2021 record: 6-7 (+2 wins from 2020)

Texas Power Poll ranking: 6 of 12

THE GOOD

North Texas ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak that helped the Mean Green reach six wins and bowl eligibility. The winning streak started Oct. 30 in an overtime win at Rice. North Texas would go on to beat Southern Miss, UTEP, and FIU to set up a season-ending battle with the undefeated UTSA Roadrunners. North Texas humbled its rival from San Antonio with a 45-23 victory. The Mean Green ran for 340 yards and registered six rushing touchdowns in the upset. 

The running attack is what righted the ship for Seth Littrell’s program. The Mean Green rushed for 32 touchdowns on the year, which was the second-most in program history. DeAndre Torrey was the catalyst, rushing for 1,215 yards and 13 scores on 248 carries. Ikaika Ragsdale added 534 yards and five touchdowns, while Ayo Adeyi rushed for 496 yards and six touchdowns. Isaiah Johnson pitched in 359 yards and five rushing touchdowns. 

North Texas averaged 4.8 yards a rush as a team. That number is well above 5.0 if sacks were discounted. Torrey averaged 4.9 yards a carry. Ragsdale was at 5.3, Adeyi at 5.9 and Johnson at 4.4. Those rushing numbers allowed North Texas to average 27.46 points per game and convert on 41.43 percent of third down conversions. The Mean Green averaged 36.4 points during the five-game winning streak to conclude the regular season. North Texas only lost four fumbles despite 639 rushing attempts. 

The front seven was the strength for the defense. Starting linebacker KD Davis led the team with 121 tackles, including 16 for loss. Davis also added 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Twin defensive ends Grayson and Gabriel Murphy combined 15.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss. Three players – Davis, Tyreke Davis, and Larry Nixon III – recorded more than 70 tackles on the season. DeShawn Gaddie led the team with six pass breakups. The defense recovered 12 fumbles and 38 sacks. 

THE BAD

North Texas struggled through the air offensively with the team accounting for 12 passing touchdowns in 13 games. That was only one more than Army, which is an option-based team. Austin Aune separated himself from Jace Rudder as the season went along, but Aune threw for as many touchdowns (9) as he did interceptions. Aune completed just 51.19 percent of his passes for 1,991 yards. Rudder completed 54.08 percent of his passes for 571 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions. North Texas averaged 197 yards a game passing and threw more interceptions (14) as it did touchdowns (12). Roderic Barns led the team with four touchdown catches. He was the only player with over two receiving scores or 50 catches on the season. 

THE UGLY

North Texas went on a six-game losing streak following a Week 1 win over Northwestern State. The low point of the season came at home against Marshall on Oct. 15. It was a nationally televised game on a Friday night with more fans attending the nearby Denton Guyer vs. Denton Ryan matchup. The Mean Green were down 49-7 at halftime and were 30 minutes away from a fifth-straight loss and a 1-5 record halfway through the season. A bowl game felt out of reach, and the talk surrounding the Mean Green program was focused on if Littrell would receive another year as head coach. 

TEAM GRADES

Quarterback: D

Running back: A

Wide receiver/tight end: C

Offensive line: A

Defensive line: B

Linebacker: A

Cornerback: C

Safety: C

BIGGEST OFFSEASON QUESTION

What is the offensive identity in 2022?

North Texas dedicated itself to the running attack over the last six weeks of the season. The Mean Green became one of the best offenses in Conference USA down the stretch of the regular season. Torrey was the focal point of that effort, and Littrell and company must find a replacement for his production, even if it requires a committee more than one individual. Torrey ran the ball 148 more times than any other player on the roster. Unless the passing game improves drastically thanks to a new addition, the Mean Green must enter 2022 with the same dedication to the running game as it did at the end of the 2021 regular season. 

WAY TOO EARLY 2022 OUTLOOK

Was the first half of 2021 or the last half of 2021 more representative of the North Texas football program? That’s a question Littrell and his crew must address by the opening kickoff of 2022. North Texas was a pass-happy program in the first few years under Littrell when Mason Fine was on campus. It felt like Littrell resigned himself to the fact that the best course of action for the Mean Green was to pound the football after a 1-6 start. Hopefully for North Texas fans, the coaching staff utilizes the same game plan early in the 2022 season. There are numerous bodies to replace on the offensive and defensive side of the football, but it felt like an identity was found late in the year that North Texas can use as momentum this offseason.