University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
North Texas Takes on UTEP Friday at Apogee
12/10/2020 5:35:00 PM | Football
DENTON - In a unique circumstance, North Texas (3-5, 2-4 C-USA) will host a road game in its final regular season game of 2020 when they take on UTEP (3-4, 0-3 C-USA) at 5 p.m. CT from Apogee Stadium in Denton. UNT and UTEP were originally scheduled to play on Oct. 31, but the game was postponed to 12/12, and then moved to Denton on Friday (still considered a road contest for UNT) due to issues surrounding CoVID-19 in the city of El Paso. Friday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Kyle Youmans (pxp) and Hek'ma Harrison (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 UTEP will meet Saturday for the 29th time, with the Mean Green holding a 17-8-3 advantage, including a 52-26 win last season by the Mean Green on Nov. 2, 2019 in Denton.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 against UTEP in four meetings.
* North Texas leads the series 7-6-1 in road games, including a win in their last trip to El Paso, 27-24 in 2018.
Success Against UTEP
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with the Miners.
* Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) has combined for 16 catches for 162 yards and six touchdowns in three career meetings with UTEP, including a six-catch, 60-yard and three-touchdown performance in the win last season in Denton.
* Senior linebacker Tyreke Davis (Denton) has combined for 14 tackles, a half tackle for loss, an interception and a quarterback hurry in a trio of appearances against the Miners.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) has combined for 11 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and has blocked a kick in his two career appearances against UTEP.
* Redshirt freshman wide receiver Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas) had his breakout performance as a true freshman in last season's meeting - catching two passes for 53 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career.
* Redshirt senior running back Nic Smith (Fort Worth) has carried 28 times for 143 yards in three career meetings with the Miners.
That's Offensive
North Texas enters Week 15 with the eighth-ranked total offense in the nation, and top total offense in Conference USA at 518.0 yards per game.
Top Total Offenses in FBS
1.  Kent State      606.5 ypg
2. Â UCFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 585.6 ypg
3.  Ole Miss      563.0 ypg
4.  Alabama      548.3 ypg
5.  North Carolina 534.5 ypg
6.  Ohio State      532.4 ypg
7. Â BYUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 522.7 ypg
8.  North Texas   518.0 ypg
9.  Toledo        514.6 ypg
10. Clemson      512.2 ypg
* UNT is averaging 6.79 yards per play this season, which ranks 15th nationally and is the best in C-USA.
Thirty-Plus is the Norm
North Texas enters play this week averaging 33.9 points per game, which ranks 28th in the nation and is the best in Conference USA. UNT was held below its average in last week's 42-31 loss against Louisiana Tech.
* UNT has scored 30-plus points in five of its eight games in 2020.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted eight offensive plays of 15-plus yards last week in the loss against Louisiana Tech, one of which resulted in a touchdown. Thus far this season, UNT has 77 plays of 15 or more yards (56 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 22 of those have resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019 (in 12 games), 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 and was just named as one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award. He caught eight passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns last week against Louisiana Tech. Darden caught touchdowns of 10, 13 and 33 yards, respectively to push his nation-leading total to 15 on the season.
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* Darden is among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 15, with 66 receptions (5th in FBS), 1,017 yards (6th) and 15 touchdowns (tied for the lead in FBS with Alabama's DeVonta Smith) through just eight games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.7, which ranks 11th among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 22.7% of his catches, and 60.6% (40-66) 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 15 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, 14 on first downs, 10 on third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is ninth nationally at 11.2 points per game and is 10th in total points scored (90).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 24 touchdown catches in his last 15 games and has caught at least one in each of his last nine games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 222 career receptions, which rank second in program history, and is now just seven receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229.Â
* Following his three-touchdown performance last week against Louisiana Tech, Darden is now the career receiving touchdown program record-holder, with 34 career receiving touchdowns. Those three scores broke a tie for the most in program history with Ron Shanklin (1967-69), who had 31.Â
* Darden broke another program record last week, setting a new mark for single-season touchdown receptions (15). He passed Shanklin's total of 13, set back in 1967.
