Mean Green

Felix Jones just broke free when he seemed to trapped on the sideline and ran 71 yards for a touchdown that has Arkansas up 38-0 in the second quarter.

North Texas' defense finally came up with a stop in its game against Arkansas. The Razorbacks went for the first down on fourth-and-2, but came up short on an incomplete pass. Arkansas had scored on its first five drives

North Texas has changed quarterbacks in the second quarter of its game against Arkansas. Daniel Meager started the game, but has been pulled in favor of freshman Giovanni Vizza.

Vizza completed two passes on his first drive, which stalled after just five plays.

UNT has just 39 yards of offense with 12:45 left in the first half.

Wide receiver B.J. Lewis caught an 11-yard pass on UNT's fourth possession, equalling the Mean Green's total offensive output from its first three possessions. UNT was unable to capitalize, though, running just three more plays on the drive before punting.

UNT is struggling offensively against Arkansas. The Mean Green has gone three-and-out on its third straight possession to start the game.

UNT is down 14-0 after London Crawford beat the Mean Green deep for a 61-yard touchdown. Crawford appeared to get behind UNT cornerback Dominique Green when he slipped on the turf.

UNT was just penalized for illegal participation on a punt afer stopping Arkansas near midfield. The Razorbacks picked up a first down and scored two plays later.

It didn't take long to answer one of the big questions heading into UNT's game against Arkansas. Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden -- who some thought might not play -- was in on the kickoff

I just received word that North Texas defensive tackle Isaac Thomas will not start against Arkansas because of the flu. He is expected to play. Joseph Miller will take Thomas' place in the starting lineup.

Losing Thomas will take nearly 15 pounds out of the Mean Green's defensive front, which could prove to be a problem against Arkansas' huge offensive line and powerful running game.

North Texas is warming up for its game against Arkansas and once again the Denton Record-Chronicle is here to bring you the latest.

I will try to blog as much as I can throughout the game, right up until I have to head to the field with 5 minutes or so left to go the post game press conference.

Now to the good stuff.

Rumors have run rampant all week that Arkansas running back Darren McFadden will not play today. McFadden is dressed out and warming up on the field. McFadden might be the best player the Mean Green faces this season.

It's been a little light on questions this week, but I did receive one inquiry about head coach Todd Dodge's plans when it comes to playing any additional freshmen this season.

Dodge actually addressed that very topic yesterday.

Unless something unforeseen happens, quarterback Giovanni Vizza, linebacker A.J. Penson, cornerback Kevin Ealey, wide receivers Sam Dibrell, Breece Johnson and B.J. Lewis and running back Micah Mosely will be the Mean Green's freshmen who will play this season.

I have received a lot of questions about the rest of the freshman receivers and their status. At this point, it does not look like Marcus King, Sam Roberson or Evan Walker will play.

North Texas junior cornerback Dominique Green has come a long way since the beginning of fall practice when he was buried so far down the depth chart that one wondered if he would ever be heard from again.

Green actually started against Florida Atlantic last week and was playing well until he was beaten on a double move for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in UNT's loss to the Owls.

Green has always been a standup guy and today was no different when he spoke to me about his comeback from the depths of the depth chart and the bitter end to what was otherwise a pretty solid night against FAU. I had a sidebar on Green nearly finished when Cortez Gent beat him for the touchdown that turned the tables on UNT.

That's the way football goes, though. It can turn at any moment.

To read what Green had to say, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Just about everyone who knows anything about the Sun Belt Conference and the bottom levels of Division I football saw this coming a mile away, but this week it became official.

North Texas is in ESPN's Bottom 10, David Duffey's list of the nation's struggling programs. The Mean Green checks in at No. 9.

UNT has been in the Bottom 10 before, as has just about every other team in the Sun Belt Conference. This week the Sun Belt has three teams on the list, including No. 1 Florida International.

It's hard to argue with UNT being on the list considering the Mean Green is 0-3 and is ranked dead last nationally in scoring defense. Considering UNT travels to Arkansas this week, it could be an extended stay.

I know UNT fans hate to see their team in ESPN's crosshairs, but one has to give Duffy his due. The list is one of the funniest columns going. And it isn't easy to be funny in print.

Backup quarterback Giovanni Vizza is going to see playing time sometime soon, UNT head coach Todd Dodge said during his Tuesday press conference. Maybe this week at Arkansas.

Vizza lost the battle for the starting job to junior Daniel Meager and hasn't played since the Mean Green's season-opening blowout loss at Oklahoma.

Dodge said the plan was to play Vizza this season and he will get back to that plan soon.

For more on Vizza, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

North Texas head coach Todd Dodge had a few interesting things to say on the Sun Belt Conference's Monday conference call.

