Saturday, November 27
Denton, TX
1:00 p.m.
University of North Texas
vs
UTSA
Photo by: Manny Flores
UNT Looking For Bowl Eligibility Against Rival
11/23/2021 1:03:00 PM | Football
DENTON – The UNT football team will look to win a fifth straight game, play spoiler and earn bowl eligibility on Saturday as it closes the regular season against rival UTSA. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., at Apogee Stadium and the game can be seen on ESPN+ with the radio broadcast on KHYI 95.3/KNTU 88.1/Varsity Network App.
Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, the continued positive feeling of a winning streak, how the running game is hitting on all cylinders right now and how everything rides on Saturday's game as UNT hosts a ranked opponent at Apogee Stadium for the first time.
Mean Green priming for huge game on many fronts
There's a long list of reasons why Saturday's game against UTSA is one of the bigger games in recent memory for UNT.
After starting the year 1-6, UNT is now 5-6 and a win over a ranked team for just the second time in program history away from securing bowl eligibility. If that isn't big enough, the Mean Green are also trying to play spoiler to their bitter rivals, who are looking to complete a perfect regular season before playing for the Conference USA Championship.
"Anyone who says this isn't a rivalry game, they're lying to you," UNT head coach Seth Littrell said. "That's why you come to play college football is for games like these, so I know both teams will be excited to go out and compete."
UTSA (11-0, 7-0 C-USA) is coming off a dramatic, last-second victory over UAB on Saturday that ended with a drive reminiscent of UNT's famed "The Drive" against the Roadrunners in 2017. That win kept UTSA's dream season alive, and now the Roadrunners have one more opponent in their way of a perfect regular season.
"I know they have a lot to be playing for being undefeated and looking to go play in the conference championship and compete for one," Littrell said. "We have a lot on the line too because one more win gets us bowl eligible and gives us an opportunity to win a bowl game. That'll only make it more special."
If that all wasn't enough motivation, the Mean Green will also be looking to send several players out on a high note in what will likely be the final home game of some of their careers when they celebrate Senior Day.
Fourteen players will be recognized in a pregame ceremony, including several players who have been key contributors for years.
Conference's top units ready to go head-to-head
On the heels of a season-best 378-yard rushing performance in last week's win over FIU, the Mean Green enter Saturday's game against UTSA as the nation's fourth-best rushing offense at 237.6 yards per game and as the best rushing offense in Conference USA.
Across the ball from them on Saturday will be the conference's top rushing defense, setting up a clash of good-on-good with so much on the line.
"We've taken it upon ourselves, we want to be the most physical team and that's the O-line's mindset and the running backs' mindset, as well," right tackle Jacob Brammer said. "They're a very confident defense and they like to play physical football, and we do too. They like to come downhill land hit you in the mouth, but we do too. I mean, we're all gonna play football. That's what you sign up for, do you know what I mean?"
Freshman running back Ikaika Ragsdale, who is coming off his second career 100-yard game, said he believes in all the pieces that make a strong running game.
"They're (UTSA) big and physical, but I have trust in my O-line and quarterback and receivers that we can go get the job done," Ragsdale said. "We just trust the O-line that they'll make the blocks and then we can go hit the holes fast."
Confidence growing for Mean Green
After dropping six straight games earlier in the season, many teams would have folded and not found a way to end a skid that lasted more than a month.
But UNT (5-6, 4-3) instead got stronger as a team and have reeled off four straight wins to be right on the cusp of bowl eligibility and looking to match Littrell's longest career conference win streak of five games back in 2017. The last three games has seen the defense put together its three best performances of the year, and the Mean Green are allowing just 306 yards per game and 15.5 points per game over the last four – all wins.
"I'm proud of them," Littrell said. "All the adversity they faced, especially early. I'm proud of how we've stuck together and blocked out the outside noise and really focused in on each other and try to get better. That's the main thing they've been focused on each and every week. I'm proud of how they've bounced back, and I know we all want to keep it going."
Junior linebacker KD Davis, who last week became the first UNT defender to hit the 100-tackle mark in a season since EJ Ejiya in 2018, said the fact his team is playing for a postseason bid after starting the year 1-6 is special.
"It means a lot, and it just shows we never gave up," Davis said. "We got better each week and we're on a winning streak and this just shows our character."
Junior offensive lineman Jacob Brammer echoed those sentiments, saying the team never gave up hope or on each other even when many on the outside had.
"After those first seven games, everyone counted us out and we stuck together as a team and never stopped working," Brammer said. "It really shows, too. We're coming together as a team."
Littrell said the adversity the team faced this year – both with the losing skid and mass injuries – will help the team down the road and into future seasons.
"We've been battled tested, and this is another opportunity for us this week to come together and it's us against everybody," Littrell said. "That's how our team feels. We know what it's like to have our back against the wall, and we're excited to get out there and play.