* Darden became just the fifth player in North Texas program history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Casey Fitzgerald accomplished the feat twice (a program-record 1,322 in 2007 and 1,119 in 2008), as did Barry Moore (1,130 in 1969 and 1,053 in 1968). Darden passed David Brown's 1994 season (1,013) and tied former teammate Rico Bussey, Jr.'s 2018 campaign (1,017). Darden enters play this Friday just 36 yards shy of Moore's 1968 season total (1,053), 102 shy of Fitzgerald's 2008 output, 113 away from John Love's 1966 season total and Moore's 1969 season total (1,130). Darden would need a career-high 305 yards to catch Fitzgerald for the record.
* Darden also now has 2,609 career receiving yards, which ranks second in program history. He just surpassed Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08) and Troy Redwine (1992-96) to move into second. Entering play Friday, Darden is just 109 yards away from tying Johnny Quinn (2003-06) for the program record.
* Darden is second among FBS active career leaders in receptions (222), is second in receiving touchdowns (34), and his 2,609 career receiving yards are fourth-most among active FBS players.
* Following last week's game against Louisiana Tech, Darden now has 3,248 career all-purpose yards, and entering Friday's game against UTEP, is 51 yards shy of Ja'Quay Wilburn (1997-2000) for 10th place and is 56 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,304 for his career and is ninth in program history.
* Darden was named an honorable mention for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following his performance against Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Darden was on the watch lists for the Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards, as well as being a member of the Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 list and was a preseason all-conference selection. Darden is now one of 11 semifinalists for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through eight games in 2020, averaging 15.4 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 8.25 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
* Darden's 35 career touchdowns (34 receiving and one punt return) rank third-most in program history, after breaking a tie with current San Francisco 49ers running back Jeffery Wilson (2014-17). Running backs coach Patrick Cobbs (2001-05) is second with 38, and Lance Dunbar (2008-11) holds the record with 49.
#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 nine times for 36 yards and a touchdown in last week's game against Louisiana Tech. Torrey has 107 carries for 636 yards and six scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories.
* Torrey ranks 29th nationally in yards per carry (5.94).
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 87.4, which ranks eighth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* After scoring from one yard out last week in the first quarter against Louisiana Tech, Torrey's 23 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history.
* Torrey has 27 career total touchdowns (23 of which have come on the ground), and is now tied for eighth in program history in that category with Jamario Thomas (2004-07).
* Torrey has carried 355 times for 1,993 yards  and 23 rushing scores during his two-plus seasons so far in Denton. He is 12th in program history in career rushing yards. Torrey after passing Hut Allred (1994-98)  and enters play this week against UTEP 84 behind Terrance Brown (1992-93) for 11th place. Torrey is also just seven yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
Pirtle Plugging Away
Redshirt senior tight end Jason Pirtle (Locust Grove, Oklahoma) earned preseason all-conference honors from Conference USA's 14 head coaches following a breakout year in 2019.
* Pirtle caught two passes for 13 yards last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Pirtle has opened the 2020 season with 12 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown so far through the first eight games. His 12 recptions are fourth-most on the team.
Novil is a Disruptor
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded one tackle last week in the game against Louisiana Tech, giving him a total of 37 stops, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry through the first eight games of the season.
* Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 37 games, posting 135 tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss (ranks seventh in program history) and 6.5 sacks.Â
KD Leads the Way
* Junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas), a member of the team's leadership council, and starting mike linebacker, has been a steady force for the UNT, and leads the team in tackles with 59 in seven appearances, all starts.
* He recorded 11 stops, and a quarterback hurry in last week's game against Louisiana Tech.
* In addition to being the team's leading tackler, KD Davis has 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two quarterback hurries in seven appearances.
Sanders Stepping Up
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) is the team's second-leading tackler and finished with eight tackles and his second interception of the season in last week's game against Louisiana Tech.
* 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. He has 50 stops, a half tackle for loss, a team-best two interceptions, a fumble recovery, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry in eight 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) has the third-most tackles on the team with 43, and posted five stops and a half tackle for loss against Louisiana Tech last week.Â
* Nixon also has 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in seven appearances, all starts at will 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 have made an impact since the switch.
