Photo by: Manny Flores
UNT Returns to Action Saturday vs. Rice
11/20/2020 6:00:00 PM | Football
DENTON - North Texas (2-3, 1-2 C-USA) will host Rice (1-1, 1-1 C-USA) at 1 p.m. CT from Apogee Stadium in Denton. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Doug Anderson (pxp) and LaDarrin McLane (analyst), and on the radio on the Mean Green Sports Network with Dave Barnett (pxp) and Hank Dickenson (analyst).Â
Series History
North Texas and Rice will meet Saturday for the 11th time, with the series tied at 5-5, including a 20-14 win last season by the Owls on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.
* In Denton, the series is tied 2-2, with North Texas winning the last meeting at Apogee Stadium, 41-17 on 10/27/18.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 in his career against Rice.
Success Against Rice
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with the Owls.
* Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) has 20 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and also has one touchdown catch in two career appearances against Rice. In the 2018 meeting in Denton, Torrey carried 15 times for 130 yards with three touchdowns and also caught a pair of passes for four more yards and a touchdown.
* Redshirt senior running back Nic Smith (Fort Worth) had the best game of his career against Rice - carrying 26 times for 178 yards with a touchdown in the 2017 meeting in Houston. His 26 carries and 178 yards are both career highs for Smith.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) has totaled 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass break-up and a pair of quarterback hurries in his three career appearances against the Owls, including a five tackle, 1.5 tackle for loss performance last season in the meeting in Houston.
That's Offensive
North Texas entered Week 12 with the second-ranked total offense in the nation (now third after some of this week's early action), and top total offense in Conference USA at 593.6 yards per game. Only UCF is averaging more (619.1).
* The Mean Green set a new program record in total offense in their win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, totaling an eye-popping 768 yards. That surpassed the previous program record, set in a Week 1 win over Houston Baptist, when UNT rolled up 721 yards on the Huskies.
* The win on 10/17 marked the first time in program history that UNT has recorded 400-plus yards rushing and 300-yards passing in the same game.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted 15 offensive plays of 15-plus yards on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee, four of which resulted in touchdowns. Thus far this season, UNT has 55 plays of 15 or more yards (42 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 18 of those have resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019, 24 of which resulted in touchdowns.
JD=TD
Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) continued his scorching start to the 2020 season his last time out, catching 10 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17. Darden has had two consecutive games with 200-plus receiving yards and three straight with 10-plus catches.
* Despite having not played since 10/17. Darden is still among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 12, with 46 receptions (11th in FBS), 689 yards (ninth) and 10 touchdowns (leads FBS) through just five games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.9, which ranks ninth among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden was named an honorable mention for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following his last performance against Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 21.7% of his catches, and 60.9% of his catches this season have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. He has done that damage pretty equally depending on the down, recording 11 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, eight on both first and third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is seventh nationally at 12.0 points per game and is 27th in total points scored (60).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 19 touchdown catches in his last 12 games and has caught at least one in each of his last six games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 202 career receptions, which ranks second in program history, and is now just 27 receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229. Â Darden passed Carlos Harris (2012-15) with his 10-catch performance on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee.
* Darden has 29 career receiving touchdowns, which is second-most in program history behind only Ron Shanklin (1967-69) and finished with 31 in his illustrious career.Â
* Darden also now has 2,281 career receiving yards, which is seventh in program history after passing Barry Moore (1968-69) and John Love (1965-66) following Darden's 204-yard performance on 10/17 in the win at Middle.
* Darden is fourth among FBS active career leaders in receptions (202), is second in receiving touchdowns (29), and his 2,281 career receiving yards are 12th-most among active FBS players.
* Darden has 2,919 career all-purpose yards, and entering Saturday's game at UAB, and is 115 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,034 for his career for 10th in program history.
* Darden's 10 touchdowns thus far in 2020 through just five games, already tie for eighth-most in a season in program history.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through five games in 2020, averaging 15.0 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 9.2 catches per game so far in 2020, which is fourth nationally. Darden ranked second in C-USA in receptions per game, with 6.3 in 2019. That ranked 21st nationally.Â
* Darden is one of 22 players across the Football Bowl Subdivision to post three or more touchdowns in a game in 2020 thus far, one of two to have done so twice (Romeo Daubs, Nevada). Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and Alabama receiver DaVonta Smith are the only players in the country with more touchdowns in a single game this season, with four in wins over Ole Miss on 9/26 and Mississippi State on 10/31, respectively.
