One win away from a dozen

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Thanksgiving weekend is here and that means rivalry games in college football. One rivalry that has recently found its way to Thanksgiving weekend is the rivalry series that Texans didn't know they needed. That series is of course the one between UTSA and North Texas.

Among the great rivalries in America the brouhaha between UTSA and North Texas is among the youngest. The first meeting came on November 23, 2013. On that day the Roadrunners beat North Texas, 21-13, in Denton to keep the Mean Green out of the Conference USA championship game that season.

In the first four games of the series UTSA won three times. The lone win for North Texas in the first four games came in 2015 when they kept UTSA from getting their third win of the season (UTSA eventually got that third win later in the year). North Texas went on a three-game winning streak between 2017 and 2019. Last season the Roadrunners tied the series at 4-4 with a 49-17 win in the Alamodome.

Few could have imagined a decade ago that UTSA and North Texas would become the best--or worst--of rivals. Aside from the fact both are public universities there aren't a lot of similarities. At 52 years old UTSA is a youngster as a university compared to North Texas.

The story of North Texas begins nearly 80 years before that of UTSA. In 1890 the 2,500 residents of Denton opened the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute. Four years later the school became known as North Texas Normal College. In 1901 it became known as North Texas State Normal College. In 1913 a football team came to Denton. The North Texas team that year played only one game (a loss to TCU) but it was the start of a long football history.

North Texas has had an up and down history on the football field literally. For much of its history North Texas was part of what might now be considered the FCS level competing against fellow normal schools like SFA, Sam Houston and a teachers college in San Marcos.

In the 1970s North Texas (by now known as the Mean Green on the football field) became a Division I-A (Modern FBS) Independent. After an unsuccessful attempt at joining the Southwest Conference the Mean Green were forced to move down to the FCS level in the early 80s. It took until 1995 before North Texas was back at the FBS level as an Independent. North Texas joined the Sun Belt in 2001 and then made its way to Conference USA in 2013 where a rivalry with UTSA was soon born.

Since starting football in 1913, North Texas has an all-time record of 529-526-33. This past decade has been an up and down one for North Texas. Since the start of the 2011 season the Mean Green have a record of 59-75.

There will be a lot on the line at Denton's Apogee Stadium this Saturday afternoon. UTSA will enter as the seventh school among the 12 FBS schools in Texas to start a season 11-0. The Roadrunners will look to become the sixth school in Texas to start a season 12-0. Up north in Denton there is bowl eligibility on the line for the Mean Green. North Texas is 5-6 through the first 11 games. It's an amazing turnaround for a Mean Green team that lost six in a row after opening the season with a win over Northwestern State.

Saturday will mark the first time ever that a ranked team plays at Apogee Stadium, a gridiron that opened in 2011. Both teams are trying to ruin the season of the other. Only one team will leave the field happy as the sun sets on Saturday.

This year's Roadrunner team has scored the most points of any team in school history, entering the final game of the season with 420 points in 2021 (38.18 per game). The 221 points (20.09 per game) given up by UTSA this season are the third fewest ever given up in a season in program history.

North Texas has scored 298 points this season (27.09 per game) and opponents of the Mean Green have combined for 307 points (27.91 per game).

When it comes to total yardage both offenses are surprisingly close. UTSA has 4836 yards of offense this season (439.6 per game) and North Texas has 4832 yards of offense (439.3 per game). There is a little bit of separation when it comes to yards given up to opponents. UTSA's defense has given up 3705 yards (336.8 per game) and North Texas's defense has given up 4172 yards (379.3 per game).

UTSA has 2893 yards passing (263 per game) and 1943 yards rushing (176.6 per game). The North Texas offense has been more run based this season. North Texas has 2614 yards rushing (237.6 per game) and 2218 yards passing (201.64 per game). In last year's win against North Texas, UTSA set a school record for total yardage in a game.

On defense UTSA's opponents have thrown for 2586 yards (235.09 per game) and run for 1119 yards (101.7 per game). UNT opponents have thrown for 2599 yards (236.27 per game) and run for 1573 yards (143 per game).

