By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
North Texas Mean Green vs Rice Owls
Saturday – October 30 – 1:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN3
Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
Records Before the Game
North Texas Mean Green (1-6, 0-3)
Rice Owls (3-4, 2-1)
Both teams are in the same conference but different divisions. North Texas is currently in 6th place while Rice is in 4th place in the West division of Conference USA. North Texas had big dreams of winning the conference and going to a bowl this year. The Mean Green is currently 1-6 and struggling overall. Let’s take a look at the Mean Green on the road.
Better Look Next Year!
North Texas has a decent team that hasn’t meshed the way the fans and coaching staff thought they would. I’m still taking the positive accomplishments while watching these kids for the rest of the season. Both teams are struggling on the defensive side of the ball. The same problem from last year.
UNT Mean Green
Ball protection on the offense and tough defensive play will be key for the Mean Green. The offense averages 23 points per game while the defense gives up 35 points to their opposition. It has been difficult for fans to watch the Mean Green this year. There’s always a chance to turn things around with a win on the road in Houston. The x factor is the defense and creating turnovers and scoring points off of turnovers will be key for the Mean Green.
Rice Owls
Rice is sitting at 3-4 this season. If they get a win at home this week, they will become a .500 team. They will win 6 games this year and become bowl eligible. This will be a huge turn around for the Owls. Senior QB Jake Constantine is questionable for Saturday’s game. Senior RB Jordan Myers will need to get at least 20 touches this week. North Texas’ defense is giving up 193 rushing yards a game, so this week is a good one to run the ball. The Rice offense isn’t prolific. They only average 18 points a game this season.
Prediction
ESPN has the Mean Green with a 56.5% chance of winning on the road. I’m also taking UNT to get the win as well. The over/under is 56, so take the over in this one.
Final Score
Mean Green – 35
Owls – 29