The full rundown will be in tomorrow's Denton Record-Chronicle, but here are a few highlights:

Dodge attributed the Mean Green's second-half meltdown against Florida Atlantic to a number of factors, including the team still learning how to win. UNT has now lost five straight games dating to last season heading into this weekend's game at Arkansas. One of my friends in the Sun Belt media circle, Adam Sparks of the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has started keeping track of the nation's longest losing streaks. UNT checks in at No. 7 on a top-10 list with four Sun Belt teams.

Longest current losing streaks
(In Football Bowl Subdivision)
School Losses
1. Florida International 16
2 (t). Utah State 10
2 (t). Colorado State 10
4 (t). MTSU 7
4 (t).Temple 7
6. Notre Dame 6
7 (t). Louisiana-Lafayette 5
7 (t). Marshall 5
7 (t). North Texas 5
7 (t). Rice 5

Dodge mentioned UNT's struggles with protecting punter Truman Spencer during his coach's show Monday, but for those of you who didn't catch it, he also addressed those problems during his conference call. He said UNT's blocked punts were the result of missed blocking assignments.

FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger -- a favorite among UNT fans. OK, not really -- said he didn't see anything about the Mean Green on film before the game that indicated a weakness he could exploit on UNT's punt team. The Owls did spend a big chunk of practice time on special teams last week, though, which seemed to pay off.

The Sun Belt announced its players of the week during the call. FAU linebacker Cergile Sincere was named the Defensive Player of the Week for posting 15 tackles against the Mean Green.

First, Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith threw a 74-yard bomb down the right sideline for a touchdown to Gent Cortez to take a 23-20 lead, the Owls' first lead of the game.

Then Florida Atlantic came up with its second blocked punt of the night and converted on fourth-and-one inside the Mean Green 10-yard line before DiIvory Edgecome scored on a 7-yard touchdown.

The Mean Green trail 30-20 with 3:36 left in the game.

Daniel Meager's third interception, and his second in the end zone, led to another Florida Atlantic field goal as UNT's lead continues to dwindle.

The Mean Green is up 20-16 with eight minutes remaining. UNT is lining up for a punt.

We're going into the fourth quarter here at Fouts Field, and despite the Mean Green's solid play, it's still a one-score game against Florida Atlantic with the score still 20-13.

The Mean Green defense has played exceptionally well against FAU quarterback Rusty Smith, who is coming off a career game against Minnesota last week. That bodes well for UNT, but it will have to continue that to win.
-- Jeff Andrews

The Mean Green are seemingly dominating this game, but Florida Atlantic isn't going away.

The Owls picked off a Daniel Meager pass to give FAU a short field. Florida Atlantic kicked a 27-yard field goal to keep the Owls within a score, 20-13.
-- Jeff Andrews

North Texas put together another scoring drive to open the second half, leading to a 37-yard field goal from Thomas Moreland.

North Texas leads 20-10 with 6:41 left in the third quarter.
-- Jeff Andrews

UNT is up 17-10 heading into the second half of its game agianst FAU, but could be up by an even bigger margin.

The Mean Green 313-190 advantage in total yards.

A blocked punt and an interception in the end zone proved costly for the Mean Green in the first half

After spending my entire college career watching games at an empty Fouts Field, it appears things are changing for the better.

The crowd is not only big, but excited, verbally reacting to even the most insignificant plays.

Now I'm sitting back, listening to the Green Brigade entertain the crowd at halftime where it's 17-10 North Texas. I marched with the Green Brigade for two years while still a music major and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. The band, in short, is amazing, and listening to them tonight, it seems it is only getting better.

Green Brigade director Nick Williams, who took over after I left the music department, is one of the brightest young minds in marching band in the state, and it shows in his band's performances.

Nick is a personal friend of a number of my old friends from the music department, and I know he's a stand-up guy as well. Come to Fouts Field this year for "Dodge Ball," but make sure you get a load of this band as well.

When I was in the band, they sat me and the other saxophone players right behind the UNT dancers during their segment of the show. It. was. phenomenal.

Alright, that's my music rant for the night. Next blog, read about my thoughts on how Miles Davis' adventures in fusion actually hurt jazz's progression into the 21st century.
-- Jeff Andrews

North Texas' streak of 33 games without having a punt block came to an end in a costly manner.

Florida Atlantic's Tavoris Hill got a piece of a Mean Green punt, giving the Owls the ball on the Mean Green 18. Four plays later, Charles Pierre scored from 9-yards out on fourth-and-two.

North Texas leads 17-10 with under three minutes in the first half.
-- Jeff Andrews

Is it 2004 right now?

Jamario Thomas, 2004's national rushing champion, just popped off a run reminiscent of his freshman year. He found a seem up the middle and bounced to the left sideline for a 42-yard touchdown. It was his first score since Week 4 of 2006 and the longest run since his freshman year.

North Texas is quickly taking control of this one as it leads 17-3 with 11:26 left in the second quarter.
-- Jeff Andrews

North Texas has been unstoppable on third down, converting four of five attempts so far.

The Mean Green's first failed attempt came on the FAU 20-yard line and North Texas kicker Thomas Moreland nailed a 37-yard field goal.

