Let's jump back in time to 1995 and UNT's first year back in the FBS, as it was known back then, NCAA Division I-A. The Mean Green, or Screaming Eagles didn't duck anyone back in '95 and their schedule included a trip to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama.
BAMA BULLETS!
Stallings and the 1992 National Champs.
- Alabama was coached by the Legend Gene Stallings. Stallings played for Bear Bryant at Texas A&M, was a member of the Junction Boys, winning a SWC title as a player in 1956. He would later coach the Aggies to a SWC title in 1967.
- Stallings left the college ranks and coached in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and later the St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals before coming to Bama.
- Stallings won 81% of his games at Bama including the national title in 1992.
- The 1995 Crimson Tide were on probation, so in spite of an 8-3 record and top 25 finish the Tide sat out bowl season, the only time a Stallings coached Alabama team would do so.
- North Texas was coached by Matt Simon in 1995. He was the offensive coordinator at New Mexico when he got the call to succeed Dennis Parker in Denton.
UNT played a few home games at Texas Stadium.
- Parker was famous for coaching the Marshall Mavericks including a brief mention in the Texas high school football epic by Buzz Bissinger, Friday Night Lights.
- Simon was 33% of his game at North Texas, including two in 1995, over Oregon State and Idaho State. The Mean green owned the Pacific Northwest.
- North Texas was an Independent in 1995. A year later they would join the Big West. The Big West folded in 1999 and the Mean Green migrated to the Sun Belt in 2000.
- UNT didn't duck anyone in their first I-A season, they played at Bama, LSU, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisville.
- Alabama was ranked 18th in the country the week they played UNT. UNT would play two ranked opponents in '95, also traveling to #10 Oklahoma.
- Jason Mills was a three starter at quarterback for UNT. The Denton native sits 7th on UNT's all-time passing yards list, 6th in career touchdowns.
Enjoy a Throwback Thursday Mean Green/Crimson Tide showdown.