The North Texas Mean Green will take the one and one-half hour flight from Denton to El Paso to face the UTEP Miners in Week Zero of the 2022 NCAAF schedule.
Kickoff for the Conference USA clash at the Sun Bowl is at 9 p.m. (ET) Stadium will stream the game, with temperatures expected in the mid-80s. The following is a comprehensive look at North Texas vs. UTEP betting stats.
North Texas vs. UTEP Betting Stats
Mean Green Stats
The North Texas Mean Green posted its third straight losing season in 2021 with a 6-7 record.
UNT did finish third in the CUSA West division at 5-3, which was good enough for them to participate in their second straight bowl game.
College Football Standings
They are 37-38 in seven seasons with five bowl game appearances under head coach Seth Littrell. North Texas returns 16 starters in 2022 and is projected to finish in the middle of the CUSA college football standings – in its final season in the conference before heading to the American Athletic.
Lineup Breakdown
The Mean Green averaged 27.5 points and 431.1 yards of offense with 197.1 yards through the air and 234.1 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Austin Aune (151-for-295, 1,991 yards, 9 TDs, 9 INTs) will start the season behind center after beating out three transfer competitors in the spring and fall.
The former minor league baseball player led the Mean Green to five straight wins to close the regular season last year.
Aune does have leading receiver Roderic Burns (58 catches, 802 yards, 4 TDs) and sophomore Damon Ward Jr. (21 for 221 yards, 2 TDs), who had a break-out game in the bowl game with six catches for 70 yards, back.
Mean Green Offense
However, the strength of the offense is at running back and the offensive line. UNT, which had the nation’s fifth-ranked rushing attack in 2021, returns:
- Ikaika Ragsdale (100-534, 5 TDs)
- Ayo Adeyi (84-496, 6 TDs)
- Isaiah Johnson (82-359, 5 TDs)
Oscar Adaway III (99-572, 3 TD in 2020) also figures to be in the mix after missing all last season with a torn ACL.
Defensively, UNT returns five starters from a unit that permitted 27.5 points (77th) and 382.8 yards (88th) a game.
Their opponents averaged 152.4 rushing yards and 230.5 passing yards. LB KD Davis is the top returnee as the first-team all-CUSA selection, recorded 121 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Miners Stats
The UTEP Miners finished with a winning record last year, for the first time since 2014, at 7-6 and 4-4 in Conference USA West division.
College Football Standings
2021 also marked UTEP’s first bowl game appearance since then, although the result in the New Mexico Bowl (loss) was the same as back in 2014. The Miners are 12-32 under fifth-year head coach Dana Dimel.
Like UNT, UTEP is projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the CUSA college football standings this season. The Miners return 51 letter winners from ago, including 17 starters (7 offense, 7 defense, 3 ST).
Lineup Breakdown
Junior quarterback Gavin Hardison will again lead a Miners offense that averaged 25.2 points (89th) last season.
Hardison completed 55.5% of his passes for a program-best 3,218 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2021.
While he won’t have his top two pass catchers from a year ago, sophomore big-play receiver Tyrin Smith (33 receptions for 570 yards, 4 TDs) does return.
UTEP’s rushing attack – which averaged 140 yards last year – will again feature Ronald Awatt Sr. (158-for-853 yards, 6 TDs in 2021) and sophomore Deion Hawkins, who has accumulated 1,050 yards and 15 scores on 242 carries over the last two years.
Miners Offense and Defense
The Miners’ offensive line is solid though they will have new starters on the left side. The defense will be a strength this year. The Miners allowed 25.2 points along with 349.4 yards last season, with 210.8 yards coming via the air and 138.6 rushing yards.
They return their top two tacklers in linebackers Breon Hayward (108) and Tyrice Knight (101), along with a solid front four featuring ends Jadrian Taylor (6.5 sacks) and Praise Amaewhule (5.5 sacks).
North Texas Mean Green vs. UTEP Miners Betting Trends
North Texas won last year’s meeting against UTEP 20-17 as Ethan Mooney knocked a 27-yard field goal through the uprights with seven seconds left in the game.
UNT has won five straight against UTEP and leads the all-time series 17-8-3. NCAAF odds has North Texas favored by as many two points and as little as a pick’em game, depending on the sportsbook. The over/under is between 54.5-55.0 points.
- Mean Green are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games.
- Mean Green are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 away games.
- Mean Green are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference contests.
- Mean Green are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 August games.
- Over is 4-0 in Mean Green’s last 4 games on turf.
- Miners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on the Turf.
- Miners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Over is 5-1 in the Miners’ last 6 games, 4-1 in the last 5 conference games, and 5-2 last 7 home contests. Home team is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings between Mean Green and Miners. Mean Green is 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings against Miners at the Sun Bowl.
North Texas Mean Green vs. UTEP Miners Picks and Predictions
After reviewing North Texas vs. UTEP betting stats, we’re going with the Miners to win the game outright (-110-to-+110) in a highly competitive affair.
Obviously, that means we also like UTEP to cover the spread (-110-to-115).
UTEP has the better quarterback in Hardison and the more talented defense. Expect UTEP’s interior defensive line to wreak havoc on UNT’s blocking scheme, allowing Taylor, Amuewhale – an NFL prospect – and Knight to make plays.
The Miners may not have Hayward available as he is waiting to hear from the NCAA on a 6th-year of eligibility.
NCAAF Pick: UTEP +2 (-110)
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