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Denton Record-Chronicle

One of the more challenging springs for the North Texas football team came to an end last week with the Mean Green’s annual spring game. UNT installed a new spread offense and a revamped defense that will use a base 3-3-5 alignment, adjusted to a new coaching staff and moved a little closer toward selecting a new starting quarterback.

One of the more challenging springs for the North Texas football team came to an end last week with the Mean Green’s annual spring game.

UNT installed a new spread offense and a revamped defense that will use a base 3-3-5 alignment, adjusted to a new coaching staff and moved a little closer toward selecting a new starting quarterback.

It was a lot to handle for new coach Seth Littrell and his players, who came away pleased with the results.

“I like the start and how we have progressed,” Littrell said after the spring game. “We learned from previous scrimmages and situations. That will give us momentum and confidence heading into the summer.”

UNT needs all the momentum it can get heading into Littrell’s debut season. The Mean Green finished 1-11 in one of the worst seasons in program history in 2015, marking the end of Dan McCarney’s tenure. UNT parted ways with the coach five games into the season.

The Mean Green then selected Littrell to rebuild a program that has posted just one winning season in the last 11 years.

UNT began the spring knowing that it needed to squeeze everything it could out of its 15 spring practices.

The Mean Green say that is just what they did after their final workout of the spring that included a controlled scrimmage. Littrell elected to forgo a traditional spring game due to a lack of depth on a roster that has been hit hard by graduation and attrition over the last few months.

UNT’s offense scored seven touchdowns in the scrimmage portion of the workout. Alabama transfer Alec Morris threw three touchdown passes while working with the first-team offense.

Morris connected with Tee Goree from 28 yards out and O’Keeron Ruthford for a 50-yard strike.

That was a particularly good sign for UNT. Littrell declined to name a starter following the Mean Green’s spring game, but Morris sat atop the depth chart that was released a few days later.

Littrell praised Morris and backup Quinn Shanbour.

“I am pretty happy with how the spring went,” Morris said. “There is potential for this offense to get better than even where we are right now. It was a good spring.”

Morris heading into the summer as UNT’s starting quarterback was far from the only intriguing aspect of the the way the Mean Green’s depth chart shaped up.

UNT’s offensive line also underwent a significant overhaul. Starting center Kaydon Kirby left the program before spring practice, leaving a unit that also lost two seniors in rebuilding mode. UNT ended up shifting Sam Rice from guard to center and dropping tackle Chris Miles to the second team.

UNT was left with just one returning starter on the line in Rice and no one back at the same position he played last season.

“Overall they are growing and getting better,” Littrell said of his offensive line. “We still need to get better in some areas. Negative-yardage plays and sacks are something we can’t allow. Some of that is offensive line. Some of it is quarterbacks getting comfortable in red jerseys [signifying they can’t be hit] patting the football, and some of it is wide receivers not getting open, timing and rhythm.”

UNT also showed signs of progress on defense throughout the spring while adjusting to a three-man front.

The Mean Green posted 10 sacks in their final scrimmage.

“Our defense is going a good job,” Littrell said. “The big thing is we are putting our players in position to be successful. What we do defensively is bring pressure from a lot of different places and do a good job of disguising it.”

UNT adjusted to that approach under coordinators Mike Ekeler and Troy Reffett throughout the spring. A few players emerged as key cogs in the Mean Green’s revamped defense along the way. Defensive end Joshua Wheeler moved to an outside linebacker spot and solidified a starting job heading into the summer, while T.J. Tauaalo moved into the starting lineup at nose tackle.

UNT will use a fifth defensive back next season and shifted Calvin Minor and Ashton Preston into that spot in the lineup. The pair is listed as co-starters heading into the summer.

“It’s one of the greatest defenses I have seen,” freshman defensive end Joseph Ozougwu said after posting two sacks in UNT’s final spring scrimmage. “We are really good in it.”

Finding that comfort zone both offensively and defensively was UNT’s goal heading into its first spring under Littrell.

The Mean Green still have a long way to go but felt like they made a lot of progress during spring drills.

“We are at the point where we should be, but we are not ready for Sept. 3 yet,” Goree said. “We have to keep working.”