What Is 2010 North Texas Mean Green football

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2010 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, finishing with a 5–7 overall record under head coach Mike Canales. They competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference and played home games at Apogee Stadium, which opened that year.

Key Facts

The 2010 North Texas Mean Green finished with a 5–7 overall record and 3–5 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Head coach Mike Canales led the team for one season before being replaced by Dan McCarney in 2011.
Apogee Stadium opened in 2010, replacing the historic Fouts Field as the team's home venue.
Quarterback Derek Thompson started most games, throwing for 2,188 yards and 15 touchdowns.
North Texas played non-conference games against Kansas, Oregon, and Texas Tech in 2010.

Overview

The 2010 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Competing in the Sun Belt Conference, the team was led by head coach Mike Canales, who served his only full season at the helm before being replaced the following year.

Playing their home games at the newly opened Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas, the Mean Green aimed to build momentum after a challenging 2009 campaign. Despite a promising start, the team finished with a 5–7 overall record and a 3–5 mark in conference play, falling short of bowl eligibility.

Record: The team finished with a 5–7 overall record, including a 3–5 performance in Sun Belt Conference games, missing a bowl game by one win.
Stadium: Apogee Stadium opened in 2010, marking a new era with a $60 million facility featuring a 30,850-seat capacity and artificial turf.
Head Coach: Mike Canales served as head coach for the 2010 season, compiling a 5–7 record before being replaced by Dan McCarney in December 2010.
Quarterback: Senior Derek Thompson started 10 games, throwing for 2,188 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions on 57.4% completion.
Schedule: The Mean Green faced a tough non-conference slate, including road games at Kansas, Oregon, and Texas Tech, all of which were Power Five opponents.

Season Performance

The 2010 campaign was marked by a mix of close losses and flashes of offensive potential, but inconsistency plagued the team throughout the year. The season began with a 35–34 loss to Kansas in a high-scoring opener, setting the tone for a competitive but ultimately underachieving year.

Season Opener: North Texas lost 35–34 to Kansas in a back-and-forth game, despite scoring 34 points and forcing three turnovers.
Conference Wins: The Mean Green secured three Sun Belt victories, defeating Western Kentucky, Florida International, and Middle Tennessee.
Defensive Struggles: The defense allowed an average of 31.7 points per game, ranking 103rd nationally out of 120 teams.
Offensive Output: The team averaged 24.3 points per game and 356.8 yards per game, led by Thompson and running back Lance Dunbar.
Home Games: The Mean Green went 3–3 at Apogee Stadium, including a 35–18 win over Florida International in October.
Final Game: The season ended with a 45–17 loss to Troy, highlighting defensive breakdowns and ending the Canales era on a low note.

Comparison at a Glance

The following table compares key 2010 statistics to the previous season and conference averages:

Category	2009 Team	2010 Team	Sun Belt Avg (2010)
Overall Record	7–6	5–7	5.8–6.2
Conference Record	5–3	3–5	3.5–4.5
Points Per Game	27.5	24.3	25.1
Points Allowed Per Game	30.8	31.7	29.3
Passing Yards Per Game	198.6	201.4	197.2

While the 2010 team showed slight improvement in passing offense compared to 2009, they regressed in overall scoring and defensive performance. Compared to the Sun Belt average, North Texas ranked near the bottom in points allowed and failed to maintain the momentum from their 2009 New Orleans Bowl season.

Why It Matters

The 2010 season was a transitional year for North Texas football, symbolizing both progress and setbacks. The opening of Apogee Stadium represented a major investment in the program, but on-field struggles led to a coaching change that would shape the team’s future direction.

Stadium Legacy: Apogee Stadium’s 2010 debut marked a milestone, becoming the first new college football stadium in Texas in over 30 years.
Coaching Change: Mike Canales was fired after one season, with Dan McCarney hired to rebuild the program starting in 2011.
Recruiting Impact: The new stadium helped attract higher-caliber recruits, gradually improving team performance in later years.
Conference Shift: The Sun Belt era ended in 2012, as North Texas moved to Conference USA, where it remains today.
Player Development: Running back Lance Dunbar emerged as a key playmaker, finishing with 788 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2010.
Program Identity: The 2010 season underscored the challenges of mid-major football, balancing ambitious scheduling with developmental growing pains.

The 2010 North Texas Mean Green season remains a pivotal chapter in the program’s modern history, reflecting both the promise of new facilities and the harsh realities of competitive college football.