By Craig Fields
Game Info
North Texas Mean Green vs. Indiana Hoosiers
Saturday – October 4 – 1:30 pm
TV: BTN
Memorial Stadium – Bloomington
The Mean Green of North Texas will look to win a game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana as they take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. The Mean Green definitely have their hearts and minds set on becoming bowl eligible for the second straight year. Getting their third win of the season against a Big Ten foe like Indiana would be a big step in realizing that dream.
Even though the Hoosiers are far from elite, they are still a Big Ten team. Any wins that UNT can get against a Power 5 conference team will look good on their resume come December when bowl eligible teams are picked.
This game looks to be a good one. On paper it looks to be really close. Both teams have weapons that they will be looking to utilize in the most effective way possible. There are a couple of names that just might play on Sundays in this one.
Tevin Coleman. I repeat Tevin Coleman. A guy averaging about 175 and two touchdowns a game; yea you better know his entire name and probably what he eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are times when the junior running back looks virtually unstoppable. He may arguably be the best running back that no one is talking about, and the Mean Green defense will have the delightful chore of trying to stop him. Good luck fellas.
So far no team has been able to figure out the enigma that is Coleman. If you are a defensive coordinator you can not say that you have had to prepare for a two pronged attack. The Hoosiers are 88th in the nation in passing barely eclipsing the 200-yard per game mark. Junior quarterback Nate Sudfield has only passed for two touchdowns this season. It is clear that the Hoosiers are only throwing the ball when they have to.
They have seemingly decided that they will go as far as Coleman’s legs can carry them. And so far he has led them to a .500 record and an impressive win against 18th ranked Missouri. There is no doubt that stopping this guy will be the Mean Green’s number one priority.
The Mean Green, on the other hand, do not appear to be as one-dimensional as the Hoosiers. Sure their stats aren’t that impressive, but they have just unleashed the multifaceted and talented redshirt freshman, Dajon Williams. He had a breakout game two weeks ago in his first ever collegiate start, and he looks pretty promising. That game was at home, in the comfort of his own stadium. Now he will have a bigger test against a far better opponent on the road. He can make plays with his arm and his legs, and will worry the Hoosier defense with his decision making and play making ability.
We all know that a strong running game is a quarterback’s best friend. However, a strong running game for a freshman quarterback is that security blanket that you just can not put a price on. Will he have that nice blanket to keep him warm this Saturday, or will he be left out in the cold butt-naked and afraid? That is the million dollar question.
The running game was effective against Nicholls State. The Mean Green ran for a total of 324 yards. Not too shabby. Against the SMU Mustangs, the Mean Green’s only other win of the season, they ran for a total of 245 yards. The point is that in their wins, they were able to control the time of possession and ultimately the flow of the game with their rushing attack. It will be absolutely imperative that senior Reggie Pegram, junior Antoinne Jimmerson and the rest of the gang get going early.
One thing that the Mean Green are good at, however, is beating one-dimensional teams. Coach McCarney and company seem to be wizards at stopping teams that just like to do one thing. It is for that reason that I am taking the Mean Green in a close and competitive game.
This game may not be one of the headliners on college football Saturday, but I fully expect a tightly contested match that will showcase good coaching, hard running, and passionate athletes, who both know the significance of this game.
Prediction: North Texas 31 – Indiana 27