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) broke out in a big way in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 after coming on in relief of Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas) in the second quarter with UNT trailing 21-7 and backed up on its own one yard line.
* Bean was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week, Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week and was named to the Davey O'Brien Great 8 list.
* Bean totaled 350 yards (181 passing, 169 rushing), five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) and led the Mean Green to a 52-35 road win.
* Bean had touchdown passes of nine (to Deonte Simpson) and 55 yards (to Jaelon Darden), and rushing scores of four and 48 yards (he had two from 48-yards out).
* Bean led scoring drives on seven of his nine drives since coming on with 11:17 to go in the second quarter, six of which went for touchdowns. One of the non-scoring drives was cut short by the end of the half, and lasted just 18 seconds.
* Bean has made two starts thus far this season (in a Week 1 win over HBU and in the Week 3 loss to SMU). In three total appearances, he has completed 27-44 passes for 426 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception. Additionally, he is the team's second-leading rusher, having carried 19 times for 231 yards (12.2 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
* Bean's 169 yards rushing in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 were the fifth-most by a quarterback in Conference USA history.
* Bean's 169 rushing yards in the win at Middle on 10/17 rank as the second-most in the entire country this season by a quarterback.
#TouchdownTorrey
Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) entered 2020 with a clean bill of health following a season where he battled through injury.
* Torrey carried 13 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns his last time out on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee and has 67 carries for 444 yards and four scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories.
* Torrey earned honorable mention status on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week following his strong showing in the win at Middle Tennessee.
* Torrey ranks 16th nationally in yards per carry (6.63)
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 85.8, which ranks fourth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* Torrey has 25 career total touchdowns (21 of which have come on the ground), and is alone in ninth in program history in that category after separating from Antoine Jimmerson (2011-15), who had 23.
* Torrey's 21 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history, after passing Terrance Brown (1992-93), who had 20, and separating from Michael Jones (1974-77) and Abner Haynes (1957-59), who each had 19.
Siggers Tops Century Mark
Redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) surpassed the century mark his last time out on 10/17 at Middle Tennessee in the Mean Green's 52-35 win in Murfreesboro. Siggers carried 14 times for 101 yards.
* He has carried 50 times for 216 yards and one score across four appearances thus far in 2020.
Novil Is Disruptive
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks his last time out in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, giving him a total of 24 stops, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry through the first five games of the season.
* Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 34 games, posting 122 tackles, 23.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.Â
Sanders Steps Up
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) tied for the team lead in tackles in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 in his last appearance.
* Sanders, who earlier this season slid in to the sam linebacker spot to fill in for a depleted group due to contact tracing, is the team's second-leading tackler (tied with Larry Nixon III). He has 28 stops, a half tackle for loss, and interception, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry in five appearances, all starts, at three different positions - boundary safety, hawk (middle safety) and sam linebacker.
Scary Larry
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas) is tied for the second-most tackles on the team with 28, and posted a career-high 10 stops, a sack and a quarterback hurry at Middle Tennessee in the win on 10/17 in UNT's last game.Â
* Nixon has 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in four appearances, all starts at sam linebacker.
His Name is Bernardo
Redshirt junior punter Bernardo Rodriguez (Coppell, Texas) punted once for 35 yards in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Through the first five games of 2020, Rodriguez is averaging 45.3 yards per attempt on 15 punts and is tied for 12th nationally in that category. His season and career-long is 58.
#Twinning
Redshirt freshmen Gabriel and Grayson Murphy (Dallas) have transitioned from linebacker to edge rushers, and made quite the impact in the road win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 in the Mean Green's last game.
* Gabriel recorded the first sack of his career and had two total tackles.
* Grayson finished with three stops, one of which was for loss, and a team-high three quarterback hurries.
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is 22-4 under head coach Seth Littrell in games where they lead at halftime through his first four seasons.