INDIVIDUAL STARS

Frank Harris enters the final regular season game leading the Roadrunner offense with 215 completions out of 320 attempts for 2629 yards and 23 touchdowns. Harris's 23 touchdowns is tied for 17th in the country. Harris has thrown five interceptions this season but his 387 yards rushing is the second most on the Roadrunners.

North Texas has had both Austin Aune and Jace Ruder see time at quarterback. Aune has had more of the workload, completing 126 of 146 pass attempts for 1647 yards and nine touchdowns. Aune has thrown seven interceptions.

The stars of both the Roadrunners and the Mean Green are the running backs.

Sincere McCormick leads the Roadrunner ground attack with 1215 yards and 12 touchdowns on 250 attempts. McCormick's 12 touchdowns is tied for 23rd in the country. McCormick needs 253 yards in the final three games to surpass his total from last season.

The Mean Green have DeAndre Torrey leading their rushing efforts this season. Torrey has 1107 yards and 10 touchdowns on 225 attempts.

In the receiving game UTSA is still led by the trinity of Zakhari Franklin, Joshua Cephus and DeCorian Clark. Franklin and Cephus have both caught 64 passes this season. Both Franklin and Cephus are setting a new school record in that category with each catch.

Franklin has 847 yards and 10 touchdowns to show for his 64 catches, allowing him to set school records in both categories. Cephus's 64 catches have resulted in 740 yards and six touchdowns. Clark has 39 catches for 589 yards and five touchdowns.

One more Roadrunner to note is Oscar Cardenas, the leading receiver among the tight end group. Cardenas has caught 12 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, none bigger than his winning touchdown last Saturday.

The North Texas receiving corps is led by Roderic Burns. Burns has caught 52 passes for 702 yards and four touchdowns. Jason Pirtle has caught 37 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns.

SPECIAL TEAMS AND TURNOVERS

Last weekend Lucas Dean set a new school record with a 73-yard punt in the win against UAB. On the season Dean has 37 punts for 1665 yards (45 yards per punt). Dean has had 17 punts downed inside the opponents 20-yard-line and eight punts of 50+yards. North Texas counters with Bernardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has punted 52 times for 2444 yards (43.15 per punt) this season. Rodriguez has had 13 punts downed inside the 20 and 14 punts go for 50+ yards.

Sheldon Jones will handle the punt returns for UTSA. Jones has 263 yards on 21 punt returns. The 263 yards in punt return by Jones is fifth most in the country. Burns will likely be the punt returner for North Texas. Burns has nine punts for 66 yards.

Hunter Duplessis has handled most of the field goal attempts for UTSA this season. Duplessis has made 20 of his 25 field goal attempts. Everett Ornstein has also made a field goal for UTSA this season.

North Texas field goals have been kicked by Ethan Mooney and Aaron Beckham. Mooney has made 10-of-13 field goal attempts. Beckham has made two of three field goals.

Turnovers could be an important factor in the game on Saturday.

UTSA will enter the game on Saturday with a plus-12 turnover differential. On offense the Roadrunners have thrown five interceptions and lost four fumbles. The Roadrunner defense has intercepted 10 passes and recovered 11 fumbles.

North Texas has a plus-1 turnover differential. The Mean Green offense has thrown 12 interceptions and lost two fumbles. On defense the Mean Green have six interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.

The greatest season in UTSA football history has reached the 12th game. Even before the season began this game between UTSA and North Texas was circled by both fanbases. That is the beauty of rivalries. It brings people together.

UTSA has had to jump a lot of hurdles this season and now they have one final hurdle separating them from a 12-0 regular season. That final leap will have to be done in a stadium that UTSA hasn't won in since 2013. The three trips since that one have ended either in heartbreak or blowout. This trip won't end in blowout, either as a Roadrunner win or loss. UTSA will get the best shot from North Texas.

It won't be easy but UTSA will have a chance to write a 12 in the win column. To get that 12th win the Roadrunners will need the triangle of toughness to travel one more time. The triangle found success in the five previous stops on the road this season. I believe the Roadrunners will find success in Denton this weekend. There is just something about this team. They always find a way.

My pick: UTSA 31 North Texas 21

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way