BlueRaiderPride Wrote:

MeanGreen61 Wrote:

BlueRaiderPride Wrote:<span style='font-family:Times'><span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>The conference champ will be determined by winning percentages.  Troy has a very favorable schedule.

Here's an interesting fact that you may not have known.  North Texas has dominated the Sun Belt for the past three seasons.  At home against Sun Belt teams, they've never lost, HOWEVER, they came very close to losing to one at home in 2001.  That team they nearly lost to was Middle Tennessee State.  A fieldgoal was the difference and remains as the closest call at home North Texas ever had against a Sun Belt team.  Interestingly enough, North Texas hasn't lost to MTSU since then, but then again, the Mean Green are more solid on the road and they've not seen MTSU in Denton the past two seasons.

North Texas' Sun Belt win streak began with that October victory in 2001 against Middle Tennessee.  Come October of 2004, North Texas will face Middle Tennessee in Denton for the first time since that day in 2001.  The spirited Raiders can beat North Texas at Fouts.

With that said, I truly believe that the conference champ will be Troy University (undefeated in conference play).

Behind them I see Middle Tennessee (only conference loss to Troy) followed by North Texas (with 2 conference losses) and in fourth place, Louisiana-Monroe (with five conference victories).

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Came very close in 2001 ? Middle Tennessee was trailing 21-7 at the half. Nt was leading 24-14 in the 4th. Middle Tennesee scored with 6:43 remaining to pull within 3. Raiders played catchup throughout the game. North Texas lead the entire game & it's not as if a win was pulled out in the last minute. :wave:

<span style='font-family:Times'><span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Maybe, but Darryl Dickey never pulled his defensive starters either, which suggests that North Texas' defense weakened as the game progressed. It didn't help matters any that Middle Tennessee was overlooking North Texas going into that game. MTSU certainly has been known to do that alot (SEMO in 2002; FAU and Temple in 2003).

This time is a little different, MeanGreen61. North Texas is not that perennial patsy everyone played them out to be going into 2001, and Middle Tennessee is no longer in the spotlight like in 2001. The pressure is on UNT.

MTSU can exploit the defensive secondary of UNT and even though you guys won't admit it, the losses of Branch and Nwigwe will have an affect on your offense. Nwigwe was Hall's wingman. I've yet to hear of anybody stepping up to be the new #1 receiver at UNT.</span></span></span>

The #1 receiver at North Texas last year was R/S freshman Johnny Quinn. The #2 receiver was TE Andy Blount. Both are back, both are pre-season all-conference.

Re: the 2001 game. Middle Tennessee came to Denton over confident and not really prepared. Coach Mac made a huge mistake in underrating North Texas.