Saturday, November 12
Birmingham, AL
2:30 PM CT
University of North Texas
at
UAB
UNT Ready For Final Road Trip Of Regular Season
11/8/2022 12:54:00 PM | Football
DENTON – The UNT football team will look look to continue building momentum after last week's homecoming domination of FIU and hits the road for the final time this regular season when it travels to Birmingham, Alabama, to face UAB on Saturday, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. The game can be seen on Stadium 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, the momentum his team has built over the past two games, the challenge it's facing this week from the UAB rushing attack, quarterback Austin Aune's sights on the record books in the midst of a banner year and what it's like to have a near-automatic option in the kicking game in Ethan Mooney, who's also nearing a program record.
Mean Green momentum building down season's final stretch
Following UNT's 40-13 road win over Western Kentucky two weeks ago, Littrell said it might have been the most complete game his team has played all season, as the Mean Green put themselves in the driver's seat to claim one of the two spots in the Conference USA Championship Game.
After Saturday's 52-14 homecoming dismantling of FIU, Littrell said the first half was the most complete half his team has played all year, and the team cruised to a victory despite some second-half hiccups.
Now, all that momentum carries the Mean Green on the road for one final time this season to face a team that had aspirations of being where UNT is right now, and the Mean Green are riding high.
"We're really putting it together right now," senior defensive back Quinn Whitlock said. "Coach Littrell has talked about it a lot. Once we put it together, we'd be a scary team. We've put it together in all three phases and now it's showing on the field."
UNT's offense has piled up 92 points and almost 1,200 yards in those last two games, while the defense has played arguably its best football of the season while allowing 13.5 points per game and just 129.5 yards per game on the ground.
"We feel great about it," junior linebacker Kevin Wood said of the recent stretch. "We've been stacking wins and stacking good games together. We've made less and less and mistakes and we're really confident."
UAB poses strong running threat
Although the Blazers enter Saturday's game with a sub-.500 overall record and a 2-4 mark in league play, UNT's players know they aren't a team to be overlooked.
UAB's five losses this season have come by a combined 27 points with no loss coming by more than seven points. On the field, they boast one of the nation's most productive running backs in DeWayne McBride, who leads the nation in yards per game (160.9) and in rushes of more than 20 yards with 16.
"He has a really good center of balance," Wood said. "You have to wrap up and run through him. But we go against really good backs in practice every day, and that helps us be ready for a challenge like this."
Littrell said the UAB offense, in a way, mirrors his own, and said McBride can hurt opponents in multiple ways while also setting up a defense to be susceptible to deep shots down the field in the passing game.
"They're physical," Littrell said. "They're going to run the ball and take their shots. They've very similar to what we do. It's the same philosophy. They're very good and can hurt you on the stretch plays and inside zone game and counter game."
Aune, Mooney have program records in their sights
A pair of UNT players have some notable program records within their reach on Saturday, as junior quarterback Austin Aune aims for the single-season touchdown pass record and senior kicker Ethan Mooney is aiming to become the program's all-time leader in points scored.
Aune, who is the midst of a breakout year, is currently third all-time with 28 and is only three passing touchdowns away from Mason Fine's single-season record of 31. He also ranks first nationally in yards per completion (16.19) and is leading all of FBS in passing plays of both 40+ yards (16) and 50+ yards (10).
Littrell said there are several factors that go into Aune's success this season, which is quickly becoming one of the best for a quarterback in program history.
"He's seeing the field really well and the way teams are playing us is somewhat of a factor when you're adding the extra hats to the box, you're going to have matchups," Littrell said. "He's been doing a great job of being accurate, especially on deep balls and our receivers are getting balls. It's something we have to have. It kind of hurt us last year. As good as we run the ball, people will add hats and you have to win individual battles out there on the perimeter, and we've been doing it.
"This week will be a different animal," Littrell added. "They're very athletic and very physical in the back end, and they'll man you up too, so you'll have opportunities, but they're very good at what they do."
Mooney is looking to pass Trevor Moore for all-time points scored after ending last week's game with 310 – just three back of Moore's 313 career points.
In a way, the two go hand in hand, as Mooney would have the chance to eclipse Moore's mark if Aune breaks Fine's with four touchdown passes on Saturday.
"He's been huge for us, not only this year but over his career," Littrell said of Mooney. "He's made a lot of big-time plays. He's also a great teammate and a great leader and works his tail off. He's great for our team. It makes life a lot easier knowing you have an experienced guy that's confident and playing at a high level that if you get to certain number you feel very confident about getting points on the board. That is huge. It takes a lot of pressure off the offense."
But Mooney is more than just a kicker. He is also a well-liked teammate and is part of the heart and culture of the team, perhaps going against the stereotype of a kicker.
