North Texas @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2006 ) North Texas 7, Texas 56

The new Texas coach already has made a Strong statement in Austin. And that means the eyes of Texas will be squarely upon former Louisville head man Charlie Strong and his new-look Longhorns in the season – and era – opener Saturday night. North Texas, a second-year Conference USA program coming off its first winning season and bowl victory in a decade, will serve as the visiting opposition.

From stripping the helmets of logo decals during camp to taking away air-conditioned bus rides to practice to dismissing seven players and suspending three others, Strong is putting his stamp on the Texas program, which hasn’t reached double-digit wins in four seasons and this spring didn’t have a player selected in the NFL Draft for the first time since 1937. “Just staying hungry and staying humble – that's what we have to do,” Strong said at the team’s media day, according to the school’s athletics website. “That whole attitude has to change – we know that – as a football team.”

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network. LINE: Texas -25.5

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (2013: 9-4): Mean Green coach Dan McCarney faces some challenges entering his fourth season with the program. Most notably, North Texas only has nine returning starters, and must replace its quarterback, leading-rusher, top two receivers and six front-seven starters from a defense which allowed the fewest points (17.8) in the conference last season. Junior Andy McNulty and junior college transfer Josh Greer have been locked in a quarterback derby, and McCarney might not announce the starter until game time.

ABOUT TEXAS (2013: 8-5): Junior David Ash, limited to three games last season due to a concussion, will start at quarterback and will rely heavily on one of the nation’s top tailback duos in Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Gray, who combined to rush for 1,684 yards last season. Top receiver Jaxson Shipley has been battling a hamstring injury, and is listed as day-to-day. Still, the main focus for Strong will be tapping his defensive roots and turning around a unit that gave up 30 or more points in seven of 13 contests in 2013

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas is 9-0 all-time against its in-state foe from Denton, winning the last three meetings by an average of 47 points. They last met in 2006, a 56-7 Longhorns’ rout.

2. Texas junior WR Daje Johnson, senior OT Desmond Harrison and senior S Josh Turner are on indefinite suspension and will miss the opener.

3. Strong and McCarney spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons together as defensive coaches on Urban Meyer’s staff in Florida.

PREDICTION: Texas 38, North Texas 10