* The only four losses are - 10/26/19 at Charlotte when they could not hold a 21-7 lead, when the Mean Green failed to hold on to a 28-10 lead at Old Dominion on 11/10/18, a 21-10 lead at UAB on 10/20/18 Â and a 14-10 lead at Iowa in 2017.
* Conversely, following the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, UNT is now 6-23 when trailing at the break under Littrell. The six wins in Littrell's tenure when trailing at the half came on 10/17/20 at Middle Tennessee (trailed 28-21), 11/15/18 against Florida Atlantic (trailed 21-20) on 11/4/17 at Louisiana Tech (trailed 17-10), on 10/14/17 against UTSA (trailed 17-16), on 9/30/17 with a win at Southern Miss (trailed 21-17) and against Rice, in 2016 (trailed 17-14).
* North Texas was tied at 10-10 at the break in the win on 10/6/18 at UTEP. It is the only  game where the Mean Green have been tied at halftime during Littrell's tenure.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had seven scoring drives of three minutes or less in the win on 10/17 at Middle Tennessee, all of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 26 such drives, 24 of which have gone for touchdowns through five games in 2020.
* The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
Road Dub
North Texas got back on track on the road when they made the trip to Murfreesboro, defeating Middle Tennessee 52-35, after facing a 14-point deficit late in the second quarter. The Mean Green picked up their first win on the road since the regular season finale in 2018 at UT San Antonio (11/24/18). UNT is now 2-8 in their last 10 road contests and 6-9 in their last 15 road games, dating back to a win at Rice on 11/25/17.
Mean Green at Home
Following the loss to Charlotte on 10/10, North Texas is now 19-9 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 1-3 so far in 2020.
* The Mean Green have won 17 of their last 23 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16). Four of those six losses have come in the last four home contests.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded a season-high five sacks in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, and now have  10 through five games in 2020.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene) posted a team-high 1.5 sacks in Murfreesboro on 10/17 in the Mean Green's win at Middle Tennessee.
* Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas), senior linebacker Tyreke Davis (Denton), redshirt freshman edge rusher Gabriel Murphy (Dallas) all recorded one sack at Middle on 10/17.
* Sophomore linebacker Kevin Wood (Converse, Texas) also  recorded a half sack in the win at Middle.
Under 20
North Texas is 10-1 under head coach Seth Littrell when holding opponents to 20 or fewer points.Â
* The only team to knock off a Littrell-led team when scoring 20 or fewer was against this week's opponent, Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
Over the Hill
After UNT's 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, North Texas is a perfect 19-0 when scoring 40 or more points under head coach Seth Littrell.
* Prior to Littrell's arrival in Denton, the Mean Green had only topped 40 points 16 times from 2002-2015. Littrell's teams have exceeded that number in just four-and-a-half seasons
That was a Rush!
North Texas ran all over Middle Tennessee in the win on 10/17 in Murfreesboro to the tune of 462 yards. That fell just two yards shy of the shared program record of 464, set originally in 1952 against North Dakota State and again in 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
* For the first time in program history in the modern era, North Texas had three 100-yard rushers in the same game against Middle on 10/17. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean led the way with 169 (and three touchdowns), senior running back DeAndre Torrey added 143 (and two scores) and redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers chipped in 101.
* Through 11 weeks, the Mean Green are  11th in the nation in rushing offense (255.0 yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are 21-6 under Littrell.
* North Texas topped the 150-yard rushing mark on just three occasions in 2019 (were over 120 in eight games). They've done so three times in five games in 2020.
* Conversely, UNT is 8-24 when held under 150 yards rushing under head coach Seth Littrell.
Out-gain and Win
North Texas typically wins if it out-gains its opponent. That held true when they outgained Middle Tennessee 768-432 on 10/17. With that win, UNT's record when out-gaining their opponent is now 25-7 during head coach Seth Littrell's tenure.
* Conversely, UNT is 4-20 under Littrell when they are out-gained by an opponent.
* On one occasion in 2017, the Mean Green and SMU each posted 493 yards of total offense in a win by the Mustangs.
