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In the heat of the summer, when the temperature soared into triple digits and times were at their toughest during workouts, Aaron Bellazin kept reminding his fellow North Texas defensive linemen about the perception of how they would impact the Mean Greens season. UNT had a veteran quarterback in Derek Thompson, a stable of good running backs, a veteran offensive line and potentially one of the best linebackers in Conference USA in Zach Orr. What it didnt have was a lot of certainty on its defensive front. Defensive end Brandon McCoy and defensive tackle Ryan Boutwell missed spring practice with injuries, while Richard Abbe, the anchor of UNTs defensive front, was suspended most of the summer after he was charged with DWI. Those players were part of a unit that lost its best player in end K.C. Obi to graduation following last season, when the Mean Greens line was considered average at best. Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20131117-football-unt-making-big-noise-up-front-on-defense.ece

Richard Abbe has learned Kermit the Frogs favorite saying extremely well. Its not easy being Green. His first three years at the University of North Texas, the Mean Green were a little lean in the win column. Entering the 2013 season, the 2009 Monterey graduate had seen only 12 marks in the win column in his three years of college football. No college team Abbe had been a member of had reached six wins in a season until Thursday, when the Mean Green achieved bowl eligibility with a 28-16 home victory in Denton against Rice. Were just focused on Rice this week, Abbe, a starting defensive tackle, said going into the game. Its a chance to get win number six. We want to get bowl eligible like Rice. The Halloween night outcome left North Texas and Rice both 6-3 and with 4-1 Conference USA records. Both are one-half game behind Tulane (6-2, 4-0) in the C-USA West Division. Things are turning around for UNT this season behind an aggressive defense, which ranks first in Conference USA and 23rd in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing just 20.4 points per game. It also leads C-USA and ranks third in the nation in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score just 59 percent of the time inside Mean Green 20-yard line (16-of-27). North Texas went into the week leading the nation in fumbles recovered with 14. The team is second in turnovers gained with 25 and has allowed only one touchdown in the fourth quarter all season, in a 45-21 loss to Georgia. Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-11-01/ex-plainsmen-abbe-helping-lead-mean-green-resurgence#.UnSPKDK9KSM

Monster defensive tackle Richard Abbe turned clutch fullback!? That was awesome to watch him work it on both sides of the ball.

UNT fans were pretty spoiled for years when it came to watching great defensive fronts. UNT had Brandon Kennedy, a two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year; Adrian Awasom, who went on to play for the Giants; Evan Cardwell, who played for the Dallas Desperadoes; Michael Pruitt, who passed on an offer from Kansas to play for the Mean Green. The list goes on and on. As UNT heads into the 2013 season, its defensive front is a huge question mark instead of the strength of the team it used to be. UNT lost its most productive player in defensive end K.C. Obi and a nose tackle with size in Tevinn Cantly to graduation at the end of last season. The situation has only become more dicey since. JUCO defensive end Quenton Brown looked like he would step in for Obi, who led UNT in sacks 5.5 and tackles for loss 10.5 last season, but tore his ACL late in spring practice, an injury that will likely put him out for at least the first few games of the season. UNT head coach Dan McCarney later indefinitely suspended Richard Abbe, one of the only guys the team had left with the size to play nose tackle, due to off-the-field issues. High school signee Dylan McDorman had to give up football due to shoulder injuries. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/06/post-spring-questions-series-no-5-is-unt-in-trouble-up-front-defensively.html/

Defensive tackle Richard Abbe, who started four games last season, was arrested early Thursday morning on suspicion of DWI. Abbe’s bail was set at $1,000. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/05/abbe-arrested.html/

UNT defensive tackle Richard Abbe was suspended indefinitely by head coach Dan McCarney today after he was arrested for suspicion of DWI. I did some digging, but couldn’t get the police report or much detail, not even second-hand information on what the arresting officer put in his report. Until I get more definitive information, it’s hard to say anything beyond what was on the jail report. Abbe has gone through some “not a big enough deal to make the paper” legal issues in the past. It’s pretty clear Abbe’s future with the program is in a bit of doubt. He wouldn’t be suspended indefinitely otherwise. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/05/thoughts-on-the-abbe-situation-peters-tidbit.html/

Richard Abbe, a senior who came out of spring practice as one of North Texas starting defensive tackles, has been suspended indefinitely by head coach Dan McCarney after being arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated. Abbe, 21, was arrested at 3:13 a.m. Thursday. He posted $1,000 bail and was released from the Denton city jail at 4:31 p.m. Thursday. A UNT spokesman said early Thursday evening that McCarney met with Abbe after he was released from jail and suspended him. The spokesman said McCarney would not comment further on the incident. Abbe, UNTs biggest defensive lineman at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, started four games for UNT last season, when he posted 13 tackles, including 3.5 for losses, and a sack. The former Lubbock Monterey standouts most productive game of the 2012 season came in a win over Texas Southern. Abbe finished with three tackles and a sack in a 34-7 win over the Tigers. Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20130502-football-unt-senior-dt-suspended-after-arrest.ece

Here’s a quick update on UNT defensive tackle Richard Abbe. A UNT spokesman confirmed that the senior has been suspended indefinitely after meeting with Dan McCarney. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/05/abbe-update.html/