Saturday, November 26
Denton, TX
1 PM CT
University of North Texas
vs
Rice
UNT Honoring Seniors and Playing for Title Game
11/22/2022 12:34:00 PM | Football
DENTON – The UNT football team will look to send its seniors out with a win in their final home game at Apogee Stadium and also clinch a spot in the Conference USA Championship as it hosts Rice on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with the radio broadcast on KHYI 95.3/KXXN 97.5 (Wichita Falls)/The Varsity Network.
Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, what is on the line for both teams on Saturday, honoring a memorable senior class and one of those seniors closing in on an all-time program record.
Both teams have a lot to play for on Saturday
While the bigger headline might be the fact UNT is playing for a spot in the Conference USA Championship next week against UTSA, the Mean Green aren't the only team with a lot to play for this weekend.
Rice can earn bowl eligibility with a win and its season will come to an end if UNT fulfills its goal of claiming a spot in the championship game.
"That's huge," Littrell said. "That's the goal you set. That's the mission we set for this season was to have an opportunity to play in the championship game and win a championship. It's all sitting in front of us. We just have to eliminate distractions this week with Thanksgiving week and all that. You have to suck it up this time of year and eliminate distractions and focus on preparation.
"It's definitely a key game," Littrell added. "Coach Bloom has done a great job with that Rice football team. The injury bug hit them a little and they had some key players out. They're playing for a bowl game now, and we're playing to clinch a spot in the championship game. Two teams with a lot on the line. It's the most important game of the season for us and we have to focus on going 1-0 this week."
While it might be impossible to block out the mental allure of playing in a championship game going into this weekend's regular-season finale, junior quarterback Austin Aune said the team knows what it has to accomplish to reach that goal it set at the beginning of the year.
"Of course, it'd be huge to play in the championship game," Aune said. "Obviously, we know that runs through Rice so we have to take care of that first. That's every team's goal at the beginning of the year, but we're not getting there until we beat Rice."
And the Mean Green might have a unique perspective of knowing just what stands in front of them when they look across the field on Saturday.
Last year, UNT had to win its final five games of the regular season to earn bowl eligibility, including the regular-season finale against then-No. 15 ranked UTSA, and UNT got the job done, ending with a stunning rout of UTSA.
"Your back's against the wall and you're playing for a shot to get to a bowl game," Aune said, recalling his feelings during that season-ending run last year. "You want that bowl ring. A lot's on the line. That's how we were last year. We want to play for a bowl championship, too, and we were in their shoes last year and their energy will be high. We know that. We just want to match that energy and go out there and execute."
Sophomore defensive back Ridge Texada said he fully expects a charged up Rice team on Saturday and said he and his teammates have to be ready to get the opponent's best.
"We know Rice is in our way," Texada said. "We have to prepare for them. They're a good team and we have to prepare for them the same way we'd prepare for UTSA. We have to be locked in and go out to win."
Fifteen seniors will be honored in pregame ceremony
Several decorated members of the football team will be honored in a pregame ceremony Saturday, as the 15-member senior class will be recognized before the game begins.
Aune, Cole Brown, Tommy Bush, Daxton Byers, Daizion Carroll, Jacob Daulong, KD Davis, Sean-Thomas Faulkner, Zahodri Jackson, Dayton LeBlanc, Landon Maston, Ethan Mooney, Manase Mose, Bernardo Rodriguez and Quinn Whitlock will all be honored.
"They're all unbelievable dudes," Littrell said. "It's a group that bought into culture and family. They feed off each other and love hanging with each other. It doesn't mater - offense, defense, special teams, they're all in together. They truly care, and you love coaching groups like that. I love coaching these men. They're a gritty group. We've had ups and downs throughout, but they've always responded. It's a great group."
Davis, who will go down as one of the most decorated defensive players in program history, briefly considered entering the transfer portal over the offseason but ultimately decided to return to Denton for a fifth season. He said a part of the reason he made that decision was because of the brotherhood he felt with the team, specifically some of those fellow seniors he's spent a handful of years with.
"We've been through a lot and had ups and downs," Davis said. "When things got harder, we just went harder. We didn't sit around and complain, we just made everything we wanted to happen happen."
Davis closing in on all-time tackles mark
Aside from the obvious reasons, there is one player on the roster who could benefit greatly from a win over Rice and the resulting extra game it would bring.
Davis, who is on the verge of becoming the first player in program history to lead the team in tackles for a fourth consecutive season, needs just 24 tackles to tie the all-time program mark for career tackles, held by Byron Gross, who played from 1987-1990.
Davis has 105 tackles through 11 games this season - good for an average of 9.5 per game. If he gets three more games (Rice, C-USA championship and a bowl game), and simply hits his average he'd pass Gross and own the record outright.
While Davis said the team goals are first in his mind, he'd be lying if he said he never thought about the individual benchmark he's chasing.
