The University of North Texas (7-6) from Conference USA (C-USA) will face Boise State (9-4) from the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in the sixth annual Frisco Bowl at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, December 17.
Both teams recently lost in their respective conference championship games and are emphasizing the opportunity to finish the season positively.
“We’ve been through a lot,” said Boise State senior offensive lineman and team captain John Ojukwu during a press conference on Friday. “[This is] one last chance to compete.”
Fellow senior and team captain Scott Matlock echoed that sentiment, saying, “At the end of the day, we need to accomplish one last mission but at the same time have fun doing it and be grateful.”
The message was much the same on the North Texas side of things. Interim head coach Phil Bennett told reporters, “I’m very proud of our team. We fought adversity. We were very resilient … There were a few plays here and there that we felt could’ve gotten us to the nine or 10-win mark … [But this] is about the players and people here to finish the season on a high note.”
Quarterback Austin Aune said, “We’re here to play, we’ve been through a lot this season … So, we want to play and finish the season the right way.”
UNT and Boise State first met in 1994, when Boise State won 24-20 and were conference opponents in the Big West Conference from 1996 until 2000. This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams and the first since a 59-0 Boise State win in 2000.
The teams have split the previous six meetings, with North Texas winning the first matchup in conference play in 1996.
The Frisco Bowl has been played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, since December 2017. That year, Louisiana Tech defeated SMU 51-10.
Overall, teams from four conferences (American Athletic, MWC, C-USA, and Mid-American) have played in the game. Neither Boise State nor North Texas has previously participated in the Frisco Bowl.
UNT will be the third school from Texas to play in the game, joining Texas-San Antonio and SMU, who have each been selected twice. It will also become the third school from C-USA (UTSA, Louisiana Tech).
Boise State joins Utah State and San Diego State as Frisco Bowl participants from the MWC.
Boise State finished its season 9-4 overall with an 8-0 record in conference play. The Broncos were the Mountain Division representative in the MWC Game but lost to Fresno State 28-16.
After starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier decided to transfer, redshirt freshman Taylen Green took over. Green became the Moutain West Offensive Freshman/Player of the Year and a Freshman All-American.
The Broncos’ offense relies mainly on Green and running back George Holani — who ran for 1,133 yards and ten touchdowns this season — and has significantly improved since the addition of former NFL coach Dirk Koetter.
The defense, however, is Boise State’s strength. It is a unit full of experience and allows 18.5 points per game.
North Texas was also a conference runner-up after losing the Conference USA Championship Game to UTSA. Head coach Seth Littrell was fired after seven seasons at the helm following that game.
The Mean Green’s biggest win of the season was against Western Kentucky (8-5), which ended up being the decisive game in the battle for second place in Conference USA during the regular season.
Aune has thrown for 3,309 yards and 32 touchdowns, while Ayo Adeyi, Ikaika Ragsdale, and Oscar Adaway III have all rushed for at least 580 yards and four touchdowns apiece. The defense is led by Phil Steele All-American linebacker KD Davis, who set the program record for tackles and became the first All-American linebacker from UNT since 1990.
North Texas has not won a bowl game since it won the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the end of the 2013-14 season. Boise State’s last bowl win was in the 2017-18 Las Vegas Bowl.
The 2022 Frisco Bowl will be played at 8:15 p.m. CST on Saturday.
