A Rivalry fit for Thanksgiving

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For the last nine years the people of Texas have searched for an in-state rivalry game to enjoy with leftovers on Thanksgiving weekend. The search might be over. UTSA vs. North Texas is the Thanksgiving Rivalry the Lone Star State has been looking for.

A good Thanksgiving rivalry should have history. UTSA and North Texas may be playing in just the eighth game against each other but the first seven have been full of moments that continue to be talked about and will be talked about for years to come. There was UTSA's upset win in 2013. North Texas miracle win in 2017.

A Rivalry should also involve closely contested games. All but two of the first seven games were decided by single digits. The outliers are UTSA's 31-17 win in 2016 (The last time UTSA beat North Texas) and North Texas's 45-3 flattening of UTSA last season.

For it to qualify for a Thanksgiving Rivalry games have to be played around Thanksgiving. There is another check off the list. UTSA and North Texas have met four times in the final two weeks of November. This weekend will be the second time they meet the saturday after Thanksgiving. In the games played in November UTSA is 2-1 against North Texas.

So if the powers-that-be of Conference USA are reading this preview (thank you) go ahead and schedule UTSA against North Texas for Thanksgiving Weekend going forward. The Lone Star State will thank you.

Before we jump into the preview let us take a look at the north half of the new Lone Star Showdown, the North Texas Mean Green.

A SCHOOL WITH MANY NAMES

North Texas began in 1890 as a teacher's college (UTSA seems to start rivalries with teachers colleges). It has been located in Denton from the very beginning. Like the teacher's college in San Marcos, the one in Denton has undergone many different names. For the first four years of business, it was known as the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute.

From 1894 to 1901 the Dentonites were known as North Texas Normal College. In 1901 it became North Texas State Normal College. By 1923 the name changed again to North Texas State Teachers College. In 1949 it became just North Texas State College. By 1961 it upgraded to a university and in 1988 North Texas State University became the University of North Texas.

While the school went through a rolodex of names in its early years the people of Denton had to wait until 1913 to get themselves a football team. That first year the Eagles, as they were called then, only played one game, a loss to TCU.

For most of its football history North Texas has seen its ups and downs. The team has won 16 conference championships between the Lone Star Conference, Gulf Coast Conference and Sun Belt. North Texas became the Mean Green in the 60s. The name is in reference to Mean Joe Greene who went from North Texas State to fame with the Pittsburgh Steelers. (If UTSA were to change its name based on a star player would they go with Devastating Davenports or the Magnificent Morgans?)

North Texas joined Conference USA with UTSA prior to the 2013 season. So began a series that has quickly developed into a rivalry.

There will be a lot on the line this Saturday afternoon in the Alamodome. UTSA enters the game with a 4-1 record at home. A win over North Texas would give UTSA five wins at home in a season for the first time ever.

If UTSA can knock off North Texas on Saturday it would also allow the Roadrunners to snap a three-game losing streak against the Mean Green and get to seven wins for the third time in program history.

A win over North Texas would also boost UTSA's chances of winning the Conference USA West division.

North Texas will enter having played last weekend for the first time in a month. The Mean Green are 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in conference. and have only played one road game so far this season. After playing UTSA North Texas will finish out the season hosting Louisiana Tech and facing UTEP on the road.

In their first six games this season North Texas is averaging 37.17 points per game and giving up an average of 39.67 points per game.

The Mean Green offense has 1813 yards passing (302.17 per game) and 1544 yards rushing (257.3 per game) so far this season. The North Texas defense has given up 1858 yards passing (309.67 per game) and 1265 yards rushing (210.8 per game).

Leading the Mean Green offense has been a tandem of quarterbacks, Austin Aune and Jason Bean. Aune has completed 76 of 137 passes for 1233 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Bean has completed 36 of 64 passes for 547 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception.

Jaelon Darden continues to be the class of the Mean Green receivers as he leads the Dentonites with 50 catches for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. The Mean Green rushing attack has been led by DeAndre Torrey with 546 yards and five touchdowns on 86 carries.

HOW DO THE ROADRUNNERS MATCHUP?

UTSA will counter with their best offense in some time. Sincere McCormick continues to put his name in the UTSA record books and should provide the Mean Green defense their toughest test this season. The Roadrunner receiving corps has continued to improve each week and the tight ends are even getting to a point where defenses have to figure out how to slow them down.

The Roadrunner defense is also playing better as the season winds down. In recent weeks the Roadrunners have held opponents to 21 and 20 points respectively. This season there have only been two games that UTSA opponents have scored more than 30 points.

Hunter Duplessis will put his streak of made field goals on the line again on Saturday. Since missing two in the last meeting against North Texas, Duplessis has only missed one field goal. With Duplessis on field goals and Lucas Dean handling the punts UTSA has seen special teams become a strength this season.

Anytime rivalry games are played its said to throw records out the window. With UTSA at 6-4 and North Texas at 3-3 the records would say both teams are good. There is a lot going for UTSA since the last time these two met. The shellacking from last year will also not sit well with the Roadrunners.

A week ago UTSA snapped a three-game losing streak against Southern Miss last week. They have a chance to snap a three-game skid against North Texas. This one will be close and will probably come down to the final minutes. The fact the game is in the Alamodome and with the momentum UTSA is carrying I can see them pulling out the win.

Regardless of outcome the people of Texas should win by getting to see a good rivalry game on Thanksgiving Weekend.

PREDICTION: UTSA 33 North Texas 27

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way