2012 North Texas Mean Green football team

2012 North Texas Mean Green football
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Record	4–8 (3–5 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Dan McCarney (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Canales (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	John Skladany (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Apogee Stadium (Capacity: 30,850)
Seasons ←  2011 2013  →

2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Arkansas State $		7	–	1					10	–	3
Louisiana–Monroe		6	–	2					8	–	5
Middle Tennessee		6	–	2					8	–	4
Louisiana–Lafayette *		4	–	2					5	–	4
Western Kentucky		4	–	4					7	–	6
Troy		3	–	5					5	–	7
North Texas		3	–	5					4	–	8
Florida Atlantic		2	–	6					3	–	9
FIU		2	–	6					3	–	9
South Alabama **		1	–	7					2	–	11
$ – Conference champion * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations. ** – South Alabama was ineligible for the conference title or a bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.

The 2012 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was led by second-year head coach Dan McCarney and played its home games at Apogee Stadium. It was the Mean Green's 12th and final season as members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC); the school joined Conference USA on July 1, 2013. ^[1] The team finished with a record of four wins and eight losses (4–8 overall, 3–5 in the SBC) to finish seventh in the conference.

After the completion of the 2011 season, McCarney focused on continuing the momentum created during the team's last game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. 25 players signed letters of intent to play for the Mean Green, and the team's spring practice ended with an intrasquad scrimmage. The team announced its schedule in March 2012, which included five opponents that were bowl eligible in 2011. The season opened with a road loss to the LSU Tigers and a home opening win against the Texas Southern Tigers. The team began conference play with a loss to the Troy Trojans. The season reached its zenith when the Mean Green defeated the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in a nationally televised game on October 16, but the team only won one of its remaining five games to finish with its eighth straight losing season. ^[2]

Before the season

Recruiting class

25 players signed letters of intent to begin playing for North Texas in 2012.

US college sports recruiting information for 2012 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
David Busby DB	Coppell, TX	Coppell	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jan 27, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 75
Dustin Clark OLB	Borger, TX	Borger	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Dec 17, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Devante Davis DB	Baton Rouge, LA	Woodlawn	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 76
Malik Dialonga DE	Cedar Hill, TX	Trinity Christian	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	243 lb (110 kg)	Jul 20, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 75
Boone Feldt OL	Buda, TX	Hays	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	Jul 31, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 77
Cam Feldt OT	Pilot Point, TX	Arkansas	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	338 lb (153 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: TR
Mustafa Haboul DT	Arlington, TX	Martin	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Jan 31, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Carlos Harris RB	Frisco, TX	Frisco	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	152 lb (69 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Brad Horton DE	Denton, TX	Liberty Christian	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Sep 12, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 73
Jamarcus Jarvis RB	Houma, LA	East Ascension	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
D. Q. Johnson CB	Council Bluffs, IA	Iowa Western CC	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jan 12, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: JC
Xavier Kelly CB	Houston, TX	Mayde Creek	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Oct 27, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 72
Rodrick Lancaster WR	Dallas, TX	Life School (Oak Cliff)	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	Jun 20, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Mark Lewis RB	Livonia, LA	Livonia	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 75
Jamal Marshall S	Missouri City, TX	Elkins	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jan 31, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Dylan McDorman DT	Wichita Falls, TX	East Ascension	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Oct 7, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Ryan Rentfro OG	Flower Mound, TX	Flower Mound Marcus	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Jarrian Roberts ILB	Clarksville, TX	Clarksville	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Sep 1, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Rex Rollins RB	Tyler, TX	Chapel Hill	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jul 3, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Nick Schrapps WR	Beaumont, TX	Monsignor Kelly Catholic	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Sep 1, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 72
LaJaylin Smith OLB	Laplace, LA	East Ascension	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	218 lb (99 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Marcus Trice CB	Norman, OK	Oklahoma	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: TR
Connor Trussell OT	Arlington, TX	James Martin	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	Jan 28, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Sir Calvin Wallace DT	Tyler, TX	Chapel Hill	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Jul 5, 2011
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Dutton Watson DE	Midland, TX	Midland Christian	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: t109   Rivals: t100   ESPN: Not Ranked Top 25
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "North Texas 2012 Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012. "2012 North Texas Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012. "2012 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012. "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012.

