North Texas vs Bethune-Cookman: Preview, Streaming, Starting Time, Betting Line

Start Time: 7pm EST / 6pm CST

Location: Apogee Stadium, Denton TX

TV/Streaming: Not Available

Radio: Mean Green Radio Network

Live Stats: CBS GameTracker

Betting Line: No line published, but Oddshark.com has B-C winning by 5.4 pts

Series Record: This will be the first meeting between these programs.

UNT Mean Green:

North Texas continues its climb back to respectability this week, as they host their first FCS program since the infamous 66-7 shellacking they took at homecoming last year.

Mean Green faithful saw marked improvement last week against SMU, with an impressive performance from starting QB Alec Morris. He eventually settled down after a rough first half that included three interceptions. Backup QB, Mason Fine, had an impressive debut going 8/11 for 74 yards.

In the air UNT did just fine with quarterbacks completing over 60% of their passes (still an improvement over last year), and four different receivers going over 50 yards. Willie Robinson and Terian Goree moved up in the standings, but don’t count out Kelvin Smith who had fewer passes caught, but much bigger plays when he did.

On the ground UNT has Jeffrey Wilson and not much else. He gained 86 yards last week against a solid SMU defense. North Texas should treat every game like it’s a bowl game, because last week proved NCAA-wide, underestimating the little guy is naive.

B-C Wildcats:

This is a tough one to call as we haven’t seen the Wildcats in action yet, last week’s game against Alcorn State was cancelled due to weather. What we do know is that B-C is in Daytona Beach, FL and they play at or near the top of the MEAC, similarly to how Portland State has been lighting up the Big Sky.

B-C hasn’t named a starter as of last week, but whoever it is has some big shoes to fill as graduated senior Quentin Williams passed for over 2100 yards last year and 19 TD’s last season. In their only game against FBS competition in 2015 the Wildcats lost to Power Five Miami 45-0.

For the 2015 North Texas squad this is all alarming, but after last week’s loss NT has had time to click together as a squad and will be hungry for that first win (and also to regain a modicum of dignity after last years fiasco). B-C has put up some grand stats under head coach Terry Sims, but as this is now technically their season opener, we can expect it’ll take them some time to settle down into their season rhythm and also the north Texas weather.

Verdict:

In week one all UNT needed was a closer game than last years 18-point loss to SMU. In this they were successful, but a loss is a loss. After a tough 2015 season, North Texas must absolutely win this game to shake off the mantle of “national embarrassment.” A close game won’t do it, they need to show they’re back and B-C puts up a lot of points so they need to play from whistle to whistle. Anything less and the season ends here.

We looked at the numbers last year and actively predicted correctly that UNT would lose their homecoming game. This year this game is at just the right time.

FINAL SCORE:

North Texas 31, Bethune-Cookman 21