Porter's Playbook | The Coaching Career of DJ Porter

[djp73]

Ah yeah

[djp73]

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LATE COLLAPSE SINKS BULLS

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Hewlett's big day not enough as USF struggles on ground, defense

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Saturday November 6, 2027 | 3:00PM | DATCU Stadium | Denton, Texas

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Denton, Texas - In a game defined by explosive plays, late-game grit, and a furious fourth-quarter surge by the home team, the North Texas Mean Green stormed back from an 11-point deficit to stun USF 31–28 at DATCU Stadium. Despite a massive outing from USF’s passing attack, the Bulls surrendered 10 points in the final six minutes as their winning streak came to a halt in dramatic fashion.

USF controlled the flow for most of the afternoon behind sophomore quarterback Locklan Hewlett, who threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns. But North Texas matched each punch with timely big plays of their own, most notably Kiefer Sibley’s 73-yard burst in the first quarter, and closed the game with a series of clutch kicks and clock-draining runs.

The Bulls led 28–18 entering the fourth quarter before the Mean Green mounted a poised, measured comeback led by quarterback Ryan Byrne and kicker Lucas Fischer, who drilled field goals of 48 and 47 yards down the stretch. Caleb Hawkins’ 2-yard touchdown run with 2:15 to play brought North Texas within two, and after an interception on a tipped pass, Fischer’s final kick sealed the comeback.

USF’s offense was sharp, but their run game remained quiet, generating just 63 yards on 25 attempts. North Texas, meanwhile, found offensive balance late and capitalized on short fields and timely conversions.

USF would have one last shot, getting the ball to the UNT 38 yard line with four seconds left. The strong wind caused the coaching staff to decide against a 50 yard field goal attempt and Hewlett's pass to the endzone was batted down.

The loss drops USF to a crucial crossroads in the American Conference race, wasting another dominant receiving day from star senior Tyler Williams and a strong push from the Bulls defensive front.

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Scoring Summary
First Quarter
USF – Tyler Williams 6-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 5:22
UNT – Kiefer Sibley 73-yard run (Lucas Fischer kick), 4:39
USF – Daidren Zipperer 53-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 1:44
Second Quarter
UNT – Lucas Fischer 25-yard FG, 5:30
USF – Kyrie Michaels 6-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 1:34
Third Quarter
UNT – Shandon King 7-yard pass from Ryan Byrne (Jaren Wheaton 2-point conversion), 3:11
USF – Nicholas Daniel 8-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 1:21
Fourth Quarter
UNT – Lucas Fischer 48-yard FG, 6:09
UNT – Caleb Hawkins 2-yard run (Lucas Fischer kick), 2:15
UNT – Lucas Fischer 47-yard FG, 0:13

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USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 22/34 333 Yds 3 TD 1 INT
Rushing
G. Shembo – 7 Car 21 Yds 3.0 Avg
N. Daniel – 7 Car 20 Yds 2.8 Avg 1 TD
S. Snead – 5 Car 20 Yds 4.0 Avg
C. Suggs – 5 Car 11 Yds 2.2 Avg
Receiving
T. Williams – 10 Rec 176 Yds 17.6 Avg 1 TD Long 59
D. Zipperer – 4 Rec 93 Yds 23.2 Avg 1 TD Long 53
J. Bridgewater – 1 Rec 25 Yds 25.0 Avg Long 25
K. Michaels – 3 Rec 14 Yds 4.6 Avg 1 TD Long 6
Defense
E. Rance – 8 Tkl 2 TFL
I. Guy – 6 Tkl 1 INT
J. Dalias – 6 Tkl 1 Sck
D. Exume – 5 Tkl 2 Sck 4 TFL
C. Hawkins – 4 Tkl
D. Igbinoghene – 4 Tkl
N. Jones – 4 Tkl
G. Jenkins – 4 Tkl
I. Singleton – 3 Tkl
J. Grant – 3 Tkl 1 Sck
Special Teams
N. Gramatica – 4/4 XP
D. McSurdy – 2 Punts 100 Yds 50.0 Avg, 1 In-20
L. Dragos – 4 KR 77 Yds 19.2 Avg Long 22
E. York – 2 KR 31 Yds 15.5 Avg Long 16

