University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
UNT Takes On UTSA in C-USA West Battle Saturday
11/27/2020 5:33:00 PM | Football
DENTON - North Texas (3-3, 2-2 C-USA) hits the road to take on UT San Antonio (6-4, 4-2 C-USA) at 2 p.m. CT from the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday. North Texas enters play after knocking off Rice 27-17 at home last week. It marked the Mean Green's first game since 10/17, when they beat Middle Tennessee on the road. The Roadrunners are coming off a 23-20 win at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg last week.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Stadium (and Fox Sports Regional networks) with Chris Vosters (pxp) and Max Starks (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 UT San Antonio will meet Saturday for the eighth time, with UNT leading the series 4-3, including a dominant 45-3 win last season by the Mean Green on Sept. 21, 2019, in Denton.
* In San Antonio, UTSA leads the series 2-1, with North Texas winning the last meeting in the Alamodome, 24-21 on 11/24/18.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 in his career against the Roadrunners and has won each of the last three meetings.
Success Against the Roadrunners
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with UT San Antonio.
* Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) has 34 carries for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and also has five catches for 84 yards and one receiving touchdown in two career appearances against UTSA. In the 2018 meeting in San Antonio, Torrey carried 24 times (second-highest number of carries in his career) for 155 yards with a touchdown and also caught two passes for 24 more yards.
* Redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) had 14 carries for 143 yards and two scores in last season's meeting against the Roadrunners in Denton.
* Junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) recorded nine tackles, recovered a fumble and had a pair of quarterback hurries in last season's matchup against UTSA.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) posted eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a half sack and a quarterback hurry in the win over UTSA last season in Denton.
* Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss and picked off the first pass of his career in the win over the Roadrunners last year.
* Senior defensive back Cam Johnson (Houston) had a strong performance in last season's meeting with UTSA, posting seven tackles, a half tackle for loss and a half sack in the Mean Green win.
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) completed one pass, for a three-yard touchdown to Jaelon Darden (Houston) and also carried twice for 34 yards in the win last season over the Roadrunners.
That's Offensive
North Texas enters Week 13 with the fifth-ranked total offense in the nation, and top total offense in Conference USA at 559.5 yards per game.
Top Total Offenses in FBS
1. Kent State     616.0 ypg
2. UCFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 586.6 ypg
3. Ole Miss       564.9 ypg
4. North Carolina  563.4 ypg
5. North Texas      559.5 ypg
Thirty-Plus is the Norm
North Texas enters play this week averaging 37.2 points per game, which ranks 26th in the nation and is second in Conference USA. UNT was held below its average in last week's 27-17 win over Rice.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted six offensive plays of 15-plus yards last week in the win against Rice, two of which resulted in touchdowns. Thus far this season, UNT has 61 plays of 15 or more yards (46 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 20 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) has separated himself as one of the elite receivers in the country to start the 2020 season. He caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in the win over Rice last week.Â
* Despite having played just once since 10/17, Darden is still among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 13, with 50 receptions (T-9th in FBS), 739 yards (11th) and 11 touchdowns (leads FBS) through just six games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.6, which ranks 10th among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 22.0% of his catches, and 62.0% 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 12 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, nine on both first and third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is 13th nationally at 11.0 points per game and is 2st in total points scored (66).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 20 touchdown catches in his last 13 games and has caught at least one in each of his last seven games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 206 career receptions, which ranks second in program history, and is now just 23 receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229.Â
* Darden has 30 career receiving touchdowns, which is second-most in program history behind only Ron Shanklin (1967-69) who finished with 31 in his illustrious career.Â
* Darden also now has 2,331 career receiving yards, which is seventh in program history.
* Darden is fourth among FBS active career leaders in receptions (206), is second in receiving touchdowns (30), and his 2,331 career receiving yards are 11th-most among active FBS players.
* Darden has 2,969 career all-purpose yards, and entering Saturday's game at UT San Antonio, and is 177 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,146 for his career for 10th in program history.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through six games in 2020, averaging 14.8 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 8.3 catches per game so far in 2020, which is sixth nationally. Darden ranked second in C-USA in receptions per game, with 6.3 in 2019. That ranked 21st nationally.Â
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) earned his third career start in the 27-17 win over Rice last week.
* Bean completed 9-20 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and also carried five times for 94 yards and another touchdown in the win over the Owls.
