Mean Green

Giovanni Vizza was just knocked out of the Mean Green's game against FIU. Vizza was shaken up on a 7-yard run and has been replaced by Nathan Tune.

FIU is up 35-0 following a Paul McCall touchdown pass.

The amazing part of the way FIU has jumped out in front of UNT 28-0 in the first half is how quickly the Golden Panthers have scored when they have had the chance.

FIU has scoring drives of one, two and three plays. Throw in a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown and the Golden Panthers have 28 points on six plays. The statistics acutally look pretty similar.

UNT has 203 yards to 252 for FIU.

FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has broken free for his second long touchdown of the game in the second quarter.

HIlton took a short pass from Paul McCall and raced 73 yards for a touchdown. The Golden Panthers lead 21-0 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half.

UNT drove to FIU's 20-yard line and appeared to have something going until the Golden Panthers came up with a key stop. UNT's wide receiver fell down and Marshall McDuffie picked off a pass from Giovanni Vizza.

FIU came up with a big play against UNT's special teams (have we heard that one before?) to extend its lead to 14-0. UNT' s punt protection failed and the Golden Panthers came up with the block and returned it for a touchdown.

T.Y. Hilton, FIU's big-play wide receiver, just caught a pass over the middle and raced past UNT's defensive secondary for a 65-yard touchdown.

FIU came into the game having found some success in the running game, but is having better luck in the passing game against the Mean Green. The Golden Panthers have 110 passing yards already.

FIU took a gamble on fouth-and-1 at the UNT 10-yard line and came up short on a run up the middle by A'Mod Ned. The Golden Panthers could have taken the three points, which seems like a big risk for a team that has struggled to score this season.

For what it's worth, quarterback-wide receiver Riley Dodge is dressed out for today's game, despite a concussion he suffered last week.

Here are a couple of quick keys to North Texas' game against Florida International that is set to begin in a few minutes:

1. Can UNT stop the run?
FIU won its first game of the season last week, thanks in large part to a running game that produced four touchdowns against Toledo. Julian Reams scored three of those touchdowns and finished with 75 yards. UNT has been terrible defensively all season and will be without defensive lineman Joseph Miller, who has been the one interior defensive lineman opponents have tried to neutralize this season.

2. Can UNT get something going offensively?
UNT has not gotten its high-powered passing game going this season and is averaging just 13.8 points a game. FIU has played well defensively the last two weeks. If the Mean Green can't get on the board early, it could be a long day.

3. Can UNT stop Hilton in the return game?
FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is one of the best return men in the Sun Belt Conference and college football in general. Hilton is averaging 23.7 yards a kick return and 20.0 yards a punt return. UNT has struggled to cover kicks and punts all season. The Mean Green ranks last in the Sun Belt in kickoff coverage and seventh out of eight in net punting.

4. Can UNT avoid a letdown?
UNT caved in the second half of its game against Rice after hanging with the Owls early on. FIU has confidence and momentum after winning its first game of the season last week and has the ability to pull away from UNT if the Mean Green starts to have doubts.

I just found out who has been scratched from UNT's roster for its game against FIU and there are no big surprises.

Wide receiver BJ Lewis is out, but everyone else who was expected to play is going to be out there today.

Heading into Saturday's games there were only three winless teams in the NCAA's Bowl Subdivision: UNT, Army and Washington. The ranks are about to dwindle by one.

Army is up 37-13 on Tulane late in the fourth quarter.

Washington and Arizona play tonight.

UNT will try to join Army in getting its first win of the season here in about another hour.