DRC NT ready to face FIU for first time

OldTimer · October 14, 2005

UNT ready to face FIU for first time

Golden Panthers faltering in first Sun Belt season

07:15 AM CDT on Friday, October 14, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer

North Texas will face a familiar challenge this weekend when the Mean Green take on Florida International.

FIU hails from one of the nation's hotbeds for high school football recruits, is loaded with returning players and is in the process of moving up from Division I-AA. The scenario is almost exactly what the Mean Green encountered last year against Florida Atlantic, which pulled off a stunning upset of UNT at Fouts Field.

That 20-13 loss has been on the minds of UNT's players and coaches heading into their second game against the Sun Belt's new Florida contingent.

"For a team that has been Division I for one or two years, they have more older players than we do," Dickey said. "If you look at their offense and defense across the board, they have a number of seniors. It's the same scenario that we faced with Florida Atlantic last year."

FIU has six senior starters on offense and another five on defense.

The Golden Panthers struggled to take advantage of that experience early in the season when they opened with three straight losses, but were competitive against Kansas State in their season opener. That same Wildcat team drubbed the Mean Green 54-7 just two weeks ago.

FIU broke through for its first win of the season on Oct. 1 by taking out in-state rival Florida A&M, 23-3. The Golden Panthers have been preparing for their first home game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference ever since.

The Mean Green have never played FIU, but know just what to expect from the Golden Panthers.

"Florida schools have a lot of speed," UNT linebacker Derek Mendoza said. "We need to have a good game plan going in and execute it. That's what we haven't been doing. We have had good game plans, but we haven't executed."

FIU's speed has helped the Golden Panthers become one of the most effective passing teams in the Sun Belt Conference. Junior quarterback Josh Padrick leads the league with an average of 205.5 yards a game, while junior flanker Chandler Williams ranks first in both receptions per game (5.25) and receiving yards 79.2.

UNT has struggled at times defensively this season, but has come up with a few key plays to turn the tide when opponents try to throw the ball. Sophomore linebacker Maurice Holman returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in a win over Middle Tennessee to open the season.

Holman's interception is one of five UNT has posted on the season.

Mendoza also intercepted a pass against MTSU and credited the Mean Green's string of critical turnovers to getting in to the right place at the right time defensively.

UNT will need to come up with a few more big plays to get back on track and turn the tide in its series against Florida teams. The Mean Green have posted a 2-8 record against teams from Florida and have not beaten a team from the state since knocking off the University of Tampa in 1970.

There might not be a more ideal time for the Mean Green to break through than this season. UNT enters its game against FIU off of a loss to Troy that ended the Mean Green's 26-game conference winning streak.

UNT learned last year that they won't be able to assume a game against one of the Sun Belt's new Florida schools will be an automatic win that will turn the Mean Green's season around.

"Last year FAU came in here and played better than we did," UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman said. "We learned last year that you can't take anything for granted."

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BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

UNT VS. FLORIDA

The North Texas football team has only played 10 games against Florida schools, but a few of them have been memorable. The following is a look back.

1976 – Florida State 21, UNT 20

The Mean Green hosted the Seminoles for homecoming on Nov. 14, 1976, when six inches of snow and fell at Fouts Field. UNT led 20-13 late before FSU mounted a final touchdown drive and picked up the win on a halfback pass from Larry Key to Kurt Unglaub for a two-point conversion

2004 – Florida Atlantic 20, UNT 13

FAU snapped UNT's eight-game home winning streak and picked up a milestone win in its transition to Division I and playing in the Sun Belt Conference.

1947 – UNT 20, Florida 12

UNT picked up its first win over a Florida team to kick off an eight-game winning streak. The Mean Green went on to win the Lone Star Conference title.

UNTLifer · October 14, 2005

"For a team that has been Division I for one or two years, they have more older players than we do," Dickey said. "If you look at their offense and defense across the board, they have a number of seniors. It's the same scenario that we faced with Florida Atlantic last year."
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Great. DD already has his excuse ready in the event NT doesn't win.

gangrene · October 14, 2005

Great. DD already has his excuse ready in the event NT doesn't win.
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Those were my exact same thoughts when reading his quotes. He's not exactly beaming with confidence is he??

I'm also curious about our game plan...did we prepare to play against "Florida schools" who, by the way, "have a lot of speed" or did we prepare to play specifically against Florida International University???