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By Ralph Lauro, College Football Staff Writer
GAME NOTES: The bowl season kicks off in Louisiana this Tuesday, as the North
Texas Mean Green hook up with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the
Wyndham New Orleans Bowl from the Louisiana Superdome. North Texas earned its
way into this game by winning the Sun Belt Conference title for the fourth
straight season. As a matter of fact, the Mean Green finished undefeated in
league play (7-0) for the third straight year and have won 25 straight
conference games dating back to 2001. Overall, the team has won seven
consecutive games en route to a 7-4 ledger. It will mark the fourth straight
New Orleans Bowl appearance for the Mean Green, which lost to Colorado State
in 2001 and to Memphis in 2003, while beating Cincinnati in 2002. As for
Southern Miss, its comes into the game on the decline, as it finished the
regular season by losing four of its last five games. Although the team
managed to finish in a tie for second place (5-3) in the Conference USA
standings, it was a step back from an undefeated 2003 league campaign. Still,
at 6-5 overall the Golden Eagles qualified for their third straight bowl game
and their first-ever New Orleans Bowl. Southern Miss, which owns a 5-9 record
all-time in bowl games, was blanked by Utah, 17-0, in the Liberty Bowl last
year. The Eagles and Mean Green have met six times previously with each
winning three times. The last meeting came in 1981 with Southern Miss claiming
a 22-0 triumph at Fouts Field in Denton.
Mean Green head coach Darrell Dicky earned his fourth straight Sun Belt Coach
of the Year award this season and for good reason. Dicky not only found a way
to win without superstar Patrick Cobbs, he unleashed one of the top players in
the nation in Jamario Thomas. The freshman phenom, who stepped in when the
2003 NCAA leading rusher Cobbs went down with a season-ending injury, was just
sensational. Thomas was recently named the Sun Belt Player of the year,
Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year after setting both the
North Texas and league single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards, and
there is still one game remaining. He has already tied or set three NCAA
rushing records and needs just 155 yards to break the all-time NCAA single-
season freshman rushing record of 1,863 set by Ron Dayne of Wisconsin in 1996.
Thomas is averaging an outstanding 189.9 rushing ypg and 6.7 ypc to go along
with 17 touchdowns. While the offense certainly revolves around Thomas, he is
not its only weapon. Quarterback Scott Hall also had a productive regular
season with 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He is hitting 57.5
percent of his tosses for an average of 152.0 ypg. Hall's main target is
****** Quinn, who leads the club with 41 catches for 681 yards and eight
touchdowns.
Defensively, the Mean Green haven't had the same kind of success as in years
past. The unit is giving up 174.4 ypg on the ground and 240.8 ypg through the
air, which has allowed its opponents to put up an average of 29.7 ppg. North
Texas has however, done a decent job in coming up with big plays, as it has
forced 23 turnovers (13 interceptions) and recorded 23 sacks. Safety Jonas
Buckles was a First Team All-SBC defensive selection this year, making him
the only Sun Belt player to earn all-conference honors in each of the past
four seasons. He finished third on the team in total tackles (55) and second
in solo stops (42). Defensive end Adrian Awasom joined Buckles on the First
Team defense, after leading the Mean Green in TFLs (13) and sacks (six).
Markeith Knowlton is another player worth noting, as he currently leads the
team in both tackles (80) and interceptions (four).
Unlike North Texas, the Golden Eagles' offense doesn't revolve around one
particular player and that is evident in the fact that it had no offensive
players earn First Team All-CUSA honors and just one on the Second Team.
Still, the team was able to produce a decent 25.3 ppg behind only 319.3 total
ypg. Signal caller Dustin Almond is without a doubt the team's leader on the
offensive side of the ball and he has thrown 11 touchdowns and just five
interceptions this year. He is making good on 51.0 percent of his throws for
an average of 177.9 ypg. While he has been able to spread the ball out
effectively, his main outlet has clearly been Antwon Courington. His 42
catches, 602 receiving yards and five touchdowns are all nearly double that of
the next closest player. As for USM's ground attack, it is averaging 143.9 ypg
with a trio of tailbacks all pitching in. Anthony Harris currently leads the
team with 610 yards and five scores, while Sherron Moore and Larry Thomas
check in with 388 and 316 yards, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball is where Southern Miss has made a name for
itself over the years, and this season has been no exception. Although the
unit is giving up 390.9 total ypg, including 183.9 ypg on the ground, it has
been able to limit its opponents to just 26.2 ppg. The defense has also come
up with 14 interceptions, while sacking opposing quarterbacks 25 times.
Linebacker Michael Boley, a three-time First Team All-Conference USA
selection, was recently named the league's Defensive Player of the Year,
marking the sixth time in nine seasons that a Golden Eagle has won the award.
Boley ranks third in the league in tackles (117) and second in the nation in
forced fumbles (five) to go along with 13 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Trevis Coley is
also enjoying a solid year and leads the team in interceptions (three), while
ranking second in tackles with 97. Antoine Cash in another player to keep an
eye on, as he has recorded 88 tackles, 15 TFLs and four sacks thus far.
