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After the the $5 Fill-Ups kicked off, the Mean Green went to work again, with Smith breaking a 54-yard run, carrying all the way to the 1-yard line. From there, Smith ran it in to lift North Texas into the lead for good with 7:51 remaining. After North Texas stopped UTKFC twice in the final minutes, Mean Green players celebrated on the sideline. A jubilant North Texas interim head coach Mike Canales credited his players for their resolve in beating UTKFC for the first time. “It was defense, offense, special teams, it was a family — we did it together,” Canales told a television sideline reporter. “All three units made it happen. I am so proud of our players right now.” UTKFC coach Larry Coker was succinct in his analysis of what might be one of the most disappointing games in the program’s five-year history. “We did some things better on offense but as I told the guys, we just snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory,” the coach told the team’s radio broadcast. “We had our chances. But we didn’t get it done.” read more: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/UTKFC/2015/10/UTKFC-moves-into-a-10-7-halftime-lead-at-north-texas/

SAN ANTONIO — Now working as a financial advisor for New York Life, former UTSA cornerback Darrien Starling reported Tuesday that he had a “huge month” in June, winning a few awards within his office for success in helping clients with insurance and retirement planning and tax matters. In that regard, it might be wise to heed his advice on another issue outside the world of finance. Starling, a former four-year starter for the Roadrunners, said he isn’t buying into preseason forecasts that have pegged UTSA for a last-place finish in Conference USA West division. “I’ve been around the team a little bit,” said Starling, who graduated with a degree in communication last December. “I’ve been hanging out a lot with (starting cornerback) Bennett (Okothca). Actually, Bennett was at my house yesterday. So, I’ve been keeping real close ties to the team, and everybody’s confident … I don’t know, the confidence around this team is unique.” As Year 5 of the UTSA football start-up experiment beckons, a certain energy is apparent. With 37 seniors having exhausted their eligibility last fall, the Roadrunners are turning the page in the history of the program. Players on the current roster have taken the baton from former players like Starling and are sprinting into what he calls “a new era.” “They’re really embracing the new theme this year, which is them being in the new era,” Starling said. “It’s really nice to see these guys embrace this new mystique and go forward. I’m really confident. Talking to Bennett a lot, and getting his feel on the team, he’s super confident, and I know the talent we have.” read more: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/utsa/2015/07/former-utsa-standout-says-players-have-embraced-a-new-era/

I was sitting with Jerry Briggs of the San Antonio Express-News at Conference USA media day this week and heard UNT coach Dan McCarney talk a little about the Mean Green’s loss to UTSA. Mac was gracious as always and gave Jerry some material that he turned into a nice little story on where everyone was picked in the preseason poll. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/07/thursday-afternoon-tidbits-utsa-offers-unt-target-the-hate-debate.html/

Vizza on staff: Former Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza joined the coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/colleges/article/Ranking-prompts-call-for-humility-5642574.php

Sports writer Brett Vito of the Denton Record Chronicle took time out this week to answer some of our questions about the North Texas Mean Green. UTSA will play North Texas in Denton Saturday afternoon. Here’s what Brett had to say about the Mean Green, who have posted a 7-3 record, 5-1 in Conference USA: What’s the mood in Denton with the Mean Green apparently headed to a bowl game for the first time in nine years? People are thrilled. It’s been eight long years for UNT since the end of its four-year run as Sun Belt Conference champions. UNT struggled mightily in the years between the last of its four New Orleans Bowl appearances in 2004 and the arrival of Dan McCarney, who has rebuilt the program for the last couple of years. There is a sense around UNT that the program is on its way now. Apogee Stadium is still pretty new and very nice. McCarney has the program headed in the right direction and people are starting to notice in Denton, Texas and even nationally. After a couple of tough seasons at North Texas, coach Dan McCarney seems to have turned the corner with this team. How did he do it? There is just no understating what a terrible situation McCarney walked into. UNT had struggled for years, had a bad reputation across the state and needed to rebuild around a core of a few good players. It’s been a slow process, but McCarney changed the culture of the program. The spread went out the window and was replaced by a physical approach that emphasized defense and running the ball. UNT also began recruiting better and worked through its off-the-field problems with academics and behavioral issues. The fans are starting to buy in and come back. McCarney talked just yesterday about how the process was harder than he ever thought it would be, but he eventually got it done. Read more: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/utsa/2013/11/north-texas-fans-thrilled-with-breakout-season-under-mccarney/

We are fortunate today to have Jerry Briggs of the San Antonio Express-News on the blog with us to discuss UNT’s game against UTSA this weekend. Jerry is the go-to guy for coverage of the Roadrunners. Case in point, Jerry is reporting that UTSA will be without its leading rusher David Glasco II this weekend. One can find Jerry’s stories that appear in the paper on the Express-News website’s UTSA section.Here is a link to Jerry’s UTSA blog 1. UTSA seems to be on a bit of a roll late in the season. What has changed? The UTSA defense has started to force turnovers and the offensive line has played well. UTSA had forced only two turnovers during the 2-5 start. The defense and special teams have now forced ten during a three-game win streak. A veteran offensive line led a pretty potent rushing attack against Rice in a loss, and then again in wins against UAB and Tulsa. Limited to 126 rushing yards against Tulane, UTSA nonetheless broke a 68-yard TD run by Brandon Armstrong. UTSA won 10-7. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/11/qa-with-jerry-briggs-of-the-san-antonio-express-news.html/

"Just to be clear, I'm more excited about this group (in 2013) than I've ever been", C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "The enthusiasm we have is great. We've put ourselves in great shape going forward. We can still lose members, and that's OK, because we have a great core in place." "It's a group with a whole lot of upside potential." In fact, Banowsky said that C-USA has plans for a 14-team football conference this fall, two more than expected. Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic, he said, are strong candidates to play in the conference a year ahead of their projected 2014 entry. If Banowsky can close the deal before the end of the month, those two would join UTSA, UTEP, North Texas, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane, as well as Louisiana Tech, East Carolina, Marshall, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham and Florida International in the largest C-USA field in history. East Carolina and Tulane already have agreed to leave and join the Big East a year from now, so C-USA is tentatively scheduled to revert to a dozen members in 2014. Plans call for the conference to increase to 14 again by 2015 with the addition of Old Dominion and Charlotte. Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/UTSA-distancing-from-realignment-talk-4189872.php#ixzz2HryrdNJ4