Spring practice

2012 Green vs. White spring football game

1 2 3 4 Total White 20 0 0 0 20 •Green 7 7 14 13 41 Date: April 21 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 2:00 p.m. CST Sources: [3]

Spring practice began on March 28 and included 15 practices and an intrasquad scrimmage planned to avoid conflicts with classes. Head Coach Dan McCarney supervised the annual Green and White football game that concluded the spring football schedule on April 21. ^[4] The 2012 match featured the first and third string members comprising the Green Team and the second and fourth string members comprising the White team.

The White team was given a 20-point lead at the start of the contest; they would be unable to score the rest of the game. Quarterback Derek Thompson threw six passes with four completions for 162 yards in the first half. Wide receivers Ivan Delgado and Brelan Chancellor combined for five catches and three touchdowns. Delgado finished with 2 receptions for 114 yards and 1 touchdown while Chancellor had three receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Two rushes by running back Jeremy Brown for 52 and 25 yards gave the Green team the lead in the third quarter, bringing the score to 21–20. Ten minutes later, running back Antoinne Jackson rushed ten yards to increase the lead to 28–20. In the fourth quarter, Chancellor caught a 52-yard reception from quarterback Andrew McNulty. Antoinne Jimmerson ran 30 yards for his second rushing touchdown to make the final score 41–20. ^[3]

Roster

2012 North Texas Mean Green football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 19 John Dodson Sr QB 15 Andrew McNulty So QB 11 Brett Osborn Jr QB 7 Derek Thompson (C)  Jr RB 20 Jeremy Brown Sr RB 24 Brandin Byrd Jr RB 22 Antoinne Jimmerson  Fr RB 38 Bryan Monroe Jr RB 39 Konockus Sashington So RB 23 Zac Whitfield  Fr RB 26 Dimitri Wilhite Jr TE 92 Raymond Burks So TE 8 Cooper Jones  Fr TE 86 Drew Miller Jr TE 1 Andrew Power Sr TE 89 Daniel Prior Sr TE 84 Marcus Smith Fr TE 88 Tanner Smith So WR 81 Christopher Bynes  Sr WR 34 Carl Caldwell So WR 3 Brelean Chancellor Jr WR 10 Ivan Delgado Sr WR 17 Lynrick Pleasant Jr WR 14 Chaz Sampson  Fr WR 16 Derrick Teegarden So OL 64 LaChris Aniyam Jr OL 77 Travis Ellard  Fr OL 70 Coleman Freely Sr OL 74 Cam Feldt So OL 60 Aaron Fortenberry (C) Sr OL 71 Antonio Johnson So OL 62 Cyril Lemon So OL 68 Grant Shaw  Fr OL 63 Nicolas Summerfield Sr OL 65 Micah Thompson So OL 57 Mason Y'Barbo So	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 19 Brandon Allen Fr DB 31 Kenny Buyers Fr DB 46 Willie Hubbard Fr DB 37 Josepg Igboeli Jr DB 6 Hilbert Jackson Jr DB 2 D. Q. Johnson Jr DB 27 Lairamie Lee So DB 17 Kevin Maduka Sr DB 15 Mike Marshall So DB 8 Marcus Trice Jr DB 21 Freddie Warner So DE 44 Aaron Bellazin Jr DE 95 Alexander Lincoln So DE 49 Daryl Mason So DE 93 Brandon McCoy (C) Jr DE 48 K. C. Obi Sr DE 91 Austin Orr  Fr DT 97 Richard Abbe Jr DT 69 Joe Astorga Fr DT 90 Ryan Boutwell Jr DT 96 Tevinn Cantly Sr LB 52 Derek Akunne So LB 38 Brendan Campbell Fr LB 36 Brandon Davis Fr LB 54 Blake Dunham So LB 50 Robert Lewis Jr LB 59 Jarrod Lynn Fr LB 35 Zachary Orr (C) Jr LB 45 Jeremy Phillips Sr LB 42 Chad Polk  Fr LB 13 Michael Stojkovic So LB 53 Kendall Washington  Fr LB 11 Will Wright Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 41 Will Atterberry Sr PK 37 Zach Olen Jr	Head coach Dan McCarney (Iowa) Coordinators/assistant coaches Mike Canales (Utah State) Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks John Skladany (Ohio) Defensive coordinator Justin Gaines (Montana) Cornerbacks Mike Grant (Nebraska) Running backs Noah Joseph (Drake) Safeties Mike Nelson (Dayton) Defensive line Nick Quartaro (Xavier) Asst. head coach/Wide Receivers Kent Riddle (Oregon State) Special teams/tight ends Mike Simmonds (Indiana State) Offensive line Travis Bell (Arizona) Tight ends Sadiq Muhammed (Kansas) Linebackers Scotty Conley (Texas A&M) Director of football operations/recruiting coordinator Frank Wintrich (Kentucky Wesleyan) Strength coach [5] Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Schedule