"He's a kicker, but we don't look at him as a kicker, he's just Ethan," Whitlock said. "He runs around dancing, and he's all hype on the sideline. He's not your average kicker. I feel like most kickers are just chill but he expresses himself. He's in the locker room joking around with everyone. He just does crazy stuff like that."
Head coach Seth Littrell and selected players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, the momentum his team has built over the past two games, the challenge it's facing this week from the UAB rushing attack, quarterback Austin Aune's sights on the record books in the midst of a banner year and what it's like to have a near-automatic option in the kicking game in Ethan Mooney, who's also nearing a program record.
Mean Green momentum building down season's final stretch
Following UNT's 40-13 road win over Western Kentucky two weeks ago, Littrell said it might have been the most complete game his team has played all season, as the Mean Green put themselves in the driver's seat to claim one of the two spots in the Conference USA Championship Game.
After Saturday's 52-14 homecoming dismantling of FIU, Littrell said the first half was the most complete half his team has played all year, and the team cruised to a victory despite some second-half hiccups.
Now, all that momentum carries the Mean Green on the road for one final time this season to face a team that had aspirations of being where UNT is right now, and the Mean Green are riding high.
"We're really putting it together right now," senior defensive back Quinn Whitlock said. "Coach Littrell has talked about it a lot. Once we put it together, we'd be a scary team. We've put it together in all three phases and now it's showing on the field."
UNT's offense has piled up 92 points and almost 1,200 yards in those last two games, while the defense has played arguably its best football of the season while allowing 13.5 points per game and just 129.5 yards per game on the ground.
"We feel great about it," junior linebacker Kevin Wood said of the recent stretch. "We've been stacking wins and stacking good games together. We've made less and less and mistakes and we're really confident."
UAB poses strong running threat
Although the Blazers enter Saturday's game with a sub-.500 overall record and a 2-4 mark in league play, UNT's players know they aren't a team to be overlooked.
UAB's five losses this season have come by a combined 27 points with no loss coming by more than seven points. On the field, they boast one of the nation's most productive running backs in DeWayne McBride, who leads the nation in yards per game (160.9) and in rushes of more than 20 yards with 16.
"He has a really good center of balance," Wood said. "You have to wrap up and run through him. But we go against really good backs in practice every day, and that helps us be ready for a challenge like this."
Littrell said the UAB offense, in a way, mirrors his own, and said McBride can hurt opponents in multiple ways while also setting up a defense to be susceptible to deep shots down the field in the passing game.
"They're physical," Littrell said. "They're going to run the ball and take their shots. They've very similar to what we do. It's the same philosophy. They're very good and can hurt you on the stretch plays and inside zone game and counter game."
Aune, Mooney have program records in their sights
A pair of UNT players have some notable program records within their reach on Saturday, as junior quarterback Austin Aune aims for the single-season touchdown pass record and senior kicker Ethan Mooney is aiming to become the program's all-time leader in points scored.
Aune, who is the midst of a breakout year, is currently third all-time with 28 and is only three passing touchdowns away from Mason Fine's single-season record of 31. He also ranks first nationally in yards per completion (16.19) and is leading all of FBS in passing plays of both 40+ yards (16) and 50+ yards (10).
Littrell said there are several factors that go into Aune's success this season, which is quickly becoming one of the best for a quarterback in program history.
"He's seeing the field really well and the way teams are playing us is somewhat of a factor when you're adding the extra hats to the box, you're going to have matchups," Littrell said. "He's been doing a great job of being accurate, especially on deep balls and our receivers are getting balls. It's something we have to have. It kind of hurt us last year. As good as we run the ball, people will add hats and you have to win individual battles out there on the perimeter, and we've been doing it.
"This week will be a different animal," Littrell added. "They're very athletic and very physical in the back end, and they'll man you up too, so you'll have opportunities, but they're very good at what they do."
Mooney is looking to pass Trevor Moore for all-time points scored after ending last week's game with 310 – just three back of Moore's 313 career points.
In a way, the two go hand in hand, as Mooney would have the chance to eclipse Moore's mark if Aune breaks Fine's with four touchdown passes on Saturday.
"He's been huge for us, not only this year but over his career," Littrell said of Mooney. "He's made a lot of big-time plays. He's also a great teammate and a great leader and works his tail off. He's great for our team. It makes life a lot easier knowing you have an experienced guy that's confident and playing at a high level that if you get to certain number you feel very confident about getting points on the board. That is huge. It takes a lot of pressure off the offense."
But Mooney is more than just a kicker. He is also a well-liked teammate and is part of the heart and culture of the team, perhaps going against the stereotype of a kicker.
"He's a kicker, but we don't look at him as a kicker, he's just Ethan," Whitlock said. "He runs around dancing, and he's all hype on the sideline. He's not your average kicker. I feel like most kickers are just chill but he expresses himself. He's in the locker room joking around with everyone. He just does crazy stuff like that."
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