Mean Green picked to win West

Meeting North Texas in the 2018 season finale, UTSA missed a game-tying field goal attempt on the final play, falling 24-21. The year prior, the Mean Green drove 98 yards in less than a minute for the decisive touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in a 29-26 win against the Roadrunners.

In the short history of UTSA football, the rivalry against North Texas has produced some of the most dramatic moments. The alltime series stands 3-3.

Once again, UNT projects to be a measuring stick for UTSA this season, with the programs meeting Sept. 21 in Denton to open the Conference USA slate. The Mean Green enter 2019 as the media’s preseason pick to win the West Division on the strength of C-USA preseason Offensive Player of the Year Mason Fine.

A four-year starter and two-time reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, Fine is the FBS’ active leader in career passing yards with 9,417. The Mean Green return five preseason all-conference players — tied with Southern Miss for the most in the league — and bring back eight starters from an offense that scored a league-best 34.6 points per game last season.

Regardless, North Texas coach Seth Littrell said he expects a wide-open race for the conference title.

“This is a diverse league. We have some tempo teams that will throw it around. We have teams that will line up and try to wear you out in the power run game. We have a lot of diversity in offense and defense,” Littrell said. “You probably see more hybrid things in this league than any league I’ve been in.”

Conference USA boasted the best bowl record of any league in 2018, going 4-2. Since reshaping in 2013 to include most of its current membership, Conference USA is 22-16 in bowl games, a 57.9 win percentage.

In the six corresponding NFL drafts, Conference USA has had 50 players selected.

“It speaks to the quality of players that are recruited, and probably more importantly the quality of players that are developed in this league,” UTSA coach Frank Wilson said. “I don’t think one team is much more dominant than any other. I think each week, teams have an opportunity.”

Southern Miss was picked to finish second in the West after ranking third in the FBS in total defense last year, allowing 278.4 yards per game. The unit returns six starters and has four preseason all-conference picks, highlighted by defensive lineman DeMarrio Smith and linebacker Racheem Boothe.

Louisiana Tech is projected third, hoping an experienced but mediocre offense will help offset heavy losses from a strong defense.

Reigning champion UAB was picked to finish fourth in the West after saying goodbye to more than half of its 2018 letter winners.

UTSA, Rice and UTEP round out the projected standings in the West. Wilson expects the Roadrunners to exceed those expectations.

“Year in and year out, you’re going to have teams that are consistent. Our intentions are always to be in that talk,” Wilson said. “To be at the top echelon of Conference USA, of Conference USA West, vying for position. Although we are a relatively young team in regard to other teams in the conference, we’re at a point now where consistency is something we can etch ourselves in.”

UTSA will face Old Dominion and Florida Atlantic from the East. The Monarchs are picked to finish sixth in the division, while the Owls were selected third. Marshall was projected to win the East. The Thundering Herd face questions in their effort to sustain a stout defense but return a league-high 55 letter winners, including quarterback Isaiah Green, their top two rushers and most of their offensive line.

Florida International, picked second in the East, ranks second in the league in returning players with 52, counting 16 starters on offense and defense among them. Quarterback James Morgan, a grad transfer from Bowling Green, earned C-USA Newcomer of the Year last season by throwing for 2,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.