The 2021 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
during the
2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 152nd season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision. The r ...
. The Mean Green played their home games at
Apogee Stadium
Apogee Stadium is a college football stadium located at the junction of Interstate 35 East and West in Denton, Texas. Opened in 2011, it is home to the University of North Texas (UNT) Mean Green football team, which competes in Conference USA. ...
in
Denton, Texas
Denton is a city in and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, United States. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the 27th-most populous city in Texas, the 197th-most populous city in the United States, and the 12th-most populous ...
, and competed in the West Division of
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
(C-USA).
The Mean Green started the season 1–6 before winning five games in a row, including upset victories over
UTEP
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stude ...
and then-undefeated #22
UTSA, to finish the regular season at 6–6, 5–3 in C-USA play. The team was invited to the inaugural
Frisco Football Classic, losing 14–27 to the
Miami RedHawks
The Miami RedHawks are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Miami is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Divis ...
.
Previous season
The 2020 team finished the regular season with a record of 4–5, 3–4 in Conference USA play, finishing in fourth place in the West Division. The team was invited to the
Myrtle Beach Bowl
The Myrtle Beach Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game first played in December 2020 in the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. Coastal Carolina University hosts the game at its Brooks Stadium in Con ...
, losing 28–56 to
Appalachian State
Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
. Defensive coordinator
Clint Bowen
Clint Bowen (born June 27, 1972) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas, a position he has held since 2021. He served as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the Univer ...
was fired on January 1, 2021 after just one season, with the defense allowing an average of 42.8 points per game. Bowen was replaced by
Phil Bennett
Philip Bennett (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanell ...
.
Preseason
C-USA media days
The Mean Green were predicted to finish in sixth place in the West Division in the Conference USA preseason poll.
Schedule
Personnel
Game summaries
Northwestern State
At SMU
UAB
At Louisiana Tech
At Missouri
Marshall
Liberty
At Rice
At Southern Miss
UTEP
At FIU
No. 22 UTSA
Vs. Miami (OH) (Frisco Football Classic)
References
{{North Texas Mean Green football navbox
North Texas
North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...
North Texas Mean Green football seasons
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football program is the intercollegiate team that represents the University of North Texas in the sport of American football. The Mean Green compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athl ...