99 Problems, But This Drive Ain't One
North Texas posted a 99-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter, to cut the Middle Tennessee lead to 21-14 in North Texas' win on 10/17.
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) entered the game in the shadow of his own goal post, with the Mean Green trailing 21-7. He quickly engineered a five-play, 99-yard touchdown drive in just 1:38.Â
* After an incomplete pass to start the drive, senior running back DeAndre Torrey picked up eight and six yards, respectively, to pick up a first down.
* Bean then burst around the left side for a 25-yard run to get out to UNT's 40 yard line.
* Torrey exploded up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown, the team's longest play from scrimmage in 2020.
* This was the Mean Green's first 99-yard touchdown drive since doing so against Southern Miss on 10/13/18 (eight plays, 99 yards, in 2:45, capped off with a Mason Fine 53-yard scoring toss to Jalen Guyton).
Aerial Assault
UNT threw for 306 yards on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee. The Mean Green passing offense ranks 12th in the nation and is at the top of Conference USA through the first 11 weeks of the season (338.6 per game).
O-Line Improving
North Texas returned two starters along the offensive line from the team in 2019, and five more who saw action. The group is in year one under co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Bloesch, and has allowed just seven sacks in five games of the 2020 season, which ranks 29th nationally.
* UNT allowed 26 sacks in 2019. Bloesch joined the Mean Green following a five-year stint at Tulsa, four of which where he was their offensive line coach.
Rushing TDs are Back!
North Texas found the end zone on the ground on five occasions in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, and now have a season total of 13, which already surpasses the output as a team a year ago through just five games.Â
* North Texas saw its rushing touchdown output decline heavily in 2019, posting just 11 as a team.Â
* That ranked 124th in the country ahead of only Kansas, Purdue, Texas State, Stanford, West Virginia and Akron.
Littrell Ties Rust for Sixth
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell tied former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) for sixth in program history in wins with 29 after beating Middle Tennessee on 10/17.Â
* Littrell can move into sixth by his lonesome with a win this week at home over Rice.
* Littrell is 29-28 entering play this week at home against the Owls.
* Rust finished his North Texas career at 29-32-1.
First Down!
North Texas totaled 32 first downs in its last game, a road win at Middle Tennessee, and after 11 weeks rank 50th nationally with 139 on the season, and among teams who have played five games, UNT leads the nation in that category.
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Series History
North Texas and Rice will meet Saturday for the 11th time, with the series tied at 5-5, including a 20-14 win last season by the Owls on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.
* In Denton, the series is tied 2-2, with North Texas winning the last meeting at Apogee Stadium, 41-17 on 10/27/18.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 in his career against Rice.
Success Against Rice
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with the Owls.
* Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) has 20 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and also has one touchdown catch in two career appearances against Rice. In the 2018 meeting in Denton, Torrey carried 15 times for 130 yards with three touchdowns and also caught a pair of passes for four more yards and a touchdown.
* Redshirt senior running back Nic Smith (Fort Worth) had the best game of his career against Rice - carrying 26 times for 178 yards with a touchdown in the 2017 meeting in Houston. His 26 carries and 178 yards are both career highs for Smith.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) has totaled 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass break-up and a pair of quarterback hurries in his three career appearances against the Owls, including a five tackle, 1.5 tackle for loss performance last season in the meeting in Houston.
That's Offensive
North Texas entered Week 12 with the second-ranked total offense in the nation (now third after some of this week's early action), and top total offense in Conference USA at 593.6 yards per game. Only UCF is averaging more (619.1).
* The Mean Green set a new program record in total offense in their win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, totaling an eye-popping 768 yards. That surpassed the previous program record, set in a Week 1 win over Houston Baptist, when UNT rolled up 721 yards on the Huskies.
* The win on 10/17 marked the first time in program history that UNT has recorded 400-plus yards rushing and 300-yards passing in the same game.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted 15 offensive plays of 15-plus yards on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee, four of which resulted in touchdowns. Thus far this season, UNT has 55 plays of 15 or more yards (42 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 18 of those have resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019, 24 of which resulted in touchdowns.
JD=TD
Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) continued his scorching start to the 2020 season his last time out, catching 10 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17. Darden has had two consecutive games with 200-plus receiving yards and three straight with 10-plus catches.
