When was the last time?

[UNT90]

We won a game that we had no business winning. I'm talking a double digit dog win (no, LaLa last year doesn't count).

Texas Tech in the late 90s?

Maybe MTSU to start the run (although I doubt we were double digit dogs for that one)?

Seriously, when?

Edited July 24, 2013 by UNT90

[NT03]

Only time I can remember being shocked about a win was at ball state

[PlummMeanGreen]

From where this program had been before our move into Apogee Stadium perhaps a win over Big 10 member University of Indiana and at Apogee Stadium should be considered?

Also, how about an ESPN nationally televised win at Apogee Stadium over what would be a NO's Bowl bound ULaLa football team just last Fall, too? Is Apogee Stadium becoming a bigger deal to our Mean Green football program than our Grand Young Lady off Bonnie Brae is presently getting credit for?

Our game against Big 12 Kansas State last Fall, too, was closer than I think most realize or remember. If your football program is playing close games against perennially Top 25 football programs how could that be looked at as anything but positive?

GMG!

Edited July 25, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[H-towngreen]

We were favored over Indiana

[drex]

U of H in Texas Stadium in the mid 70's comes to mind. Also, the trouncing of Tulsa here in 1967 for the conference title.

[PlummMeanGreen]

U of H in Texas Stadium in the mid 70's comes to mind. Also, the trouncing of Tulsa here in 1967 for the conference title.

I saw North Texas beat Tulsa U on a Houston ABC affiliate Channel 13 regional broadcast in 1968 when the (now defunct) Southwest Conference used to dominate those broadcasts. I was 17 years old and still going to HS that day, too.

Would love to see our dear ol' alma mater give Tulsa U a memorable going away gift this Fall, too. That would be so very sweet.

GMG!

[UNT90]

We were favored over Indiana

Ya. This IS NOT what I am talking about. I am talking about ULM over Arkansas (who was ranked #8 at the time),

Or Appy St. over Michigan.

Or James Madison over Virginia Tech

Or ULM over Alabama

Will any of these ever happen for UNT? A school with far more resources than any of the upset winners on this mini-list.

[ragpicker]

I saw North Texas beat Tulsa U on a Houston ABC affiliate Channel 13 regional broadcast in 1968 when the (now defunct) Southwest Conference used to dominate those broadcasts. I was 17 years old and still going to HS that day, too.

Would love to see our dear ol' alma mater give Tulsa U a memorable going away gift this Fall, too. That would be so very sweet.

GMG!

I was at that afternoon game and we not only beat TU, we buried them by several touchdowns. I was in the student section and saw Joe Greene jump on a Tulsa player's back who had been aiming some cheap shots at him although no calls were made by the ref. I mean the guy was on his stomach and Mean Joe just jumped on his back on the way back to the huddle. We all laughed to see such sport and the cheap shots ceased.

However, I believe it was the next week that Houston beat Tulsa by almost a hundred points. Ours was still a nice win though as Tulsa was about the closest thing we had to a rival. Correct me if I am wrong about the dates.

[ragpicker]

I was at that afternoon game and we not only beat TU, we buried them by several touchdowns. I was in the student section and saw Joe Greene jump on a Tulsa player's back who had been aiming some cheap shots at him although no calls were made by the ref. I mean the guy was on his stomach and Mean Joe just jumped on his back on the way back to the huddle. We all laughed to see such sport and the cheap shots ceased.

However, I believe it was the next week that Houston beat Tulsa by almost a hundred points. Ours was still a nice win though as Tulsa was about the closest thing we had to a rival. Correct me if I am wrong about the dates.

I was wrong about our score, but we did win by three and it was nice.

[greenjoe]

The win over Tennessee whenever that was.

Do it again.

GO MEAN GREEN

[PlummMeanGreen]

I was at that afternoon game and we not only beat TU, we buried them by several touchdowns. I was in the student section and saw Joe Greene jump on a Tulsa player's back who had been aiming some cheap shots at him although no calls were made by the ref. I mean the guy was on his stomach and Mean Joe just jumped on his back on the way back to the huddle. We all laughed to see such sport and the cheap shots ceased.

