North Texas Mean Green vs. UTSA Roadrunners: Conference USA Championship Predictions, Preview, Picks & Odds - 12/2/2022

Conference USA Championship Game

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Where to watch: CBS Sports Network

DraftKings: UTSA -9

FanDuel: UTSA -8.5

BetMGM: UTSA -8.5

Caesars: UTSA -8.5

North Texas: 7-5 (6-2 C-USA)

UTSA: 10-2 (8-0 C-USA)

North Texas: won 21-17 vs. Rice

UTSA: won 34-31 vs. UTEP

The UTSA roadrunners can put hey stamp on this season with one more victory. After an undefeated conference season and a 10-2 mark, the Roadrunners can push their way to a strong bowl game with a win in the Conference-USA title game on Friday against the North Texas Mean Green, who had to go 6-2 after a 7-5 regular season finish to get to this point.

But pretty much as I've been saying for the majority of the last few weeks when I've talked about UTSA, this is all about them. This is their time of year to show that they belong in the upper class of teams that should be getting some sort of national respect. UTSA continues to impress, so much so to the fact that they have essentially dominated Conference USA play for the better part of this entire season. Hence why they are 8-0.

UTSA is coming off a 34-31 victory over UTEP last week in perhaps what wasn't the most dominant effort UTSA has put together this year. When you consider that UTSA had to score the final twenty points of the game and trailed 31 to 14 at some point, the roadrunners were not having the best game at the time. But Frank Harris did what Frank Harris tends to do, and that plays big when the time calls for it. Harris threw for 382 yards on 16 of 22 passing and three touchdowns to once again have a dominant outing as the UTSA quarterback.

Perhaps it wasn't in the flashiest of ways but if this is the way that Harris is going to go out swinging as the all-time greatest athlete at UTSA, then I guess we really have nothing left to discuss. This kid is insane, this kid is incredible and he is the reason why UTSA is in this position to win a conference championship and to possibly get a very good bowl game to the point where they can send off all of these seniors on the right foot.

When you look at this offense, it really is spectacular what UTSA has put together. They average close to 38 points per game and Harris is averaging about 305 yards passing per game. Defensively, however, it hasn't been the easiest of years for the roadrunners. We're talking about a team that is averaging 408 yards allowed per game and especially through the air, they're giving up about 259. On the ground, they can get away with it giving up just a shade under 150. But the fact that they are also giving up as much through the air as they are what most other teams would, it has required the likes of Harris to win a game or two in a more methodical fashion.

The good news for UTSA coming into this game is that they don't necessarily need to worry about the North Texas passing game as much as they need to deal with the running game. However, UTSA might be in for a rude awakening considering how well North Texas has passed the ball this year. North Texas quarterback Austin Aune finished with 3115 passing yards during the regular season to go along with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Not as efficient nor as eye-popping as Harris did with UTSA, but considering where North Texas started the year and had to finish going from 1-3 to 7-5 is a pretty remarkable feat. North Texas is coming off a 21-17 win over rice last week that's cemented the Mean Green’s spot in the title game.

this is going to be a very fun game, but given that there is home-field advantage and there is a red-hot team in the conference that is awaiting North Texas, I don't see UTSA losing this game period the last time these two teams met it was a close battle, 31-27, a victory for UTSA at home. But a second time is hard to do especially when the home team is as good as it is right now. UTSA by 14

North Texas is 6-0 ATS when playing a team with a winning record the last 2 seasons.

North Texas is 12-4 ATS against conference opponents the last two seasons.

The under is 13-4 after UTSA gains 6.75 or more yards per play in its last game all-time.

Passing: Austin Aune -- 3,115 yards, 31 TD, 11 INT

Rushing: Ayo Adeyi -- 690 yards, 4 TD

Receiving: Roderic Burns -- 644 yards, 1 TD

Passing: Frank Harris -- 3,524 yards, 27 TD, 7 INT

Rushing: Brenden Brady -- 699 yards, 9 TD

Receiving: Zakhari Franklin -- 956 yards, 11 TD