Challenges ahead for UNT come into focus after wild weekend in the AAC

North Texas put itself in position to break through and reach its top-line goal heading into its second bye of the season over the weekend.

The Mean Green are sitting at 5-3 despite dropping their past two games.

One more win is all UNT needs to become bowl eligible for the first time under coach Eric Morris, who is in his second season with the Mean Green.

UNT’s prospects to get there appear good — at least eventually. What it will take in the next two weeks came into focus over the course of a weekend when several other teams in the American Athletic Conference were in action, including Army.

The Mean Green will face the Black Knights at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at DATCU Stadium in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Army improved to 8-0 with a 20-3 win over Air Force last week without quarterback Bryson Daily, who was out with an undisclosed injury. Black Knights coach Jeff Monken said in his postgame press conference that there is a “good chance” Daily will be ready to play against UNT.

Daily has rushed for 909 yards and thrown for 629 for the Black Knights, who are ranked No. 18 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.

UNT is 2-50 against ranked opponents all-time but did win its last game against a ranked team in Denton. The Mean Green spoiled UTSA’s unbeaten season in 2001 when UNT rolled to a 45-23 win in driving rainstorm.

If the Mean Green can’t upset Army, they’ll get another shot at picking up a sixth win when they travel to face UTSA in a rare Friday night game at the Alamodome on Nov. 15.

Like the Army game following Daily’s injury, UNT’s showdown with the Roadrunners suddenly looks a whole lot different after the weekend.

The Roadrunners have dealt with a host of injuries throughout the season and dropped two games that went down to the wire to Rice and Tulsa that put their bowl hopes on life support.

UTSA bounced back to beat preseason AAC favorite Memphis 44-36 on Saturday to move to 4-5. That win suddenly makes the Mean Green’s showdown with the Roadrunners at the Alamodome a whole lot more interesting.

UNT will have the opportunity to put the Roadrunners in a really tough position if it can beat the Roadrunners in San Antonio.

UTSA would need to sweep its final two games against Temple and at Army to become bowl eligible if it can’t beat the Mean Green at home.

UNT entered its second season under Eric Morris aiming to play in a bowl game. Games against a nationally ranked Army team and UTSA, its main rival, give the Mean Green a chance to accomplish that and a whole lot more.

Beating a ranked Army team would be a milestone accomplishment for UNT. A win over the Roadrunners in San Antonio, where the Mean Green are 1-5 all-time against UTSA, would also be huge for UNT.

Here’s a look at where the Mean Green stand heading into that game in this week’s Sunday update.

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