Roadrunners get last shot to contain Fine
During the past three years, UTSA safety Carl Austin has seen just about everything North Texas quarterback Mason Fine has to offer.
As a freshman in 2016, Fine came to the Alamodome and broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run. In 2017, when UTSA last visited Denton, Fine engineered a 98-yard drive with just more than a minute remaining to knock off the Roadrunners.
Last season, Fine showcased his efficiency, completing 26 of 36 passes for 320 yards and two scores as North Texas survived a scare from UTSA, winning 24-21.
At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Austin and UTSA will contend with Fine for the fourth and final time, traveling to Denton to take on North Texas in both teams’ Conference USA opener.
“He’s a resilient quarterback. He’s going to make plays. He’s a playmaker,” Austin said. “We have to stay on our toes on defense. Especially when he rolls out and scrambles, he’s dangerous. … It’s going to be a fun game.”
Fine’s gaudy performances have not been limited to matchups against UTSA. The two-time reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, Fine is the FBS’ active career passing leader, eclipsing the 10,000-yard mark last week against Cal.
He holds program records for passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns, making 30 consecutive starts dating back to 2017. In three games this season, he has thrown for 745 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions on 60.6 percent passing.
Wilson called Fine, who is listed at 5-foot-11, “one of the premier quarterbacks in the conference and, realistically, in the country.”
“He has ‘it,’ ” Wilson said. “Not big in stature, but has a good arm. Extremely accurate. Courageous. He’ll stand there and take it in the teeth if he needs to in order to complete a ball. He will run to stay alive to pass, but if no one comes up, he will take that opportunity to run down the field. We’ve seen both.”
Fine leads an offense that entered the year with eight returning starters after scoring a league-best 34.6 points per game last season.
UNT coach Seth Littrell’s spread, pass-first offense will look for opportunities to push tempo against UTSA, Wilson said, just as the Mean Green have in each of their previous matchups. In three games against the Roadrunners, Fine has thrown for 931 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 98 yards and two scores.
“Containing him would be the biggest thing,” defensive end Eric Banks said. “If we contain him and keep him in the pocket and stay in his face constantly, the game should be a pretty close one.”
Tight games have been the norm in the series — a stark contrast to this week’s betting line, which has North Texas as an 18point favorite. The teams have split their six all-time meetings, but only one has been decided by a double-digit margin.
The Mean Green have won three of the past four matchups, but UTSA has outscored UNT 156140 through the series.
North Texas claimed the 2017 meeting 29-26, sealing the win
when Fine threw a 22-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining to cap a 98-yard drive. Last year’s contest was decided at the final whistle, as the Mean Green won 24-21 after Roadrunners kicker Jared Sackett missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
“I don’t know what it is about North Texas, but we always come out and fight hard,” Austin said. “It’s going to be a hard-fought game. It’s going to be a war out there. We’re ready for it.”
Austin highlighted UNT as UTSA’s “most competitive rivalry.”
Wilson said the matchup has all the ingredients: conference opponents, in the same state, who have played each other close, who have won at the other’s home stadium.
“When you look at a series, that makes for a rivalry,” Wilson said. “Our kids will get up to play for them, and I think they’ll get up to play us, as well.”
UTSA quarterback Frank Harris said he doesn’t see a rivalry.
He sees only a conference opponent.
Wilson has been emphasizing that this week represents a fresh start for the Roadrunners. UTSA scored a dominating 35-7 victory against Incarnate Word in its opener before losing 63-14 to Baylor and 31-13 to Army.
The Mean Green were picked to win C-USA’s West Division in the preseason media poll, but enter Saturday’s opener in a similar position. North Texas is 1-2, with a dominating win against FCS opponent Abilene Christian and losses to bigger, more storied programs SMU and Cal.
“The first three games are kind of like preseason games,” Harris said. “Of course, we want to win them. But at the end of the day, if you win those first three games and then lose in conference play, it really doesn’t matter. So we’re going to go out there and execute and start conference off right.”