The University of North Texas announced the official football game schedule for 2012 on March 1, 2012. Five of the Mean Green's 12 opponents in 2012 participated in a bowl game the previous season. ^[6] Sports analyst Phil Steele rated the schedule as the 79th toughest out of 124 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. ^[7]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 pm	at No. 3 LSU *	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	ESPNU	L 14–41	92,059
September 8	6:00 pm	Texas Southern *	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	TXA 21	W 34–7	22,259
September 15	6:00 pm	at No. 15 Kansas State *	Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Manhattan, KS	FSN	L 21–35	50,290
September 22	6:00 pm	Troy	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	ESPN3	L 7–14	21,823
September 29	4:00 pm	at Florida Atlantic	FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL	ESPN3	W 20–14	13,888
October 6	6:00 pm	at Houston *	Robertson Stadium Houston, TX	CSS/CSNH	L 21–44	25,476
October 16	8:00 pm	Louisiana–Lafayette	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	ESPN2/ESPN3	W 30–23	17,055
October 27	3:30 pm	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	ESPN3	L 21–38	14,102
November 3	4:00 pm	Arkansas State	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX		L 19–37	17,534
November 10	4:00 pm	South Alabama	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	TXA 21	W 24–14	15,963
November 17	3:00 pm	at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA		L 16–42	14,079
November 24	12:00 pm	at Western Kentucky	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN3	L 24–25	11,074
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

• Source: ^[8]

Media

All North Texas football games aired via the Mean Green Radio Network, with George Dunham providing play-by-play action and Hank Dickenson providing analysis. Mean Green Radio Network coverage was carried on KNTU 88.1 FM in Denton and on KHYI 95.3 FM in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. 2012 was the first year KHYI provided Mean Green football coverage. ^[9] Both stations also streamed live online.

Game summaries

Louisiana State

See also: 2012 LSU Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 0 7 0 7 14 •Tigers 14 10 3 14 41 Date: September 1 Location: Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA Game start: 6:02 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:30 Game attendance: 92,059 Game weather: 82°, possible thunderstorms, winds S 4–7 mph Referee: Tom Ritter TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick, Matt Stinchcomb, and Allison Williams Sources: [10]

