University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
UNT Hosts Metroplex Rival SMU Saturday
9/18/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON - The Mean Green (1-0, 0-0 C-USA) host Metroplex rival SMU (1-0, 0-0 AAC) on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT from Apogee Stadium. Fans who aren't in attendance can watch the game live on CBS Sports Network, with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst) and Jenny Dell (sideline) on the call, or listen on the Mean Green Sports Network with Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson.
Series History
North Texas and SMU have met 39 times, with the Mustangs holding a 32-6-1 advantage. SMU knocked off the Mean Green 49-27 in Dallas last season in Week 2.
* The Mean Green are 4-1 all-time in Denton in the series dating back to 1990. SMU's only win in the series in Denton came in 2016, when the Mustangs topped UNT 34-21.
* Four of North Texas' six wins in the series have come in Denton.
Bromance
Both head coaches in Saturday's matchup, Seth Littrell (North Texas) and Sonny Dykes (SMU) are very familiar with one another and it goes a step further – they are great friends. They coached together at Arizona (2009) and Texas Tech (2005-06) and their families are very close, routinely traveling together in past years during the offseason. The pair meet for the third time as head coaches Saturday in Denton.
When Beating SMU...
In the six wins against SMU in series history, North Texas has held the Mustangs to an average of 9.2 points.Â
* In the 32 SMU wins in the series, 25 of those games the Mustangs have scored 20 points or more.
Record-Setting Day in Opener
After a Week 1 win over Houston Baptist, the Mean Green rank first in Conference USA in total offense after rolling up a program-record 721 yards on the Huskies.
Most Yards Total Offense
1. Â 2020 vs. HBUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 721
2.  2017 vs. Lamar             668
3.  2007 vs. Navy              635
4. Â 2007 vs. SMUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 613
5.  2018 vs. Incarnate Word      607
6.  2013 vs. Idaho             591
7.  2009 vs. Western Kentucky      583
8.  1969 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette    579
   1968 vs. Cincinnati              579
10. 2019 vs. Abilene Christian    575
* The performance on 9/5 also marked the first time in program history that the Mean Green totaled 300-plus yards rushing and 300-plus yards passing in the same game.
* Through two weeks, the Mean Green lead the nation in total offense per game (721.0).
* The Mean Green were third in the conference in total offense, averaging 418.6 yards per contest in 2019, ranking 54th nationally.
* The Mean Green surpassed 400 yards of total offense in six of their 12 games in 2019 and 500 yards on four occasions. In 2018 they surpassed 400 yards on 10 of 13 occasions, and had 500+ yards five times.
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Thirty-Plus is the Norm
The Mean Green averaged 30.6 points per game in 2019, which ranked third in Conference USA.
* North Texas exploded for 57 points in its season-opening win over HBU on 9/5. That marked the most points scored by UNT since they tallied 58 in a win over Incarnate Word on 9/8/18.
* UNT ranks third nationally in scoring (57.0), and is second in C-USA behind just Marshall, who hung 59 on Eastern Kentucky in Week 1.
* North Texas has seen its scoring output surge under head coach Seth Littrell, since he took over ahead of the 2016 season. Prior to Littrell's arrival, the Mean Green averaged just 15.2 ppg in 2015.
* UNT has scored 24.8, 35.5, 34.6 and 30.6 ppg in Littrell's four full seasons (Week 1 of 2020 excluded) at the helm.
* Three of Littrell's full seasons in charge have seen top-six scoring outputs in program history.
Most Points Per Game
1. 1951         36.2
2. 2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 35.5
3. 2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 34.6
4. 2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31.8
5. 1969Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31.6
6. 2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30.6
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019, 24 of which resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green posted 15 such plays in the season-opener (13 of which went for 20-plus), seven of which resulted in touchdowns.
Spreading the Love
North Texas quarterbacks (four saw action in the Week 1 win over HBU) spread the ball to  11 different receivers, three of which totaled 70 or more yards.
* Senior Jaelon Darden (Houston), sophomore Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas), redshirt freshman Kealon Jackson (Houston), redshirt junior Greg White (Riverdale, Georgia), redshirt sophomore Jyaire Shorter (Killeen, Texas), Â redshirt senior tight end Jason Pirtle (Locust Grove, Oklahoma), redshirt senior Deion Hair-Griffin (Fort Worth), freshman tight end/h-back Jake Roberts (Norman, Oklahoma), redshirt sophomore Roderic Burns (Houston), redshirt sophomore Austin Ogunmakin (Alief, Texas) and freshman running back Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock) all caught passes on 9/5 against HBU.
