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The No. 1 offense in Conference USA is not Western Kentucky. Nor is it Louisiana Tech. It’s not Middle Tennessee, UTSA or even Southern Miss. No, four weeks into the 2017 season, the leaders in the C-USA clubhouse in both yards and points per game is — that’s right, you probably didn’t guess it — North Texas. The same team, with the same quarterback, same running back and four of the same five offensive linemen, that was next-to-last in the league in scoring offense (24.8) and dead last in total offense (341.8) a year ago. After averaging 24.8 points per game in 2016, the Mean Green (2-2) have so far enjoyed a significant reversal of fortune. Under second-year coach Seth Littrell, the former offensive coordinator for Larry Fedora at North Carolina, North Texas has a 37.8 scoring average in four games and is gaining 503.5 yards per game over the same span. “Very good offense. One of the best in the country right now,” Southern Miss defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro said. “They’re loaded on offense. They’ve put some points on the board. So we’re definitely going to have to come up and play Saturday, that’s for sure.” read more: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/sports/college/southern-miss/blitz/2017/09/25/first-look-north-texas-bringing-plenty-offense-southern-miss-saturday-football/697415001/

1 2 3 4 Total North Texas (3-2) 7 10 16 10 43 Southern Miss (2-2) 14 7 7 0 28 First Quarter NT USM USM 11:44 TD STAGGERS, A. 7 yd PASS (SHAUNFIELD, P. KICK) 0 7 USM 5:38 TD GRIGGS, Kwadra 4 yd RUSH (SHAUNFIELD, P. KICK) 0 14 NT :47 TD WILSON, Jeffery 46 yd RUSH (MOORE, Trevor KICK) 7 14 Second Quarter NT USM USM 10:00 TD SMITH, Ito 65 yd RUSH (SHAUNFIELD, P. KICK) 7 21 NT 2:42 TD GUYTON, Jalen 2 yd PASS (MOORE, Trevor KICK) 14 21 NT :00 FG MOORE, Trevor 48 yd 17 21 Third Quarter NT USM NT 9:01 FG MOORE, Trevor 20 yd 20 21 NT 4:08 TD BUSSEY, Rico 16 yd PASS (MOORE, Trevor KICK) 27 21 NT 2:49 TD WILSON, Jeffery 43 yd RUSH 33 21 USM :00 TD SMITH, Ito 4 yd RUSH (SHAUNFIELD, P. KICK) 33 28 Fourth Quarter NT USM NT 11:29 TD WILSON, Jeffery 6 yd RUSH (MOORE, Trevor KICK) 40 28 NT 4:30 FG MOORE, Trevor 44 yd 43 28 Passing Name Comp-Att-Int Yards TD #6 FINE, Mason 24-40-1 366 2 #TM TEAM 0-1-0 0 0 Total 24-41-1 366 2 Rushing Name Att-Yards Avg TD #3 WILSON, Jeffery 30-148 4.9 3 #21 SMITH, Nic 7-19 2.7 0 #26 JOHNSON, Evan 2-6 3.0 0 #6 FINE, Mason 5-4 0.8 0 #TM TEAM 2-(-3) -1.5 0 Total 46-174 3.8 3 Receiving Name Att-Yards Avg TD #0I GUYTON, Jalen 14-211 15.1 1 #1E CHUMLEY, Caleb 1-43 43.0 0 #1 SMILEY, Turner 1-41 41.0 0 #8 BUSSEY, Rico 4-33 8.3 1 #3 WILSON, Jeffery 1-(18) 18.0 0 #32 LAWRENCE, M. 1-11 11.0 0 #21 SMITH, Nic 1-6 6.0 0 #87 SMITH, Kelvin 1-3 3.0 0 Total 24-366 15.3 2 HATTIESBURG, Miss. - North Texas wide receiver Jalen Guyton demonstrated why he was so highly touted coming out of Allen High School, catching 14 passes for 211 yards and igniting a Mean Green rally from two 14-point deficits in a 43-28 victory over Southern Miss Saturday night. The Mean Green trailed 14-0 and 21-7 before the defense stiffened and the offense went high octane, racking up eight plays of 20 yards or more, including four by Guyton, as North Texas scored 26 unanswered points. Running back Jeffery Wilson followed up his 211-yard performance of a week ago by rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns, including a 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, capping a streak of 26 unanswered points, overturning a 21-7 deficit and pushing the Mean Green to a 33-21 lead. Wilson's most impressive running, however, may have come on a two-yard carry on fourth and one at the midfield and a six-yard touchdown run that responded to a Southern Miss TD that cut the North Texas lead to 33-28. North Texas becomes the first team this season to score more than 24 points against Southern Miss, which came into the game with the eighth-ranked defense in the nation, and the first to score in the first and fourth quarters against the Golden Eagles. "I was really proud of the way we bounced back after some things went against us in the first half," North Texas coach Seth Littrell said. "It took a little bit for us to get settled in, but once we did we had some positive plays and got some momentum. "They wanted it," he added said. "They've been itching to finish off games. The critical road win over the Golden Eagles, considered one of the top contenders in Conference USA, pushes North Texas to the top of C-USA's West Division at 2-0 in league play and 3-2 on the season. Its North Texas' first 2-0 start in league play since 2004. This was the conference opener for Southern Miss, which is 2-2 on the year. Read more: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/093017aaa.html

Go Mean Green!

Southern Miss has some of the most rabid fans in college football, and are frequently in Twitter conversation with this very site, on how their team is doing, our coverage of said team, and what they think we’re getting right or wrong about the Golden Eagles. This is a storied team that’s been playing football for 105 years, and up until a few recent dark years, they’ve been a southern mid-major power for decades. Their Wikipedia page lists nearly 100 USM alums who have gone on to play in the NFL, AFL, or AAFC. Coming into this game with a very different history is North Texas. The Mean Green (once known as the Eagles) have been playing football for 104 years, but have never quite had the national press or recognition as Southern Miss. While USM was playing and beating teams now in the SEC and AAC, North Texas was languishing in the Sun Belt... where they won four consecutive conference titles. And lest you think UNT’s accomplishments are less than, remember the stat-line at the top of the page: Their all-time record is 6-5 in favor of Southern Miss, after North Texas beat them last year by a touchdown. With UNT’s second-string QB. This is not to say that Southern Miss hasn’t improved or adjusted from 2016 to 2017. Quite the opposite. But North Texas has done the same and while one of these teams may have the more vocal fanbase, one team might have home field advantage, a higher-profile history, 82 more wins all-time, and Brett Favre as an alum, the match-ups between these two are FUN AS HELL. read more: https://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2017/9/29/14588730/southern-miss-golden-eagles-north-texas-mean-green-preview-betting-line-start-time-prediction-cusa