Scoring summary 1 12:30 LSU Kenny Hilliard 38-yd run (Drew Alleman kick) LSU 7–0 1 6:36 LSU Odell Beckham 70 yd punt return (Drew Alleman kick) LSU 14-0 2 14:56 LSU Kenny Hilliard 5 yd run (Drew Alleman kick) LSU 21-0 2 2:26 LSU Drew Alleman 44-yd field goal LSU 24-0 2 1:55 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 80-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) LSU 24-7 3 2:10 LSU Drew Alleman 44-yd field goal LSU 27-7 4 14:51 LSU Kadron Boone 34-yd pass from Zach Mettenberger (Drew Alleman kick) LSU 34-7 4 7:28 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 15-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) LSU 34-14 4 2:20 LSU J.C. Copeland 5 yd run (Drew Alleman kick) (Drew Alleman kick) LSU 34-7

The first game for the Mean Green's season was scheduled against the LSU Tigers football team, who had last played in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game against the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team at the end of the 2011 season, losing 21–0. In the week before the game, concerns over the path and effects of Tropical Storm Isaac forced local officials in Louisiana to consider contingency plans for the game. ^[11] Although the Tigers were forced to alter their practice schedule leading up to the game, the contest was held as scheduled in Tiger Stadium. The Mean Green's two scoring drives were capped by touchdown passes of 80 and 15 yards from quarterback Derek Thompson to wide receiver Brelan Chancellor. The Tigers' 508 yards of total offense led the team to a 41–14 victory over the Mean Green in the season opener. ^[12]

Texas Southern

See also: 2012 Texas Southern Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 0 7 0 7 •Mean Green 7 10 3 14 34 Date: September 8 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 6:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 22,259 Game weather: 85°, clear, winds NE 13 mph Referee: Perry Havener TV announcers (TXA21): Dave Barnett and Doug Anderson Sources:

For their first home game of the 2012 season, the Mean Green defeated the Texas Southern University Tigers, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 34–7. The Tigers, who finished the 2011 season with a 4–7 record, were limited to 185 yards of total offense, while the Mean Green totaled 497 yards, most of which came from rushing. ^[13] The game was the first home opening win for the Mean Green since the team defeated the SMU Mustangs football team during the 2006 season.

Kansas State

See also: 2012 Kansas State Wildcats football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 7 0 6 8 21 •Wildcats 7 7 7 14 35 Location: Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Manhattan, KS Game start: 6:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:06 Game attendance: 50,290 Game weather: 70°, cloudy, winds SE 5 mph Referee: Charles Lewis TV announcers (FSN): Mike Morgan, J. C. Pearson, and Laura McKeeman Sources: [14]

Scoring summary 1 4:00 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 6-yd run (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 7–0 1 3:47 Kansas State Tyler Lockett Tyler 96-yd kickoff return (A. Cantele kick) 7-7 2 2:24 Kansas State T. Thompson 38-yd pass from Collin Klein (A. Cantele kick) Kansas State 14-7 3 7:03 North Texas A. Jimmerson 1-yd run (Zach Olen kick failed) Kansas State 14-13 3 3:15 Kansas State T. Thompson 21-yd pass from Collin Klein (A. Cantele kick) Kansas State 21-13 4 13:20 Kansas State John Hubert 6-yd run (A. Cantele kick) Kansas State 28-13 4 6:44 Kansas State Collin Klein 1-yd run (A. Cantele kick) Kansas State 35-13 4 2:31 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 19-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Brandin Byrd pass from Derek Thompson) Kansas State 35-21

For their next road game, the Mean Green played the Kansas State Wildcats, led by potential Heisman Trophy candidate Collin Klein. The two teams had last met during the 2010 season, when the Wildcats defeated the Mean Green 41–49 in the final game at Fouts Field. This time playing at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, the Wildcats were favored to win by 28 points by spread bettors prior to the game. Each team scored two touchdowns by midway through the third quarter, but a blocked extra point attempt after North Texas' second score made the score 14–13. Kansas State answered with three unanswered touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter, bringing the score to 35-13 before North Texas scored its final touchdown with 2:31 left in the game. The final score was 35–13 in favor of the Wildcats. Mean Green quarterback Derek Thompson completed 25 of 28 passes in the game. ^[15]