* Despite having not played since 10/17. Darden is still among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 12, with 46 receptions (11th in FBS), 689 yards (ninth) and 10 touchdowns (leads FBS) through just five games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.9, which ranks ninth among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden was named an honorable mention for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following his last performance against Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 21.7% of his catches, and 60.9% of his catches this season have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. He has done that damage pretty equally depending on the down, recording 11 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, eight on both first and third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is seventh nationally at 12.0 points per game and is 27th in total points scored (60).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 19 touchdown catches in his last 12 games and has caught at least one in each of his last six games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 202 career receptions, which ranks second in program history, and is now just 27 receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229. Â Darden passed Carlos Harris (2012-15) with his 10-catch performance on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee.
* Darden has 29 career receiving touchdowns, which is second-most in program history behind only Ron Shanklin (1967-69) and finished with 31 in his illustrious career.Â
* Darden also now has 2,281 career receiving yards, which is seventh in program history after passing Barry Moore (1968-69) and John Love (1965-66) following Darden's 204-yard performance on 10/17 in the win at Middle.
* Darden is fourth among FBS active career leaders in receptions (202), is second in receiving touchdowns (29), and his 2,281 career receiving yards are 12th-most among active FBS players.
* Darden has 2,919 career all-purpose yards, and entering Saturday's game at UAB, and is 115 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,034 for his career for 10th in program history.
* Darden's 10 touchdowns thus far in 2020 through just five games, already tie for eighth-most in a season in program history.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through five games in 2020, averaging 15.0 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 9.2 catches per game so far in 2020, which is fourth nationally. Darden ranked second in C-USA in receptions per game, with 6.3 in 2019. That ranked 21st nationally.Â
* Darden is one of 22 players across the Football Bowl Subdivision to post three or more touchdowns in a game in 2020 thus far, one of two to have done so twice (Romeo Daubs, Nevada). Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and Alabama receiver DaVonta Smith are the only players in the country with more touchdowns in a single game this season, with four in wins over Ole Miss on 9/26 and Mississippi State on 10/31, respectively.
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) broke out in a big way in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 after coming on in relief of Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas) in the second quarter with UNT trailing 21-7 and backed up on its own one yard line.
* Bean was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week, Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week and was named to the Davey O'Brien Great 8 list.
* Bean totaled 350 yards (181 passing, 169 rushing), five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) and led the Mean Green to a 52-35 road win.
* Bean had touchdown passes of nine (to Deonte Simpson) and 55 yards (to Jaelon Darden), and rushing scores of four and 48 yards (he had two from 48-yards out).
* Bean led scoring drives on seven of his nine drives since coming on with 11:17 to go in the second quarter, six of which went for touchdowns. One of the non-scoring drives was cut short by the end of the half, and lasted just 18 seconds.
* Bean has made two starts thus far this season (in a Week 1 win over HBU and in the Week 3 loss to SMU). In three total appearances, he has completed 27-44 passes for 426 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception. Additionally, he is the team's second-leading rusher, having carried 19 times for 231 yards (12.2 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
* Bean's 169 yards rushing in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 were the fifth-most by a quarterback in Conference USA history.
* Bean's 169 rushing yards in the win at Middle on 10/17 rank as the second-most in the entire country this season by a quarterback.
#TouchdownTorrey
Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) entered 2020 with a clean bill of health following a season where he battled through injury.
* Torrey carried 13 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns his last time out on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee and has 67 carries for 444 yards and four scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories.
* Torrey earned honorable mention status on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week following his strong showing in the win at Middle Tennessee.
* Torrey ranks 16th nationally in yards per carry (6.63)
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 85.8, which ranks fourth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* Torrey has 25 career total touchdowns (21 of which have come on the ground), and is alone in ninth in program history in that category after separating from Antoine Jimmerson (2011-15), who had 23.
* Torrey's 21 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history, after passing Terrance Brown (1992-93), who had 20, and separating from Michael Jones (1974-77) and Abner Haynes (1957-59), who each had 19.
