North Texas Vs. Rice

[gangrene]

We're favored by 2 points....

[GoMeanGreen1999]

We win:

UNT 24

Rice 21

[MeanGreenBuzz]

I would bet on Rice beating the spread and winning this one unfortunately. They played #5 UT to a 34-17 game to open the season. We plyed unranked Clemson to the tune of 35-10. Unless Vegas didn't like what they saw from UT and they now think Clemson is the better team I don't see us winning this one. I'm going to go with Rice 42 UNT 31. Big plays kill us again. Until I see our defense not give up 2-3 50+ yard plays a game I don't see us winning the close ones.

[Mean Green Matt]

A little revenge would be nice after what happened in 2008...

[BIG DAWG]

I would bet on Rice beating the spread and winning this one unfortunately. They played #5 UT to a 34-17 game to open the season. We plyed unranked Clemson to the tune of 35-10. Unless Vegas didn't like what they saw from UT and they now think Clemson is the better team I don't see us winning this one. I'm going to go with Rice 42 UNT 31. Big plays kill us again. Until I see our defense not give up 2-3 50+ yard plays a game I don't see us winning the close ones.

Just a little food for thought...

1) One of Rice's TD's came on a lucky play to say the least...the pass was deflected to the hands of a WR who was in the right place at the right time.

2) UT's offense is rebuilding, or reloading...I want to say they had to replace like 6 or 7 starters. Continuity I wouldn't say was there yet.

Not to say Texas isn't a good team, but I am not going to say that Rice is all that much better than us because their score was closer. That is not the same Texas team as far a maturity, and possibly skill, as what we have seen the past couple of years.

I am thinking this game is definitely one I think we can handle.

Remember the last time SMU came to town??? I am thinking we have another game like that. Several were on the fence...everyone, players, coaches, and fans knew how important it was, and we came out and took it to them. I am thinking, and hoping, for another game like that!

Edited September 6, 2010 by BIG DAWG

[Adub4ever]

wow cant believe we are actually favored to win... i think we will win, but its nice to see a lil respect from the odds makers

[Will to Win]

I would bet on Rice beating the spread and winning this one unfortunately. They played #5 UT to a 34-17 game to open the season. We plyed unranked Clemson to the tune of 35-10. Unless Vegas didn't like what they saw from UT and they now think Clemson is the better team I don't see us winning this one. I'm going to go with Rice 42 UNT 31. Big plays kill us again. Until I see our defense not give up 2-3 50+ yard plays a game I don't see us winning the close ones.

Personally, I would bet that Clemson would win if they played Texas.

I like my chances now that we can scheme, gameplan, make halftime adjustments etc... that was non-existant before Canales. Any positives UNT offensive football has this season is directly related to coach Canales. Not Dodge, not Hines, not any G.A.'s but Canales, because we finally have a real coach teaching great football X's and O's to our players.

Why the heck we hung on to Ford for so long in beyond me? Why we allowed Dodge to bring in an entire High School coaching staff to coach College level football is also way beyond me. I will forgive UNT but never forget the pain they have put me through for the last 3 years. Losing sucks.

[chrisfisher]

I would bet on Rice beating the spread and winning this one unfortunately. They played #5 UT to a 34-17 game to open the season. We plyed unranked Clemson to the tune of 35-10. Unless Vegas didn't like what they saw from UT and they now think Clemson is the better team I don't see us winning this one. I'm going to go with Rice 42 UNT 31. Big plays kill us again. Until I see our defense not give up 2-3 50+ yard plays a game I don't see us winning the close ones.

You may be right, but our game could have easily been 35-17 or 28-17 or closer. That crappy excessive celebration call at the end of the first half account for 7 Clemson points, and we should have scored on numerous plays in the red zone - how about the pass from Stradford to the relatively open Lewis in the end zone where he just overthrew the ball. I know this is a bunch of "what ifs" but it is true that we could have easily had a much closer scoring game.

[GrandGreen]

Don't forget Rice was playing a home game versus away in front of a great crowd. Rice and NT both played well but lost. NT should win this game, however, the memory of last year were NT was even more impressive in the first game and went on to only win more game tempers my enthusiasm.

[scrappyman1]

As I said on Sunday the line would be us by 1 1/2 to 3 was correct. I believe

we get some interceptions and a fumble and our Running back makes them pay

big time. In no way can rice stop our run. Clemson didn't so why should Rice.

The Rice Texas game was 34-3 at one time and 34-10 until 5 seconds in the game.

I feel as if we had really tried we could have scored at the end of the Clemson

game making it 35-17. I guarantee you 35-17 vs Clemson is a lot better than Texas

showed in 34-17 vs. Rice. Watch and see WE WILL BEAT RICE. PUT IT ON THE BOARD.

We also will win a lot of games this year. Ark State, FIU, U.L. Monroe, are no

Clemson.

[chrisfisher]

NT should win this game, however, the memory of last year were NT was even more impressive in the first game and went on to only win more game tempers my enthusiasm.

I thought of that too, but Ball State turned out to be a very bad team that year. I do not know that we actually played all that well that game, despite the nice win.

[BIG DAWG]

Don't forget Rice was playing a home game versus away in front of a great crowd. Rice and NT both played well but lost. NT should win this game, however, the memory of last year were NT was even more impressive in the first game and went on to only win more game tempers my enthusiasm.

I was thinking the exact same thing, but the more I think about it, Ball St. was horrible the entire year...Clemson is going to win some games, possibly a lot of games, and will do so in the ACC.

As several have been saying for months...it all comes down to Rice on Saturday.

We beat Rice after the performance against Clemson, and the road games against Army and FAU look a whole lot better.

We lose to Rice, sitting at 0-2, and those two road games look 10 times scarier than they do now...

[KRAM1]

I really like our chances against Rice. Correct a few things from the Clemson game (everything that killed us against Clemson is correctable), and I think UNT will be 1-1 after this Saturday. It is a home game for the Mean green and these kids know they can win after playing Clemson as well as they did. UNT will not be heading into their home opener this year after getting pounded by someone. UNT did a little pounding at Clemson themselves. I was VERY proud of the way UNT played from the first to the last whistle. No quit and lots of effort.

The home crowd could have a lot to do with who wins this game as well. The team played well against Clemson and has earned the right to have a BIG HOME crowd for the Rice game. I hope everyone who can be there will and I hope the students really get behind the team and show up in mass and fill the student side.

Nice job at Clemson, guys, I think you may well have turned the corner where you will now believe that you can win every game. I believe in you as well...let's go beat the Owl stuffing out of Rice.

Thanks for making me smile Saturday and for making it a great day to be a member of the Mean green nation.

UNT- 31

Rice - 17

Dunbar gets 110+ and Tune hits 3 TD pases in the win. FG from 42 yards!

GO MEAN GREEN!

[GrandGreen]

I thought of that too, but Ball State turned out to be a very bad team that year. I do not know that we actually played all that well that game, despite the nice win.

Yes, Ball State turned out to be a bad team but at the time; all we knew is that NT had beaten a team that was almost in a BCS bowl the year before.

I too think Clemson is a much better team but the fact is that NT beat Ball State, NT lost to Clemson 10-35.

I actually think that NT should beat Rice by 10 but just making the point that first games are often not a good indication of the team strength. Coaching staffs have forever to plan for the first game and generally the emotions are very high. Even the most veteran teams have new players and often new schemes that are still not perfected. As the old adage states teams improve the most from the first to second game.

[Got5onIt]

Odds makers think these teams are even since NT gets the "within a FG" nod at home. I haven't capped games in a couple of years, but I would stay away from the side on this and strictly bet on a total.

This game is really hard to call, IMO.