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North Texas and SMU look to meet up for the 37th time this Saturday evening in Dallas, TX at Ford Stadium at 6:00 PM. SMU leads the series 30-5-1 going back to 1922 according to CFBInfo. However, when going back to 1989, SMU only leads the series 5-3 and the home team is 7-1. An interesting fact in this series is that the last time North Texas defeated SMU on the road was in 1933 under Jack Sisco.
| North Texas versus SMU – 1989 to 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Location |
| Sat, September 3, 2016 | SMU | 34 – 21 | North Texas | Denton, TX |
| Sat, September 12, 2015 | North Texas | 13 – 31 | SMU | Dallas, TX |
| Sat, September 6, 2014 | SMU | 6 – 43 | North Texas | Denton, TX |
| Sat, September 8, 2007 | North Texas | 31 – 45 | SMU | Dallas, TX |
| Sat, September 9, 2006 | SMU | 6 – 24 | North Texas | Denton, TX |
| Sat, September 12, 1992 | North Texas | 14 – 28 | SMU | Dallas, TX |
| Sat, October 6, 1990 | SMU | 7 – 14 | North Texas | Denton, TX |
| Sat, October 28, 1989 | North Texas | 9 – 35 | SMU | Dallas, TX |
This will be an interesting game between the two schools in that SMU defeated the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks by a similar score of 58-14. Both teams put up really good numbers against their respective opponents so it is challenging to give a non-biased opinion on the two teams.
Something to keep in mind for those attending the game is that SMU has a “Clear Bag Policy“. Please read up on this policy before leaving for the game so that you are not surprised when you are not allowed to enter the stadium with items that are generally allowed at Apogee Stadium.
University of North Texas Vitals (1-0 0-0)
| First season | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Seth Littrell 2nd season, 6–8 (.429) |
| Location | Denton, Texas |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Division | West |
| All-time record | 499–497–33 (.501) |
| Bowl record | 3–6 (.333) |
| Conference titles | 24 |
Southern Methodist University Vitals (1-0 0-0)
| First season | 1915, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Athletic director | Rick Hart |
| Head coach | Chad Morris 3rd season, 7–17 (.292) |
| Stadium | Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Capacity: 32,000 +) |
| Year built | 2000 |
| Field surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| NCAA division | Division I FBS |
| Conference | The American |
| Division | West |
| Past conferences | TIAA (1915–17) SWC (1918–95) WAC (1996–2004) C-USA (2005–12) |
| All-time record | 477–522–54 (.479) |
| Bowl record | 7–7–1 (.500) |
| Conference titles | 11 (SWC) |
Offense
Advantage: North Texas. The Mean Green posted a team best 668 total yards with 451 yards coming by the ground and 232 by air. Expect a healthy dose of running from a trio of running backs — Jeffery Wilson, Nic Smith, and Evan Johnson. Mason Fine did what was expected in finishing the game at 15-21-0 for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns. SMU also put up some good numbers: 465 total yards with 243 yards by ground and 222 yards through the air.
SMU’s starting quarterback Ben Hicks (Sophomore) isn’t as mobile as Mason Fine as he has a negative rushing total (-83 yards). Unfortunately, SMU website does not list Sacks against the QB so it’s tough to tell how many times Hicks was sacked last season.
Defense
Advantage: SMU. The Mustangs did a better job of preventing the big plays that North Texas allowed. SMU also scored a touchdown on an interception. SMU allowed fewer total yards (219), passing yards (144) and rushing yards (75). There are still a few questions over how solid the receiving corp is for North Texas plus neither of the quarterbacks had a stellar showing with only 24 passes attempted against Lamar.
The North Texas defense will have its work cut out as Courtland Sutton (Junior) is a beast of a receiver as he has averaged more than 10 yards per catch and pulled in 100+ yards per game last season. Don’t be shocked to see him suiting up for an NFL team in a few years.
Special Teams
Advantage: SMU. North Texas had a few missteps (fumbled punt return leading to a touchdown) in its home opener against the Lamar Cardinals and SMU had, from a statistical standpoint, perfect special teams game. North Texas needs to eliminate the errors from the previous game plus shore up some
Media
TV: ESPN3
Radio: KNTU 88.1, KHYI 95.3 FM, and TuneIn Radio
Stats: Mean Green Sports