Siggers Tops Century Mark
Redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) surpassed the century mark his last time out on 10/17 at Middle Tennessee in the Mean Green's 52-35 win in Murfreesboro. Siggers carried 14 times for 101 yards.
* He has carried 50 times for 216 yards and one score across four appearances thus far in 2020.
Novil Is Disruptive
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks his last time out in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, giving him a total of 24 stops, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry through the first five games of the season.
* Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 34 games, posting 122 tackles, 23.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.Â
Sanders Steps Up
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) tied for the team lead in tackles in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 in his last appearance.
* Sanders, who earlier this season slid in to the sam linebacker spot to fill in for a depleted group due to contact tracing, is the team's second-leading tackler (tied with Larry Nixon III). He has 28 stops, a half tackle for loss, and interception, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry in five appearances, all starts, at three different positions - boundary safety, hawk (middle safety) and sam linebacker.
Scary Larry
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas) is tied for the second-most tackles on the team with 28, and posted a career-high 10 stops, a sack and a quarterback hurry at Middle Tennessee in the win on 10/17 in UNT's last game.Â
* Nixon has 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in four appearances, all starts at sam linebacker.
His Name is Bernardo
Redshirt junior punter Bernardo Rodriguez (Coppell, Texas) punted once for 35 yards in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Through the first five games of 2020, Rodriguez is averaging 45.3 yards per attempt on 15 punts and is tied for 12th nationally in that category. His season and career-long is 58.
#Twinning
Redshirt freshmen Gabriel and Grayson Murphy (Dallas) have transitioned from linebacker to edge rushers, and made quite the impact in the road win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 in the Mean Green's last game.
* Gabriel recorded the first sack of his career and had two total tackles.
* Grayson finished with three stops, one of which was for loss, and a team-high three quarterback hurries.
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is 22-4 under head coach Seth Littrell in games where they lead at halftime through his first four seasons.
* The only four losses are - 10/26/19 at Charlotte when they could not hold a 21-7 lead, when the Mean Green failed to hold on to a 28-10 lead at Old Dominion on 11/10/18, a 21-10 lead at UAB on 10/20/18 Â and a 14-10 lead at Iowa in 2017.
* Conversely, following the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, UNT is now 6-23 when trailing at the break under Littrell. The six wins in Littrell's tenure when trailing at the half came on 10/17/20 at Middle Tennessee (trailed 28-21), 11/15/18 against Florida Atlantic (trailed 21-20) on 11/4/17 at Louisiana Tech (trailed 17-10), on 10/14/17 against UTSA (trailed 17-16), on 9/30/17 with a win at Southern Miss (trailed 21-17) and against Rice, in 2016 (trailed 17-14).
* North Texas was tied at 10-10 at the break in the win on 10/6/18 at UTEP. It is the only  game where the Mean Green have been tied at halftime during Littrell's tenure.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had seven scoring drives of three minutes or less in the win on 10/17 at Middle Tennessee, all of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 26 such drives, 24 of which have gone for touchdowns through five games in 2020.
* The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
Road Dub
North Texas got back on track on the road when they made the trip to Murfreesboro, defeating Middle Tennessee 52-35, after facing a 14-point deficit late in the second quarter. The Mean Green picked up their first win on the road since the regular season finale in 2018 at UT San Antonio (11/24/18). UNT is now 2-8 in their last 10 road contests and 6-9 in their last 15 road games, dating back to a win at Rice on 11/25/17.
Mean Green at Home
Following the loss to Charlotte on 10/10, North Texas is now 19-9 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 1-3 so far in 2020.
* The Mean Green have won 17 of their last 23 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16). Four of those six losses have come in the last four home contests.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded a season-high five sacks in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, and now have  10 through five games in 2020.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene) posted a team-high 1.5 sacks in Murfreesboro on 10/17 in the Mean Green's win at Middle Tennessee.
* Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas), senior linebacker Tyreke Davis (Denton), redshirt freshman edge rusher Gabriel Murphy (Dallas) all recorded one sack at Middle on 10/17.
* Sophomore linebacker Kevin Wood (Converse, Texas) also  recorded a half sack in the win at Middle.