* Bean had a 25-yard touchdown strike to senior Jaelon Darden (Houston) that put the Mean Green on top for good, just before the end of the first half.
* Bean also had the longest offensive play of the season, breaking free and showcasing his track speed on a second quarter 66-yard sprint on a read option to cut the Rice lead to 10-7.
* Bean has made three starts thus far this season (in a Week 1 win over HBU, in the Week 3 loss to SMU and last week in the win over Rice). In four total appearances, he has completed 36-64 passes for 546 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Additionally, he is the team's second-leading rusher, having carried 24 times for 325 yards (13.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns, which are tied for the most on the team with senior DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi).
#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 19 times for 102 yards and a touchdown along with two catches for 10 yards in last week's win over Rice. Torrey has 86 carries for 546 yards and five scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories. (Torrey's five rushing touchdowns are tied for the team lead)
* Torrey was selected as a member of Week 12's Paul Hornung Award honor roll following his performance in the win over Rice last week.
* Torrey ranks 20th nationally in yards per carry (6.35)
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 87.0, which ranks fifth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* Torrey is a member of the team's leadership council.
* Torrey has 26 career total touchdowns (22 of which have come on the ground), and is alone in ninth in program history in that category.
* Torrey's 22 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history.
* Torrey has carried 334 times for 1,903 yards  and 22 rushing scores during his two-plus seasons so far in Denton. He is now 13th in program history in career rushing yards after surpassing Antoine Jimmerson (2011-15), who had 1,851 career rushing yards and Abner Haynes (1957-59), who finished his Hall of Fame career with 1,864. Torrey is just 61 yards behind Hut Allred (1994-98) for 12th place and 174 behind Terrance Brown (1992-93) for 11th place. Torrey is also just 97 yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
Adaway Returns
Redshirt freshman running back Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) returned to action last week against Rice for the first time since an injury following the Week 3 matchup with SMU.
* Adaway carried 14 times for 72 yards in the win over the Owls on 11/21.
* He has carried 39 times for 294 yards and two scores across three appearances thus far in 2020.
Dominant Dion Novil
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded eight tackles (a season-high), a career-high and eye-popping 5.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a pair of forced fumbles last week in the win over Rice, giving him a total of 32 stops, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry through the first six games of the season.
* His performance against Rice earned him Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as Pro Football Focus National Defensive Player of the Week plaudits (had a 98.4 overall grade and earned a perfect 99.9 grade against the run, the only perfect grade to have been earned in 2020).
* Novil's 5.0 tackles for loss against the Owls last week were the second most in a single game in program history, and all five of those came in the first half. He faced double and triple teams in the second half.
* Novil is the third-ranked interior defensive lineman in the nation according to PFF, who has given him a grade of 88.1, which qualifies as elite by their metrics.
Scary Larry
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas) is tied for the third-most tackles on the team with 32, and posted four stops, and a sack in the win over Rice last week.Â
* Nixon also has 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in five appearances, all starts at sam linebacker.
#Twinning
Redshirt freshmen Gabriel and Grayson Murphy (Dallas) have transitioned from linebacker to edge rushers, and have both excelled, providing a ton of pressure on the outside, and each made a big impact in last week's win over Rice.
* Gabriel recorded a career-high six tackles. 1.5 sacks, forced a fumble and led the team with two quarterback hurries. On the season, Gabriel has nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in three appearances.
* Grayson, like his identical twin brother, finished with a career-high six stops, and added a pair of tackles for loss and two sacks. Grayson has 12 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and three quarterback hurries in four appearances.
(Good Mooney) Rising
Junior kicker Ethan Mooney (Fort Worth) was perfect during the Mean Green's win over Rice last week, making field goals from 27 and 30 yards, respectively, and made all three of his extra points. Mooney has now made three straight field goals dating back to the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 - and is now 4-8 on field goals and a perfect 22-22 on PATs.
* Mooney is a member of the team's leadership council and is a co-chair within UNT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
* Mooney was a preseason all-conference selection by the league's 14 head coaches.
Defense Dominant Over Last Six Quarters
The Mean Green defense under the leadership of new defensive coordinator Clint Bowen have seen a major improvement over the course of the past six quarters. They've allowed just 24 points over that time, which includes a Rice touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, well after the game had been decided.
* The group has been dominant at times, posting nine sacks over the past six quarters (and 12 in the past two games), and holding Rice well under its season average on the ground (181.0 yards per game entering play) - allowing just 49 rushing yards to the Owls in the win last week.