Dynamic Darden
Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) opened his 2020 season with a strong performance, catching five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the win over HBU on 9/5.
* Darden is tied for the national lead in touchdown catches through the first two weeks with three (Jonathan Adams, Jr. from Arkansas State also put up a three-TD catch performance, in the Red Wolves' upset of Kansas State in Week 2.)
* Darden also ranks 10th nationally in points responsible for (18) and is ninth nationally in points responsible for per game (18.0) through the first two weeks of the season. In scoring, he is tied for the national lead with four others at 18.0 per game.Â
* Darden is a member of the team's leadership council.
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 12 touchdown catches in his last eight games.
* Darden has 161 career receptions, which ranks sixth in program history, just three behind Pete Harvey (1978-71) for fifth place in program history. He also now has 1,663 yards and 22 touchdowns (tied for third-most in program history with David Brown, who played from 1991-94).Â
'Atta Way, Adaway
Redshirt freshman running back Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) had quite the efficient season debut, carrying five times for a team-best 118 yards with a pair of touchdowns, the first two of his career, on 9/5 vs. HBU.
* Adaway scored on his first carry of the season, scampering 35 yards into the end zone to push the Mean Green advantage to 36-10 early in the third quarter.
* Adaway had three runs of 25-plus yards, including a rumbling 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 50-17.
* He ranks eighth in the nation through two weeks in rushing yards per game (118.0).
* Adaway carried just four times for 42 yards during his true freshman season in 2019 in three appearances.
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) had a breakout performance in his first career start on 9/5 vs. HBU.
* Bean led three consecutive touchdown drives on his first three drives, and finished 11-18 for 217 yards and three scores with one interception. He also was a weapon with his legs, carrying three times for 48 yards and a touchdown (a 37-yard scoring run early in the third quarter).
* Bean earned recognition as a member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Manning Award Star of the Week list for Week 1, and was an honorable mention selection by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) as the national performer of the week.
* Bean is on several national statistical leaderboards through the first two weeks of the season
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Torrey Shines in 2020 Debut
Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) entered 2020 with a clean bill of health following a season where he battled through injury.
* Torrey finished his 2020 debut with 11 carries for 85 yards, and exited the game against HBU on 9/5 in the third quarter with the game well in hand.
* Torrey ranks ninth in the country through two weeks in yards per carry (7.73) with a minimum of 10 carries per game.
* Torrey is a member of the team's leadership council.
RB Depth
Running back is arguably the deepest position on the roster for UNT. In addition to redshirt junior Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) and senior DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) North Texas has an incredibly talented and deep group in the backfield.
* Torrey carried 11 times for 85 yards in the season-opening win for the Mean Green on 9/5 against HBU, while Siggers carried 14 times for 41 yards.
* Siggers and Torrey combined to rush for 1,233 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2019.
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* Redshirt freshman Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) led the way in the win over HBU, carrying five times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, the first of his career. He ranks eighth in the nation through two weeks in rushing yards per game (118.0).
* Adaway only appeared three times and had four carries for 42 yards in 2019. Adaway, a former three-star prospect, was the ninth-ranked recruit in the state of Arkansas in the 2019 class by ESPN. He carried 139 times for 953 yards and 12 touchdowns and also caught 42 passes for 656 yards and six more scores during his senior season at North Little Rock HS in 2018.
* Redshirt senior Nic Smith (Fort Worth) is another member of the Mean Green who has experience as a starter, and has rushed for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns in his North Texas career thus far. He added about 10 pounds to his frame from last season and is up to 204, which should only enhance his physical running style.
* Senior Evan Johnson (Loranger, Louisiana) returns and is another intriguing option for head coach Seth Littrell's offense. A different type of back, Johnson is a bit smaller than his counterparts but has shown his flexibility as a runner and receiver.Â
* He carried six times for 17 yards in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5
* Evan Johnson has rushed for 340 yards and three scores throughout his North Texas career. Johnson also factors into the kick return game.