North Texas leads 10-3 with 12:49 left in the second quarter.
-- Jeff Andrews

The Mean Green defense is showing a great deal of improvement over its first two games of the season.

North Texas stuffed the Owls on third-and-one on their first drive and the Mean Green held Florida Atlantic out of the end zone on its second.

The Owls had a first and goal after converting a fourth-and-five and getting a pass interference call that put the ball at the Mean Green 5-yard line. UNT didn't give the Owls any room and FAU settled for a field goal.

North Texas leads 7-3 after the first quarter.
-- Jeff Andrews

Daniel Meager has redeemed himself after throwing an interception in the end zone on the Mean Green's first drive. Meager completed a pass in the end zone to one of his own players on the second drive, hitting Korey Washington for a 15-yard score.
-- Jeff Andrews

North Texas and FAU both came up empty on their first drives. The Mean Green opened with the ball and drove deep into Owl territory before Daniel Meager threw a ball into the end zone that was picked off by Taheem Acevedo.

FAU also moved the ball into UNT territory, but the Mean Green stuffed Willie Rose on a third-and-one attempt.
-- Jeff ANdrews

We are under way at a packed Fouts Field for Southlake North's, er, I mean North Texas', Sun Belt and home opener against Florida Atlantic.

Having been to a few of these before, it's easy to tell this is a big crowd for UNT. The student section in front of me is pretty full, more full than it was when I was student.

And the home section is certainly more full than it has been in the past. There isn't an area of the bleachers that isn't crowded. I'll give you attendance numbers as soon as they come in.
-- Jeff Andrews

Well here's something I haven't done in awhile -- cover a UNT football game.

I covered UNT for the school newspaper, the North Texas Daily, in 2004 when Jamario Thomas won the national rushing title. How times have changed. Thomas is on the bench, I'm a bona fide sports writer and I think I heard something about some guy from Southlake being the Mean Green's coach now.

One thing that hasn't changed -- this run-down stadium. UNT really should just play at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex. The press box is a 1,000 times better. It's so cramped in here I turn my head around and my face hits the back wall. Nobody really has room to do anything. Hopefully the university isn't just blowing wind up our skirts when it says UNT is closer to getting a stadium than they can let on.
-- Jeff Andrews

Welcome, North Texas fans to game day on the Mean Green Blog.

As usual, we will try to provide updates, notes and a few observations from today's UNT game against Florida Atlantic.

Joining me today on the blog will be DRC Ryan beat writer and UNT grad Jeff Andrews.

Feel free to post your comments on the blog throughout the night.

One of the guys over in the North Texas sports information office dropped me a line earlier today to let me know who to give credit to for inventing the "Dan-Wagon" nickname for the tenure of Mean Green starting quarterback Daniel Meager.

Drum roll please...

The party responsible is Brad Sheffield, an intern with the UNT athletic department.

His reward? The undying love of the Mean Green Nation.

Well, at least I thought it was pretty clever.

I stopped by the North Texas athletic department yesterday and found out that someone came up with a new saying for Mean Green fans:

"It's time to jump on the Dan-Wagon."

As they say in those beer commercials -- "BRILLANT!"

I haven't heard a phrase that catchy since Jamario Thomas was dubbed "Super Jamario" a few years ago. Unfortunately, no one has yet come forward to take credit for inventing the "Dan-Wagon" phrase.

On a serious note, it will be interesting to see if Daniel Meager -- UNT''s much maligned quarterback and origin of the "Dan-Wagon" phrase -- can keep it up after his big game against SMU two weeks ago on Saturday against Florida Atlantic. Meager was great for most of the night against SMU. He didn't make many mistakes against Oklahoma in UNT's opener, but he didn't make many plays either.

UNT is hoping the Meager it saw against SMU is the Meager it will have for the rest of the season.

It certainly wouldn't hurt the Mean Green's cause to have the "Dan-Wagon" roll at a rapid pace against FAU. The Owls are coming off a win over Minnesota and Rusty Smith is looking more and more like the real deal as the Owls quarterback. Smith threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns against the Gophers.

It could be a shootout when UNT and FAU face off at Fouts. Let the good times -- and the "Dan-Wagon" -- roll.

North Texas is going to receive a whole lot of additional money for making a switch in its schedule for the 2008 football season. The full details are in tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle, but here is the bottom line -- UNT will make up to $250,000 more for playing LSU than Miami.

Not a bad trade if you ask me, especially considering UNT will also spend a lot less on traveling to Baton Rouge, La.

The race was tight right down to the end, but Houston managed to pull out a narrow victory over North Texas this week – not in football, basketball or even soccer. Houston’s win came in enrollment.

The school to the south is still the third-largest university in Texas, just in front of UNT.