* UNT has also forced three turnovers over the past six quarters, including two in the win last week against Rice (a pair of fumble recoveries).
Turn it Over
North Texas was minus-six in turnover differential during the 2019 season, a stark contrast from its previous season, when North Texas was plus-four.
* UNT was plus-two in turnover differential last week in the win over Rice and the Mean Green are now minus-six for the season, which is tied for 116th out of 127 teams in 2020.
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 27-17 win over Rice last week (UNT held a 14-10 lead at the break), North Texas is now 23-4 under head coach Seth Littrell in games where they lead at halftime through his first four-plus seasons.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had four scoring drives of three minutes or less in the win last week over Rice, three of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 30 such drives, 27 of which have gone for touchdowns through six 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.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded a Seth Littrell era-high seven sacks in the win over Rice last week, and now have  17 through six games in 2020. Their 2.83 sacks per game rank 33rd in the Football Bowl Subdivision through the first 12 weeks of the season.
* The Murphy twins (Dallas) combined for 3.5 sacks in the win over Rice. Gabriel recorded a career-high two, while his identical twin Gabriel tallied a career-high 1.5 against Michael Collins and the Owls.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene), redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas), and junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) all recorded one sack in the win over Rice last week.
* Redshirt sophomore defensive end Davontae McCrae (Miami) had a half sack of Collins in the Mean Green's win last week over the Owls.
Under 20
North Texas is 11-1 under head coach Seth Littrell when holding opponents to 20 or fewer points after holding Rice to 17 last week in the win.Â
* The only team to knock off a Littrell-led team when scoring 20 or fewer was against last week's opponent, Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
That was a Rush!
UNT continued its strong season on the ground in the win over Rice last week, posting 269 yards and another two scores.
* Through 12 weeks, the Mean Green are  seventh in the nation in rushing offense (257.3 yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are now 22-6 under Littrell.
Out-gain and Win
North Texas typically wins if it out-gains its opponent. That held true when they outgained Rice 389-376 in the win last week. With that win, UNT's record when out-gaining their opponent is now 26-7 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.
Aerial Assault
UNT threw for just 120 yards last week in the win over Rice. But the Mean Green passing offense ranks 21st in the nation and is at the top of Conference USA through the first 12 weeks of the season (302.2 per game).
* In 2019 North Texas ranked 27th in the country in passing offense, averaging 283.3 yards per game and ranked second in C-USA.Â
* Redshirt sophomores Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) completed 9-20 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in the win last week over Rice.
It's a Streak!
With North Texas' win over Rice last week, it marked the first winning streak for the Mean Green since 2018 (wins over FAU on 11/15 and at UTSA on 11/24).
* The win also marked consecutive double digit comebacks (14-point deficit at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 and the Mean Green faced a 10-0 deficit vs. Rice in the win last week).
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 six games of the 2020 season, which ranks 22nd nationally.
* The Mean Green earned recognition as one of just 22 teams selected to the Joe Moore Award Honor Roll, which recognizes the best offensive line unit in the country, on Monday.
* 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.
Littrell Moves into Sixth
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell moved into sixth place in career wins at North Texas  after the win last week over Rice, passing former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) with 30 after beating the Owls.Â
* Littrell has a ways to go to catch the fifth place coach, Hayden Fry (40).
* Littrell is 30-28 entering play this week at UT San Antonio.
#NFLMeanGreenÂ
There are currently three former Mean Green players on active rosters in the National Football League and all but one saw action this past week - linebacker Craig Robertson (New Orleans Saints), wide receiver Jalen Guyton (Los Angeles Chargers) and running back Jeffery Wilson (San Francisco 49ers).
* In his last appearance, Wilson carried 17 times for a career-high 112 yards and three touchdowns (from three yards, 16 yards and seven yards out, respectively) in the 49ers' Â dominant 33-6 win over the New England Patriots on the road on Sunday afernoon. Unfortunately, Wilson suffered an ankle injury on his third touchdown and has missed each of the last three games (at Seattle against Green Bay and at New Orleans).
* Guyton caught one pass for four yards on Sunday afternoon in a 34-28 win over the winless New York Jets. Guyton has 15 catches for 298 yards and three scores thus far this season for the Bolts.
* Robertson saw action, primarily on special teams, in the Saints' win at home over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
* Defensive end LaDarius Hamilton is a member of the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, as he looks to continue to work for a spot on the Cowboys' active rosters. Fullback Jamize Olawale, also a member of the Cowboys, opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cornerback Nate Brooks signed with the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad recently as well.
