Homecoming Date with the Mean Green

This Saturday Idaho hosts Patrick Cobbs and the University of North Texas in The Dome for Idaho's Homecoming tilt. Idaho returns fresh off their impressive road win over New Mexico State. North Texas comes in off a bye week, in a season that includes big wins over Louisiana-Laffayette and Baylor, a couple big losses to Texas and Arkansas, and a road loss at Air Force. The Eagles are 7 point favorites this weekend, and will look to even a series that Idaho leads 4-3 overall.

The links below should give you a pretty thorough introduction to Idaho's next opponent, the North Texas Eagles (2-3, 1-0 SBC). The Eagles opened up Conference play at Louisiana-Lafayette (0-6, 0-1 SBC) two weeks ago and blasted the Cajuns 44-23 at Fouts Field in Deton, Texas. Overall on the season, the Eagles have the #2 scoring offense in the Conference at 25.4 points per game (Idaho has the #1 passing offense), and the #2 Red Zone offense in the SBC. North Texas QB Scott Hall and Idaho QB Brian Lindgren are practically tied in pass efficiency (141.8 and 141.3, respectively) atop the SBC. Junior tailback Patrick Cobbs missed 2 games this fall (Air Force and Arkansas), but was back for the UL-L game and ran for a personal best 156 yards on 26 carries.

North Texas boasts another strong defensive unit, led by defensive tackle Brandon Kennedy. He has already accepted an invitation to play in the 79th annual Shrine East-West Football Game (January 10, 2004), and enters the 2003 season as an All-America candidate after ranking third in the nation in tackles for a loss and being named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season. Kennedy is a three-time all-conference pick who has been named to the Playboy All-America Team, preseason All-American by Athlon, Lindy's and College Football News, and named to the watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Backing him up is a unit that ranks as the best scoring defense and rushing defense in the Conference (Idaho has the top pass defense and the #1 tackler in the Conference, MLB Mike Anderson, with 66 tackles....North Texas linebacker Chris Hurd is #2 with 51 tackles).

This should be an interesting Homecoming match-up on both sides of the ball, and will be a good measure of how Idaho matches up in the Sun Belt.

(AP Photo/Andrew J. Cohoon)

North Texas tailback Patrick Cobbs bustin' loose against Cincinnati.

Idaho Pre-Game Release

Official North Texas Site

Green Too Mean (The Advertiser - Lafayette)

RAZORBACKS 31, MEAN GREEN 7 : Just enough muscle (Northwest Arkansas News)

Falcons outgun UNT D (Dallas Morning News)

UNT Flattens Baylor (Dallas Morning News)

Pre-Season Analysis (Nationalchamps.net)

UNT looks for special season from returners (Dallas Morning News)

Mean Green Football Message Board