Houston reported an enrollment of 34,660 for the fall semester, just 392 more students than UNT reported last week, according to Denton Record-Chronicle ace higher education reporter and former sports writer Matthew Zabel. The numbers won’t become official Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board certifies them in December, but it appears as if UNT is still No. 4 in enrollment.

Not that being No. 4 is a bad thing. That is still a lot of students and potential fans for UNT to groom. If UNT could draw just half to this weekend’s football home-opener against Florida Atlantic and combine it with a solid showing from alumni and a few other random contingents of fans, it would put the school on course to have one of its largest crowds ever for a football game.

Game week officially kicked off for the North Texas football team on Tuesday with the Mean Green’s weekly media lunch and afternoon practice.

There were a few interesting notes to come out of the festivities, all of which are detailed in tomorrow’s all-sports notebook in the Denton Record-Chronicle. Here are a few of the highlights:

Perhaps the most interesting of head coach Todd Dodge’s comments was that his opinion of what UNT can accomplish this year hasn’t changed, despite the Mean Green’s 0-2 start. Dodge is still aiming for the Sun Belt Conference title and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl. Anyone who has seen Troy, Florida Atlantic or Arkansas State play this year knows that will be a challenge. Dodge said the only way he knows how to coach is to aim for a championship. One has to admire Dodge’s approach and the way it rubs off on his players.

Dodge also talked about his hopes that Fouts Field will be packed for the Mean Green’s home opener against FAU. Dodge ran through the impressive statistics when it comes to UNT’s student population of more than 30,000, alumni base of over 100,000 in the immediate area and the booming population of Denton, one of the fastest growing cities in the country. UNT has never captured the interest of the market in a lasting way, which is something Dodge hopes will change beginning Saturday.

In other random news and notes, Robert Peachey will be available this weekend and will enter the Mean Green’s game against FAU as the backup at both tackle spots. Dodge also said that the Mean Green could use a little more zone in pass coverage against FAU.

The mail has been a little light in the last few days, which is understandable considering UNT was off last week, but one question did come in about the status of former Ryan standout Greg Garden. The Navy transfer is still around at last check and is practicing while waiting for his opportunity to play next season.

There will probably be a few North Texas fans out there who will be surprised to hear this, but Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger had a few nice things to say about Todd Dodge today on the Sun Belt Conference's weekly press call.

To be specific old Schnelly said that Dodge is a good coach and is as smart as at least half the coaches in the conference.

I am not sure if that will be good enough for UNT fans who have already crowned Dodge the second coming of Hayden Fry, but it does show that FAU's head coach does have a favorable opinion of Dodge.

Personally I think the whole hatred for Schnelly over what he has had to say about Dodge and his philosophy at Sun Belt media days is a little overblown. So Howard didn't endorse Dodge's early recruiting approach. And yea, he didn't know of Dodge until he met him at media day and had to be reminded of who he was later on in the week. I didn't really see that as being all that surprising. Dodge is a legend in high school football, but he is a Texas guy. Schnellenberger never ventures out of South Florida to recruit or do much else other than play road games.

I guess whatever adds to a rivalry in the Sun Belt is good for UNT, even if it is based on Schnellenberger's knowledge -- or lack thereof -- of Texas high school football.

Schnellenberger sure seems to have done a lot worse to UNT than forget who Dodge is, though. Remember, this is a coach who has never lost to the Mean Green in three tries. Dodge will get his first shot at FAU on Saturday.

Believe me, if Dodge leads the Mean Green to a win, Schnellenberger will remember who he is for a long time.

Josh sent in a good question today about the status of defensive end Eddrick Gilmore.

Gilmore has been in and out of practice all year while taking care of issues away from the field and has fallen pretty far behind the rest of his competition for playing time. It really is too bad. Gilmore is a talented player, one who could help the Mean Green if he ever took advantage of his opportunities to get into practice and learn the system. Remember, some rankings had Gilmore listed among the top 100 players in the state after his senior year.

Gilmore could work his way up the depth chart this year, but he has a long way to go. I just don't see him making an impact considering how far behind he is at this point.

What UNT's coaches have to hope is that Gilmore will perform well in practice and build toward a big season next fall.

Offensive lineman Robert Peachey returned to practice on Wednesday after missing a big chunk of two-a-days and the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury. Peachey was projected to be UNT's right tackle before the season started.

Senior Adam Venegas stepped in for Peachey and started the first two games of the season.

Peachey has missed a ton of time and will need a while to get back into shape and accustomed to game speed, but his return certainly can't hurt the Mean Green. UNT doesn't have a whole lot of depth anywhere on its offensive line, especially at tackle.

When Peachey originally went down a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a huge blow to UNT. It was, but UNT actually held together pretty well in the first two weeks of the season. UNT head coach Todd Dodge has mentioned more than once that he has been happy with the way the Mean Green has protected his quarterbacks this season.

I give a lot of the credit to UNT offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich, who has plugged in a few new players and kept the unit together. It will be interesting to see what Leftwich can do now that he has one of his top tackles back on the field.