* A pair of true freshman also join the group and build out the depth of a group that has a very bright future in Denton. Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock) and Ikaika Ragsdale (Las Vegas) are a pair of three-star prospects who have flashed during their first fall camp.
* Isaiah Johnson made his North Texas debut with eight carries for 41 yards and the first touchdown of his career (a 16-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter of the win over HBU).
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is now 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, the Mean Green are 5-20 when trailing at the break. The five wins in Littrell's tenure when trailing at the half came on 11/15/18 against Florida Atlantic (trailed 21-20) on 11/4/17 at Louisiana Tech (trailed 17-10), on 10/14/17 against UT San Antonio (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
The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
* UNT opened the 2020 season by posting eight such drives, seven of which went for touchdowns in the win over HBU on 9/5.
Home Cooking
Following the win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is now 19-6 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 1-0 so far in 2020.
* The Mean Green have won 17 of their last 20 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16).
Over the Hill
After UNT's 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is a perfect 18-0 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 seasons plus one game.
Why the Rush?
North Texas ran for 360 yards in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5, and through two weeks, are second in the country, behind only Army, at 360.0 yards per game.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are 20-5 under Littrell.
* North Texas topped the 150-yard rushing mark on three occasions in 2019 (were over 120 in eight games). That means there were nine instances where they didn't rush for 150 or more.
* UNT is 8-22 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 was no different in the Mean Green's season-opening win over HBU on 9/5 (721-569). UNT's record when doing so is 24-6 during head coach Seth Littrell's tenure.
* That stat didn't hold true last season on two occasions - on 9/14 in the loss at Cal when the Mean Green totaled 329 yards of offense, while holding the Golden Bears to 278 and again on 9/28 against Houston, when UNT out-gained the Cougars 456-389.
* UNT is 4-18 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.
O-Line Improving
North Texas returns 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 did not allow a sack in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5.
* 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 ran for four touchdowns in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5, which is already 36.3% of their output as a team a year ago.
* Redshirt freshman Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) scored the first two rushing touchdowns of his career, scoring from 35 yards out on his first touch of the season (and fifth of his career), and from 47 yards out in the fourth quarter.Â
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) blazed down the sideline for a 37-yard scoring run early in the third quarter, which was the first rushing touchdown of Bean's career.
* True freshman Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock, Texas) also scored the first rushing touchdown of his career, scoring from 16-yards out on just his second career carry to cap the scoring for the Mean Green.
Littrell Looking to Catch Rust
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell is just one win shy of tying former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) for sixth in program history in wins.
* Littrell is 28-25 following the Mean Green's Week 1 win over HBU.Â
* Rust finished his North Texas career at 29-32-1.
First Down!
North Texas totaled 33 first downs in its win over HBU in the season-opener, and after two weeks, rank seventh in the nation in that category. Of the six teams in front of the Mean Green, only Texas Tech (35) and Marshall (34) have also played in just one game.
* UNT fell one first down shy of the Apogee Stadium record for first downs - set in the 2018 blowout win of SMU.
Uniform Changes
The Mean Green have some changes with their uniforms ahead of the 2020 season. Gone are the primary green and white jerseys from the past three seasons. In their place are the green Mean Joe Greene-era throwback green jerseys, and a new play on a white version of those same tops.
* Those white uniforms were worn for the first time on 9/5 in the win over HBU.
* North Texas is 2-1 when wearing their green throwback jerseys, and went 2-0 in them in 2019.
* Additionally, in Saturday's game against SMU, the Mean Green will debut a special edition throwback uniform that honors the life and legacy of the late, great Hayden Fry. The Mean Green will don the "Flying Worm" logo on white helmets and wear white jerseys adorned with lime green numbers. Fry coached the Mean Green from 1973-78 and amassed a 40-23-3 record for the Mean Green.Â
* This marks the first time the Mean Green will wear the "Flying Worm" logo on a helmet since 2013.
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Series History
North Texas and SMU have met 39 times, with the Mustangs holding a 32-6-1 advantage. SMU knocked off the Mean Green 49-27 in Dallas last season in Week 2.
* The Mean Green are 4-1 all-time in Denton in the series dating back to 1990. SMU's only win in the series in Denton came in 2016, when the Mustangs topped UNT 34-21.
* Four of North Texas' six wins in the series have come in Denton.
