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The North Texas Mean Green will head out on the road to face off against the FIU Panthers at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
It's hard to win when you post 444 fewer total yards than your opponent, a fact North Texas found out the hard way on Saturday. Things couldn't have gone much worse for them as they lost 58-21 to California. The last quarter was a mere formality, since it was already 48-21 by the end of the third quarter.
North Texas' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of WR Ja'Mori Maclin, who found the endzone twice on 122 receiving yards, and QB Stone Earle who threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns on 19 attempts. Maclin's biggest highlight was a 59-yard reception that he brought in for a touchdown in the second quarter. On the other side of the line, LB Jaylen Smith was a menace on defense and made a total of six tackles.
The Mean Green had trouble moving the ball and finished the game with only 225 total yards. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as California gained 669.
Meanwhile, FIU dodged a bullet on Saturday and finished off Maine 14-12.
WR Kris Mitchell had a stellar game as he found the endzone twice on 201 receiving yards. Mitchell's longest reception was for an incredible62 yards. Securing the other side of the line was DB D'Verick Daniel, who stumped the offense to the tune of seven tackles.
Looking ahead, North Texas is the favorite in this one, and the experts expect to see them win by 12.5 points. They finished last season with an 8-6 record against the spread.
North Texas took their victory against FIU in their previous matchup last November by a conclusive 52-14. The rematch might be a little tougher for North Texas since the squad won't have the home-turf advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