The question of the day in the UNT mailbag came from VHM, otherwise known as the blog's mystery guest. I think this has just about become an official name for him or her.

Anyway, VHM was wondering who the Mean Green is recruiting as far as cornerbacks other than the ones listed on Rivals.com: Jarrett Ben, Devin Smith, John Shorter and David Cato. The truth is Rivals.com and the Top 100 lists that the major state newspapers carry are the best source for information when it comes to who a team is recruiting. Most college coaching staffs guard their list of recruiting targets like their playbooks. The recruiting Web sites and newspapers take the opposite approach and target the top players and keep in contact with them to find out which schools are offering them scholarships. Some Web sites even ask the players which assistant coaches are in charge of recruiting them.

I know. I know. That doesn't tell anyone anything they don't already know.

What I can tell UNT fans is Ben has already been on an unofficial visit to Denton and might be the best player among the Mean Green’s targets. There are several teams after Ben. He isn't the biggest guy at 5-10, but he is considered a solid prospect by several programs, including UNT.

The following is a link to Ben's Rivals.com profile:

http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=62728

Ok, so North Texas is already Green, but what about Dominique Green?

I have been asked over and over about the cornerback's status the last few weeks. The former starter seemed to be getting more practice time on Tuesday, so I asked head coach Todd Dodge about Green’s status.

Dodge said everyone is getting a look in practice. It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement for a player who has been in the dog house ever since he arrived for fall practice out of shape, but it did leave the door open for another player to see some time at cornerback. At this point I don't see what Dodge has to lose by giving Green a shot. UNT has been torched in the passing game in each of its first two games.

For more on Green and the Mean Green, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle, which includes the DR-C's weekly all-sports UNT notebook.

After a few days of trying to hunt him down, I finally talked to Southlake Carroll offensive lineman Nick Leppo and confirmed that he has committed to North Texas.

Leppo has grown to 6-3, 265, and is expected to play center for the Mean Green. He is the first center in UNT's latest recruiting class.

Leppo named his relationship with UNT head coach and former Carroll head coach Todd Dodge as the reason he decided to play for the Mean Green.

There will be a full story in tomorrow's paper about Leppo along with a list of all 11 of UNT's 2008 commitments. Be sure to pick up a copy of the paper or check www.dentonrc.com for the story.

The following is a link to Leppo's profile page on Rivals.com:

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=66504&sport=1

It has been a slow day in terms of questions here at the Mean Green Blog, but several people have expressed concern over North Texas' defense, which has struggled the first two weeks of the season.

UNT will be in for a long year if it can't use its off week to correct its problems before facing Florida Atlantic. UNT is ranked dead last nationally in scoring defense among Division I-A teams after the second week of the season. One person I talked to watched some film of the SMU game and said UNT was in position several times to make plays in its 45-31 loss but didn't convert.

The Mean Green will have a few days to figure out why before Howard Schnellenberger's FAU bunch rolls into town.

The one true question I did receive today is what the attendance was for the SMU game and what percentage of the fans were UNT backers. The total attendance was 20,517. Anyone who was there could take just as good a guess as I could as far as how many were UNT fans. My best stab at it would be somewhere around 6,000.

There will be a notebook in tomorrow's paper that includes a lead item on UNT wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald being named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Be sure to check www.dentonrc.com later tonight for the story or pick up a copy of tomorrow's paper.

It's time for everyone's favorite question-and-answer session -- the UNT mailbag, an informal rundown of what it going on in the land of the Green (Kelly Green that is) and White.

I received several questions in e-mail and a few others were posted on the blog.

Our mystery guest who stops by on a regular basis asked about B.J. Lewis. The freshman wide receiver caught three passes for 9 yards early in the first half against SMU and then didn't catch a ball the rest of the night. I asked about injuries on Sunday and no one I talked to had heard of any outside of tackle Robert Peachey and running back Jamario Thomas sitting out. I am not sure what Lewis' status will be in two weeks, but I will have to agree with what most UNT fans are saying. I think Lewis has a bright future and will continue to see a lot of playing time.

Steve had several questions, including what happened to UNT's defense against SMU? UNT has some problems, especially in its defensive backfield. My Monday column is based on UNT's struggles to stop SMU. I wonder if UNT has the personnel to play in a system that leaves its cornerbacks on an island. The Mean Green isn't getting much pressure on the quarterback and is giving up a ton of yards in the passing game.

Blake wanted to know if UNT would start playing some of its younger wide receivers in the slot as the season goes along. If you ask me, this is an instance of if it isn't broke, why change it? I really like what Brock Stickler brings in terms of being a big, physical player who can go over the middle and catch the ball, B.J. Lewis is a star in the making and Korey Washington is a perfect fit in the slot. I expect all three to stay at the top of the depth chart and get most of the action, and don't forget about Roderick Johnson, who is also sitting second on the depth chart at one slot position. UNT has some talented freshmen behind those players, but I don't see the point in burning their redshirt year if they won't play a whole lot. I would be really surprised if Sam Roberson or Marcus King sees the field this year.