"That means a lot to me," Davis said of the mark. "I have my team goals. But you also have to have self goals and that's one of the reasons I came back here. I'm just focused on beating Rice and getting to the conference championship. I know it'll happen if I just make the plays that come my way, and the rest will fall as it may."
Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, what is on the line for both teams on Saturday, honoring a memorable senior class and one of those seniors closing in on an all-time program record.
Both teams have a lot to play for on Saturday
While the bigger headline might be the fact UNT is playing for a spot in the Conference USA Championship next week against UTSA, the Mean Green aren't the only team with a lot to play for this weekend.
Rice can earn bowl eligibility with a win and its season will come to an end if UNT fulfills its goal of claiming a spot in the championship game.
"That's huge," Littrell said. "That's the goal you set. That's the mission we set for this season was to have an opportunity to play in the championship game and win a championship. It's all sitting in front of us. We just have to eliminate distractions this week with Thanksgiving week and all that. You have to suck it up this time of year and eliminate distractions and focus on preparation.
"It's definitely a key game," Littrell added. "Coach Bloom has done a great job with that Rice football team. The injury bug hit them a little and they had some key players out. They're playing for a bowl game now, and we're playing to clinch a spot in the championship game. Two teams with a lot on the line. It's the most important game of the season for us and we have to focus on going 1-0 this week."
While it might be impossible to block out the mental allure of playing in a championship game going into this weekend's regular-season finale, junior quarterback Austin Aune said the team knows what it has to accomplish to reach that goal it set at the beginning of the year.
"Of course, it'd be huge to play in the championship game," Aune said. "Obviously, we know that runs through Rice so we have to take care of that first. That's every team's goal at the beginning of the year, but we're not getting there until we beat Rice."
And the Mean Green might have a unique perspective of knowing just what stands in front of them when they look across the field on Saturday.
Last year, UNT had to win its final five games of the regular season to earn bowl eligibility, including the regular-season finale against then-No. 15 ranked UTSA, and UNT got the job done, ending with a stunning rout of UTSA.
"Your back's against the wall and you're playing for a shot to get to a bowl game," Aune said, recalling his feelings during that season-ending run last year. "You want that bowl ring. A lot's on the line. That's how we were last year. We want to play for a bowl championship, too, and we were in their shoes last year and their energy will be high. We know that. We just want to match that energy and go out there and execute."
Sophomore defensive back Ridge Texada said he fully expects a charged up Rice team on Saturday and said he and his teammates have to be ready to get the opponent's best.
"We know Rice is in our way," Texada said. "We have to prepare for them. They're a good team and we have to prepare for them the same way we'd prepare for UTSA. We have to be locked in and go out to win."
Fifteen seniors will be honored in pregame ceremony
Several decorated members of the football team will be honored in a pregame ceremony Saturday, as the 15-member senior class will be recognized before the game begins.
Aune, Cole Brown, Tommy Bush, Daxton Byers, Daizion Carroll, Jacob Daulong, KD Davis, Sean-Thomas Faulkner, Zahodri Jackson, Dayton LeBlanc, Landon Maston, Ethan Mooney, Manase Mose, Bernardo Rodriguez and Quinn Whitlock will all be honored.
"They're all unbelievable dudes," Littrell said. "It's a group that bought into culture and family. They feed off each other and love hanging with each other. It doesn't mater - offense, defense, special teams, they're all in together. They truly care, and you love coaching groups like that. I love coaching these men. They're a gritty group. We've had ups and downs throughout, but they've always responded. It's a great group."
Davis, who will go down as one of the most decorated defensive players in program history, briefly considered entering the transfer portal over the offseason but ultimately decided to return to Denton for a fifth season. He said a part of the reason he made that decision was because of the brotherhood he felt with the team, specifically some of those fellow seniors he's spent a handful of years with.
"We've been through a lot and had ups and downs," Davis said. "When things got harder, we just went harder. We didn't sit around and complain, we just made everything we wanted to happen happen."
Davis closing in on all-time tackles mark
Aside from the obvious reasons, there is one player on the roster who could benefit greatly from a win over Rice and the resulting extra game it would bring.
Davis, who is on the verge of becoming the first player in program history to lead the team in tackles for a fourth consecutive season, needs just 24 tackles to tie the all-time program mark for career tackles, held by Byron Gross, who played from 1987-1990.
Davis has 105 tackles through 11 games this season - good for an average of 9.5 per game. If he gets three more games (Rice, C-USA championship and a bowl game), and simply hits his average he'd pass Gross and own the record outright.
While Davis said the team goals are first in his mind, he'd be lying if he said he never thought about the individual benchmark he's chasing.
"That means a lot to me," Davis said of the mark. "I have my team goals. But you also have to have self goals and that's one of the reasons I came back here. I'm just focused on beating Rice and getting to the conference championship. I know it'll happen if I just make the plays that come my way, and the rest will fall as it may."
Players Mentioned
QB
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OL
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WR
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OL
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OL
/ Football
LB
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LB
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DB
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DL
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LB
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K
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OL
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P
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DB
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DB
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