Best Team Ever: (2) 1978 vs. (3) 1988

DENTON - There have been many great football teams in North Texas history and now is the time to decide which one is the all-time best. Over the next several weeks, fans will have a chance to weigh in with their opinions, observations, memories as we pit the best teams in school history against each other in a 16-team bracket, presented by Dos Equis. The teams have been broken up into four "regions" based on era and seeded 1-4 within those "regions". Winners of each matchup will be decided by a combination of social media voting and a special committee of UNT alums from each era dating back to the 1950's.

This is your chance to help decide if your team is the best Eagles/Mean Green team ever!

We continue with our fourth matchup, which pits the No. 2 seed 1978 team against the No. 3 seed 1988 team out of the Scrappy Region. Earlier this week, we saw the top seeds of the Scrappy Region (2002) advance to the regional final, where it awaits today's winner.

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1978 – Coach Hayden Fry – 9-2

One of only eight teams in school history to win nine games in a season… Only losses were to Mississippi State 17-5 and No. 12 Texas 26-16… RB Bernard Jackson set school record for rushing yards and ranked No. 5 in NCAA with 1,453... QB Jordan Case ranked No. 5 in NCAA for completion percentage and WR Charlie Murray ranked No. 5 in receiving TDs... Jackson had five consecutive 100-yard rushing games, a North Texas record at the time... Team had 28 interceptions and school record 497 interception return yards… DE Reginald Lewis was a third-round NFL draft pick from this team… Six players from this team are in the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame.

Points Per Game: 25.2
Points Allowed Per Game: 13.6
Offensive Yards Per Game: 358.9
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 300.0
College Football Reference Power Rating: 32^nd of 138 teams
All Conference Players: NA

1988 – Coach Corky Nelson – 8-4, 4-2 in Southland Conference

Beat Texas Tech 29-24 and had controversial loss to Texas 27-24… Spent six weeks ranked No. 1 in Div. I-AA… Finished the season ranked No. 12 in Div. I-AA… QB Scott Davis was conference Offensive Player of the Year and eight players were named first team all-conference... DL Rex Johnson was first team I-AA All-American… CB Kim Phillips was selected in 3rd round of NFL Draft, the highest draft pick from North Texas since that time... The 330 points scored in a season ranks No. 8 in school history... QB Scott Davis still ranks 6th in total offense for a single season and led the conference with 2848 yards and was responsible for 12 passing TDs and 11 rushing TDs… Five players from this team are in the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame.

Points Per Game: 27.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 14.5
Offensive Yards Per Game: 377.2
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 315.2
College Football Reference Power Rating: NA
All-Conference Players: Scott Davis, QB (1st team); Marcus Camper, WR (1st team); Scott Bowles, OT (1st team); Zane Paschall, OT (1st team); Keith Chapman, PK (1st team); Rex Johnson, DT (1st team); Kim Phillips, CB (1st team); Bron Beal, P (1st team); Roderick Manning (2nd team); Byron Gross, LB (2nd team).

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Best Team Ever: (2) 1978 vs. (3) 1988

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