University of North Texas Athletics
By The Numbers
6/27/2019 9:54:00 AM | Football
DENTON – As we roll through the summer months and inch closer to fall camp, MeanGreenSports.com takes a look at some key facts and figures for the Mean Green entering 2019.
9,417 – Senior quarterback Mason Fine is the FBS active career leader passing yardage entering the 2019 season. Fine became North Texas' all-time leading passer fittingly with a touchdown pass last season at Old Dominion, surpassing Mitch Maher (1991-94).
2002 – The Mean Green will take on their seventh Pac-12 opponent in program history on Sept. 15 when they travel to take on Cal in Berkeley. North Texas last played a Pac-12 (then-Pac-10) school in 2002, when they fell 14-9 to Arizona in Tucson. The Mean Green are 2-6 in program history against members of the Pac-12.
300 – Fine surpassed the 300-yard plateau on five occasions in 2018, and 400 twice.
64 – Fine, who enters 2019 with 64 career touchdown passes, is just five away from tying program record-holder Steve Ramsey (1967-69).
43.0 – With the graduation of a pair of starting interior linebackers, E.J. Ejiay (Baltimore Ravens) and Brandon Garner, UNT's defense loses 43.0 tackles for loss from a year ago. Young backers will have the opportunity to fill the void left behind by Ejiya and Garner.
34.6 – UNT averaged 34.6 points per game in 2018 and return nine offensive starters. The Mean Green have a new man in charge of its offense in offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder, following Graham Harrell's departure to USC. Reeder's offenses at Eastern Washington were high-powered as well, putting up 43.1 points and 528.1 yards per game in 2018. While the personnel remains intact, expect a new up-tempo look and feel to the Mean Green's offensive attack in 2019.
20 – North Texas spread the football around in 2018, as 20 different receivers caught passes for the Mean Green.
18 – Junior running back DeAndre Torrey found the end zone on 18 occasions in 2018 – 15 of which came on the ground. He ranked seventh in the country in total touchdowns. His versatility as a runner, receiver (caught 25 passes for 205 yards and a pair of scores) and a returner (averaged 27.5 yards per kick return, including a 96-yard touchdown) provides the Mean Green with another dynamic weapon offensively.
18 (part two) – North Texas intercepted 18 passes in 2018, ranking fifth in the country. 13 of those came from starting corners Kemon Hall (Los Angeles Chargers) and Nate Brooks (Arizona Cardinals). UNT is going to have a different look defensively having lost six starters from a year ago, and with defensive coordinator Troy Reffett's aggressive style, forcing turnovers in bunches will again be a key point of emphasis.
12 – Senior Wide Receiver Rico Bussey, Jr. hauled in 12 touchdown catches in 2018, which ranked eighth in the nation. He has 20 career touchdown grabs, which ranks fifth in program history.
11 – UNT is 11-1 in its last two seasons at Apogee Stadium. North Texas opens 2019 with a home date against FCS foe Abilene Christian on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. CT.
10 – North Texas has travelled to the Golden State 10 times in its history and will be making its 11th such trip to take on the California Golden Bears in Berkeley on Sept. 15. The Mean Green have never faced Cal, and hold a 3-6-1 record in their previous 10 trips to California – having knocked off Cal Poly Pomona (1975), San Jose State (1957) and Fresno State (1950). UNT's last venture to the Golden State came in 1981, when San Jose State knocked off then-North Texas State, 28-16 at Spartan Stadium.
9 – North Texas is coming off back-to-back nine win seasons for only the second time in program history (also did so in 1977-78). This Mean Green team has the opportunity to accomplish something that has never been done before – win at least nine games in three consecutive seasons.
8 – Of North Texas' 12 2019 regular season games, eight will be played on Texas soil.
7.5 – Senior defensive end LaDarius Hamilton is the team's leading returning sack leader, after posting 7.5 in 2018. The disruptive edge rusher will be a key component of the Mean Green's 2019 defense.
6 – Well, isn't this one obvious? #6ForHeisman
5 – The Mean Green will face five teams that played in bowl games in 2018 – Cal, Houston, Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and UAB. Three of those matchups will take place in the friendly confines of Apogee Stadium
3 – Head coach Seth Littrell's first three seasons have resulted in consecutive bowl appearances. A fourth would mark just the second time in program history that the Mean Green have reached a bowl game in four straight seasons (2001-04). Littrell is the only North Texas coach to accomplish the feat of reaching three bowl games during the first three years of his tenure.
3 (part two) – North Texas opens conference play on Sept. 21 when they host UT San Antonio. Each of the last two meetings, both wins for the Mean Green, the teams were separated by just three points. A 29-26 win in 2017 will be remembered in Denton as 'The Drive," when Fine led UNT 98 yards in the final 1:07 with no timeouts for a game-winning touchdown. In 2018, despite an early 17-point lead, UNT escaped the Alamodome in San Antonio with a 24-21 win as UTSA kicker Jared Sackett hooked his 48-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide left as time expired.
2 – North Texas travels to take on Metroplex rival SMU in Week 2 and are seeking the program's second win in Dallas against SMU in 27 tries. The Mean Green put a world of hurt on the Mustangs in last season's opener, racing to a 36-0 lead before some late SMU scores provided some cosmetic surgery to the scoreline in the fourth quarter of a 46-23 North Texas win. That said, the Mean Green have not fared well on the Mustang's home turf, with the only win in Dallas in the series coming in 1933. UNT battles SMU on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. from Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
9,417 – Senior quarterback Mason Fine is the FBS active career leader passing yardage entering the 2019 season. Fine became North Texas' all-time leading passer fittingly with a touchdown pass last season at Old Dominion, surpassing Mitch Maher (1991-94).