I am still sitting in the SMU press box, trying to find a way to put a remarkable night in perspective.

UNT's offense was all head coach Todd Dodge said it would be in a 45-31 loss to SMU. The list of records the Mean Green set is almost too long to run down. Daniel Meager had one of the best nights for a quarterback in school history while setting records for passing attempts (64), completions (46) and yards (601).

Meager was terrific most of the night, but made a few key mistakes late that ended up costing the Mean Green. Casey Fitzgerald was even better while finishing with 327 receiving yards. The former walk-on finished with the fourth highest yardage total for a receiver in Division I-A history.

UNT just wasn't able to capitalize on a night when its defense struggled again. The Mean Green was torched for 79 points in its opener at Oklahoma and gave up 45 points to an SMU squad that only scored nine points against Texas Tech on Monday.

Even though UNT lost, it was an exciting game. UNT fans have been calling for an exciting brand of football and Dodge no doubt provided it.

All UNT needed was to make a few more plays to come up with the win and came up short. It's too bad because there might not have been a more exciting game in recent Mean Green history.

UNT is down 31-24 and is backed up 1-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. The Mean Green needs a drive for the game-winner

James Mapps just scored on a 29-yard touchdown run to give SMU a 31-17 lead on the final play of the third quarter.

UNT has quickly run out gass after a quick start in the first half.

SMU changed the complexion of its game against UNT with a gutsy call at the end of the first half.

The Mustangs picked up a first down at UNT’s 2-yard line on a pass interference penalty in the end zone and moved to the 1 after the Mean Green was called for being offside on an incomplete pass on what appeared to be the last play of the half.

SMU cashed in when DeMyron Martin dove into the end zone on the last play of the half on an all-or-nothing play.

SMU has come back to cut its deficit to 14-10 with a 5-yard touchdown run from James Mapps. UNT appeared to have SMU stopped before Justin Willis hit Devin Lowery for a 26-yard pass on third-and-11 to the Mean Green's 5-yard line.

UNT quarterback Daniel Meager threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter of the Mean Green's game against SMU. Meager had already surpassed his career high in terms of passing yards in a game of 155.

UNT put together an impressive drive to take an early 7-0 lead over SMU in the first quarter. Wide receiver Brandon Jackson caught a 38-yard pass to spark the drive and capped it with a 4-yard catch for Daniel Meager.

UNT senior defensive end Jeremiah Chapman just ended the Mean Green's streak of games without a sack when he pulled down SMU quarterback Justin Willis in the backfield. UNT had gone three straight games without a sack dating to last season.

I just received word that freshman Micah Mosley will start at running back in place of senior Jamario Thomas, who missed significant practice time this past week because of a hamstring injury.

I wandered through the tailgating area on my way to the press box at Ford Stadium for UNT's game against SMU and from the looks of it; the Mean Green faithful have come out in impressive numbers.

I passed almost as many Mean Green fans as SMU fans. I am sure the Mustangs will have more people in the stadium, but it might be close. There is already a good collection of UNT fans filing into the stadium on the visitors’ side.

It doesn't look like last week's loss to Oklahoma has dampened the enthusiasm of the UNT faithful.

Be sure to check back on the blog for updates during the game.

The North Texas fan you would most like to come to your rescue in a burning building -- FirefightinRick -- posed a pretty good question today.

What the heck happened to Ajani Banks?

Banks, a mountain of an offensive lineman, is still with the team. Unfortunately, he is one of a few players who have taken a freefall down the Mean Green's depth chart.

Banks is with the scout team and isn't on the travel roster for this weekend's game against SMU. UNT defensive back Dominique Green is another player in the same situation. Both could be impact players, but have dropped off the depth chart after not being at their best at the beginning of fall practice.

Needless to say, it's not good news for the Mean Green, which could really use some help at cornerback and offensive line.

UNT appeared as if it would be stronger at cornerback with Green, Latif Nurudeen, Antoine Bush and Evyn Roman this season. Nurudeen, Bush and Roman all struggled against OU. Nurudeen appears to have the most potential of the bunch, but was pulled early against the Sooners after making a few key mistakes. Don’t be surprised if freshman Kevin Ealey gets more of an opportunity this week.

North Texas is going to change the players it uses to return kickoffs during its game against SMU on Saturday by giving redshirt defensive back Chris Neal and freshman defensive back Kevin Ealey an opportunity to provide the Mean Green a spark in an area it struggled against Oklahoma.

UNT's average starting field position after kickoffs was the 17-yard line, which is a remarkable stat considering the NCAA moved the spot where teams kick off back 5 yards to the 30-yard line this year.

Defensive back Antoine Bush was at the top of the Mean Green's depth chart heading into the Oklahoma game and finished with four returns for 66 yards. Wide receiver Korey Washington had four returns for 48 yards, while defensive back Evyn Roman had one return for 9 yards.

