Football’s season on the line versus no. 22 UTSA
North Texas has reached the apex of their season as they take on the no. 22 University of Texas-San Antonio with a chance to become bowl eligible.
“Our guys are really excited, we’ve had a four week run here [where] we’ve continued to get better each week,” head coach Seth Littrell said. “It’s a rivalry week and we got a great opponent coming in here.”
UTSA (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA) has been the class of C-USA this year. With eleven straight wins, the Roadrunners come into Denton the 22nd ranked team in the country–the only ranked team in the conference.
Last weekend, the Roadrunners faced a near-loss versus the University of Alabama-Birmingham until a last second passing touchdown from senior quarterback Frank Harris allowed UTSA to escape with a 34-31 victory.
Harris has been the driving force behind the undefeated UTSA record, as the senior quarterback has 23 touchdowns on the season compared to just five interceptions and over 2,600 passing yards.
“Frank [Harris] does a great job of managing the offense, he’s been very efficient all year long, throwing the ball extremely well,” Littrell said.
Harris and the Roadrunners enter Apogee Stadium facing a North Texas (5-6, 4-3 C-USA) defense that has been on a hot streak as of late.
Allowing just 15.5 points per game and forcing a turnover in three straight games during the four game winning streak, Phil Bennett’s defense is a different unit than it was in the first seven games in 2021.
“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish,” junior linebacker KD Davis said. “We started out rough and now we are on a four game winning streak…it just shows.”
North Texas’ predominant run offense will face a UTSA rushing defense that’s top 10 in the country.
The Mean Green rank no. 4 for rushing offense in the nation.
A marching Mean Green offense that rushes for 236.6 yards per game versus the Roadrunners defense that surrenders just 101.7 yards rushing per game is a storyline that Littrell is aware of, saying that “something’s got to break” in reference to both teams rushing prowess on either side of the ball.
Last season, UTSA dominated the Mean Green in what was a 49-17 thrashing in San Antonio. Harris threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns while Sincere McCormick rushed for 251 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Former wideout Jaelon Darden and senior tight end Jason Pirtle rounded out scoring for North Texas.
Both teams have much more on the line in 2021’s edition of their matchup, with an undefeated season on the line for UTSA and bowl eligibility after fighting back into the season for North Texas.
“We’re treating it like the playoffs,” senior offensive lineman Jacob Brammer said. “You lose and you’re done.”
Image sourceMean Green Sports
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