However, I believe it was the next week that Houston beat Tulsa by almost a hundred points. Ours was still a nice win though as Tulsa was about the closest thing we had to a rival. Correct me if I am wrong about the dates.

My late dad and I were on the shores of Bastrop Bayou (the part not far from the Gulf of Mexico) with our tube of summer sausage, premium saltine crackers & iced tea fishing for speckled trout and red fish while listening to UH dismantle Tulsa by over 100 points. Former Houston Astros broadcaster Gene Elston called the UH Coog' football games back in that era.

In that UH/Tulsa game, even 4'th team UH defensive back Larry Gatlin (of country singing fame) got into that game I would hear Bill Yeoman laughingly say years later.

GMG!

[FirefightnRick]

The win over Cincy in the N.O. Bowl in '02 was surprisingly good.

The Bearcats beat a 10-2 TCU team in the first game of the year, then were moments away from beating eventual national champions Ohio State in the third game of the season only to lose in the final seconds 23-19. They ended up with only a regular season record of 7-6 but finished as Co-Champions of C-USA that season.

So that win shocked a few folks.

Next to that would have to be our wins in Lubbuttocks in '99,'97 and most shockingly...'88 as a 1-AA. It damn well was ALL GOOD and ALL GREEN that day baby!!!!!

Tech people DID NOT have any love for the Mean Green for a while there.

Rick

[JesseMartin]

While the wins are nice, Tulsa and UH haven't been considered very "big time" until now, and I think that's what 90 is going for. So though Cincy might be close, I'd have to say that the Tech wins, Tennessee in 1975? and a couple of others way back in the day would fit his requirements. Maybe Baylor. But when we played Tech and Baylor, were they highly favored over us? I think the big standout win is probably the Tennessee one...big name opponent, highly ranked that season, etc. But with that being almost 40 years ago, it's about time one of our "almost beat 'em"s turns into the real thing.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Only time I can remember being shocked about a win was at ball state

Great minds think alike... Ball just came off a 10-2 year and were nearly BCS busters. They lost coach Hoke and Nate Davis, but UNT was a double-digit dog I think.

[PlummMeanGreen]

While the wins are nice, Tulsa and UH haven't been considered very "big time" until now, and I think that's what 90 is going for. So though Cincy might be close, I'd have to say that the Tech wins, Tennessee in 1975? and a couple of others way back in the day would fit his requirements. Maybe Baylor. But when we played Tech and Baylor, were they highly favored over us? I think the big standout win is probably the Tennessee one...big name opponent, highly ranked that season, etc. But with that being almost 40 years ago, it's about time one of our "almost beat 'em"s turns into the real thing.

UH actually became "Big Time" the day they beat Duffy Daugherty's Top 10 ranked Michigan State Spartans in 1967. They had beaten a Baylor Bear team in 1956 which inspired Texas oil tycoon H.R. Cullen (Cullen Davis of FW named after him) to give UH $1 million which was a bunch of money in the 50's. UH AD Harry Foulkes later got miffed when most of that money he was to learn would go toward academic projects.

Then..............North Texas beat UH 28 to 0 in Texas Stadium in one of our big wins (including one over the Vols of Tennessee) that season. The next season, the UH Coogs would win the SWC in its first year in the league and go to the Cotton Bowl. In much of the 50's, 60's and 70's North Texas football was really operating in high NCAA D1 gear.

But now!?!?

A............(still smells like/looks like a) New Stadium + (still) New'ish HFC in only Year 3 + a New Conference ? All this is more than many of us older alums can fathom or contain ourselves about!

"Things are looking better, things are looking better every day." (a line from the Mayor of Pineview in Kevin Costner's movie "The Postmen")

GMG!

PS: I'm in, meanjoe (or who I sometimes call Judge Joe)!