2002 – The Mean Green will take on their seventh Pac-12 opponent in program history on Sept. 15 when they travel to take on Cal in Berkeley. North Texas last played a Pac-12 (then-Pac-10) school in 2002, when they fell 14-9 to Arizona in Tucson. The Mean Green are 2-6 in program history against members of the Pac-12.
300 – Fine surpassed the 300-yard plateau on five occasions in 2018, and 400 twice.
64 – Fine, who enters 2019 with 64 career touchdown passes, is just five away from tying program record-holder Steve Ramsey (1967-69).
43.0 – With the graduation of a pair of starting interior linebackers, E.J. Ejiay (Baltimore Ravens) and Brandon Garner, UNT's defense loses 43.0 tackles for loss from a year ago. Young backers will have the opportunity to fill the void left behind by Ejiya and Garner.
34.6 – UNT averaged 34.6 points per game in 2018 and return nine offensive starters. The Mean Green have a new man in charge of its offense in offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder, following Graham Harrell's departure to USC. Reeder's offenses at Eastern Washington were high-powered as well, putting up 43.1 points and 528.1 yards per game in 2018. While the personnel remains intact, expect a new up-tempo look and feel to the Mean Green's offensive attack in 2019.
20 – North Texas spread the football around in 2018, as 20 different receivers caught passes for the Mean Green.
18 – Junior running back DeAndre Torrey found the end zone on 18 occasions in 2018 – 15 of which came on the ground. He ranked seventh in the country in total touchdowns. His versatility as a runner, receiver (caught 25 passes for 205 yards and a pair of scores) and a returner (averaged 27.5 yards per kick return, including a 96-yard touchdown) provides the Mean Green with another dynamic weapon offensively.
18 (part two) – North Texas intercepted 18 passes in 2018, ranking fifth in the country. 13 of those came from starting corners Kemon Hall (Los Angeles Chargers) and Nate Brooks (Arizona Cardinals). UNT is going to have a different look defensively having lost six starters from a year ago, and with defensive coordinator Troy Reffett's aggressive style, forcing turnovers in bunches will again be a key point of emphasis.
12 – Senior Wide Receiver Rico Bussey, Jr. hauled in 12 touchdown catches in 2018, which ranked eighth in the nation. He has 20 career touchdown grabs, which ranks fifth in program history.
11 – UNT is 11-1 in its last two seasons at Apogee Stadium. North Texas opens 2019 with a home date against FCS foe Abilene Christian on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. CT.
10 – North Texas has travelled to the Golden State 10 times in its history and will be making its 11th such trip to take on the California Golden Bears in Berkeley on Sept. 15. The Mean Green have never faced Cal, and hold a 3-6-1 record in their previous 10 trips to California – having knocked off Cal Poly Pomona (1975), San Jose State (1957) and Fresno State (1950). UNT's last venture to the Golden State came in 1981, when San Jose State knocked off then-North Texas State, 28-16 at Spartan Stadium.
9 – North Texas is coming off back-to-back nine win seasons for only the second time in program history (also did so in 1977-78). This Mean Green team has the opportunity to accomplish something that has never been done before – win at least nine games in three consecutive seasons.
8 – Of North Texas' 12 2019 regular season games, eight will be played on Texas soil.
7.5 – Senior defensive end LaDarius Hamilton is the team's leading returning sack leader, after posting 7.5 in 2018. The disruptive edge rusher will be a key component of the Mean Green's 2019 defense.
6 – Well, isn't this one obvious? #6ForHeisman
5 – The Mean Green will face five teams that played in bowl games in 2018 – Cal, Houston, Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and UAB. Three of those matchups will take place in the friendly confines of Apogee Stadium
3 – Head coach Seth Littrell's first three seasons have resulted in consecutive bowl appearances. A fourth would mark just the second time in program history that the Mean Green have reached a bowl game in four straight seasons (2001-04). Littrell is the only North Texas coach to accomplish the feat of reaching three bowl games during the first three years of his tenure.
3 (part two) – North Texas opens conference play on Sept. 21 when they host UT San Antonio. Each of the last two meetings, both wins for the Mean Green, the teams were separated by just three points. A 29-26 win in 2017 will be remembered in Denton as 'The Drive," when Fine led UNT 98 yards in the final 1:07 with no timeouts for a game-winning touchdown. In 2018, despite an early 17-point lead, UNT escaped the Alamodome in San Antonio with a 24-21 win as UTSA kicker Jared Sackett hooked his 48-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide left as time expired.
2 – North Texas travels to take on Metroplex rival SMU in Week 2 and are seeking the program's second win in Dallas against SMU in 27 tries. The Mean Green put a world of hurt on the Mustangs in last season's opener, racing to a 36-0 lead before some late SMU scores provided some cosmetic surgery to the scoreline in the fourth quarter of a 46-23 North Texas win. That said, the Mean Green have not fared well on the Mustang's home turf, with the only win in Dallas in the series coming in 1933. UNT battles SMU on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. from Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
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