44-6 win over UNLV in the 100 degree heat of the Denton Desert
A beaming UNT Athletic Director Jared Mosely stood at the UNT locker room greeting players as they entered. The Mean Green football team had dominated UNLV at DATCU 44-6, out gained the Rebels 444-301 and made a laughing stock of the -6.5 opening spread. On Friday he hosted the Green Lights Gala, raising a reported $300K1. At the event, he talked up the challenges facing a program like North Texas. He referenced the biblical tale of Nehemiah and how he had to tell the Jewish people to rebuild. Mosley had to rebuild the entire football program in short order.
A moral victory against Indiana, and now a statement thumping over a 10-win team and a well-respected coach of a respected program. Jared Mosley had plenty of reasons to smile.
“They were favored” offered Neal Brown in his press conference, “by five”. He was diplomatic, offering his respect to Dan Mullen and the UNLV program. He talked up his team and the battle of the line of scrimmage. “We won on both sides of the ball.”
When MGN reviewed the film, we thought UNLV was vulnerable up front. Memphis dominated after targeting a weakness. That helped them climb back into the game and pull away. Hawaii held UNLV to just 14 before risking it all to get a stop. Were it not for a bad offensive performance, UNLV might be 0-2 coming into Denton. As it was, they were favorites largely because of their skill positions — QB, RB — and head coach pedigree.
North Texas sacked Arnold 4 times, held him to 195 passing, and held him to -11 yards rushing. He didn’t reach the endzone. This after scoring three times in the first two games. He was a weapon neutralized by a ferocious pass rush.
“We knew this was going to happen because of how well we prepared” said Davion Rhodes.
UNLV managed just two field goals, but did get into NT territory right before halftime. “Coach Powledge did a great job. They knew [UNLV] used their timeouts so there were going to be two plays. He called two defensive plays.”
NT got the stop, kept the momentum from a 20-3 lead and didn’t really look back.
“As an offensive coordinator I’m not happy. I thought we can improve.” said Brown. The offense looked a little stuck, kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns, but he sees improvement each week. So does QB Tayven Jackson. “I am just trying to get better at everything every week. [Seeing the field], executing. I just want to be a little bit better than last week.”
Right now, getting better is really just giving Jaheim White the ball more often. He had 158 total yards on 14 touches. 124 of those came on the ground, and he had a long broken-tackle filled run to give NT their first score. “He’s awesome. He’s the best back I’ve every played with and will play for a long time” Jackson said.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti said his QB’s two new best friends are a great run game and a great defense. North Texas won this game on the strength of a great running back — “best at this level”, says Neal Brown — and a great defense who has now a held Indiana, and UNLV to under 400 yards in consecutive weeks. Those two combined for 26 wins last year.
“We want to build on what [former coach] Eric Morris’ staff did last year. — Great win by those guys today by the way.”
Entering this season we didn’t know what Neal Brown and Jared Mosley could do after the most successful NT season in recent memory. How would they rebuild a football team and hope to compete at the same level — for an American title — with almost no momentum in the form of roster consistency to build with? Well so far they have put a physical team with a tough running game, supported by a improving pass game.
Jared Mosley has reason to smile.
It was ridiculously hot. MGN took in the game from the Wing while the 9 other guests huddled in the shadows. We ranged in age from 3 years to 78 years so there were different tolerances. As a group we managed just one series all together. It was brutal.
The home side was shadier, by design of course. However the idea when we built this thing last decade was that the games would be at 6pm, and the road side would feel the sun in their eyes for a quarter or two. The new media deal says North Texas has to play at 2:45pm, in 100-degree heat. MGN measured the field at 154 in pre-game. No matter the die-hard level, those aren’t ideal circumstances to draw a big crowd. The University of Texas, with their giant brand, had people huddling in DKR concourses last week during the midday heat, and NT was no different today. The announced crowd was 20K and by the second half most were in the shade or the home side.
I do not blame anyone for not spending much time at DATCU today. The team was good, and a win was likely always coming, but the heat is a gigantic burden. As I walked from the stadium post-game press conferences, the still-hot weather was much more tolerable. A cool(er) breeze was coming through as the sun began to set in the 7-o’ clock hour.
These are the circumstances we find ourselves in. North Texas, Texas, and any number of programs large and small are subject to the whims of media windows.
For his part, Neal Brown said they prepared for this moment and credited his strength and conditioning staff for helping his team prepare for the heat. “It was just another day for us.”
MGN went, had a good time, bought a centerpiece and a trip to Greece.