Bromance
Both head coaches in Saturday's matchup, Seth Littrell (North Texas) and Sonny Dykes (SMU) are very familiar with one another and it goes a step further – they are great friends. They coached together at Arizona (2009) and Texas Tech (2005-06) and their families are very close, routinely traveling together in past years during the offseason. The pair meet for the third time as head coaches Saturday in Denton.
When Beating SMU...
In the six wins against SMU in series history, North Texas has held the Mustangs to an average of 9.2 points.Â
* In the 32 SMU wins in the series, 25 of those games the Mustangs have scored 20 points or more.
Record-Setting Day in Opener
After a Week 1 win over Houston Baptist, the Mean Green rank first in Conference USA in total offense after rolling up a program-record 721 yards on the Huskies.
Most Yards Total Offense
1. Â 2020 vs. HBUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 721
2.  2017 vs. Lamar             668
3.  2007 vs. Navy              635
4. Â 2007 vs. SMUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 613
5.  2018 vs. Incarnate Word      607
6.  2013 vs. Idaho             591
7.  2009 vs. Western Kentucky      583
8.  1969 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette    579
   1968 vs. Cincinnati              579
10. 2019 vs. Abilene Christian    575
* The performance on 9/5 also marked the first time in program history that the Mean Green totaled 300-plus yards rushing and 300-plus yards passing in the same game.
* Through two weeks, the Mean Green lead the nation in total offense per game (721.0).
* The Mean Green were third in the conference in total offense, averaging 418.6 yards per contest in 2019, ranking 54th nationally.
* The Mean Green surpassed 400 yards of total offense in six of their 12 games in 2019 and 500 yards on four occasions. In 2018 they surpassed 400 yards on 10 of 13 occasions, and had 500+ yards five times.
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Thirty-Plus is the Norm
The Mean Green averaged 30.6 points per game in 2019, which ranked third in Conference USA.
* North Texas exploded for 57 points in its season-opening win over HBU on 9/5. That marked the most points scored by UNT since they tallied 58 in a win over Incarnate Word on 9/8/18.
* UNT ranks third nationally in scoring (57.0), and is second in C-USA behind just Marshall, who hung 59 on Eastern Kentucky in Week 1.
* North Texas has seen its scoring output surge under head coach Seth Littrell, since he took over ahead of the 2016 season. Prior to Littrell's arrival, the Mean Green averaged just 15.2 ppg in 2015.
* UNT has scored 24.8, 35.5, 34.6 and 30.6 ppg in Littrell's four full seasons (Week 1 of 2020 excluded) at the helm.
* Three of Littrell's full seasons in charge have seen top-six scoring outputs in program history.
Most Points Per Game
1. 1951         36.2
2. 2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 35.5
3. 2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 34.6
4. 2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31.8
5. 1969Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31.6
6. 2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30.6
Explosive Plays (15+ Yards)
The Mean Green had 95 offensive plays of 15-plus yards in 2019, 24 of which resulted in touchdowns.
* The Mean Green posted 15 such plays in the season-opener (13 of which went for 20-plus), seven of which resulted in touchdowns.
Spreading the Love
North Texas quarterbacks (four saw action in the Week 1 win over HBU) spread the ball to  11 different receivers, three of which totaled 70 or more yards.
* Senior Jaelon Darden (Houston), sophomore Deonte Simpson (Beaumont, Texas), redshirt freshman Kealon Jackson (Houston), redshirt junior Greg White (Riverdale, Georgia), redshirt sophomore Jyaire Shorter (Killeen, Texas), Â redshirt senior tight end Jason Pirtle (Locust Grove, Oklahoma), redshirt senior Deion Hair-Griffin (Fort Worth), freshman tight end/h-back Jake Roberts (Norman, Oklahoma), redshirt sophomore Roderic Burns (Houston), redshirt sophomore Austin Ogunmakin (Alief, Texas) and freshman running back Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock) all caught passes on 9/5 against HBU.
Dynamic Darden
Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston) opened his 2020 season with a strong performance, catching five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the win over HBU on 9/5.
* Darden is tied for the national lead in touchdown catches through the first two weeks with three (Jonathan Adams, Jr. from Arkansas State also put up a three-TD catch performance, in the Red Wolves' upset of Kansas State in Week 2.)
