NORTH TEXAS FOOTBALL NOTES

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North Texas' four-time Sun Belt Conference football champion team has both of the last two national rushing champions. Patrick Cobbs ran for 1,680 yards in 2003 when he led the country in both rushing and scoring and became the Sun Belt's Offensive Player of the Year. He ranks fourth among all Division I-A active ball carriers. When Cobbs was hurt last season, Jamario Thomas tallied 1,801 yards in his freshman year and became the NCAA's fastest-ever running back to 1,000 yards on the way to Freshman All-America status and that same Sun Belt offensive award. The combination would seem to be unstoppable, especially in a Sun Belt that has not been noted for stalwart defenses. So why have the Mean Green been not-so-mean on offense this year? UNT is last in the league in total offense (and defense) and scoring offense (and defense), and ranks only fifth in the league in rushing with only 121.3 yards per game on the ground. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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DENTON - Fact: North Texas, despite having the nation's worst offense and allowing 452.5 yards per game on defense, is a legitimate contender to win its fifth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title. Fact: The Mean Green will clinch the title and go to the New Orleans Bowl if it closes the season with four consecutive victories. UNT (2-5, 2-1) vies for the first of those victories at 6 p.m. Saturday at Fouts Field against Louisiana-Lafayette (3-5, 2-2). Mean Green coach Darrell Dickey said his team is aware that one loss will dash any bowl hopes. "They know none of that stuff matters unless we take care of our job Saturday," Dickey said. "If we don't win that game, it's pretty much done for us." The Mean Green closes with games at Florida Atlantic and at home against Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State, the two clubs ahead of UNT in the standings. The rest of the story By JEFF WILSON Star-Telegram Staff Writer