Yesterday, I re-joined the Mean Green Club and bought season tickets at the fabulous Apogee Stadium's ticket office. The customer service I received and personally guided tour (in the rain) to find my spot in Apogee was sublime!

IMHO....now is the time for us all to lay down our (sometimes) petty gripes and U-N-I-F-Y.....because I guarantee you most all our other C-USA foes' fans/alums are doing (or have already done) that as we post and (subsequently) for all their programs their unity of cause will show at all their respective turnstiles on Game Day. (We cannot be left behind at the train station with all this new C-USA business, folks).

Edited July 25, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

UH actually became "Big Time" the day they beat Duffy Daugherty's Top 10 ranked Michigan State Spartans in 1967. They had beaten a Baylor Bear team in 1956 which inspired Texas oil tycoon H.R. Cullen (Cullen Davis of FW named after him) to give UH $1 million which was a bunch of money in the 50's. UH AD Harry Foulkes later got miffed when most of that money he was to learn would go toward academic projects.

Then..............North Texas beat UH 28 to 0 in Texas Stadium in one of our big wins (including one over the Vols of Tennessee) that season. The next season, the UH Coogs would win the SWC in its first year in the league and go to the Cotton Bowl while North Texas would struggle on down the road.

But now! A............(still smells like/looks like a) New Stadium + (still) New'ish HFC in only Year 3 + a New Conference ? All this is more than many of us older alums can fathom or contain! LOL!

"Things are looking better, things are looking better every day." (a line from the Mayor of Pineview in Kevin Costner's movie "The Postmen")

GMG!

PS: I'm in, meanjoe (or who I sometimes call Judge Joe)!

Yesterday, I re-joined the Mean Green Club and bought season tickets at the fabulous Apogee Stadium's ticket office. The customer service I received and personally guided tour (in the rain) to find my spot in Apogee was sublime!

IMHO....now is the time for us all to lay down our (sometimes) petty gripes and U-N-I-F-Y.....because I guarantee you most all our other C-USA foes' fans/alums are doing (or have already done) that as we post and (subsequently) for all their programs their unity of cause will show at all their respective turnstiles on Game Day. (We cannot be left behind at the train station with all this new C-USA business, folks).

.

---Great Post... Houston was considered a great program starting in late 60's and into the 70's under Yoeman. We did well in Joe Greene era (wish we could have played more "name" opponents), sagged a bit but were making great strides in the 70's under Fry and against some very good name teams ... then he left and we were sent to football's Siberia as was several other programs. Fry and UNT had hoped to become the SWC's tenth member ... didn't happen. The privates in the SWC [ SMU, TCU and Baylor , especially SMU ] didn't want us in... likely feared what having a large state school in Metroplex would do to them. Don't let SMU kid you, they were the force that kept us out ... most conferences were going to 10 members then, the SWC never did. It has been a long road back to recognition since. Games I really remember are shutting out Houston in the 70's, almost defeating Texas with Earl Campbell, the Tennessee win, and coming from behind and defeating Tech in Lubbock in the tortilla game ( I was there with wife and kids).

---We need to win another big one ... been too long.

[untjim1995]

Those Tech wins were nice for our program in the 90s, but they weren't against a bowl team. Those were Spike Dykes teams, nothing like what Leach eventually built in the mid-to-late 00's. But they were HUGE upsets on every level--betting spread, conference affiliation, media attention--it was all there for UNT. But we neve capitalized on either of them. In 1999, in what has to eb one of the craziest tidbits in UNT history, our two wins were at Texas Tech and a home win over 9-2 Big West Champion Boise State. We lost to everyone else...

The type of game you are really wanting to look at in UNT history is the one that is most famous--beating top ten Tennessee on the road. NOthing we have done is on par with that kind of win since then, even the bowl win over Cincy, who was pretty damn good, by the way.