None of those players made a big impression and Bush plays fulltime at cornerback, Washington fulltime at wide receiver and Roman is seeing significant time at cornerback.

Head coach Todd Dodge was worried about Bush getting a little worn out, which is why he will turn to two young players who could provide a spark. Ealey is playing some at cornerback, but Neal was just added to the traveling roster. Neal was a second-team all-state kick returner as a junior at Kaufman.

On most days, the blog is a place where the discussion centers on the UNT football and men's basketball teams that garner the most attention among Mean Green fans. But today I wanted to take time out to point out what the UNT soccer team is up to, which as usual is something good.

John Hedlund's crew started off the season 2-0 over the weekend and beat Conference USA opponent UTEP. The Miners were picked to finish fourth in C-USA, but were no match for the Mean Green, which won 4-3 behind a pair of goals from Kendall Juett.

UNT goes head-to-head in recruiting in Dallas with UTEP and is also in the same region as the Miners.

What makes UNT's start all the more impressive is that senior forward Heather Hutyra is struggling with an ankle injury and hasn't been the offensive force she usually is. Not that it mattered against UTEP. UNT won any way.

A few interesting news tidbits came out of the North Texas midweek press conference today, none more important than athletic director Rick Villarreal saying that the school is in the process of trying to extend its series with SMU beyond this season.

The last game in the original two-year contract will be played on Saturday in Dallas. It makes too much sense for UNT and SMU not to play on a yearly basis. UNT knows it. Mean Green fans should hope its neighbor to the south can figure that out.

Interest in the UNT-SMU game will be high in and around the Dallas area, and both teams could use the attention.

Speaking of the SMU game, UNT head coach Todd Dodge went on record Tuesday with his top four cornerbacks heading into the weekend. Latif Nurudeen, Evyn Roman, Antoine Bush and freshman Kevin Ealey will all see action. I have received a lot of questions about Dominique Green, who appeared as if he would have a chance to start this year after his performance last season. Green fell off the radar pretty quickly after a slow start in fall practice and does not appear as if he will be a factor any time soon.

The performance of UNT's cornerbacks this week will be critical. I can't see why SMU wouldn't try to attack the Mean Green in the air after Oklahoma tore UNT apart with its passing game last week. Justin Willis has talent and plenty of reason to want to go after his hometown team after UNT won last season’s game.

There was some news on the injury front as well. Tackle Robert Peachey is still day-to-day with a hamstring injury and it does not look like defensive end Tye Rexrode will be returning from offseason shoulder surgery any time soon. UNT originally hoped he would be back this week.

A year ago, North Texas pulled off arguably one of its best non-conference wins in recent years against SMU in the final season of the Darrell Dickey era. It was a magical night that UNT put together because of two key factors that gave UNT an emotional edge: The Mean Green had been pointing to the Mustangs as the key opponent of the season all year long and UNT’s players had been well versed in the school’s tradition of despising its private school neighbors.

After Texas Tech pounded SMU 49-9 on Monday, the Mustangs seem to be in the same situation UNT faced last season. Phil Bennett can't lose to UNT twice in a row and the Mustangs have a host of veteran players who felt the pain of falling to UNT last season. I would just about bet the farm on the fact former Denton Ryan standout and current SMU quarterback Justin Willis has been thinking about getting even with his hometown team for a year now.

That's not to say UNT can't or won't win the first game of the Todd Dodge era in Dallas. I just have a feeling that it will take a special effort from the Mean Green, one that would well exceed what it came up with in its first game of the season against Oklahoma.

Willis didn't have a very good night against Tech on Monday, but he was the Freshman of the Year in Conference USA last season. Junior running back DeMyron Martin was hurt early against UNT and missed five of the next six games. SMU will know its back is to the wall after losing to Tech when it comes to becoming bowl eligible this season.

Players are motivated every week, or at least they should be, but every once in a while a team can have a chip on it shoulder and take advantage of it. UNT followed that path to a win over SMU last season. The Mean Green will have to be at its best Saturday because there are a lot of factors that point to the Mustangs have that same edge this season.

North Texas came out of its loss to Oklahoma without any major injuries. Sophomore tackle Robert Peachey did not dress for the game and is still trying to work his way back from a hamstring injury.

If there is any good news out of Saturday's game, the injury situation would be it. UNT will need all the help it can get against SMU next week. The Mustangs return 16 starters and are expected to compete for a bowl berth. We will see how good SMU is today when the Mustangs take on Texas Tech.

Speaking of seeing how good teams are, the results of the rest of the Sun Belt's games in the opening weekend should give the UNT faithful a few worries. Florida Atlantic looks like it is for real after it beat Middle Tennessee 27-14. UNT opens its home schedule against FAU on Sept. 22 and has never beaten the Owls. Arkansas State nearly beat Texas, Louisiana-Lafayette lost by only two touchdowns to South Carolina and Troy lost to nationally ranked Arkansas by 20.

Each of those teams looked a whole lot better than UNT did in the first weekend of the season.

The most common question sent my way in e-mail today was why UNT opened the season at Oklahoma in the first game of the Todd Dodge era instead of giving its new coach a cupcake opener. Most of the contracts UNT signs for non-conference games are finalized well in advance of the season. UNT already knows it will face LSU next season. Like most Sun Belt schools, UNT needs the influx of cash from money games like the Oklahoma and LSU games to help fund the program. UNT has cut back on the number of money games it plays each season, but still needs a couple of paydays in football each year. UNT also gains from the exposure of playing at least one of the nation's top teams each season. Recruits also want to know they will get the chance to play on the big stage at Texas or Oklahoma during their careers.

The rout in Norman continues.
Shortly after setting the mark for most points against in a game, quarterback Giovanni Vizza was sacked in the end zone to make it 79-10.
The Sooners are three points and 9:24 away from handing North Texas its worst loss in program history.

With Oklahoma's 11th touchdown, the Mean Green have now given up the most points in program history -- 77.
The previous mark was set by Nebraska, which hung 76 on North Texas in 1993. The most lopsided loss in program history was a 72-0 loss to Nevada in 1991.
Oklahoma leads 77-10 with 10:46 left in the fourth.

Mean Green quarterback Giovanni Vizza is making an argument to get the start against SMU next week.
Vizza threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Casey Fitzgerald, who dove into the end zone as he scored. It was the second scoring drive by Vizza. The Sooners lead, 63-10.

Fresh off his first collegiate scoring drive, true freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza threw into coverage and was intercepted. Oklahoma free safety Nic Harris returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown, giving the Sooners a 63-3 lead with 0:59 left in the third quarter.

It was Giovanni Vizza, not Daniel Meager, who orchestrated the Mean Green's first scoring drive of the season.

Vizza drove North Texas 47 yards, deep into Sooner territory, before the drive stalled after a false start call on third down.

Vizza completed two passes for 41 yards to spark the drive. Mean Green kicker Thomas Moreland nailed a 29-yard field goal to make it 56-3 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

True freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza entered the game at the 8:50 mark of the third quarter.
Vizza replaced Meager, who went 15-for-27 for 108 yards and an interception. Vizza's first pass was dropped by Casey Fitzgerald. The drive went three-and-out with Vizza running twice for 3 yards.

North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager is actually having one of his better games against Oklahoma, at least in terms of passing yards. At halftime, Meager has 96 yards and has completed 13-of-21 passes.

Meager has thrown for more than 150 yards only twice in his career. He had 155 yards against Louisiana Tech last season.

North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager threw the first interception of the Todd Dodge era on the Mean Green's first possession of the second half.

On third and short, Meager threw a short pass to Devin Cox, but Cox had the ball ripped from his hands by Sooner defensive back Lendy Holmes.

The Sooners needed just two plays to get running back DeMarco Murray in the end zone to make it 56-0.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford has set a record for passing yards in the first half of a game while torching North Texas' defensive backfield.

Bradford had 350 yards with a minute to go in the first half.

The Sooners have been picking on the Mean Green's cornerbacks throughout the night. Evyn Roman has had a particularly tough day.

Freshman running back Micah Mosley made his first appearance with North Texas in the first half of the Mean Green's game against the Sooners on Saturday.

Mosley is in the game in place of Jamario Thomas.

North Texas is in danger of setting a low-water mark for points allowed in a quarter since the beginning of last season.

Louisiana Tech hung 21 points on the Mean Green in the ninth game of the 2006 campaign.

Oklahoma has the ball with 9:41 left in the first quarter and has already scored 14 points.

Sophomore Robert Peachey did not dress for North Texas' game against Oklahoma because of a hamstring injury. Senior Adam Venegas will start at right tackle.

Losing Peachey is a tough break for UNT, which is already short on its offensive line heading into its game against the Sooners.

Check back on the blog throughout the day. We will have updates during and after the game.

With all the interest in North Texas and new head coach Todd Dodge, it was intriguing to learn this week that Oklahoma received some extra tickets in the last few days.

UNT didn't sell its full allotment for today's game and returned a few to OU, which put them on sale.

Despite those returns, I expect a pretty good turnout when it comes to UNT fans for Saturday's game. I have not heard from this many UNT fans who are traveling to an out-of-town game in years.

The amount of fan interest -- not to mention media attention -- UNT has received heading into the first game of the Dodge era has been remarkable.

UNT hasn't had this type of buildup for a game since the bowl years, and even those games might not have created the buzz that the Mean Green's showdown with the Sooners has generated.

It should be interesting to see if UNT can take advantage in a game the Mean Green are expected to be out of early. If UNT can keep it close early or at least have a respectable showing, it would be a huge boost for the Mean Green and the school in general.

We will find out in a few hours.