* – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations. ** – South Alabama was ineligible for the conference title or a bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.
After the completion of the 2011 season, McCarney focused on continuing the momentum created during the team's last game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. 25 players signed letters of intent to play for the Mean Green, and the team's spring practice ended with an intrasquad scrimmage. The team announced its schedule in March 2012, which included five opponents that were bowl eligible in 2011. The season opened with a road loss to the LSU Tigers and a home opening win against the Texas Southern Tigers. The team began conference play with a loss to the Troy Trojans. The season reached its zenith when the Mean Green defeated the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in a nationally televised game on October 16, but the team only won one of its remaining five games to finish with its eighth straight losing season.[2]
Spring practice began on March 28 and included 15 practices and an intrasquad scrimmage planned to avoid conflicts with classes. Head Coach Dan McCarney supervised the annual Green and White football game that concluded the spring football schedule on April 21.[4] The 2012 match featured the first and third string members comprising the Green Team and the second and fourth string members comprising the White team.
The White team was given a 20-point lead at the start of the contest; they would be unable to score the rest of the game. Quarterback Derek Thompson threw six passes with four completions for 162 yards in the first half. Wide receivers Ivan Delgado and Brelan Chancellor combined for five catches and three touchdowns. Delgado finished with 2 receptions for 114 yards and 1 touchdown while Chancellor had three receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Two rushes by running back Jeremy Brown for 52 and 25 yards gave the Green team the lead in the third quarter, bringing the score to 21–20. Ten minutes later, running back Antoinne Jackson rushed ten yards to increase the lead to 28–20. In the fourth quarter, Chancellor caught a 52-yard reception from quarterback Andrew McNulty. Antoinne Jimmerson ran 30 yards for his second rushing touchdown to make the final score 41–20.[3]
The University of North Texas announced the official football game schedule for 2012 on March 1, 2012. Five of the Mean Green's 12 opponents in 2012 participated in a bowl game the previous season.[6] Sports analyst Phil Steele rated the schedule as the 79th toughest out of 124 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.[7]
All North Texas football games aired via the Mean Green Radio Network, with George Dunham providing play-by-play action and Hank Dickenson providing analysis. Mean Green Radio Network coverage was carried on KNTU 88.1 FM in Denton and on KHYI 95.3 FM in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. 2012 was the first year KHYI provided Mean Green football coverage.[9] Both stations also streamed live online.
The first game for the Mean Green's season was scheduled against the LSU Tigers football team, who had last played in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game against the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team at the end of the 2011 season, losing 21–0. In the week before the game, concerns over the path and effects of Tropical Storm Isaac forced local officials in Louisiana to consider contingency plans for the game.[11] Although the Tigers were forced to alter their practice schedule leading up to the game, the contest was held as scheduled in Tiger Stadium. The Mean Green's two scoring drives were capped by touchdown passes of 80 and 15 yards from quarterback Derek Thompson to wide receiver Brelan Chancellor. The Tigers' 508 yards of total offense led the team to a 41–14 victory over the Mean Green in the season opener.[12]
T. Thompson 38-yd pass from Collin Klein (A. Cantele kick)
Kansas State 14-7
3
7:03
North Texas
A. Jimmerson 1-yd run (Zach Olen kick failed)
Kansas State 14-13
3
3:15
Kansas State
T. Thompson 21-yd pass from Collin Klein (A. Cantele kick)
Kansas State 21-13
4
13:20
Kansas State
John Hubert 6-yd run (A. Cantele kick)
Kansas State 28-13
4
6:44
Kansas State
Collin Klein 1-yd run (A. Cantele kick)
Kansas State 35-13
4
2:31
North Texas
Brelan Chancellor 19-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Brandin Byrd pass from Derek Thompson)
Kansas State 35-21
For their next road game, the Mean Green played the Kansas State Wildcats, led by potential Heisman Trophy candidate Collin Klein. The two teams had last met during the 2010 season, when the Wildcats defeated the Mean Green 41–49 in the final game at Fouts Field. This time playing at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, the Wildcats were favored to win by 28 points by spread bettors prior to the game. Each team scored two touchdowns by midway through the third quarter, but a blocked extra point attempt after North Texas' second score made the score 14–13. Kansas State answered with three unanswered touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter, bringing the score to 35-13 before North Texas scored its final touchdown with 2:31 left in the game. The final score was 35–13 in favor of the Wildcats. Mean Green quarterback Derek Thompson completed 25 of 28 passes in the game.[15]
Brelan Chancellor 50-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
North Texas 7–0
2
1:00
Troy
Jaquon Robinson 15-yard pass from Corey Robinson (Will Scott kick)
7-7
3
6:53
Troy
Chip Reeves 76-yard pass from Corey Robinson (Will Scott kick)
Troy 14–7