"It's going to help us in the future. A lot of (the players who have stepped up due to injuries) are freshmen and are out there making plays and a lot of guys will be back after injuries and next year we'll have a lot more veteran team. The future is bright for a lot of these guys."
Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, the continued positive feeling of a winning streak, how the running game is hitting on all cylinders right now and how everything rides on Saturday's game as UNT hosts a ranked opponent at Apogee Stadium for the first time.
Mean Green priming for huge game on many fronts
There's a long list of reasons why Saturday's game against UTSA is one of the bigger games in recent memory for UNT.
After starting the year 1-6, UNT is now 5-6 and a win over a ranked team for just the second time in program history away from securing bowl eligibility. If that isn't big enough, the Mean Green are also trying to play spoiler to their bitter rivals, who are looking to complete a perfect regular season before playing for the Conference USA Championship.
"Anyone who says this isn't a rivalry game, they're lying to you," UNT head coach Seth Littrell said. "That's why you come to play college football is for games like these, so I know both teams will be excited to go out and compete."
UTSA (11-0, 7-0 C-USA) is coming off a dramatic, last-second victory over UAB on Saturday that ended with a drive reminiscent of UNT's famed "The Drive" against the Roadrunners in 2017. That win kept UTSA's dream season alive, and now the Roadrunners have one more opponent in their way of a perfect regular season.
"I know they have a lot to be playing for being undefeated and looking to go play in the conference championship and compete for one," Littrell said. "We have a lot on the line too because one more win gets us bowl eligible and gives us an opportunity to win a bowl game. That'll only make it more special."
If that all wasn't enough motivation, the Mean Green will also be looking to send several players out on a high note in what will likely be the final home game of some of their careers when they celebrate Senior Day.
Fourteen players will be recognized in a pregame ceremony, including several players who have been key contributors for years.
Conference's top units ready to go head-to-head
On the heels of a season-best 378-yard rushing performance in last week's win over FIU, the Mean Green enter Saturday's game against UTSA as the nation's fourth-best rushing offense at 237.6 yards per game and as the best rushing offense in Conference USA.
Across the ball from them on Saturday will be the conference's top rushing defense, setting up a clash of good-on-good with so much on the line.
"We've taken it upon ourselves, we want to be the most physical team and that's the O-line's mindset and the running backs' mindset, as well," right tackle Jacob Brammer said. "They're a very confident defense and they like to play physical football, and we do too. They like to come downhill land hit you in the mouth, but we do too. I mean, we're all gonna play football. That's what you sign up for, do you know what I mean?"
Freshman running back Ikaika Ragsdale, who is coming off his second career 100-yard game, said he believes in all the pieces that make a strong running game.
"They're (UTSA) big and physical, but I have trust in my O-line and quarterback and receivers that we can go get the job done," Ragsdale said. "We just trust the O-line that they'll make the blocks and then we can go hit the holes fast."
Confidence growing for Mean Green
After dropping six straight games earlier in the season, many teams would have folded and not found a way to end a skid that lasted more than a month.
But UNT (5-6, 4-3) instead got stronger as a team and have reeled off four straight wins to be right on the cusp of bowl eligibility and looking to match Littrell's longest career conference win streak of five games back in 2017. The last three games has seen the defense put together its three best performances of the year, and the Mean Green are allowing just 306 yards per game and 15.5 points per game over the last four – all wins.
"I'm proud of them," Littrell said. "All the adversity they faced, especially early. I'm proud of how we've stuck together and blocked out the outside noise and really focused in on each other and try to get better. That's the main thing they've been focused on each and every week. I'm proud of how they've bounced back, and I know we all want to keep it going."
Junior linebacker KD Davis, who last week became the first UNT defender to hit the 100-tackle mark in a season since EJ Ejiya in 2018, said the fact his team is playing for a postseason bid after starting the year 1-6 is special.
"It means a lot, and it just shows we never gave up," Davis said. "We got better each week and we're on a winning streak and this just shows our character."
Junior offensive lineman Jacob Brammer echoed those sentiments, saying the team never gave up hope or on each other even when many on the outside had.
"After those first seven games, everyone counted us out and we stuck together as a team and never stopped working," Brammer said. "It really shows, too. We're coming together as a team."
Littrell said the adversity the team faced this year – both with the losing skid and mass injuries – will help the team down the road and into future seasons.
"We've been battled tested, and this is another opportunity for us this week to come together and it's us against everybody," Littrell said. "That's how our team feels. We know what it's like to have our back against the wall, and we're excited to get out there and play.
"It's going to help us in the future. A lot of (the players who have stepped up due to injuries) are freshmen and are out there making plays and a lot of guys will be back after injuries and next year we'll have a lot more veteran team. The future is bright for a lot of these guys."
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