Since taking over the program, Seth Littrell has had a lot of success with the North Texas Mean Green. He has taken the Mean Green to three straight bowl appearances, and Littrell has been the best coach we have seen in Denton since Darrell Dickey took North Texas to four straight Sun Belt titles. The only thing Littrell hasn’t done is win a bowl game, and he is out to do that in the New Mexico Bowl this year when the Mean Green face the Utah State Aggies.
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NCAA Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
North Texas +8
Utah State -8
Total 66.5
Odds Analysis
Utah State is looking to win 11 games for just the second time in school history coming into this bowl game. The Aggies showed what they were capable of in their season opener, leading Michigan State late in the fourth quarter before losing in the closing minutes. They followed up that disappointment by rattling off 10 straight wins and hammered BYU to keep The Old Wagon Wheel. Utah State had a chance to finish the season 11-1 and make it to the MWC Championship Game, but the Aggies fell to Boise State at the end of the season and missed out on a potential conference title.
For a while, it seemed like North Texas was on its way to being ranked. The Mean Green opened their season with a blowout win over rival SMU, and they crushed Arkansas on the road to give them a win over an SEC foe. That had many believing they were the favorites to win Conference USA, but losses to Louisiana Tech, UAB, and Old Dominion submarined their chances to compete for a conference title. North Texas gutted out wins over Florida Atlantic and UTSA to close out the season.
Player to Watch
Mason Fine has been fantastic this year. Fine has earned comparisons to Drew Brees for his play as a quarterback that is under six feet, and he is proving all those that doubted him wrong. He has thrown just five interceptions in 457 pass attempts, and that ball security has helped the Mean Green thrive. However, those numbers are worse than what they were at the end of October, as he threw four of his five picks in the last three games.
There aren’t many Group of Five players more exciting than Fine. He is constantly making plays happen, and he has one of the best minds of any quarterback at this level.
Coaching Angle
There is a big difference in coaching continuity coming into this game. Utah State’s Matt Wells had such a great season that he left to become Texas Tech’s head coach. The Aggies initially embarked on a nationwide search in order to find his replacement, but it was shut down as key boosters rallied around former coach Gary Andersen. Andersen was announced as the school’s new coach earlier in the week, but he is unlikely to be on the sidelines for the bowl game and there are major questions with regards to Utah State’s preparation ahead of this one.
North Texas has no such concerns. The Mean Green were close to losing both Littrell and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, but both decided to stay in Denton for another season. Their decision to return was met with great fanfare by the players, and they will be motivated for this game.
Live Betting Preview
Motivation and coaching is a big part of bowl season, and North Texas has a major edge on both fronts. The Mean Green are only a couple points worse than Utah State according to Bill Connelly’s S&P+, and there is a ton of value in them getting more than a touchdown. This is one of my favorite plays of bowl season, and I am going to call on North Texas to win outright.
NCAA Football Odds: North Texas 34, Utah State 31
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