For their first conference game of the season, the Mean Green faced the Troy Trojans, whom they had defeated the previous year 38–33. North Texas' defensive squad showed significant improvement, slowing a Troy offense led by Corey Robinson that had averaged over 500 yards a game to only two touchdowns.[17] On offense, however, the team struggled to score points despite moving the ball. The Mean Green gained 422 yards of total offense, but kicker Zach Olen missed three field goals and quarterback Derek Thompson completed only 12 of 28 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. The loss brought the Mean Green's season record to 1–3.[18]
Brelan Chancellor 68-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
North Texas 7–0
2
12:15
North Texas
Zach Olen 48-yd field goal
North Texas 10–0
3
5:24
North Texas
Drew Miller 14-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
North Texas 17–0
3
:59
FAU
Damian Fortner 11-yd run (Mitch Anderson kick)
North Texas 17–7
4
14:47
FAU
Graham Wilbert 11-yd run (Mitch Anderson kick)
North Texas 17–14
4
7:29
North Texas
Zach Olen 28-yd field goal
North Texas 20–14
The Mean Green eked out a victory against first-year head coach Carl Pelini and the Florida Atlantic Owls at FAU Stadium, giving the team a 2–3 record through five games, its best start since the 2005 season.[20] After North Texas gained a 17–0 lead midway through the third quarter, Florida Atlantic scored two straight touchdowns in less than two minutes of game time to bring the score to 17–14. Midway through the fourth quarter, Mean Green kicker Zach Olen made a 28-yard field goal to bring the score to 20–14. North Texas held on to the lead, which was one point short of the points spread predicted prior to the beginning of the game.[21] The Mean Green gained 56 rushing yards against an Owl defense that had allowed an average of 255 yards per game coming into the contest.[22]
The Mean Green faced the Cougars for the second time in as many years when they traveled to Houston for their final nonconference game of the season. Although Cougars lost their first game of the season to the Texas State Bobcats, the team's prolific offensive unit had recovered somewhat by the time they played the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 8. In that game, the teams combined for a total of 209 plays, breaking an NCAA FBS record held by the Mean Green and the San Jose State Spartans since 1971.[24] The Cougars scored two touchdowns and a field goal to earn a 17-point lead before the Mean Green scored its first points in the second quarter. Houston running back Charles Sims ran for a career-high 210 yards, and the Cougars won the contest with a score of 44–21.[25]
Harry Peoples 10-yd pass from Terra Broadway (Brett Baer kick)
Louisiana–Lafayette 20–6
3
5:04
North Texas
A. Jimmerson 28-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
Louisiana–Lafayette 20–13
3
3:42
North Texas
B. Chancellor 34-yd run (Zach Olen kick)
20–20
4
11:44
North Texas
Zach Olen 22-yd field goal
North Texas 20–23
4
3:01
Louisiana–Lafayette
Brett Baer 47-yd field goal
23–23
4
1:54
North Texas
A. Jimmerson 78-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
North Texas 30–23
The Mean Green's Tuesday evening home game against the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns began at 8:00 p.m. in Denton. Louisiana scored first, and had gained a 20–6 lead by the middle of the third quarter. After North Texas scored two touchdowns and a field goal, followed by a field goal from the Ragin' Cajuns, the score was tied at 23–23. With 1:54 remaining in the game at their own 22-yard line, North Texas quarterback Derek Thompson threw a screen pass to running back Antoinne Jimmerson, who ran 78 yards for the game-winning touchdown.[27] On the ensuing drive, Ragin' Cajun running back Effrem Reed fumbled the ball, which was recovered by North Texas. The Mean Green ran out the clock to win the contest. The game was televised on ESPN2.[28] The broadcast had an estimated 366,000 viewers, earning a Nielsen rating of 0.3.[29]
Anthony Amos 18-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick)
Middle Tennessee 7–0
1
6:38
Middle Tennessee
Kyle Griswould 72-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick)
Middle Tennessee 14–0
1
1:13
Middle Tennessee
Carlos Lopez 21-yd field goal
Middle Tennessee 17–0
2
2:42
Middle Tennessee
Kyle Griswould 49-yd pass from Logan Kilgore (Carlos Lopez kick)
Middle Tennessee 24–0
3
13:48
Middle Tennessee
Jordan Parker 4-yd run (Carlos Lopez kick)
Middle Tennessee 31–0
3
10:20
North Texas
Antoinne Jimmerson 2-yd run (Zach Olen kick)
Middle Tennessee 31–7
3
9:27
Middle Tennessee
Logan Kilgore 45-yd run (Carlos Lopez kick)
Middle Tennessee 38–7
3
1:26
North Texas
Carlos Harris 13-yd pass from Derek Thompson (Zach Olen kick)
Middle Tennessee 38–14
4
6:38
North Texas
Antoinne Jimmerson 15-yd run (Zach Olen kick)
Middle Tennessee 38–21
The Mean Green struggled on both sides of the ball against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Although the Mean Green gained 432 total yards with a balanced running and passing offense, it did not score any points until running back Antoinne Jimmerson ran two yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. By that time, the Blue Raiders had already scored 31 points, making the game out of reach for the Mean Green.[31] Wide receiver Brelan Chancellor broke a collar bone in the first quarter of the game, and would miss the rest of the season.[32]
^Troy vs North Texas. MeanGreenSports.com (Report). University of North Texas: University of North Texas Athletics. September 22, 2012. Archived from the original(Automated ScoreBook) on January 29, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
^North Texas vs FAU (Report). University of North Texas Athletics. September 29, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
^North Texas vs Houston (Report). University of North Texas Athletics. October 6, 2012. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
^North Texas vs ULM. MeanGreenSports.com (Report). University of North Texas: University of North Texas Athletics. November 17, 2012. Archived from the original(Automated ScoreBook) on January 29, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
Rivals:
247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75