Troy

See also: 2012 Troy Trojans football team

1 2 3 4 Total •Trojans 0 7 7 0 14 Mean Green 7 0 0 0 7 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 6:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 21,823 Game weather: 96°, clear, winds SW 6 mph Referee: Jeff Hilyer TV announcers (ESPN3): Jonathan Yardley and Stan Lewter Sources: [16]

Scoring summary 1 5:24 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 50-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 7–0 2 1:00 Troy Jaquon Robinson 15-yard pass from Corey Robinson (Will Scott kick) 7-7 3 6:53 Troy Chip Reeves 76-yard pass from Corey Robinson (Will Scott kick) Troy 14–7

For their first conference game of the season, the Mean Green faced the Troy Trojans, whom they had defeated the previous year 38–33. North Texas' defensive squad showed significant improvement, slowing a Troy offense led by Corey Robinson that had averaged over 500 yards a game to only two touchdowns. ^[17] On offense, however, the team struggled to score points despite moving the ball. The Mean Green gained 422 yards of total offense, but kicker Zach Olen missed three field goals and quarterback Derek Thompson completed only 12 of 28 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. The loss brought the Mean Green's season record to 1–3. ^[18]

Florida Atlantic

See also: 2012 Florida Atlantic Owls football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Mean Green 7 3 7 3 20 Owls 0 0 7 7 14 Date: September 29 Location: FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL Game start: 5:00 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:04 Game attendance: 13,888 Game weather: Sunny, winds 83° SE 9MPH Referee: Riley Johnson TV announcers (ESPN3): Shawn Kenney and John Bunting Sources: [19]

Scoring summary 1 6:20 North Texas Brelan Chancellor 68-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 7–0 2 12:15 North Texas Zach Olen 48-yd field goal North Texas 10–0 3 5:24 North Texas Drew Miller 14-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 17–0 3 :59 FAU Damian Fortner 11-yd run (Mitch Anderson kick) North Texas 17–7 4 14:47 FAU Graham Wilbert 11-yd run (Mitch Anderson kick) North Texas 17–14 4 7:29 North Texas Zach Olen 28-yd field goal North Texas 20–14

The Mean Green eked out a victory against first-year head coach Carl Pelini and the Florida Atlantic Owls at FAU Stadium, giving the team a 2–3 record through five games, its best start since the 2005 season. ^[20] After North Texas gained a 17–0 lead midway through the third quarter, Florida Atlantic scored two straight touchdowns in less than two minutes of game time to bring the score to 17–14. Midway through the fourth quarter, Mean Green kicker Zach Olen made a 28-yard field goal to bring the score to 20–14. North Texas held on to the lead, which was one point short of the points spread predicted prior to the beginning of the game. ^[21] The Mean Green gained 56 rushing yards against an Owl defense that had allowed an average of 255 yards per game coming into the contest. ^[22]

Houston

See also: 2012 Houston Cougars football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 0 14 7 0 21 •Cougars 17 14 10 3 44 Date: October 6 Location: Robertson Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:06 pm CST Elapsed time: 3:07 Game attendance: 25,476 Game weather: 83°, partly cloudy, humid, winds NE 9MPH Referee: Tony Backert Television network: CSS Sources: [23]

The Mean Green faced the Cougars for the second time in as many years when they traveled to Houston for their final nonconference game of the season. Although Cougars lost their first game of the season to the Texas State Bobcats, the team's prolific offensive unit had recovered somewhat by the time they played the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 8. In that game, the teams combined for a total of 209 plays, breaking an NCAA FBS record held by the Mean Green and the San Jose State Spartans since 1971. ^[24] The Cougars scored two touchdowns and a field goal to earn a 17-point lead before the Mean Green scored its first points in the second quarter. Houston running back Charles Sims ran for a career-high 210 yards, and the Cougars won the contest with a score of 44–21. ^[25]

