1997 North Texas Mean Green football team

The 1997 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Mean Green played their home games at the Fouts Field in Denton, Texas, and competed in the Big West Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Matt Simon (American football). The team finished the regular season with a 4-7 overall record with a 2-3 mark in Big West play. Simon was fired at the conclusion of the season.

1997 North Texas Mean Green football
ConferenceBig West Conference
1997 record4-7 (3-2 Big West)
Head coachMatt Simon (4th season)
Home stadiumFouts Field
(Capacity: 30,500)
1997 Big West Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Utah State +  4 –1     6 –6  
Nevada +  4 –1     5 –6  
Boise State  3 –2     5 –6  
Idaho  2 –3     5 –6  
North Texas  2 –3     4 –7  
New Mexico State  0 –5     2 –9  
  • + – Conference co-champions

Previous season

North Texas failed to improve on their 5-6 record from 1996.

"Do you believe in the Mean Green?"

Despite a rough season in which North Texas failed to qualify for a bowl game, the 1997 team managed to pull of one of the signature wins in program history on the road over Texas Tech. The Mean Green led the Red Raiders 30-27 in the dying minutes at Jones Stadium in Lubbock. As a final desperation heave into the end zone was batted down incomplete by the North Texas secondary to secure the upset, play-by-play voice George Dunham exclaimed "Do you believe in the Mean Green?" The call became a rallying cry for Mean Green fans, and is still prominently used by the university to this day.

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResult
August 30at Vanderbilt*
L 12-29
September 6at Oregon State*
L 7-33
September 13Indiana State*
W 41-6
September 20at Texas Tech*
W 30-27
September 27No. 22 Texas A&M*
L 10-36
October 4at Idaho
L 17-30
October 18Boise State*
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, Texas
L 14-17
October 25at Nevada
L 10-65
November 8at New Mexico State
W 26-15
November 15at Army*
L 14-25
November 22Utah State
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
W 51-48
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Schedule source:[1]

References
  1. https://s3.amazonaws.com/meangreensports.com/documents/2017/8/31/_ntex_m_footbl_2017_18_misc_non_event__2017_North_Texas_Fact_Book_v3.pdf
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