* Gabriel recorded two tackles, and a tackle for loss last week against Louisiana Tech. On the season, Gabriel has 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a team-high 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in five appearances in 2020.
* Grayson finished with two stops and a sack against the Bulldogs. Grayson has 17 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four quarterback hurries in six appearances.
Zo
True freshman corner Loronzo Thompson (Friendswood, Texas) has had quite the journey during his first collegiate season. He has switched between receiver and corner multiple times and has worn five different numbers througout the course of the year (80, 36, 38, 83 and now 6). He earned his first career start, at corner, last week against Louisiana Tech. He recorded five tackles, a half tackle for loss and broke up a pass against the Bulldogs.
His Name is Bernardo
Redshirt junior punter Bernardo Rodriguez (Coppell, Texas) punted twice for an average of 37.5 yards per attempt against Louisiana Tech last week.
* Through the first eight games of 2020, Rodriguez is averaging 43.9 yards per attempt on 28 punts and ranks 26th nationally in that category. His season and career-long is 58.
The Moon(ey) is Rising
Junior kicker Ethan Mooney (Fort Worth) went 1-2 on field goals and was a perfect 4-4 on extra points during the Mean Green's game  last week against Louisiana Tech, making a 48-yard field goal and missing from 54. Mooney has now made five of his last six field goals dating back to the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 - and is now 6-11 on field goals and a perfect 28-28 on PATs.
* Mooney is now 22-31 in his career on field goal attempts and ranks fifth in program history in career field goal percentage.
* Mooney's four made PATs moved him into sixth place in program history in career extra points made, with 71. He just surpassed Iseed Khoury (1975-77), who finished his North Texas career with 70.
* Mooney is a member of the team's leadership council and is a co-chair within UNT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Bean's 2020 Campaign
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) earned his fifth career start last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Bean completed 17-30 passes for 231 yards with three touchdowns and an interception last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Bean threw all three of his touchdowns to Jaelon Darden (Houston), connecting with the record-breaking receiver from 10, 13 and 33 yards for scoring strikes against the Bulldogs.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had four scoring drives of three minutes or less in the loss last week against Louisiana Tech, all of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 35 such drives, 32 of which have gone for touchdowns through eight games in 2020.
* The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
Mean Green at Home
Following the loss last week against Louisiana Tech, North Texas is now 20-10 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 2-4 in 2020.Â
* The Mean Green have won 18 of their last 25 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16). Five of those seven losses have come in the last seven home contests.
* This week's game against UTEP will be considered a road game for the Mean Green as previously scheduled, despite the fact that it is being played in Apogee Stadium in Denton.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded two sacks last week, and now have 20 through eight games in 2020. Their 2.50 sacks per game rank 45th in the Football Bowl Subdivision through the first 14 weeks of the season.
* Redshirt freshman Grayson Murphy (Dallas) recorded a sack against Louisiana Tech last week, which gives him 3.0 thus far in 2020.
* True freshman linebacker Jordan Brown (Huntsville, Texas) posted the first sack of his career last week and recorded five stops and a pass break-up against the Bulldogs last week.
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  Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
* Conversely, the Mean Green are 0-11 under Littrell when held under 20 points, as they were last week at UT San Antonio (lost 49-17).
That was a Rush!
UNT continued its strong season on the ground in their game last week against Louisiana Tech, posting 155 rushing yards.
* Through 14 weeks, the Mean Green are  12th in the nation in rushing offense (235.4yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
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Series History
North Texas and UTEP will meet Saturday for the 29th time, with the Mean Green holding a 17-8-3 advantage, including a 52-26 win last season by the Mean Green on Nov. 2, 2019 in Denton.
* Head coach Seth Littrell is 3-1 against UTEP in four meetings.
* North Texas leads the series 7-6-1 in road games, including a win in their last trip to El Paso, 27-24 in 2018.
Success Against UTEP
Several members of the Mean Green have had success in previous meetings with the Miners.
* Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) has combined for 16 catches for 162 yards and six touchdowns in three career meetings with UTEP, including a six-catch, 60-yard and three-touchdown performance in the win last season in Denton.
* Senior linebacker Tyreke Davis (Denton) has combined for 14 tackles, a half tackle for loss, an interception and a quarterback hurry in a trio of appearances against the Miners.
* Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) has combined for 11 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and has blocked a kick in his two career appearances against UTEP.
* Redshirt freshman wide receiver Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas) had his breakout performance as a true freshman in last season's meeting - catching two passes for 53 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career.
* Redshirt senior running back Nic Smith (Fort Worth) has carried 28 times for 143 yards in three career meetings with the Miners.
That's Offensive
North Texas enters Week 15 with the eighth-ranked total offense in the nation, and top total offense in Conference USA at 518.0 yards per game.
Top Total Offenses in FBS
1.  Kent State      606.5 ypg
2. Â UCFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 585.6 ypg
3.  Ole Miss      563.0 ypg
4.  Alabama      548.3 ypg
5.  North Carolina 534.5 ypg
6.  Ohio State      532.4 ypg
7. Â BYUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 522.7 ypg
8.  North Texas   518.0 ypg
9.  Toledo        514.6 ypg
10. Clemson      512.2 ypg
* UNT is averaging 6.79 yards per play this season, which ranks 15th nationally and is the best in C-USA.
Thirty-Plus is the Norm
North Texas enters play this week averaging 33.9 points per game, which ranks 28th in the nation and is the best in Conference USA. UNT was held below its average in last week's 42-31 loss against Louisiana Tech.
* UNT has scored 30-plus points in five of its eight games in 2020.
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green posted eight offensive plays of 15-plus yards last week in the loss against Louisiana Tech, one of which resulted in a touchdown. Thus far this season, UNT has 77 plays of 15 or more yards (56 of which have gone for 20-plus), and 22 of those have resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019 (in 12 games), 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 and was just named as one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award. He caught eight passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns last week against Louisiana Tech. Darden caught touchdowns of 10, 13 and 33 yards, respectively to push his nation-leading total to 15 on the season.
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* Darden is among the nation's leaders in all three primary receiving categories heading into Week 15, with 66 receptions (5th in FBS), 1,017 yards (6th) and 15 touchdowns (tied for the lead in FBS with Alabama's DeVonta Smith) through just eight games.
* According to Pro Football Focus, Darden has a grade of 84.7, which ranks 11th among all receivers in the FBS.
* Darden is scoring a touchdown on 22.7% of his catches, and 60.6% (40-66) 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 15 catches that resulted in first downs or touchdowns on second down, 14 on first downs, 10 on third downs and one on fourth down.
* Darden also is ninth nationally at 11.2 points per game and is 10th in total points scored (90).
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 24 touchdown catches in his last 15 games and has caught at least one in each of his last nine games dating back to 11/30/19 against UAB.
* Darden has 222 career receptions, which rank second in program history, and is now just seven receptions behind Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08), who finished his career with 229.Â
* Following his three-touchdown performance last week against Louisiana Tech, Darden is now the career receiving touchdown program record-holder, with 34 career receiving touchdowns. Those three scores broke a tie for the most in program history with Ron Shanklin (1967-69), who had 31.Â
* Darden broke another program record last week, setting a new mark for single-season touchdown receptions (15). He passed Shanklin's total of 13, set back in 1967.
* Darden became just the fifth player in North Texas program history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Casey Fitzgerald accomplished the feat twice (a program-record 1,322 in 2007 and 1,119 in 2008), as did Barry Moore (1,130 in 1969 and 1,053 in 1968). Darden passed David Brown's 1994 season (1,013) and tied former teammate Rico Bussey, Jr.'s 2018 campaign (1,017). Darden enters play this Friday just 36 yards shy of Moore's 1968 season total (1,053), 102 shy of Fitzgerald's 2008 output, 113 away from John Love's 1966 season total and Moore's 1969 season total (1,130). Darden would need a career-high 305 yards to catch Fitzgerald for the record.