Â
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Stadium (and Fox Sports Regional networks) with Chris Vosters (pxp) and Max Starks (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 UT San Antonio will meet Saturday for the eighth time, with UNT leading the series 4-3, including a dominant 45-3 win last season by the Mean Green on Sept. 21, 2019, in Denton.
* In San Antonio, UTSA leads the series 2-1, with North Texas winning the last meeting in the Alamodome, 24-21 on 11/24/18.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 in his career against the Roadrunners and has won each of the last three meetings.
Success Against the Roadrunners
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with UT San Antonio.
* Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) has 34 carries for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and also has five catches for 84 yards and one receiving touchdown in two career appearances against UTSA. In the 2018 meeting in San Antonio, Torrey carried 24 times (second-highest number of carries in his career) for 155 yards with a touchdown and also caught two passes for 24 more yards.
* Redshirt junior running back Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) had 14 carries for 143 yards and two scores in last season's meeting against the Roadrunners in Denton.
* Junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) recorded nine tackles, recovered a fumble and had a pair of quarterback hurries in last season's matchup against UTSA.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) posted eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a half sack and a quarterback hurry in the win over UTSA last season in Denton.
* Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss and picked off the first pass of his career in the win over the Roadrunners last year.
* Senior defensive back Cam Johnson (Houston) had a strong performance in last season's meeting with UTSA, posting seven tackles, a half tackle for loss and a half sack in the Mean Green win.
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) completed one pass, for a three-yard touchdown to Jaelon Darden (Houston) and also carried twice for 34 yards in the win last season over the Roadrunners.
That's Offensive
North Texas enters Week 13 with the fifth-ranked total offense in the nation, and top total offense in Conference USA at 559.5 yards per game.
Top Total Offenses in FBS
1. Kent State     616.0 ypg
2. UCFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 586.6 ypg
3. Ole Miss       564.9 ypg
4. North Carolina  563.4 ypg
5. North Texas      559.5 ypg
Thirty-Plus is the Norm
North Texas enters play this week averaging 37.2 points per game, which ranks 26th in the nation and is second in Conference USA. UNT was held below its average in last week's 27-17 win over Rice.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted six offensive plays of 15-plus yards last week in the win against Rice, two of which resulted in touchdowns. Thus far this season, UNT has 61 plays of 15 or more yards (46 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 20 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) has separated himself as one of the elite receivers in the country to start the 2020 season. He caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in the win over Rice last week.Â
* Despite having played just once since 10/17, Darden is still among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 13, with 50 receptions (T-9th in FBS), 739 yards (11th) and 11 touchdowns (leads FBS) through just six games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.6, which ranks 10th among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 22.0% of his catches, and 62.0% 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 12 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, nine on both first and third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is 13th nationally at 11.0 points per game and is 2st in total points scored (66).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 20 touchdown catches in his last 13 games and has caught at least one in each of his last seven games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 206 career receptions, which ranks second in program history, and is now just 23 receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229.Â
* Darden has 30 career receiving touchdowns, which is second-most in program history behind only Ron Shanklin (1967-69) who finished with 31 in his illustrious career.Â
* Darden also now has 2,331 career receiving yards, which is seventh in program history.
* Darden is fourth among FBS active career leaders in receptions (206), is second in receiving touchdowns (30), and his 2,331 career receiving yards are 11th-most among active FBS players.
* Darden has 2,969 career all-purpose yards, and entering Saturday's game at UT San Antonio, and is 177 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,146 for his career for 10th in program history.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through six games in 2020, averaging 14.8 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 8.3 catches per game so far in 2020, which is sixth nationally. Darden ranked second in C-USA in receptions per game, with 6.3 in 2019. That ranked 21st nationally.Â
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) earned his third career start in the 27-17 win over Rice last week.
* Bean completed 9-20 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and also carried five times for 94 yards and another touchdown in the win over the Owls.
* Bean had a 25-yard touchdown strike to senior Jaelon Darden (Houston) that put the Mean Green on top for good, just before the end of the first half.
* Bean also had the longest offensive play of the season, breaking free and showcasing his track speed on a second quarter 66-yard sprint on a read option to cut the Rice lead to 10-7.
