Game 2 Preview Unt Vs. Rice

[All About UNT]

Bleacher Report

[Mean Green 93-98]

Will UNT play like a team that is executing a plan to win, or will they once more play like a team that is playing to compete with only vague hopes of winning?

The former demands all players play with constant focus. The latter is what UNT has done for years, responding to offensive success or turnovers with defensive sleepwalking only to find at the end of the game they are a few points short.

That sounds right on the money.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Bleacher Report

Toby has hit a home run in describing UNT and Rice U--where they've been and where they are now. I am officially worried about this game after reading this article.

GMG!

[LongJim]

I think there's a bit of truth in there, surrounded by a lot of hand-wringing, and I think there's some truth to asking the question "which UNT will show up?"

But let's be honest about what Rice did last week, so as not to panic everyone: Rice scored both of their touchdowns on short fields, and one was the result of a tipped pass that was defended well but should have been batted down. The other was the result of a muffed punt in essentially the red zone. They were also two dropped pick-sixes away from being blown out by 40+. I'm not going to take anything away from what they did last week, because they played hard, but UNT can beat them, and they are a great match-up for the Mean Green.

It's not like Rice marched the length of the field to score except for 1 drive which netted them a field goal. UNT's defense could stop Clemson last week, and they should be able to stop Rice. Rice is undersized, which hopefully will give the UNT's OL some advantages as the game wears on. They are beatable, and if the same UNT shows up this week, I believe they will beat Rice.

[eulesseagle]

UNT showed up for Clemson and appeared to me that UNT played really well against a much more talent laden team......

Coach Canales developed a much improved offense that moved the ball and controlled the clock.

Coach DeLoach did a great job on the defensive side of the ball. Still got hit with a couple of big plays but what team does not in the course of some game?

Considering what NT has looked like and what scores have been posted against UNT on the "first" game of the season against BCS powers everyone will have to admit that UNT vs. Clemson was a pleasant surprise even in the loss.

So what if Rice put up 17 against Texas. Saturday at 6 p.m. at Fouts Field is another day, another Saturday and another oppenent. What if Rice puts up 14 against NT? Does that make NT better than Texas? What if we have another NAVY type score and win? Does that make us No. 1 in the nation? ANY GIVEN SATURDAY ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

I think the pieces of the puzzle have come together just like planetary convergence. NT wins.

[wardly]

what nt needs is to get rice down and beat the snot out of them, just to prove to themselves that they can do it. we are desperate to be on the giving end of a blowout instead of the receiving end.

[forevereagle]

what nt needs is to get rice down and beat the snot out of them, just to prove to themselves that they can do it. we are desperate to be on the giving end of a blowout instead of the receiving end.

Agree, and after a couple years ago in Houston, we owe them one.