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North Texas Stat Leaders
Passing
R. Byrne – 19/24 213 Yds 1 TD 1 INT
Rushing
K. Sibley – 4 Car 91 Yds 22.7 Avg 1 TD Long 72
C. Hawkins – 12 Car 37 Yds 3.0 Avg 1 TD
R. Byrne – 8 Car 16 Yds 2.0 Avg
Receiving
T. Parrish – 6 Rec 59 Yds 9.8 Avg Long 17
S. Patterson – 4 Rec 51 Yds 12.7 Avg Long 32
J. Wheaton – 2 Rec 39 Yds 19.5 Avg Long 22
J. McClellan – 2 Rec 37 Yds 18.5 Avg Long 31
Defense
P. Smith-Young – 9 Tkl
K. Lewis – 8 Tkl
J. Swayne – 6 Tkl
J. Knox – 6 Tkl
J. Manning – 6 Tkl
G. Stroud – 6 Tkl
J. Jean-Louis – 5 Tkl 1.0 Sck
Special Teams
Kicking
L. Fischer – 3/3 FG (Long 49), 2/2 XP
Punting
A. Sanders – 1 Punt 38 Yds 38.0 Avg
Kick Returns
S. King – 1 KR 15 Yds 15.0 Avg Long 15
Punt Returns
J. McClellan – 2 PR 26 Yds 13.0 Avg Long 26

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Team Stats Comparison

Category	USF	North Texas
Score	28	31
First Downs	19	18
Total Offense	396	357
Total Plays	60	48
Yards Per Play	6.6	7.4
Rush|Yards|TD	25|63|1	24|144|2
Yards Per Rush	2.5	6.0
Comp|Att|TD	22|35|3	20|24|1
Yards Per Pass	9.5	8.9
Passing Yards	333	213
3rd Down Conv.	5|13 (38%)	5|9 (55%)
4th Down Conv.	4|5 (80%)	0|0 (0%)
2 Pt Conv.	0|0 (0%)	1|1 (100%)
Red Zone TD|FG|%	3|0|75%	2|1|75%
Turnovers	1 (-0)	1 (-0)
Fumbles Lost	0	0
Interceptions	1	1
PR Yards	0	26
KR Yards	108	15
Total Yards	504	398
Punts (Avg)	50.0	38.0
Penalties	1|2	1|15

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[djp73]

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USF POSTGAME REPORT

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USF 28 – NORTH TEXAS 31

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Offense
–USF opened fast and looked poised for another strong road performance, but stalled late as North Texas erased a fourth-quarter deficit and handed the Bulls a narrow 31–28 loss in Denton. What began as a clean, explosive passing day gradually turned into a grind as the Mean Green tightened coverage and disrupted timing.

–Quarterback Locklan Hewlett was sharp early, finishing 22-of-34 for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Hewlett spread the ball well, but the passing game became more contested as the night wore on. His lone interception came on a jumped route over the middle late in the game and allowed North Texas to drive and take the lead.

–Senior wideout Tyler Williams once again led the offensive charge. Williams hauled in 10 passes for 176 yards and a 6-yard touchdown, consistently creating separation and converting key third downs. Daidren Zipperer added a 53-yard score, while tight end Kyrie Michaels contributed a 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

–The run game struggled to find traction against a physical North Texas front. The Bulls totaled just 63 rushing yards on 25 attempts, with Nicholas Daniel supplying the lone rushing touchdown. No USF ballcarrier exceeded 21 yards on the ground as UNT’s linebackers flowed quickly and sealed cutback lanes.

–Despite outgaining North Texas 396–357 and producing 19 first downs, USF managed only seven second-half points and failed to score in the fourth quarter.

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Defense
–USF’s defense delivered strong moments but ultimately could not contain North Texas’ explosive plays. A 73-yard touchdown run by Kiefer Sibley in the first quarter and a series of late chunk gains in the fourth were turning points in the game.

–Run defense proved to be the biggest struggle. North Texas averaged 6.0 yards per carry and finished with 144 yards on the ground, including Sibley’s long score and a crucial Caleb Hawkins touchdown run late in the fourth.

–Linebacker Eric Rance led the defense with 8 tackles and 2 TFL, showing excellent pursuit and physicality. Defensive tackle DiNellson Exume posted a standout performance with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 tackles for loss, consistently beating interior protection.

–Corner Izaiah Guy produced the lone takeaway for USF with a second-half interception, while Jermaine Dalias and Jahari Grant each added a sack. Safety Cedrick Hawkins contributed 4 tackles in a steady performance on the back end.