* Bean has made three starts thus far this season (in a Week 1 win over HBU, in the Week 3 loss to SMU and last week in the win over Rice). In four total appearances, he has completed 36-64 passes for 546 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Additionally, he is the team's second-leading rusher, having carried 24 times for 325 yards (13.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns, which are tied for the most on the team with senior DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi).
#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 19 times for 102 yards and a touchdown along with two catches for 10 yards in last week's win over Rice. Torrey has 86 carries for 546 yards and five scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories. (Torrey's five rushing touchdowns are tied for the team lead)
* Torrey was selected as a member of Week 12's Paul Hornung Award honor roll following his performance in the win over Rice last week.
* Torrey ranks 20th nationally in yards per carry (6.35)
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 87.0, which ranks fifth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* Torrey is a member of the team's leadership council.
* Torrey has 26 career total touchdowns (22 of which have come on the ground), and is alone in ninth in program history in that category.
* Torrey's 22 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history.
* Torrey has carried 334 times for 1,903 yards  and 22 rushing scores during his two-plus seasons so far in Denton. He is now 13th in program history in career rushing yards after surpassing Antoine Jimmerson (2011-15), who had 1,851 career rushing yards and Abner Haynes (1957-59), who finished his Hall of Fame career with 1,864. Torrey is just 61 yards behind Hut Allred (1994-98) for 12th place and 174 behind Terrance Brown (1992-93) for 11th place. Torrey is also just 97 yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
Adaway Returns
Redshirt freshman running back Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) returned to action last week against Rice for the first time since an injury following the Week 3 matchup with SMU.
* Adaway carried 14 times for 72 yards in the win over the Owls on 11/21.
* He has carried 39 times for 294 yards and two scores across three appearances thus far in 2020.
Dominant Dion Novil
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded eight tackles (a season-high), a career-high and eye-popping 5.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a pair of forced fumbles last week in the win over Rice, giving him a total of 32 stops, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry through the first six games of the season.
* His performance against Rice earned him Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as Pro Football Focus National Defensive Player of the Week plaudits (had a 98.4 overall grade and earned a perfect 99.9 grade against the run, the only perfect grade to have been earned in 2020).
* Novil's 5.0 tackles for loss against the Owls last week were the second most in a single game in program history, and all five of those came in the first half. He faced double and triple teams in the second half.
* Novil is the third-ranked interior defensive lineman in the nation according to PFF, who has given him a grade of 88.1, which qualifies as elite by their metrics.
Scary Larry
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas) is tied for the third-most tackles on the team with 32, and posted four stops, and a sack in the win over Rice last week.Â
* Nixon also has 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in five appearances, all starts at sam linebacker.
#Twinning
Redshirt freshmen Gabriel and Grayson Murphy (Dallas) have transitioned from linebacker to edge rushers, and have both excelled, providing a ton of pressure on the outside, and each made a big impact in last week's win over Rice.
* Gabriel recorded a career-high six tackles. 1.5 sacks, forced a fumble and led the team with two quarterback hurries. On the season, Gabriel has nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in three appearances.
* Grayson, like his identical twin brother, finished with a career-high six stops, and added a pair of tackles for loss and two sacks. Grayson has 12 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and three quarterback hurries in four appearances.
(Good Mooney) Rising
Junior kicker Ethan Mooney (Fort Worth) was perfect during the Mean Green's win over Rice last week, making field goals from 27 and 30 yards, respectively, and made all three of his extra points. Mooney has now made three straight field goals dating back to the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 - and is now 4-8 on field goals and a perfect 22-22 on PATs.
* Mooney is a member of the team's leadership council and is a co-chair within UNT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
* Mooney was a preseason all-conference selection by the league's 14 head coaches.
Defense Dominant Over Last Six Quarters
The Mean Green defense under the leadership of new defensive coordinator Clint Bowen have seen a major improvement over the course of the past six quarters. They've allowed just 24 points over that time, which includes a Rice touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, well after the game had been decided.
* The group has been dominant at times, posting nine sacks over the past six quarters (and 12 in the past two games), and holding Rice well under its season average on the ground (181.0 yards per game entering play) - allowing just 49 rushing yards to the Owls in the win last week.
* UNT has also forced three turnovers over the past six quarters, including two in the win last week against Rice (a pair of fumble recoveries).
Turn it Over
North Texas was minus-six in turnover differential during the 2019 season, a stark contrast from its previous season, when North Texas was plus-four.