Louisiana Lafayette

See also: 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team

1 2 3 4 Total Rajin' Cajuns 6 7 7 3 23 •Mean Green 0 6 14 10 30 Date: October 16 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:36 Game attendance: 17,055 Game weather: 72°, clear, winds SE 13 mph Referee: Riley Johnson TV announcers (ESPN2): Andre Ware and Dave Neal Sources: [26]

Scoring summary 1 5:37 Louisiana–Lafayette Effrem Reed 1-yd run (extra point missed) Louisiana–Lafayette 6–0 2 7:08 North Texas Zach Olen 25-yd field goal Louisiana–Lafayette 6–3 2 6:53 Louisiana–Lafayette Terra Broadway 75-yd run (Brett Baer kick) Louisiana–Lafayette 13–3 2 :52 North Texas Zach Olen 24-yd field goal Louisiana–Lafayette 13–6 3 12:35 Louisiana–Lafayette Harry Peoples 10-yd pass from Terra Broadway (Brett Baer kick) Louisiana–Lafayette 20–6 3 5:04 North Texas A. Jimmerson 28-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) Louisiana–Lafayette 20–13 3 3:42 North Texas B. Chancellor 34-yd run (Zach Olen kick) 20–20 4 11:44 North Texas Zach Olen 22-yd field goal North Texas 20–23 4 3:01 Louisiana–Lafayette Brett Baer 47-yd field goal 23–23 4 1:54 North Texas A. Jimmerson 78-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 30–23

The Mean Green's Tuesday evening home game against the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns began at 8:00 p.m. in Denton. Louisiana scored first, and had gained a 20–6 lead by the middle of the third quarter. After North Texas scored two touchdowns and a field goal, followed by a field goal from the Ragin' Cajuns, the score was tied at 23–23. With 1:54 remaining in the game at their own 22-yard line, North Texas quarterback Derek Thompson threw a screen pass to running back Antoinne Jimmerson, who ran 78 yards for the game-winning touchdown. ^[27] On the ensuing drive, Ragin' Cajun running back Effrem Reed fumbled the ball, which was recovered by North Texas. The Mean Green ran out the clock to win the contest. The game was televised on ESPN2. ^[28] The broadcast had an estimated 366,000 viewers, earning a Nielsen rating of 0.3. ^[29]

Middle Tennessee

See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 0 0 14 7 21 •Blue Raiders 17 7 14 0 38 Date: October 27 Location: Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, Tennessee Game start: 2:32 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 2:44 Game attendance: 14,102 Game weather: 49°, Gray and dreary, winds N 14 mph Referee: Tony Backert Television network: ESPN3 Sources: [30]

Scoring summary 1 9:18 Middle Tennessee Anthony Amos 18-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick) Middle Tennessee 7–0 1 6:38 Middle Tennessee Kyle Griswould 72-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick) Middle Tennessee 14–0 1 1:13 Middle Tennessee Carlos Lopez 21-yd field goal Middle Tennessee 17–0 2 2:42 Middle Tennessee Kyle Griswould 49-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick) Middle Tennessee 24–0 3 13:48 Middle Tennessee Jordan Parker 4-yd run (Carlos Lopez kick) Middle Tennessee 31–0 3 10:20 North Texas Antoinne Jimmerson 2-yd run (Zach Olen kick) Middle Tennessee 31–7 3 9:27 Middle Tennessee Logan Kilgore 45-yd run (Carlos Lopez kick) Middle Tennessee 38–7 3 1:26 North Texas Carlos Harris 13-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) Middle Tennessee 38–14 4 6:38 North Texas Antoinne Jimmerson 15-yd run (Zach Olen kick) Middle Tennessee 38–21

The Mean Green struggled on both sides of the ball against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Although the Mean Green gained 432 total yards with a balanced running and passing offense, it did not score any points until running back Antoinne Jimmerson ran two yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. By that time, the Blue Raiders had already scored 31 points, making the game out of reach for the Mean Green. ^[31] Wide receiver Brelan Chancellor broke a collar bone in the first quarter of the game, and would miss the rest of the season. ^[32]

