No. 4: Four Straight Conference Crowns
9/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
No. 4 - Four Straight Conference Crowns
It was an un-imaginable run midway through the 2001 season, but North Texas captured an unprecedented four straight Sun Belt Conference titles from 2001-04.
The run began in 2001, when North Texas turned a 0-5 start into a 5-1 Sun Belt Conference record and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl with a conference title. The 24-21 win over Middle Tennessee in 2001 is largely credited with starting the run, but through the four seasons, the Mean Green pulled out amazing victories that can't be ignored.
In 2001 the Mean Green captured an improbable victory over New Mexico State in the final seconds on a fourth down touchdown pass from Scott Hall to George Marshall. In 2002 nobody can forget the 38-27 win over New Mexico State to capture back-to-back titles.
A back and forth game, the Mean Green got an unexpected boost from fullback Michael Hickmon who delivered three touchdowns that day. Kevin Galbreath rushed for a career-high 175 yards that day as well.
In 2003 North Texas held off a feisty ULM team to win 28-26. 2004 saw the Mean Green escaped Logan, Utah thanks to a 100-yard fumble return by T.J. Covington and end the year off with a 31-7 win at Arkansas State that saw walk-on running back James Mitchell rush for a career-high 166 yards. He had only 84 career rushing yards going into that game.
All good things come to an end, but the run of four straight Sun Belt titles will go down as the best four-year stretch in school history.
| 100 | 100-yd fumble return for TD | 75- | "Mean Joe" Greene | 50- | Gross and Washington | 25- | Conference Titles |
| 99 | Fitzgerald Goes The Distance | 74- | NT Downs No. 20 SDSU | 49- | Keith Chapman FGs | 24- | Talking About Willis |
| 98 | Sears Woods' Stuns Knoxville | 73- | Fry & the new Mean Green | 48- | Cody Spencer | 23- | Rev. Maher Dominates Southland |
| 97- | NT Blows Out Decatur Baptist | 72- | Yaege's Stellar Season | 47- | First Homecoming | 22- | Walker Passes Rice |
| 96- | 96 Years Of Football | 71- | Steve Ramsey's TDs | 46- | Meager Against SMU | 21- | Cobbs 100-Yard Games |
| 95- | The Jump To Division I-A | 70- | Little's 1970 Season | 45- | Cobb Scores 45 | 20- | Fouts Arrives In Denton |
| 94- | Optimist Bowl Offense | 69- | 7 All-Conference in '69 | 44- | Not A Day To Rush | 19- | Haynes Scores 19 TDs |
| 93- | Michael High KR Yards | 68- | A Consensus All-American | 43- | Patrick Cobbs | 18- | Miracle In the Desert |
| 92- | Gowin 92-Yard Punt | 67- | Armour Anchors NT Offense | 42- | Craig Robertson | 17- | The Ramsey Plan |
| 91- | Chancellor Saves The MGRN | 66- | Love Tops 1,000 Yds | 41- | Erric Pegram | 16- | 2002 All-Conference Record |
| 90- | Renfro/Haynes Tally 90 pts. | 65- | St. Clair's Win Pct | 40- | Fry Win Total | 15- | Renfro All-America |
| 89- | Redwine Bursts Onto Scene | 64- | Spider's Special Season | 39- | Jack Sisco and 1939 | 14- | Vidal Carlin |
| 88- | Mean Green Robbed | 63- | NT & Navy Light Up The Scoreboard | 38- | 2002 NMSU Win | 13- | Shanklin's Big Year |
| 87- | Fitzgerald Fries Competition | 62- | Khoury's 62-yd FG | 37- | Dunbar TDs (so far) | 12- | Andrew Smith |
| 86- | Mean Green 86 The Toads | 61- | Kennedy's 61 TFL | 36- | What A Rush | 11- | Scott Hall |
| 85- | Adrian Awasom | 60- | Fouts Field | 35- | Galbreath Seals NO Bowl Win | 10- | 10 Wins in 1947 |
| 84- | Brown Delivers For NT | 59- | The '59 Sun Bowl Squad | 34- | Ja'Quay Wilburn | 9- | Dinkle's Winning TD |
| 83- | 83 All-Conference Selections | 58- | Mitchell Claims COY | 33- | Ray Renfro | 8- | Vizza's TD Passes |
| 82- | Corky Nelson | 57- | Thomas Scampers For 57 | 32- | The First All-American | 7- | 7-OT Thriller |
| 81- | One Of The Greats | 56- | Scott Davis Completion Pct | 31- | 31 NT All-Americans | 6- | Ramsey's Passing Attack |
| 80- | Cedric The Sack- Getter | 55- | Gill, NT's First Retired Number | 30- | Former NCAA Record 30 TDs | 5- | Thomas Racks Up The Yards |
| 79- | "Blow George, Blow!" | 54- | Pair's Punts | 29- | 29,473 Fans | 4 | Four Straight Titles |
| 78- | J.T. Smith Joins the NFL | 53- | OSU's 53 Passing Yards | 28- | Abner Haynes | 3- | Wednesday, September 7 |
| 77- | North Texas Goes 10- 1 | 52- | Fouts Field Opens | 27- | Maher Destroys Passing TD Mark | 2- | Thursday, September 8 |
| 76- | Blizzard Battle With FSU | 51- | Bahnsen Named All-American | 26- | Consecutive SBC Wins | 1- | Friday, September 9 |