* Darden also now has 2,609 career receiving yards, which ranks second in program history. He just surpassed Casey Fitzgerald (2005-08) and Troy Redwine (1992-96) to move into second. Entering play Friday, Darden is just 109 yards away from tying Johnny Quinn (2003-06) for the program record.
* Darden is second among FBS active career leaders in receptions (222), is second in receiving touchdowns (34), and his 2,609 career receiving yards are fourth-most among active FBS players.
* Following last week's game against Louisiana Tech, Darden now has 3,248 career all-purpose yards, and entering Friday's game against UTEP, is 51 yards shy of Ja'Quay Wilburn (1997-2000) for 10th place and is 56 yards shy of teammate DeAndre Torrey (2018-present), who has 3,304 for his career and is ninth in program history.
* Darden was named an honorable mention for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following his performance against Middle Tennessee on 10/17.
* Darden was on the watch lists for the Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards, as well as being a member of the Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 list and was a preseason all-conference selection. Darden is now one of 11 semifinalists for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award.
* Darden averaged 9.7 yards per reception on his 76 catches in 2019, and has upped that average significantly through eight games in 2020, averaging 15.4 yards per catch.
* Darden is averaging 8.25 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
* Darden's 35 career touchdowns (34 receiving and one punt return) rank third-most in program history, after breaking a tie with current San Francisco 49ers running back Jeffery Wilson (2014-17). Running backs coach Patrick Cobbs (2001-05) is second with 38, and Lance Dunbar (2008-11) holds the record with 49.
#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 nine times for 36 yards and a touchdown in last week's game against Louisiana Tech. Torrey has 107 carries for 636 yards and six scores in 2020, which leads the team in all three categories.
* Torrey ranks 29th nationally in yards per carry (5.94).
* According to Pro Football Focus, Torrey has a grade of 87.4, which ranks eighth among FBS running backs and is considered elite by PFF's metrics.
* After scoring from one yard out last week in the first quarter against Louisiana Tech, Torrey's 23 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh in program history.
* Torrey has 27 career total touchdowns (23 of which have come on the ground), and is now tied for eighth in program history in that category with Jamario Thomas (2004-07).
* Torrey has carried 355 times for 1,993 yards  and 23 rushing scores during his two-plus seasons so far in Denton. He is 12th in program history in career rushing yards. Torrey after passing Hut Allred (1994-98)  and enters play this week against UTEP 84 behind Terrance Brown (1992-93) for 11th place. Torrey is also just seven yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
Pirtle Plugging Away
Redshirt senior tight end Jason Pirtle (Locust Grove, Oklahoma) earned preseason all-conference honors from Conference USA's 14 head coaches following a breakout year in 2019.
* Pirtle caught two passes for 13 yards last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Pirtle has opened the 2020 season with 12 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown so far through the first eight games. His 12 recptions are fourth-most on the team.
Novil is a Disruptor
Senior defensive lineman Dion Novil (Abilene, Texas) is a key disruptor in the middle for the Mean Green defense.
* Novil recorded one tackle last week in the game against Louisiana Tech, giving him a total of 37 stops, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry through the first eight games of the season.
* Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 37 games, posting 135 tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss (ranks seventh in program history) and 6.5 sacks.Â
KD Leads the Way
* Junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas), a member of the team's leadership council, and starting mike linebacker, has been a steady force for the UNT, and leads the team in tackles with 59 in seven appearances, all starts.
* He recorded 11 stops, and a quarterback hurry in last week's game against Louisiana Tech.
* In addition to being the team's leading tackler, KD Davis has 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two quarterback hurries in seven appearances.
Sanders Stepping Up
Senior safety Makyle Sanders (Tyler, Texas) is the team's second-leading tackler and finished with eight tackles and his second interception of the season in last week's game against Louisiana Tech.
* 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. He has 50 stops, a half tackle for loss, a team-best two interceptions, a fumble recovery, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry in eight 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) has the third-most tackles on the team with 43, and posted five stops and a half tackle for loss against Louisiana Tech last week.Â
* Nixon also has 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced fumble in seven appearances, all starts at will 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 have made an impact since the switch.