* UNT was plus-two in turnover differential last week in the win over Rice and the Mean Green are now minus-six for the season, which is tied for 116th out of 127 teams in 2020.
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 27-17 win over Rice last week (UNT held a 14-10 lead at the break), North Texas is now 23-4 under head coach Seth Littrell in games where they lead at halftime through his first four-plus seasons.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had four scoring drives of three minutes or less in the win last week over Rice, three of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 30 such drives, 27 of which have gone for touchdowns through six 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.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded a Seth Littrell era-high seven sacks in the win over Rice last week, and now have  17 through six games in 2020. Their 2.83 sacks per game rank 33rd in the Football Bowl Subdivision through the first 12 weeks of the season.
* The Murphy twins (Dallas) combined for 3.5 sacks in the win over Rice. Gabriel recorded a career-high two, while his identical twin Gabriel tallied a career-high 1.5 against Michael Collins and the Owls.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene), redshirt sophomore linebacker Larry Nixon III (North Richland Hills, Texas), and junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) all recorded one sack in the win over Rice last week.
* Redshirt sophomore defensive end Davontae McCrae (Miami) had a half sack of Collins in the Mean Green's win last week over the Owls.
Under 20
North Texas is 11-1 under head coach Seth Littrell when holding opponents to 20 or fewer points after holding Rice to 17 last week in the win.Â
* The only team to knock off a Littrell-led team when scoring 20 or fewer was against last week's opponent, Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
That was a Rush!
UNT continued its strong season on the ground in the win over Rice last week, posting 269 yards and another two scores.
* Through 12 weeks, the Mean Green are  seventh in the nation in rushing offense (257.3 yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are now 22-6 under Littrell.
Out-gain and Win
North Texas typically wins if it out-gains its opponent. That held true when they outgained Rice 389-376 in the win last week. With that win, UNT's record when out-gaining their opponent is now 26-7 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.
Aerial Assault
UNT threw for just 120 yards last week in the win over Rice. But the Mean Green passing offense ranks 21st in the nation and is at the top of Conference USA through the first 12 weeks of the season (302.2 per game).
* In 2019 North Texas ranked 27th in the country in passing offense, averaging 283.3 yards per game and ranked second in C-USA.Â
* Redshirt sophomores Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) completed 9-20 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in the win last week over Rice.
It's a Streak!
With North Texas' win over Rice last week, it marked the first winning streak for the Mean Green since 2018 (wins over FAU on 11/15 and at UTSA on 11/24).
* The win also marked consecutive double digit comebacks (14-point deficit at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 and the Mean Green faced a 10-0 deficit vs. Rice in the win last week).
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 six games of the 2020 season, which ranks 22nd nationally.
* The Mean Green earned recognition as one of just 22 teams selected to the Joe Moore Award Honor Roll, which recognizes the best offensive line unit in the country, on Monday.
* 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.
Littrell Moves into Sixth
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell moved into sixth place in career wins at North Texas  after the win last week over Rice, passing former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) with 30 after beating the Owls.Â
* Littrell has a ways to go to catch the fifth place coach, Hayden Fry (40).
* Littrell is 30-28 entering play this week at UT San Antonio.
#NFLMeanGreenÂ
There are currently three former Mean Green players on active rosters in the National Football League and all but one saw action this past week - linebacker Craig Robertson (New Orleans Saints), wide receiver Jalen Guyton (Los Angeles Chargers) and running back Jeffery Wilson (San Francisco 49ers).
* In his last appearance, Wilson carried 17 times for a career-high 112 yards and three touchdowns (from three yards, 16 yards and seven yards out, respectively) in the 49ers' Â dominant 33-6 win over the New England Patriots on the road on Sunday afernoon. Unfortunately, Wilson suffered an ankle injury on his third touchdown and has missed each of the last three games (at Seattle against Green Bay and at New Orleans).
* Guyton caught one pass for four yards on Sunday afternoon in a 34-28 win over the winless New York Jets. Guyton has 15 catches for 298 yards and three scores thus far this season for the Bolts.
* Robertson saw action, primarily on special teams, in the Saints' win at home over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
* Defensive end LaDarius Hamilton is a member of the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, as he looks to continue to work for a spot on the Cowboys' active rosters. Fullback Jamize Olawale, also a member of the Cowboys, opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cornerback Nate Brooks signed with the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad recently as well.
Â
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
K
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
S
/ Football
S
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballSaturday, April 18
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesday, April 08
Wednesday, April 01