* Darden also ranks 10th nationally in points responsible for (18) and is ninth nationally in points responsible for per game (18.0) through the first two weeks of the season. In scoring, he is tied for the national lead with four others at 18.0 per game.Â
* Darden is a member of the team's leadership council.
* Dating back to 2019, Darden has 12 touchdown catches in his last eight games.
* Darden has 161 career receptions, which ranks sixth in program history, just three behind Pete Harvey (1978-71) for fifth place in program history. He also now has 1,663 yards and 22 touchdowns (tied for third-most in program history with David Brown, who played from 1991-94).Â
'Atta Way, Adaway
Redshirt freshman running back Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) had quite the efficient season debut, carrying five times for a team-best 118 yards with a pair of touchdowns, the first two of his career, on 9/5 vs. HBU.
* Adaway scored on his first carry of the season, scampering 35 yards into the end zone to push the Mean Green advantage to 36-10 early in the third quarter.
* Adaway had three runs of 25-plus yards, including a rumbling 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 50-17.
* He ranks eighth in the nation through two weeks in rushing yards per game (118.0).
* Adaway carried just four times for 42 yards during his true freshman season in 2019 in three appearances.
#MeanBean
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) had a breakout performance in his first career start on 9/5 vs. HBU.
* Bean led three consecutive touchdown drives on his first three drives, and finished 11-18 for 217 yards and three scores with one interception. He also was a weapon with his legs, carrying three times for 48 yards and a touchdown (a 37-yard scoring run early in the third quarter).
* Bean earned recognition as a member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Manning Award Star of the Week list for Week 1, and was an honorable mention selection by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) as the national performer of the week.
* Bean is on several national statistical leaderboards through the first two weeks of the season
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| Category | Rank | Value |
| Passing Efficiency | 4 | 206.3 |
| Passing yards per game | 18 | 217.0 |
| Passing yards per completion | 3 | 19.73 |
| Points responsible for | 3 | 24 |
| Points responsible per game | 3 | 24.0 |
| Yards per pass attempt | 7 | 12.06 |
Torrey Shines in 2020 Debut
Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) entered 2020 with a clean bill of health following a season where he battled through injury.
* Torrey finished his 2020 debut with 11 carries for 85 yards, and exited the game against HBU on 9/5 in the third quarter with the game well in hand.
* Torrey ranks ninth in the country through two weeks in yards per carry (7.73) with a minimum of 10 carries per game.
* Torrey is a member of the team's leadership council.
RB Depth
Running back is arguably the deepest position on the roster for UNT. In addition to redshirt junior Tre Siggers (Duncanville, Texas) and senior DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) North Texas has an incredibly talented and deep group in the backfield.
* Torrey carried 11 times for 85 yards in the season-opening win for the Mean Green on 9/5 against HBU, while Siggers carried 14 times for 41 yards.
* Siggers and Torrey combined to rush for 1,233 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2019.
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* Redshirt freshman Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) led the way in the win over HBU, carrying five times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, the first of his career. He ranks eighth in the nation through two weeks in rushing yards per game (118.0).
* Adaway only appeared three times and had four carries for 42 yards in 2019. Adaway, a former three-star prospect, was the ninth-ranked recruit in the state of Arkansas in the 2019 class by ESPN. He carried 139 times for 953 yards and 12 touchdowns and also caught 42 passes for 656 yards and six more scores during his senior season at North Little Rock HS in 2018.
* Redshirt senior Nic Smith (Fort Worth) is another member of the Mean Green who has experience as a starter, and has rushed for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns in his North Texas career thus far. He added about 10 pounds to his frame from last season and is up to 204, which should only enhance his physical running style.
* Senior Evan Johnson (Loranger, Louisiana) returns and is another intriguing option for head coach Seth Littrell's offense. A different type of back, Johnson is a bit smaller than his counterparts but has shown his flexibility as a runner and receiver.Â
* He carried six times for 17 yards in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5
* Evan Johnson has rushed for 340 yards and three scores throughout his North Texas career. Johnson also factors into the kick return game.
* A pair of true freshman also join the group and build out the depth of a group that has a very bright future in Denton. Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock) and Ikaika Ragsdale (Las Vegas) are a pair of three-star prospects who have flashed during their first fall camp.
