North Texas head coach Eric Morris did not want to hear excuses from his fanbase for why they could not show up for a nationally televised Homecoming college football game against Tulane. His message fell on deaf ears.
The Mean Green drew an abysmal crowd on Saturday morning.
Morris took over at North Texas in 2023 after one season as the offensive coordinator at Washington State and four years as the head coach at Incarnate Word. He is widely considered a rising star in the coaching world and is expected to revive the middle-of-the-road college football program in Denton.
A 5-2 record to begin his second season at the helm was a great start to what could be a multiple-year journey back to relevance. A win over the Green Wave would’ve been a huge statement about what the Mean Green can be in the very near future.
Unfortunately, Morris did not receive the fan support he requested.
North Texas fans didn’t show up and left early!
Disney selected the American Athletic Conference matchup for its 11:00 a.m. (CT) time slot on ESPN2. North Texas did not have a say in the matter. It did not get to pick the time of kickoff.
Fans were not thrilled with the choice. They were very upset that their Homecoming game was picked for such an early kick.
Morris heard their complaints earlier in the week and directly called them out.
People complaining about 11 o’clock, like, get over yourself. You can go back to the Southland Conference and pick when you want (to play). We don’t get to pick it. You’re playing, for the third or fourth time this year, a national TV game. Get over yourself, get up a little earlier, come tailgate and have fun, then go home and enjoy those late games on your couch.
— Eric Morris
He does not understand why the fans are whining about their team playing a game big enough to draw interest from ESPN. That would not have happened in a previous era.
I don’t get the complaining that it’s 11 o’clock. Okay? You’re playing a great team on national TV in a great conference. What are we complaining about? That’s just my two cents.
— Eric Morris
Morris pushed for Mean Green Nation to sell out its game against Wyoming last month. They didn’t reach full capacity of 30,850 but they drew a crowd of 27,049.
The same cannot be said for Saturday against Tulane.
North Texas announced an attendance of 23,138— approximately 75% capacity. That… may not be accurate. Here is a look at the crowd at kickoff:
Homecoming in Denton and a nationally televised game against an AAC conference contender, can’t ask for much more.
— Carter Yates (@Carter_Yates16) October 26, 2024
North Texas, Tulane kicking off NOW #GMG pic.twitter.com/eZoyRO1YpF
Some late-arriving fans showed up throughout the first quarter, but this was the scene after a touchdown late in the second quarter:
Still pretty empty… and only got emptier…
This is the scene at DATCU Stadium, with North Texas down 45-37 at the end of the fourth quarter. On homecoming.
— Carter Yates (@Carter_Yates16) October 26, 2024
For context, UNT was down 45-24 at the beginning of the quarter. pic.twitter.com/WycLTEIEy1
Eric Morris is trying his best to lit a fire under the fanbase in Denton. He has made big steps in the right direction. Unfortunately, the Mean Green faithful failed him on Homecoming and his team lost.