Following a 44–17 victory over Arkansas and a 3–0 record, the Mean Green received votes in both the AP Poll (4 votes) and Coaches Poll (5 votes), the first time since 2013 that North Texas received votes in a poll.[1]
Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Mean Green predicted to finish as champions of the West Division.[14]
West Division
Predicted finish
Team
1
North Texas
2
Louisiana Tech
3
UAB
4
Southern Miss
5
UTSA
T–6
Rice
T–6
UTEP
Schedule
North Texas announced its 2018 football schedule on January 23, 2018. The 2018 schedule consists of six home and six away games in the regular season. The Mean Green will host C–USA opponents Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Rice, and Southern Miss, and will travel to Old Dominion, UAB, UTEP, and UTSA.[15]
Game weather: Temperature: 93 °F (34 °C) • Weather: partly cloudy • Wind: SE 12 MPH
Game attendance: 29,519
Referee: Tracy Jones
TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play-by-play), A. J. Hawk (color), Kristen Balboni (reporter)
Source:[1]
Game information
First Quarter
UNT – Jalen Guyton 15-yard pass from Mason Fine (Cole Hedlund kick), 8:34. Mean Green 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 5:12.
UNT – Kemon Hall 36-yard interception return (Cole Hedlund kick), 5:37. Mean Green 14–0.
Second Quarter
UNT – Cole Hedlund 40-yard field goal, 11:47. Mean Green 17–0. Drive: 17 plays, 59 yards, 7:08.
UNT – Cole Hedlund 18-yard field goal, 0:00. Mean Green 20–0. Drive: 15 plays, 93 yards, 5:22.
Third Quarter
UNT – Nic Smith 5-yard pass from Mason Fine (Cole Hedlund kick), 11:17. Mean Green 27–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:43.
UNT – Jalen Guyton 17-yard pass from Mason Fine (two-point conversion failed), 6:04. Mean Green 33–0. Drive: 9 plays, 95 yards, 4:02.
UNT – Cole Hedlund 41-yard field goal, 0:19. Mean Green 36–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:13.
Fourth Quarter
SMU – Braeden West 5-yard run (Will Moore kick), 8:11. Mean Green 36–7. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 1:39.
UNT – Cole Hedlund 51-yard field goal, 3:29. Mean Green 39–7. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:42.
SMU – James Proche 59-yard pass from Ben Hicks (Hicks to Roberson for two-point conversion), 1:41. Mean Green 39–15. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:48.
UNT – DeAndre Torrey 96-yard kick return (Cole Hedlund kick), 1:28. Mean Green 46–15.
SMU – Braeden West 71-yard pass from Ben Hicks (Hicks to Proche for two-point conversion), 1:09. Mean Green 46–23. Drive: 1 play, 71 yards, 0:00.
Top Passers
SMU – Ben Hicks – 12/24, 252 yards, 2 TD, INT
UNT – Mason Fine – 40/50, 444 yards, 3 TD
Top Rushers
SMU – Braeden West – 8 carries, 26 yards, TD
UNT – Loren Easly – 12 carries, 31 yards
Top Receiving
SMU – Braeden West – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD
UNT – Rico Bussey, Jr. – 9 receptions, 109 yards
The Mean Green's offense went off with 529 total yards, including 444 passing yards from junior quarterback Mason Fine. North Texas's defense held SMU's offense to only 256 yards, forced a turnover, and held the Mustangs scoreless through the first three quarters.[17] 29,519 people attended the game, setting an attendance record at Apogee Stadium.[18] This record would be broken 4 weeks later against Louisiana Tech.
Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word Cardinals vs. North Texas Mean Green
Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Cardinals
6
0
10
0
16
Mean Green
10
31
14
3
58
at Apogee Stadium • Denton, TX
Date: September 8
Game time: 6:30 p.m.
Game weather: Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: overcast • Wind: N 5 MPH
UNT – Jaelon Darden 6-yard pass from Mason Fine (Cole Hedlund kick), 10:07. Mean Green 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:24.
UNT – Rico Bussey Jr. 22-yard pass from Mason Fine (Cole Hedlund kick), 4:41. Mean Green 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:55.
Second Quarter
LIB – B.J. Farrow 4-yard pass from Stephen Calvert (Aaron Peart kick), 7:30. Mean Green 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:09.
UNT – Mason Fine 4-yard run (Cole Hedlund kick), 0:12. Mean Green 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:20.
Third Quarter
UNT – Loren Easly 9-yard run (PAT no good), 5:09. Mean Green 27–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:21.
Fourth Quarter
UNT – Loren Easly 3-yard run (two-point conversion no good), 13:34. Mean Green 33–7. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:16.
UNT – DeAndre Torrey 1-yard run (Cole Hedlund kick), 10:32. Mean Green 40–7. Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 1:38.
UNT – Nic Smith 66-yard run (Cole Hedlund kick), 6:21. Mean Green 47–7. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:21.
Top Passers
UNT – Mason Fine – 16/27, 185 yards, 2 TD
LIB – Stephen Calvert – 16/39, 222 yards, TD, INT
Top Rushers
UNT – Loren Easly – 27 carries, 177 yards, 2 TD
LIB – Frankie Hickson – 21 carries, 96 yards
Top Receiving
UNT – Jaelon Darden – 4 receptions, 65 yards, TD
LIB – D.J. Stubbs – 6 receptions, 95 yards
Kickoff was delayed until 6:48 p.m. due to rain and lightning. With the victory, the Mean Green started a season 4–0 for the first time since 1966.[19]
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at North Texas Mean Green
Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Bulldogs
6
20
3
0
29
Mean Green
21
0
6
0
27
at Apogee Stadium • Denton, TX
Date: September 29
Game time: 6:30 p.m.
Game weather: Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: overcast • Wind: ESE 9 MPH
Head coach Seth Littrell has been selected to join the American Football Coaches Association board of trustees[20] along with Stanford head coach David Shaw and North Dakota State University head coach Chris Klieman.
Coaching changes
Tashard Choice Named Mean Green Running Backs Coach [21]
References
^"2018 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 4". ESPN. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
^"Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
^"2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^"Davey O'Brien Award Watch List includes 26 players". July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^"2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
^"2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
^"2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^"43 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2018 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
^"Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
^Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.
^"Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^"2018 Nominations The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award" (PDF). August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^"North Texas Releases 2018 Football Schedule" (Press release). University of North Texas Department of Athletics. January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
^"2018 North Texas Mean Green Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
^"SM vs. North Texas - Game Summary - September 1, 2018". ESPN. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
^Gregory, Dekota (September 25, 2018). "North Texas Notebook: Seth Littrell challenges fans to set new attendance record against La Tech". SB Nation. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
^"Head coach Seth Littrell has been selected to join the American Football Coaches Association board of trustees". January 9, 2018. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
^"Tashard Choice Named Mean Green Running Backs Coach". January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.