–North Texas quarterback Ryan Byrne was efficient, completing 19-of-24 attempts for 213 yards. While USF kept most throws in front of them, the Mean Green hit key conversions late, finishing 5-of-9 on third down and converting a pivotal 2-point try in the third quarter.

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Special Teams
–Kicker Nico Gramatica went 4-for-4 on extra points and was not asked to attempt a field goal from 50 yards that could have tied the game with 4 seconds left, a possible sign of a lack of faith from te coaching staff.

–Punter Dorian McSurdy flipped the field when called upon, averaging 50.0 yards on two punts with one downed inside the 20.

–Freshman Lyle Dragos produced 77 kick-return yards on four attempts, though North Texas’ coverage units limited explosive opportunities. Elton York added 31 yards on two returns.

–USF’s return game outgained North Texas 108–15 on kickoffs, but the Mean Green held the edge in punt returns thanks to two strong runbacks by Jeremiah McClellan.

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Quotables
“We had chances to put this game away. You can’t leave the door open on the road in November. We've got to get back on track in the running game.” – DJ Porter, USF Head Coach

“We executed early, but we’ve got to finish. I have to be better down the stretch.” – Locklan Hewlett, Quarterback

“We didn’t fit the run the way we expect to. That’s on us to correct.” – Eric Rance, Linebacker

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Injury Notes
–Quarterback Locklan Hewlett did not appear to be bothered by his previous leg injury.

–No new major injuries were reported postgame, but Porter confirmed that evaluations will continue early in the week.

–Center Teriyan Morman remains out with a foot fracture.

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News
–The loss drops USF to 7–2 overall and 4–1 in American Conference play, tightening the race at the top of the standings.

–Tyler Williams’ 176-yard effort puts him at 1,108 yards on the season, making him just the second player in program history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark.

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Next Up
–USF returns home to face a struggling Navy team in a critical conference matchup as they look to rebound from their first conference loss of the season. With the standings tightening, every game from here on out carries major postseason implications.

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[djp73]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

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AMERICAN CONFERENCE REPORT

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American Conference Standings

Team	W-L	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	MOV	HOME	AWAY	STK
#22 Tulane	7-2	.778	5-0	265	177	88	9.8	3-2	4-0	W1
North Texas	7-2	.778	4-1	260	191	69	7.7	5-2	2-0	W5
USF	7-2	.778	4-1	299	191	108	12.0	3-0	4-2	L1
Tulsa	6-3	.667	4-1	227	213	14	1.5	4-1	2-2	L2
UTSA	4-5	.444	3-2	322	283	39	4.3	1-3	3-2	L3
Memphis	5-4	.556	3-2	253	246	7	0.8	2-1	3-3	W3
Rice	5-4	.556	3-2	255	221	34	3.8	2-4	3-0	W1
East Carolina	3-6	.333	2-3	246	326	-80	-8.9	2-3	1-3	L1
Florida Atlantic	5-4	.556	2-3	291	281	10	1.1	2-2	3-2	L3
Temple	3-6	.333	2-3	189	277	-88	-9.8	1-2	2-4	W1
Charlotte	3-6	.333	2-3	259	251	8	0.9	2-2	1-4	L1
UAB	4-5	.444	1-4	255	273	-18	-2.0	3-3	1-2	W1
Army	2-6	.250	1-5	156	178	-22	-2.8	1-4	1-4	W2
Navy	0-9	.000	0-6	102	265	-163	-18.1	0-5	0-4	L9

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American Conference Week 10 Scores
Army 14, Air Force 13
Memphis 35, East Carolina 33
#22 Tulane 28, Tulsa 23
North Texas 31, USF 28
Temple 45, UTSA 37
Charlotte 38, Florida Atlantic 20
Rice 31, Navy 3
UAB 50, Utah State 26

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American Conference Players of the Week
Defensive: Matt Farrow – MLB – Tulane | W 28–23 at Tulsa | 11 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 PBU, 1 FF
Offensive: Jalen Dupree – HB – Memphis | W 35–33 at ECU | 19 CAR, 111 YDS, 4 TD; 2 REC, 26 YDS

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American Conference Week 11 Schedule
Navy at USF – Sat, Nov 13 – 12:30 PM
Army at Charlotte – Sat, Nov 13 – 12:30 PM
UAB at Memphis – Sat, Nov 13 – 2:00 PM
#22 Tulane at UTSA – Sat, Nov 13 – 2:15 PM
North Texas at Florida Atlantic – Sat, Nov 13 – 3:15 PM
Tulsa at Rice – Sat, Nov 13 – 5:00 PM
Temple at East Carolina – Sat, Nov 13 – 7:30 PM