A freind of mine who is a sports media member in DFW has always told me that UNT has to do two things in the same year to draw any kind of media and fan attention away fromt he usual suspects in this area--win their conference AND beat someone of note on their schedule from an AQ league that is ranked. Whether it was K-State or LSU last year, UH or Alabama the year before, Clemson in 2011, the games against Texas, OKlahoma, Arkansas, etc...from the past bodybag beatings, we have to either beat them or come ridiculously close AND then win CUSA. Nothing less than both of those will not move the meter on UNT getting decent media coverage here or hopefully seeing the fanbase come out from under the rocks that it has supposedly been hiding behind all of this time.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Fact still remains that Greater Big D is a pro sports town and has been since the Cowboys first year in 1960. The

Rangers and Mavs only add to that reputation. Even new Big 12 member TCU doesn't receive any more significant

or additional coverage if you pay attention to these kind of things and I have since 1973.

This--

All North Texas needs to do is win over Denton (120K pop.), Denton County (700K pop.), our "closing in on"

40,000 UNT students plus our over 200,000 North Texas region alums and that will always be good enough

for most of us. Getting 31,000 out to Apogee out of all those numbers almost sounds like a turkey shoot,

now don't it? We won't need to go to Dallas or Fort Worth (or its media) at this point--they will come to us.

Funny thing is when that happens how many of the DFW sports media will want to start showing up for

those extravagant Bill Mercer Press Club pre-game buffets in this regions most modern (built from scratch)

LEEDS Plantinum certified college football stadium. Mark that because it will happen. DFW sports fans

are also "band wagon jumper on'ers" just like its sports media.

in 1994 when we regained NCAA D1-A classification, Mean Green football was the talk of the Metroplex; all

our games were broadcasted on KTCK '1310' The Ticket, the post game call in shows were inundated

with callers "only" wanting to talk Mean Green football. Those of us who were around will never forget

that special year and also by the way..............we won football games that season, too. Who can ever

forget that football season & this.................."See ya' later McNeese State?"

To equate most all that North Texas Mean Green football will do in its future based on the past might be

considered naive in some quarters.

As some of you post................"just win."

GMG!

Edited July 25, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[realitycheck]

Those Tech wins were nice for our program in the 90s, but they weren't against a bowl team. Those were Spike Dykes teams, nothing like what Leach eventually built in the mid-to-late 00's. But they were HUGE upsets on every level--betting spread, conference affiliation, media attention--it was all there for UNT. But we neve capitalized on either of them. In 1999, in what has to eb one of the craziest tidbits in UNT history, our two wins were at Texas Tech and a home win over 9-2 Big West Champion Boise State. We lost to everyone else...

The type of game you are really wanting to look at in UNT history is the one that is most famous--beating top ten Tennessee on the road. NOthing we have done is on par with that kind of win since then, even the bowl win over Cincy, who was pretty damn good, by the way.

A freind of mine who is a sports media member in DFW has always told me that UNT has to do two things in the same year to draw any kind of media and fan attention away fromt he usual suspects in this area--win their conference AND beat someone of note on their schedule from an AQ league that is ranked. Whether it was K-State or LSU last year, UH or Alabama the year before, Clemson in 2011, the games against Texas, OKlahoma, Arkansas, etc...from the past bodybag beatings, we have to either beat them or come ridiculously close AND then win CUSA. Nothing less than both of those will not move the meter on UNT getting decent media coverage here or hopefully seeing the fanbase come out from under the rocks that it has supposedly been hiding behind all of this time.

To be fair, those Tech teams did have winning records and probably would have been in bowl games under today’s College Football landscape.

[realitycheck]

Fact still remains that Greater Big D is a pro sports town and has been since the Cowboys first year in 1960. The

Rangers and Mavs only add to that reputation.

This--

All North Texas needs to do is win over Denton (120K pop.), Denton County (700K pop.), our "closing in on"

40,000 UNT students plus our over 200,000 North Texas region alums and that will always be good enough

for most of us. An expansion of Apogee would then be sooner than later.

