Rivalry renewed

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This weekend UTSA is back in the Alamodome for the first time in two weeks. Saturday the Roadrunners will welcome the North Texas Mean Green to the historic Quad Spires on Montana street for a game of mountainous proportions.

The fact that it is a big game stems from the fact that it will be the 10th time UTSA and North Texas have squared off on the football field. In that time the series has developed from one of two teams not knowing anything about each other into a heated rivalry.

On top of that UTSA currently sits where North Texas would like to be, atop the conference standings as defending conference champions. Both teams are 3-0 in conference play. More on the game below. First a look at the history of UTSA's opponent this weekend.

North Texas had almost an 80 year head start on UTSA as a school. In 1890, the 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.

For much of its history North Texas, known as the Eagles after 1922, was part of what might now be considered the FCS level competing against fellow normal schools like SFA, Sam Houston and the 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 534-530-33. The Mean Green have had an up and down 12 seasons since UTSA began football in 2011. The Mean Green have a record of 64-79.

On November 29, 2014 the UTSA Roadrunners beat North Texas 34-27 in the Alamodome to improve their record to 23-23 all-time. That is the last time UTSA has had an all-time record at or above .500.

Fast forward to October 22, 2022 and UTSA's all-time record is 69-70. A win over North Texas will bring UTSA back to the .500 mark all-time for the first time in eight years.

If UTSA can beat North Texas in the Alamodome on Saturday it will also put UTSA on the inside track of a return trip to the conference championship game.

North Texas will certainly present a challenge to UTSA but the Roadrunners are battle tested through their first seven games. UTSA is averaging 36.3 points per game and giving up 29.7 points per game. By comparison North Texas is averaging 36.1 points per game and giving up 35 points per game.

In terms of offense the Roadrunners have averaged 489 yards a game. UTSA has averaged 343.6 yards per game passing and 145.4 yards per game rushing. The Mean Green offense is averaging 503.9 yards per game. North Texas has averaged 252.6 yards passing per game and 251.3 yards rushing per game.

UTSA's opponents are averaging 429.7 yards per game on offense. The Roadrunner defense gives up an average of 261 yards passing per game and 168.7 yards rushing per game. North Texas's defense is allowing 468.3 yards per game. Opponents of the Mean Green are averaging 289.9 yards passing and 178.4 yards rushing per game.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Saturday could be a test of wills between the two teams. It might come down to which quarterback plays best.

UTSA will like their chances with Frank Harris who has completed 179 of 260 pass attempts for 2,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. Harris' yardage is fifth most in the country.

North Texas quarterback Austin Aune has completed 110 of his 198 pass attempts for 1,692 yards and 17 touchdowns.

When it comes to running backs UTSA will have their hands full with a Mean Green rushing attack that set a season high mark of 475 yards rushing last week against Louisiana Tech. Ayo Adeyi leads the Mean Green with 557 yards on 67 carries and two touchdowns. Oscar Adaway III leads the Mean Green with 101 carries and seven touchdowns, racking up 528 yards.

UTSA's running back group has started to come around in recent weeks. Last week Kevorian Barnes had his best game as a Roadrunner rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns. On the season as a whole Brendan Brady leads the Roadrunner rushing attack with 405 yards and five touchdowns on 105 carries.

If North Texas has an advantage in the running backs group, UTSA has the advantage in the receiving corps. The Roadrunners trio of Zakhari Franklin, Josh Cephus and DeCorian "JT" Clark continue to push for and set new school receiving records. Through the first seven games this season all three have over 600 yards receiving. Clark leads in receiving yards with 678 and shares the team lead for touchdowns with Franklin at seven. Franklin has 654 yards receiving. Cephus leads the team in catches with 50 to go with 604 yards and two touchdowns. Franklin is close behind Cephus with 49 catches. Clark has 44 catches this season.

North Texas's receiving corps is led by Roderic Burns who has 22 catches for 402 yards and has scored one touchdown. Jyaire Shorter leads the Mean Green with six touchdowns to go with 292 yards on 14 catches.

The UTSA v. North Texas series has had a little bit of everything in the first nine meetings. Both teams have won on the others field and both have won gloriously and lost heartbreakingly. The first six games were all decided by one possession. The last three have been blowouts with North Texas winning big in Denton in 2019 and 2021 and UTSA setting a school record for total yards in a game in a blowout victory in 2020.

This Saturday the two teams should find themselves in a game more like the first six meetings than the past three games. Each of the last three has seen the home team wanting to prove something to the visiting team. This year will be no different.

UTSA has what North Texas wants, the Conference USA championship trophy. North Texas will do anything to get it before both teams depart for the American Athletic Conference next summer. This one will come down to who wants it more. The fact this game is in the Alamodome, which has become something of a fortress under head coach Jeff Traylor will give the Roadrunners the boost they need.

My Pick: UTSA 35 North Texas 28

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way