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[djp73]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

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NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

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CFP Top 25 Rankings

Rank	LW	Team	W–L	Last Week	This Week
1	2	Miami	8–1	W 42–17 vs Louisville	at Duke
2	3	Auburn	8–1	W 42–24 at Mississippi State	Florida
3	5	Utah	8–1	W 28–17 vs Oklahoma State	UCF
4	6	USC	9–1	W 49–3 at Iowa	—
5	8	UCLA	8–1	W 23–14 at Wisconsin	12 LSU
6	7	Oklahoma	7–2	—	Mississippi State
7	9	Georgia	7–2	W 38–20 vs Florida	Vanderbilt
8	10	Alabama	8–1	—	at Arkansas
9	11	Ohio State	7–2	W 37–20 vs Purdue	at Rutgers
10	14	Oregon	7–2	W 28–19 vs 16 Penn State	at Maryland
11	13	Notre Dame	7–2	W 27–24 vs Virginia Tech	at 14 Clemson
12	1	LSU	8–1	L 28–14 vs Texas A&M	at 5 UCLA
13	16	Boston College	8–2	W 34–31 at Middle Tennessee	Louisville
14	15	Clemson	7–2	W 49–24 vs Wake Forest	11 Notre Dame
15	17	Texas	7–3	W 32–15 vs South Carolina	—
16	4	Penn State	7–2	L 28–19 at 10 Oregon	at Purdue
17	18	Tennessee	7–2	W 34–32 vs Missouri	at South Carolina
18	19	Michigan	6–3	W 38–3 vs Illinois	at Michigan State
19	21	Louisiana	8–1	W 41–19 at Southern Mississippi	South Alabama
20	12	Pittsburgh	7–2	L 23–21 at 25 Florida State	SMU
21	23	Boise State	8–1	W 24–14 at Texas State	at Washington State
22	25	Tulane	7–2	W 28–23 at Tulsa	at UTSA
23	24	Iowa State	8–2	W 34–18 at West Virginia	—
24	NR	Washington	7–2	W 45–23 at Northwestern	at Minnesota
25	NR	Florida State	7–2	W 23–21 vs 20 Pittsburgh	at California

Dropped from rankings: Colorado, Texas Tech

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National Players of the Week
Defensive: Brandon Finney – CB – Oregon | W 28–19 vs 16 Penn State | 8 TKL, 1 INT, 1 PBU, 1 TD
Offensive: Jalen Dupree – HB – Memphis | W 35–33 at East Carolina | 19 CAR, 111 RUSH YDS, 4 RUSH TD; 2 REC, 26 REC YDS

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Heisman Watch
Arch Manning – QB – Texas
Last Game vs South Carolina (W 32–15): 18–29, 229 PASS YDS, 7.9 YPA, 1 PASS TD | 18 CAR, 65 RUSH YDS, 1 RUSH TD
Landon Roldan – WR – Georgia
Last Game vs Florida (W 38–20): 7 REC, 82 REC YDS, 11.7 AVG, 1 REC TD
Deuce Knight – QB – Auburn
Last Game at Mississippi State (W 42–24): 28–34, 399 PASS YDS, 11.7 YPA, 3 PASS TD, 1 INT | 15 CAR, 42 RUSH YDS
Manny Bomar – QB – Miami
Last Game vs Louisville (W 42–17): 21–38, 197 PASS YDS, 5.2 YPA, 2 PASS TD | 8 CAR, 17 RUSH YDS
Eli Holstein – QB – LSU
Last Game vs Texas A&M (L 28–14): 27–48, 302 PASS YDS, 6.3 YPA, 2 PASS TD, 1 INT | 7 CAR, 24 RUSH YDS

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[djp73]

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USF RECRUITING REPORT

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MLB TERRELL SIGNS WITH BULLS

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After a bit of a dry spell on the recruiting trail USF has landed a player that defensive coordinator Tony White is very excited about.

“Lonnie's a guy that you can just plug in at Mike and he's going to make plays. We've seen him call out the offense's plays and then go blow them up. We're very excited to get him in next spring.” White said.

Terrell, listed as the 938th best player nationally, stands 6'3” and weighs in at 221 pounds. He leads the Jaguars in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions.

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-The signing bumps USF's class back up to 25th nationally with 97.35 points. The Bulls lead Navy by just over six points for the best class in the American Conference.