Under 20
North Texas is 10-1 under head coach Seth Littrell when holding opponents to 20 or fewer points.Â
* The only team to knock off a Littrell-led team when scoring 20 or fewer was against this week's opponent, Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
Over the Hill
After UNT's 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, North Texas is a perfect 19-0 when scoring 40 or more points under head coach Seth Littrell.
* Prior to Littrell's arrival in Denton, the Mean Green had only topped 40 points 16 times from 2002-2015. Littrell's teams have exceeded that number in just four-and-a-half seasons
That was a Rush!
North Texas ran all over Middle Tennessee in the win on 10/17 in Murfreesboro to the tune of 462 yards. That fell just two yards shy of the shared program record of 464, set originally in 1952 against North Dakota State and again in 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
* For the first time in program history in the modern era, North Texas had three 100-yard rushers in the same game against Middle on 10/17. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean led the way with 169 (and three touchdowns), senior running back DeAndre Torrey added 143 (and two scores) and redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers chipped in 101.
* Through 11 weeks, the Mean Green are  11th in the nation in rushing offense (255.0 yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are 21-6 under Littrell.
* North Texas topped the 150-yard rushing mark on just three occasions in 2019 (were over 120 in eight games). They've done so three times in five games in 2020.
* Conversely, UNT is 8-24 when held under 150 yards rushing under head coach Seth Littrell.
Out-gain and Win
North Texas typically wins if it out-gains its opponent. That held true when they outgained Middle Tennessee 768-432 on 10/17. With that win, UNT's record when out-gaining their opponent is now 25-7 during head coach Seth Littrell's tenure.
* Conversely, UNT is 4-20 under Littrell when they are out-gained by an opponent.
* On one occasion in 2017, the Mean Green and SMU each posted 493 yards of total offense in a win by the Mustangs.
99 Problems, But This Drive Ain't One
North Texas posted a 99-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter, to cut the Middle Tennessee lead to 21-14 in North Texas' win on 10/17.
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) entered the game in the shadow of his own goal post, with the Mean Green trailing 21-7. He quickly engineered a five-play, 99-yard touchdown drive in just 1:38.Â
* After an incomplete pass to start the drive, senior running back DeAndre Torrey picked up eight and six yards, respectively, to pick up a first down.
* Bean then burst around the left side for a 25-yard run to get out to UNT's 40 yard line.
* Torrey exploded up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown, the team's longest play from scrimmage in 2020.
* This was the Mean Green's first 99-yard touchdown drive since doing so against Southern Miss on 10/13/18 (eight plays, 99 yards, in 2:45, capped off with a Mason Fine 53-yard scoring toss to Jalen Guyton).
Aerial Assault
UNT threw for 306 yards on 10/17 in the win at Middle Tennessee. The Mean Green passing offense ranks 12th in the nation and is at the top of Conference USA through the first 11 weeks of the season (338.6 per game).
O-Line Improving
North Texas returned two starters along the offensive line from the team in 2019, and five more who saw action. The group is in year one under co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Bloesch, and has allowed just seven sacks in five games of the 2020 season, which ranks 29th nationally.
* UNT allowed 26 sacks in 2019. Bloesch joined the Mean Green following a five-year stint at Tulsa, four of which where he was their offensive line coach.
Rushing TDs are Back!
North Texas found the end zone on the ground on five occasions in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17, and now have a season total of 13, which already surpasses the output as a team a year ago through just five games.Â
* North Texas saw its rushing touchdown output decline heavily in 2019, posting just 11 as a team.Â
* That ranked 124th in the country ahead of only Kansas, Purdue, Texas State, Stanford, West Virginia and Akron.
Littrell Ties Rust for Sixth
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell tied former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) for sixth in program history in wins with 29 after beating Middle Tennessee on 10/17.Â
* Littrell can move into sixth by his lonesome with a win this week at home over Rice.
* Littrell is 29-28 entering play this week at home against the Owls.
* Rust finished his North Texas career at 29-32-1.
First Down!
North Texas totaled 32 first downs in its last game, a road win at Middle Tennessee, and after 11 weeks rank 50th nationally with 139 on the season, and among teams who have played five games, UNT leads the nation in that category.
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