North Texas and Arkansas State were at opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to what they had on the line in their game at Fouts Field on Saturday night.

ASU was aiming to become bowl eligible and set up a showdown with Troy next week for a share of the Sun Belt Conference title. The Mean Green didn’t have anything to play for but pride and a chance to send its seniors out on a positive note.

UNT gave ASU all it could handle, despite those circumstances. The performance was one head coach Todd Dodge took pride in.

“I am very proud of this senior class and this team,” Dodge said. “We could have come out flat and given up, but they fought all the way to the end. [UNT’s players] have a lot to be proud of, despite the final record.”

UNT honored 17 seniors who played the final game of their careers before the opening kickoff, a group that included several key contributors.

Wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald helped smooth the transition from former head coach Darrell Dickey’s run-first offense to Dodge’s spread attack. Fitzgerald finished as the Mean Green’s all-time leader in receptions with 227 and also finished fourth in receiving yards with 2,432.

Defensive lineman Isaac Thomas and wide receiver Brock Stickler were among the other starters who completed their careers in the Mean Green’s loss to ASU.

“I told our seniors that when we get this thing turned around and get it going in the way that North Texas deserves for it to be going, that they need to take ownership,” Dodge said. “They were part of the bad times. I want them to be part of the good times.”

While the season didn’t turn out the way he hoped, Fitzgerald said he would leave UNT with good memories of his time with the Mean Green.

“It didn’t end up the way we thought it would, but I will have great memories,” Fitzgerald said. “I built some great relationships. We went out and played hard. That is all you can ask for.”

UNT gets backup quarterbacks in

Daniel Meager and Matt Phillips both spent part of their careers as UNT’s starting quarterback before fading into backup roles after Todd Dodge took over as the Mean Green’s head coach before the beginning of the 2007 season.

Dodge gave both a chance to make one final appearance with the Mean Green in UNT’s season finale.

Both came in for a series in the Mean Green’s loss to ASU.

“We wanted to get every senior who wanted to play into the game,” Dodge said. “Those guys are great kids who have done a lot for the university.”

Meager came to UNT from Richardson Pearce and appeared to be the heir apparent to Scott Hall, one of the all-time greats in program history who helped lead the Mean Green to four straight Sun Belt Conference titles from 2001-04.

Meager started all of the 2005 season before splitting time with Phillips over the next two seasons. Both had their moments at UNT.

Meager led UNT to a season-opening win over Middle Tennessee in 2005 that capped a 26-game conference winning streak.

Phillips started three games in his career, including the 2006 season opener at Texas.

A bad start for UNT

UNT got off to a tough start on its first possession of its game against ASU.

The Mean Green faced third-and-4 on the third play of the game when Giovanni Vizza lined up in the shotgun. Center J.J. Johnson snapped the ball while Vizza wasn’t looking.

Vizza recovered the ball after it bounced off his legs, but UNT was forced to punt after a 5-yard loss.

UNT pulls out all the stops, fake punt

UNT took a risk early in its game against ASU and saw it pay off when punter Truman Spencer converted a fake punt.

The Mean Green faced fourth-and-5 from its 47-yard line when Spencer pulled the ball down and scampered around the right end for 13 yards and a first down.

UNT came up empty on the drive when ASU defensive back Evan Van Dolah intercepted a Vizza pass in the end zone.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.