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Class of 2028

Last	First	Position	Class	Star Rating	Nat Rank	Pos Rank	State Rank	Height	Weight	Hometown
Smith	Dakota	WR	HS		468	60	80	6'1”	177	Tampa, FL
Kush	Immauel	SS	HS		494	65	10	6'0”	201	Tampa, FL
Doubs	Jacques	DT	HS		547	34	32	6'5”	301	Cartersville, GA
Peppers	Tyrone	DT	HS		584	8	34	6'3”	304	Saint Louis, MO
Tuten	Tyler	RG	HS		643	81	48	6'1”	307	Vero Beach, FL
Traore	Peter	SAM	HS		719	87	56	6'3”	230	Dunnellon, FL
Terrell	Lonnie	MIKE	HS		938	108	54	6'3”	221	Port Saint Lucie, FL

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Current Targets

Last	First	Position	Class	Star Rating	Nat Rank	Pos Rank	State Rank	Height	Weight	Hometown	Stage	Top Schools
Sowells	Jahzir	DT	HS		816	61	44	6'4”	290	Carrolton, GA	Top 5	USF, Hawaii, Fresno St
Bragg	Dom	K	HS		922	105	7	5'11”	166	Ocala, FL	Top 5	USF, FSU, App State
Lanovoi	Stanley	ATH	HS		966	110	21	6'1”	307	Jacksonville, FL	Top 5	USF, UCF, Buffalo
Isaac	Sergio	TE	JUCO SO		1120	131	59	6'6”	221	Port Saint Lucie, FL	Top 8	USF, Minnesota, FAU
Sauer	Enrique	MIKE	HS		1163	135	73	6'2”	230	Bradenton, FL	Top 5	USF, UGA, Illinois
Lorenz	Enrique	RT	HS		1249	31	87	6'4”	315	Southfield, MI	Top 5	USF, UTEP, Buffalo
Barr	Josh	WR	HS		1474	171	274	6'1”	186	Bradenton, FL	Top 5	USF, SDSU, ODU
Brents	Keon	ATH	HS		1533	183	99	6'3”	228	Orlando, FL	Top 8	USF, TAMU, Illinois
Cherry	Kenya	WR	HS		1705	205	308	6'1”	165	Sarasota, FL	Top 8	USF, SDSU, ODU

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Unsigned Targets

Last	First	Position	Class	Star Rating	Nat Rank	Pos Rank	State Rank	Height	Weight	Hometown	Reason	Signed With
Hurns	Grant	DT	HS		500	11	27	6'1”	294	Flossmoor, IL	Signed Elsewhere	Temple
Michelle	Kyle	WR	HS		975	111	168	6'4”	188	Bradenton, FL	Removed	---
Kiwanuka	Jabari	RT	HS		1217	143	83	6'6”	293	Davenport, FL	Dealbreaker - Playing Style	---
Cantwell	Rodney	WILL	JUCO SO		1270	148	97	6'0”	206	Winter Park, FL	Signed Elsewhere	UCF
Ellington	Quincey	DT	HS		1327	21	73	6'3”	292	Chandler, AZ	Removed	---
Swayne	Barry	MIKE	HS		1338	157	81	5'11”	218	Winter Garden, FL	Signed Elsewhere	Army
Neilon	Mychal	RT	HS		1464	169	99	6'7”	313	Kissimmee, FL	Dealbreaker - Playing Style	---
Johnson	Ray	WR	HS		1556	186	284	6'3”	193	Bradenton, FL	Removed	---
Nkwenti	Akeem	DT	HS		1627	194	83	6'0”	303	Pensacola, FL	Removed	---

[Deuce2223]

Tough loss.. Looks like UNT is playing on the game as well as they are IRL. Will be interesting to see how the final conference games play out and who gets a chance at Tulane now with that loss.

[djp73]

Tough loss.. Looks like UNT is playing on the game as well as they are IRL. Will be interesting to see how the final conference games play out and who gets a chance at Tulane now with that loss.

Yeah that one was frustrating, especially not being able to run the ball.
Defensively I expected struggles and there are plenty of them between my rust, a new scheme and a lack of talent. They’re still frustrating as hell though.
I feel like we can run the table, not sure who UNT and Tulsa play. Assuming the tie breakers are correctly implemented I believe we would lose out to UNT and beat out Tulsa if things ended now.

[Soapy]

might as well have kept Golesh for this smh

[djp73]

might as well have kept Golesh for this smh