Arkansas State

See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

1 2 3 4 Total •Red Wolves 10 20 7 0 37 Mean Green 9 3 7 0 19 Date: November 3 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 4:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:02 Game attendance: 17,534 Game weather: 79°, clear, winds N 7 mph Referee: Kevin Stine Sources: [33]

South Alabama

See also: 2012 South Alabama Jaguars football team

1 2 3 4 Total Jaguars 7 7 0 0 14 •Mean Green 0 14 10 0 24 Date: November 10 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 4:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:09 Game attendance: 15,963 Game weather: 80°, partly cloudy, winds S 26 mph Referee: Tony Backert TV announcers (TXA 21): Dave Barnett Sources: [34] [35]

Scoring summary 1 5:18 South Alabama Kendall Houston 1-yd run (Michel Chapuseaux kick) South Alabama 7–0 2 14:41 North Texas Jeremy Brown 51-yd run (Zach Olen kick) 7–7 2 5:18 South Alabama Jereme Jones 13-yd pass from Ross Metheny (Michel Chapuseaux kick) South Alabama 14–7 2 :17 North Texas Drew Miller 2-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) 14–14 3 9:32 North Texas Brandin Byrd 82-yd run (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 21–14 3 5:37 North Texas Zach Olen 33-yd field goal North Texas 24–14

Louisiana Monroe

See also: 2012 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 0 3 7 6 16 •Warhawks 7 7 7 21 42 Date: November 17 Location: Malone Stadium Monroe, LA Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:02 Game attendance: 14,079 Game weather: 67°, clear, winds NE 8 mph Referee: Kevin Stine Sources: [36]

Scoring summary 1 5:59 ULM Kolton Browning 1-yd run (Justin Manton kick) ULM 7–0 2 7:30 North Texas Zach Olen 29-yd field goal ULM 7–3 2 1:19 ULM Brent Leonard 7-yd pass from Kolton Browning (Justin Manton kick) ULM 14–3 3 8:28 ULM Mitchell Bailey 7-yd run (Justin Manton kick) ULM 21–3 3 5:09 North Texas Andrew Power 4-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) ULM 21–10 4 13:36 ULM Je'Ron Hamm 24-yd pass from Kolton Browning (Justin Manton kick) ULM 28–10 4 6:57 ULM Je'Ron Hamm 61-yd pass from Kolton Browning (Justin Manton kick) ULM 35–10 4 3:01 North Texas Darnell Smith 15-yd pass from Derek Thompson (2-pt pass conversion failed) ULM 35–16 4 2:45 ULM Darrell McNeal 54-yd run (Justin Manton kick) ULM 42–16

Western Kentucky

See also: 2012 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

1 2 3 4 Total Mean Green 7 10 7 0 24 •Hilltoppers 7 3 0 15 25 Date: November 24 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, Kentucky Game start: 12:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:12 Game attendance: 11,074 Game weather: 31°, light snow Referee: Jeff Hilyer TV announcers (ESPN3): Tom Dore, Cole Cubelic, Barbara Jordan Sources: [2] [37]

Scoring summary 1 5:03 WKU Jack Doyle 4-yd pass from Kawaun Jakes (Garrett Schwettman kick) WKU 7–0 1 3:37 North Texas Brandin Byrd 61-yd run (Zach Olen kick) 7–7 2 10:16 North Texas Jeremy Brown 20-yd run (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 14–7 2 7:09 North Texas Zach Olen 22-yd field goal North Texas 17–7 2 :45 WKU Garrett Schwettman 39-yd field goal North Texas 17–10 3 :24 North Texas Darnell Smith 12-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick) North Texas 24–10 4 12:44 WKU Jonathan Dowling 39-yd interception return (Two-point pass conversion failed) North Texas 24–16 4 7:10 WKU Garrett Schwettman 27-yd field goal North Texas 24–19 4 3:30 WKU Antonio Andrews 21-yd run (Two-point conversion failed) WKU 25–24

References

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