* Gabriel recorded two tackles, and a tackle for loss last week against Louisiana Tech. On the season, Gabriel has 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a team-high 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in five appearances in 2020.
* Grayson finished with two stops and a sack against the Bulldogs. Grayson has 17 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four quarterback hurries in six appearances.
Zo
True freshman corner Loronzo Thompson (Friendswood, Texas) has had quite the journey during his first collegiate season. He has switched between receiver and corner multiple times and has worn five different numbers througout the course of the year (80, 36, 38, 83 and now 6). He earned his first career start, at corner, last week against Louisiana Tech. He recorded five tackles, a half tackle for loss and broke up a pass against the Bulldogs.
His Name is Bernardo
Redshirt junior punter Bernardo Rodriguez (Coppell, Texas) punted twice for an average of 37.5 yards per attempt against Louisiana Tech last week.
* Through the first eight games of 2020, Rodriguez is averaging 43.9 yards per attempt on 28 punts and ranks 26th nationally in that category. His season and career-long is 58.
The Moon(ey) is Rising
Junior kicker Ethan Mooney (Fort Worth) went 1-2 on field goals and was a perfect 4-4 on extra points during the Mean Green's game  last week against Louisiana Tech, making a 48-yard field goal and missing from 54. Mooney has now made five of his last six field goals dating back to the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17 - and is now 6-11 on field goals and a perfect 28-28 on PATs.
* Mooney is now 22-31 in his career on field goal attempts and ranks fifth in program history in career field goal percentage.
* Mooney's four made PATs moved him into sixth place in program history in career extra points made, with 71. He just surpassed Iseed Khoury (1975-77), who finished his North Texas career with 70.
* Mooney is a member of the team's leadership council and is a co-chair within UNT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Bean's 2020 Campaign
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) earned his fifth career start last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Bean completed 17-30 passes for 231 yards with three touchdowns and an interception last week against Louisiana Tech.
* Bean threw all three of his touchdowns to Jaelon Darden (Houston), connecting with the record-breaking receiver from 10, 13 and 33 yards for scoring strikes against the Bulldogs.
Three Minutes Or Less
UNT had four scoring drives of three minutes or less in the loss last week against Louisiana Tech, all of which resulted in touchdowns. North Texas now has 35 such drives, 32 of which have gone for touchdowns through eight games in 2020.
* The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
Mean Green at Home
Following the loss last week against Louisiana Tech, North Texas is now 20-10 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 2-4 in 2020.Â
* The Mean Green have won 18 of their last 25 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16). Five of those seven losses have come in the last seven home contests.
* This week's game against UTEP will be considered a road game for the Mean Green as previously scheduled, despite the fact that it is being played in Apogee Stadium in Denton.
Sack Lunch
North Texas recorded two sacks last week, and now have 20 through eight games in 2020. Their 2.50 sacks per game rank 45th in the Football Bowl Subdivision through the first 14 weeks of the season.
* Redshirt freshman Grayson Murphy (Dallas) recorded a sack against Louisiana Tech last week, which gives him 3.0 thus far in 2020.
* True freshman linebacker Jordan Brown (Huntsville, Texas) posted the first sack of his career last week and recorded five stops and a pass break-up against the Bulldogs last week.
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  Rice, on 11/23/19 in Houston, when the Owls held off a North Texas rally to win 20-14.
* Conversely, the Mean Green are 0-11 under Littrell when held under 20 points, as they were last week at UT San Antonio (lost 49-17).
That was a Rush!
UNT continued its strong season on the ground in their game last week against Louisiana Tech, posting 155 rushing yards.
* Through 14 weeks, the Mean Green are  12th in the nation in rushing offense (235.4yards per game), and lead Conference USA.
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Players Mentioned
QB
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WR
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S
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K
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LB
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DL
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RB
/ FootballSpring Football 2026 Media Availability 4/01 | Mean Green FB
Wednesday, April 01
Spring Football 2026 Media Availability 3/25 | Mean Green FB
Wednesday, March 25
Spring Football 2026 Media Availability 3/20 | Mean Green FB
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2026 National Signing Day Press Conference | Mean Green FB
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