. Also C-USA refs need to cut this after play crap out or we are going to become a league full of injured QB's.

Date North Texas Opponent Location Time/Network Official/Fan Website 09/01/18 vs. SMU Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST Stadium SMU Official Football Site Ponyfans.com Football Fan Site 09/08/18 vs. Incarnate Word Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST ESPN+ Incarnate Word Official Football Site 09/15/18 @Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas 3PM CST SEC Network Alt Arkansas Official Football Site Hogville Fan Site 09/22/18 @Liberty Lynchburg, Virginia 5PM CST Liberty Official Football Site A Sea of Red Fan Site 09/29/18 vs. Louisiana Tech Denton, Texas 6:30PM CST beIN La. Tech Official Football Site Bulldawg Bark and Bytes Fan Site 10/06/18 @UTEP El Paso, Texas 6:30PM CST beIN UTEP Official Football Site MinerDigs Fan Site 10/13/18 vs. Southern Miss Denton, Texas 1PM CST ESPN3 USM Official Football Site The Perch Fan Site 10/20/18 @UAB Birmingham, Alabama 6:30PM CST beIN UAB Official Football Site Blazer Talk Fan Site 10/27/18 vs. Rice Denton, Texas 3PM CST ESPN+ Rice Official Football Site The Parliament Fan Site 11/10/18 @Old Dominion Norfolk, Virginia 2:30PM CST ESPN3 ODU Official Football Site Lion's Den Fan Site 11/15/2018 vs. Florida Atlantic Denton, Texas 8:30PM CST CBSSN FAU Official Football Site FAU Owl's Nest Fan Site 11/24/2018 @Texas San Antonio San Antonio, Texas 6PM CST ESPN+ UTSA Official Football Site Rowdy Talk Fan Site * Home games denoted in bold

North Texas @ Arkansas: UNT + 7.5 UTEP @ Tennessee: UTEP + 29.5 Tulane @ UAB: UAB + 3.5 USM @ App State: USM + 15.5 UTSA @ K-State: UTSA + 21 ODU @ Charlotte: ODU - 2.5 Bethune Cookman @ FAU: No Line Yet MTSU @ Georgia: MTSU + 31.5 Marshall @ South Carolina: Marshall + 13 WKU @ Louisville: WKU + 22.5 U Mass @ FIU: FIU - 4

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

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.

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

Link: http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/16/football-fb-2018-preseason-awards.aspx FB: 2018 Preseason Awards July 16, 2018 A trio of standouts headline the list of 2018 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Florida Atlantic senior LB Azeez Al-Shaair was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year, while Southern Miss senior K Parker Shaunfield earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors. 2018_Preseason_Awards "Motor" Singletary was named C-USA Most Valuable Player last season after scoring a nation-leading 32 rushing touchdowns last season (nine more than any other player) and 33 total TDs (five more than any other player). He scored more rushing touchdowns last year (32) than previous school career record-holder Alfred Morris had in four years from 2008-11 (27). Singletary also topped 100 yards in each of the final 11 games of the season for the Owls. Both the rushing TD’s and total TD’s are new C-USA records in those categories, breaking records held by UCF RB Kevin Smith, now his running backs coach. Singletary finished fifth nationally with 1,920 rushing yards and FAU was sixth nationally in rushing at 285.9 yards per game. Al-Shaair was a first team All-Conference USA selection in 2017 after he set a new Florida Atlantic single-season record with 147 tackles. He posted nine games with double-digit stops and also helped the defense with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Al-Shaair already holds the schools’ career tackles mark with 354. Shaunfield converted the first 89 extra-point attempts to start his career (a school record) and is now 104-for-106 all-time as a Golden Eagle. The first team All-C-USA performer converted 17-of-20 field goals last season, including 15 in a row at one point. Shaunfield was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2017. Defending conference champion Florida Atlantic had the most overall preseason selections with six, while Marshall produced five and Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each had players comprising four spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad. The league’s 23rd football season begins on Thursday, August 30. The 14th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1. The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday. 2018 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Devin Singletary, Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., LB, Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Parker Shaunfield, Sr., K, Southern Miss OFFENSE QB Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas QB Brent Stockstill, Sr., Middle Tennessee RB Spencer Brown, So., UAB RB Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic OL Reggie Bain, Sr., Florida Atlantic OL Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee OL Jordan Budwig, Sr., FIU OL Levi Brown, Jr., Marshall OL O’Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech TE Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic WR Tyre Brady, Sr., Marshall WR Jalen Guyton, Sr., North Texas WR Ty Lee, Jr., Middle Tennessee WR Teddy Veal, Sr., Louisiana Tech DEFENSE DL Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech DL Fermin Silva, Sr., FIU DL Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA DL Oshane Ximines, Jr., Old Dominion LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., Florida Atlantic LB Khalil Brooks, Jr., Middle Tennessee LB Chase Hancock, Sr., Marshall LB Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA DB Ben DeLuca, Jr., Charlotte DB Malik Gant, Jr., Marshall DB Shelton Lewis, Sr., Florida Atlantic DB Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech DB Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS K Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss P Jack Fox, Sr., Rice KR Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion PR Darrell Brown, Jr., Old Dominion LS Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall

May 23, 2018 NASHVILLE – Junior quarterback Mason Fineheadlines a group of eight North Texas players named to Athlon Sports’ preseason all Conference USA teams. Fine was selected as the first team quarterback following his breakout season a year ago. The Peggs, Oklahoma, native set single-season program records in passing yards (4,052), passing touchdowns (31), completions (324) and pass attempts (511) on his way to C-USA Offensive Player of the Year honors. He had 17 touchdowns of 20-yards or more, six of which went for 50-plus yards. Four Mean Green players were selected to the second team, with wide receiver Jalen Guyton, tight end Kelvin Smith and Elex Woodworth doing so offensively and defensive lineman Roderick Youngrepresenting the defense. Guyton, last season’s C-USA co-Newcomer of the Year, hauled in 49 catches for 775 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns in 13 appearances in 2017. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch during his first season in Denton. Smith was versatile for North Texas in 2017, factoring heavily in both the passing and running games, while also featuring on several special teams units. He caught 27 passes for 264 yards last season. Woodworth started all 14 games for North Texas and appeared at guard and tackle at different points throughout the season. Young was a key disruptor along the defensive line, finishing with 48 total stops, 6.5 tackles for loss with a pair of sacks and eight quarterback hurries. Three more North Texas players were selected to the third team, with running back Nic Smith and center Sosaia Mose representing the offense and linebacker E.J. Ejiya doing so defensively. Smith carried 138 times for 684 yards and added eight total touchdowns in a backup role last year. Mose appeared in 13 games, making 11 starts for the Mean Green and was instrumental in paving the way for the Mean Green’s potent rushing attack. Ejiya was the team’s leading tackler with 109 total tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss and a team-best 7.0 sacks with a forced fumble. Athlon also projected the Mean Green to repeat as C-USA Western division champions in 2018. North Texas kicks off the 2018 season against Metroplex rival SMU on Saturday, Sept. 1, on the new surface at Apogee Stadium. Season tickets for 2018 are on sale and fans can purchase tickets through the Mean Green athletics ticket office. For more information, visit MeanGreenSports.com or call the ticket office at 940-565-2527 or 800-868-2366. Link: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/052318aaa.html

We play La Tech Wednesday night at 8:30. Winner gets Old Dominion Thursday night in the late game.