It should be an entertaining game between a couple of teams that had different
finishes to their respective regular seasons. If North Texas can run the ball
effectively, it should be able to come out on top. However, Southern Miss has
a solid defense and may not be as vulnerable to the run as most of the Sun
Belt teams that the Mean Green battered this year. The Golden Eagles have the
edge on defense and should be able to create enough offense to pull out the
win.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Southern Mississippi 30, North Texas 24
By Ralph Lauro, College Football Staff Writer
GAME NOTES: The bowl season kicks off in Louisiana this Tuesday, as the North
Texas Mean Green hook up with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the
Wyndham New Orleans Bowl from the Louisiana Superdome. North Texas earned its
way into this game by winning the Sun Belt Conference title for the fourth
straight season. As a matter of fact, the Mean Green finished undefeated in
league play (7-0) for the third straight year and have won 25 straight
conference games dating back to 2001. Overall, the team has won seven
consecutive games en route to a 7-4 ledger. It will mark the fourth straight
New Orleans Bowl appearance for the Mean Green, which lost to Colorado State
in 2001 and to Memphis in 2003, while beating Cincinnati in 2002. As for
Southern Miss, its comes into the game on the decline, as it finished the
regular season by losing four of its last five games. Although the team
managed to finish in a tie for second place (5-3) in the Conference USA
standings, it was a step back from an undefeated 2003 league campaign. Still,
at 6-5 overall the Golden Eagles qualified for their third straight bowl game
and their first-ever New Orleans Bowl. Southern Miss, which owns a 5-9 record
all-time in bowl games, was blanked by Utah, 17-0, in the Liberty Bowl last
year. The Eagles and Mean Green have met six times previously with each
winning three times. The last meeting came in 1981 with Southern Miss claiming
a 22-0 triumph at Fouts Field in Denton.
Mean Green head coach Darrell Dicky earned his fourth straight Sun Belt Coach
of the Year award this season and for good reason. Dicky not only found a way
to win without superstar Patrick Cobbs, he unleashed one of the top players in
the nation in Jamario Thomas. The freshman phenom, who stepped in when the
2003 NCAA leading rusher Cobbs went down with a season-ending injury, was just
sensational. Thomas was recently named the Sun Belt Player of the year,
Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year after setting both the
North Texas and league single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards, and
there is still one game remaining. He has already tied or set three NCAA
rushing records and needs just 155 yards to break the all-time NCAA single-
season freshman rushing record of 1,863 set by Ron Dayne of Wisconsin in 1996.
Thomas is averaging an outstanding 189.9 rushing ypg and 6.7 ypc to go along
with 17 touchdowns. While the offense certainly revolves around Thomas, he is
not its only weapon. Quarterback Scott Hall also had a productive regular
season with 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He is hitting 57.5
percent of his tosses for an average of 152.0 ypg. Hall's main target is
****** Quinn, who leads the club with 41 catches for 681 yards and eight
touchdowns.
Defensively, the Mean Green haven't had the same kind of success as in years
past. The unit is giving up 174.4 ypg on the ground and 240.8 ypg through the
air, which has allowed its opponents to put up an average of 29.7 ppg. North
Texas has however, done a decent job in coming up with big plays, as it has
forced 23 turnovers (13 interceptions) and recorded 23 sacks. Safety Jonas
Buckles was a First Team All-SBC defensive selection this year, making him
the only Sun Belt player to earn all-conference honors in each of the past
four seasons. He finished third on the team in total tackles (55) and second
in solo stops (42). Defensive end Adrian Awasom joined Buckles on the First
Team defense, after leading the Mean Green in TFLs (13) and sacks (six).
Markeith Knowlton is another player worth noting, as he currently leads the
team in both tackles (80) and interceptions (four).
Unlike North Texas, the Golden Eagles' offense doesn't revolve around one
particular player and that is evident in the fact that it had no offensive
players earn First Team All-CUSA honors and just one on the Second Team.
Still, the team was able to produce a decent 25.3 ppg behind only 319.3 total
ypg. Signal caller Dustin Almond is without a doubt the team's leader on the
offensive side of the ball and he has thrown 11 touchdowns and just five
interceptions this year. He is making good on 51.0 percent of his throws for
an average of 177.9 ypg. While he has been able to spread the ball out
effectively, his main outlet has clearly been Antwon Courington. His 42
catches, 602 receiving yards and five touchdowns are all nearly double that of
the next closest player. As for USM's ground attack, it is averaging 143.9 ypg
with a trio of tailbacks all pitching in. Anthony Harris currently leads the
team with 610 yards and five scores, while Sherron Moore and Larry Thomas
check in with 388 and 316 yards, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball is where Southern Miss has made a name for
itself over the years, and this season has been no exception. Although the
unit is giving up 390.9 total ypg, including 183.9 ypg on the ground, it has
been able to limit its opponents to just 26.2 ppg. The defense has also come
up with 14 interceptions, while sacking opposing quarterbacks 25 times.
Linebacker Michael Boley, a three-time First Team All-Conference USA
selection, was recently named the league's Defensive Player of the Year,
marking the sixth time in nine seasons that a Golden Eagle has won the award.
Boley ranks third in the league in tackles (117) and second in the nation in
forced fumbles (five) to go along with 13 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Trevis Coley is
also enjoying a solid year and leads the team in interceptions (three), while
ranking second in tackles with 97. Antoine Cash in another player to keep an
eye on, as he has recorded 88 tackles, 15 TFLs and four sacks thus far.
It should be an entertaining game between a couple of teams that had different
finishes to their respective regular seasons. If North Texas can run the ball
effectively, it should be able to come out on top. However, Southern Miss has
a solid defense and may not be as vulnerable to the run as most of the Sun
Belt teams that the Mean Green battered this year. The Golden Eagles have the
edge on defense and should be able to create enough offense to pull out the
win.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Southern Mississippi 30, North Texas 24