University of North Texas Athletics
Quick Turnaround
11/14/2018 9:30:00 AM | Football
DENTON – It's a good time for a short week. The reset button was hit very quickly following a very frustrating loss last week at Old Dominion.
North Texas enters Week 12 at 7-3 looking to rebound against a familiar foe. Florida Atlantic makes the trip to Denton for a Thursday night matchup, as the teams meet for the third time in the last 13 months. The first two times didn't go well for the Mean Green, but their eyes are set firmly on bouncing back with several potential positives within reach.
Heading into the season, this pair appeared destined to meet in the Conference USA title game for the second straight season. Both teams were picked to win their respective divisions, however, both enter play this week with identical 3-3 conference records, both on the outside of their divisional races.
Just because the visiting Owls are at 5-5 doesn't mean they are to be taken lightly. Head coach Lane Kiffin has the Owls playing at a very high level of late – dismantling rival Florida International on the road, and handily beating Western Kentucky this past week in their last two games. Though they've struggled at times in the early stages of league play, two of their losses this season came at the hands of the then-No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners and then-No. 16 UCF Golden Knights, both on the road.
The preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, running back Devin Singletary, is in fine form and finds himself at or near the top of several statistical categories nationally. He's rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and has a nation-leading 20 scores on the ground.
Singletary had a lot of success in the two meetings between the Mean Green and Owls in 2017, totaling six touchdowns and nearly 300 yards on the ground combined. North Texas is much-improved defensively from a year ago, especially against the run. Their defensive prowess against the run will get tested this week by Singletary, fellow tailback Kerrith Whyte, Jr., a mobile Chris Robison and several other offensive weapons at Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr.'s disposal.
FAU brings the top-gaining offense in the conference into Denton to face a defense that has been stingy, allowing 30-plus points only once this season (last week).
The Mean Green offense has had a lot of success in 2018 as well, and will need quarterback Mason Fine and company to execute at a high level consistently to find a way to win.
North Texas has scored 37.5 points per game and the Mean Green rank inside the top 25 in most major offensive categories. Florida Atlantic has allowed 31.3 points and over 430 yards per game this season, and due to injury are without linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was the preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year.
UNT still has the chance to win 10 games. The Mean Green still have the chance to win at least nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. There's the opportunity to win that elusive bowl championship. There's also a chance for the Mean Green to pick up a win against a team that caused them a lot of frustration last year. Finally, it's a chance to finish 5-1 at home in front of the Apogee Stadium faithful (and 11-1 there over the last two seasons).
For the visitors, a win means they're bowl eligible for the second consecutive season. It also would mean that they would win their third straight in the series over North Texas, and provide a road map to a very strong finish to Kiffin's second season in Boca Raton.
Thursday night's game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. CT from #ApogeeAfterDark and can be seen nationally on CBS Sports Network, and heard live on the Mean Green Sports Network. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased here.
North Texas enters Week 12 at 7-3 looking to rebound against a familiar foe. Florida Atlantic makes the trip to Denton for a Thursday night matchup, as the teams meet for the third time in the last 13 months. The first two times didn't go well for the Mean Green, but their eyes are set firmly on bouncing back with several potential positives within reach.
Heading into the season, this pair appeared destined to meet in the Conference USA title game for the second straight season. Both teams were picked to win their respective divisions, however, both enter play this week with identical 3-3 conference records, both on the outside of their divisional races.
Just because the visiting Owls are at 5-5 doesn't mean they are to be taken lightly. Head coach Lane Kiffin has the Owls playing at a very high level of late – dismantling rival Florida International on the road, and handily beating Western Kentucky this past week in their last two games. Though they've struggled at times in the early stages of league play, two of their losses this season came at the hands of the then-No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners and then-No. 16 UCF Golden Knights, both on the road.
The preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, running back Devin Singletary, is in fine form and finds himself at or near the top of several statistical categories nationally. He's rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and has a nation-leading 20 scores on the ground.
Singletary had a lot of success in the two meetings between the Mean Green and Owls in 2017, totaling six touchdowns and nearly 300 yards on the ground combined. North Texas is much-improved defensively from a year ago, especially against the run. Their defensive prowess against the run will get tested this week by Singletary, fellow tailback Kerrith Whyte, Jr., a mobile Chris Robison and several other offensive weapons at Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr.'s disposal.
FAU brings the top-gaining offense in the conference into Denton to face a defense that has been stingy, allowing 30-plus points only once this season (last week).
The Mean Green offense has had a lot of success in 2018 as well, and will need quarterback Mason Fine and company to execute at a high level consistently to find a way to win.
North Texas has scored 37.5 points per game and the Mean Green rank inside the top 25 in most major offensive categories. Florida Atlantic has allowed 31.3 points and over 430 yards per game this season, and due to injury are without linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was the preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year.
UNT still has the chance to win 10 games. The Mean Green still have the chance to win at least nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. There's the opportunity to win that elusive bowl championship. There's also a chance for the Mean Green to pick up a win against a team that caused them a lot of frustration last year. Finally, it's a chance to finish 5-1 at home in front of the Apogee Stadium faithful (and 11-1 there over the last two seasons).
For the visitors, a win means they're bowl eligible for the second consecutive season. It also would mean that they would win their third straight in the series over North Texas, and provide a road map to a very strong finish to Kiffin's second season in Boca Raton.
Thursday night's game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. CT from #ApogeeAfterDark and can be seen nationally on CBS Sports Network, and heard live on the Mean Green Sports Network. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased here.
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