* Isaiah Johnson made his North Texas debut with eight carries for 41 yards and the first touchdown of his career (a 16-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter of the win over HBU).
Halftime Leads (Usually) Equal Success
Following its 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is now 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, the Mean Green are 5-20 when trailing at the break. The five wins in Littrell's tenure when trailing at the half came on 11/15/18 against Florida Atlantic (trailed 21-20) on 11/4/17 at Louisiana Tech (trailed 17-10), on 10/14/17 against UT San Antonio (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
The Mean Green had 38 scoring drives in 2019 that took three minutes or less. 30 of those resulted in touchdowns.
* UNT opened the 2020 season by posting eight such drives, seven of which went for touchdowns in the win over HBU on 9/5.
Home Cooking
Following the win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is now 19-6 at home during the Seth Littrell era and 1-0 so far in 2020.
* The Mean Green have won 17 of their last 20 home games dating back to 2016, when North Texas beat Southern Miss (11/19/16).
Over the Hill
After UNT's 57-31 win over HBU on 9/5, North Texas is a perfect 18-0 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 seasons plus one game.
Why the Rush?
North Texas ran for 360 yards in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5, and through two weeks, are second in the country, behind only Army, at 360.0 yards per game.
* When UNT runs for 150-plus yards, the Mean Green are 20-5 under Littrell.
* North Texas topped the 150-yard rushing mark on three occasions in 2019 (were over 120 in eight games). That means there were nine instances where they didn't rush for 150 or more.
* UNT is 8-22 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 was no different in the Mean Green's season-opening win over HBU on 9/5 (721-569). UNT's record when doing so is 24-6 during head coach Seth Littrell's tenure.
* That stat didn't hold true last season on two occasions - on 9/14 in the loss at Cal when the Mean Green totaled 329 yards of offense, while holding the Golden Bears to 278 and again on 9/28 against Houston, when UNT out-gained the Cougars 456-389.
* UNT is 4-18 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.
O-Line Improving
North Texas returns 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 did not allow a sack in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5.
* 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 ran for four touchdowns in the season-opening win over HBU on 9/5, which is already 36.3% of their output as a team a year ago.
* Redshirt freshman Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock, Arkansas) scored the first two rushing touchdowns of his career, scoring from 35 yards out on his first touch of the season (and fifth of his career), and from 47 yards out in the fourth quarter.Â
* Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield, Texas) blazed down the sideline for a 37-yard scoring run early in the third quarter, which was the first rushing touchdown of Bean's career.
* True freshman Isaiah Johnson (Lubbock, Texas) also scored the first rushing touchdown of his career, scoring from 16-yards out on just his second career carry to cap the scoring for the Mean Green.
Littrell Looking to Catch Rust
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell is just one win shy of tying former UNT head coach Rod Rust (1967-72) for sixth in program history in wins.
* Littrell is 28-25 following the Mean Green's Week 1 win over HBU.Â
* Rust finished his North Texas career at 29-32-1.
First Down!
North Texas totaled 33 first downs in its win over HBU in the season-opener, and after two weeks, rank seventh in the nation in that category. Of the six teams in front of the Mean Green, only Texas Tech (35) and Marshall (34) have also played in just one game.
* UNT fell one first down shy of the Apogee Stadium record for first downs - set in the 2018 blowout win of SMU.
Uniform Changes
The Mean Green have some changes with their uniforms ahead of the 2020 season. Gone are the primary green and white jerseys from the past three seasons. In their place are the green Mean Joe Greene-era throwback green jerseys, and a new play on a white version of those same tops.
* Those white uniforms were worn for the first time on 9/5 in the win over HBU.
* North Texas is 2-1 when wearing their green throwback jerseys, and went 2-0 in them in 2019.
* Additionally, in Saturday's game against SMU, the Mean Green will debut a special edition throwback uniform that honors the life and legacy of the late, great Hayden Fry. The Mean Green will don the "Flying Worm" logo on white helmets and wear white jerseys adorned with lime green numbers. Fry coached the Mean Green from 1973-78 and amassed a 40-23-3 record for the Mean Green.Â
* This marks the first time the Mean Green will wear the "Flying Worm" logo on a helmet since 2013.
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Players Mentioned
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/ FootballSaturday, April 18
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesday, April 08
Wednesday, April 01