North Texas won the college football weekend

When Seth Littrell took over the North Texas football program in December of 2015, he told fans the Mean Green wouldn’t be sitting at home anymore during the postseason. Coming off a 1-11 season that included a 66-7 loss to FCS Portland State on homecoming, it was a bold proclamation for a first-year head coach to make. But here we are less than two years later and, ironically enough, it’s homecoming weekend in Denton. Littrell has led a resurgence and he’s followed through on his promise – and then some. With Saturday’s 45-10 win over UTEP, the Mean Green clinched first place in the Conference USA West Division and secured a spot in the Dec. 2 C-USA championship game. Before Littrell’s arrival, North Texas averaged 15.2 points per game. He partnered with offensive coordinator Graham Harrell to up that total to 24.8 ppg last season, and the Mean Green are now scoring a C-USA high 36.8 ppg. Saturday’s game was just the latest rendition of what’s been a remarkable turnaround. In front of a season-high 26,108 fans at Apogee Stadium – the third-largest crowd in school history – the team took care of business in order to clinch its spot atop the West Division. North Texas was in a similar position under Dan McCarney back in 2013, when it controlled its own destiny late in the season with a C-USA title berth within reach. But a 21-13 loss to UTSA at Apogee Stadium derailed the Mean Green’s chances, and that game has left a sour feeling in Denton ever since. That is, until North Texas did what it needed to Saturday against UTEP. It was a similar situation – a home game against a struggling team with a chance to clinch the division. After an early fumble was returned for a touchdown, the Mean Green left little doubt on their way to a 45-10 rout. North Texas won the weekend by clinching the division and accomplishing a feat many people thought was still at least a few years off. Now, after games against Army and Rice, Littrell and the Mean Green will look to continue to their Cinderella run into the postseason.

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