Funny thing is when that happens how many of the DFW sports media will want to start showing up for

those extravagant Bill Mercer Press Club pre-game buffets in this regions most modern (built from scratch)

LEEDS Plantinum certified college football stadium. Mark that because it will happen. DFW sports fans

are also "band wagon jumper on'ers" just like its sports media.

As some of you post................"just win."

GMG!

I 100% agree with you about winning over Denton. I have said for years that North Texas needs to focus on becoming the #1 team in Denton and worry about the rest of the Metroplex down the road.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I apologize, realitycheck, but I've added to that original post a few more things. My bad...but I tend to do that much to much.

[ragpicker]

My late dad and I were on the shores of Bastrop Bayou (the part not far from the Gulf of Mexico) with our tube of summer sausage, premium saltine crackers & iced tea fishing for speckled trout and red fish while listening to UH dismantle Tulsa by over 100 points. Former Houston Astros broadcaster Gene Elston called the UH Coog' football games back in that era.

In that UH/Tulsa game, even 4'th team UH defensive back Larry Gatlin (of country singing fame) got into that game I would hear Bill Yeoman laughingly say years later.

GMG!

Neat story, Plumm. I think Houston may have become big time the year they tied Texas sometime in the late sixties. I don't know if Darrel Royal said it or not, but somebody used the old saying back then about it being better to have the camel inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. At any rate, that seemed to be the justification for allowing Houston into the SWC although there were certainly those members that did not want them. I'm sure Cullen Davis's and Jett Rink's (Ican't think of his real name) money was influential as well. What WAS his name? He is profiled in the book, THE BIG RICH.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Actually, Texas Tech's record was 6 & 5 both years in the 90's that we we beat them, ie, 1996 and 1998.

And yes, the Red Raiders would have been bowl teams under the present bowl system those 2 years and

even Spike Dikes may have had another 5-10 years as their HFC had his team gone to bowl games those

2 years the Mean Green were victorious.

Spike Dykes was a contender for the UTSA program before they chose Coker.

GMG!

[ragpicker]

Neat story, Plumm. I think Houston may have become big time the year they tied Texas sometime in the late sixties. I don't know if Darrel Royal said it or not, but somebody used the old saying back then about it being better to have the camel inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. At any rate, that seemed to be the justification for allowing Houston into the SWC although there were certainly those members that did not want them. I'm sure Cullen Davis's and Jett Rink's (Ican't think of his real name) money was influential as well. What WAS his name? He is profiled in the book, THE BIG RICH.

Glenn McCarthy. Built the Shamrock Hotel.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Neat story, Plumm. I think Houston may have become big time the year they tied Texas sometime in the late sixties. I don't know if Darrel Royal said it or not, but somebody used the old saying back then about it being better to have the camel inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. At any rate, that seemed to be the justification for allowing Houston into the SWC although there were certainly those members that did not want them. I'm sure Cullen Davis's and Jett Rink's (Ican't think of his real name) money was influential as well. What WAS his name? He is profiled in the book, THE BIG RICH.

I listened to that 1968 UH-Texas game on the UH Radio Network (flagship KPRC?) with Gene Elston doing the play by play. I honestly cannot remember who Elston used for his color guy for some reason.

Game Day (or Night) was at UT's Memorial Stadium: It would be DKR's Wishbone (actually created by his 'then' assistant Emory Bellard) versus Bill Yeoman's "Houston Veer" and one heckuva' football game.

Of course I was pulling for the Houston Coog's all the way in that (or any other game) since that was "MY" team as a youth.

And you are spot on with DKR's reasoning in sponsoring UH for SWC membership.

You do know the late, great Darrell K. Royal also had no problem sponsoring North Texas for SWC membership, too, and probably that based on his long time friendship with Hayden Fry. Sometimes it is still a matter of who you know--even in today's NCAA. I just hope we of UNT know all the right people because we may need them in our corner in due time with all the changes taking place in the NCAA.

GMG!

PS: My late mother went to a few regional PTA functions at the old Shamrock Hotel. I can close my eyes now and see that long gone hotel.

Edited July 25, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen