College Football News Preview 2020: North Texas Mean Green Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The North Texas Mean Green Offense
Start running the ball more. That hasn’t been a big part of the North Texas mindset in the Seth Littrell era – the passing game has been too good to not use as the main mode of transportation – but with a change at quarterback and with so many other tweaks, it’s time to use the running backs.
Tre Siggers and DeAndre Torrey are very good, very productive backs who can carry the offense and ease in the new quarterback and offensive coordinators. Get them going, get the offense to 160 rushing yards, and good things happen.
The 2018 offense ran for 160 yards five times, and won all five games. The 2019 attack only hit the mark twice, and it one once, and lost to SMU.
Under Littrell, North Texas is 16-1 when it gets those 160 yards.
Biggest Key To The North Texas Mean Green Defense
Start taking the ball aways. The Kansas defense only came up with eight takeaways last year and eight in 2017, but it generated 27 in 2018 and 22 in 2016.
Clint Bowen had a big hand in the KU defense in all four seasons, and now he has to get the Mean Green D to be more like the last few Kansas even years.
The 2018 North Texas defense was fantastic at forcing mistakes, coming up with 22 takeaways. The 16 in 2017 weren’t bad, and the 22 in 2016 were great.
The 13 from last year’s defense were the fewest in Conference USA and 115th in the nation.
There were two interceptions in the win over UTSA. and just two in the other 11 games. There were two fumble recoveries against the Roadrunner, two against Rice, and five against everyone else.
Get to 20 takeaways, and the program rebounds in a hurry.
Key North Texas Mean Green Player To A Successful Season
QB Jason Bean, Soph.
Is Bean ready to take over for a star?
Mason Fine was the North Texas offense over the last four years, and even though he was down and banged up last year, he was a Second Team All-Conference USA performance.
The 6-3, 189-pound Bean adds more of a rushing threat than Fine did, and he has a little bit of experience completing 22-of-35 passes for 176 yards and three scores with three picks last season.
The running game can add a little more help, but if Bean is ready to keep the passing game going, North Texas should bounce back in a hurry.
Key Game To The North Texas Mean Green Season
Southern Miss, Oct. 3
After a down year that was never able to turn around, the 45-27 loss at Southern Miss was one of the rougher performances.
The Louisiana Tech game is at home, and going to UAB will be important, but the home game against USM is the one that has to kickstart the improved year. UNT won three straight in the series before last season.
– North Texas Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 North Texas Fun Stats
– Rushing TDs: Opponents 31 – North Texas 11
– Passing TDs: North Texas 33 – Opponents 14
– Time of Possession: Opponents 31:52 – North Texas 28:08