BleedTechBlue.com caught up with Brett Vito of the Denton-Record Chronicle for a Q & A to preview the matchup between Louisiana Tech and North Texas this weekend .

North Texas is off to a 4-0 start that has created quite buzz at the G5 level. Is this a team that can legitimately compete for a New Year’s Six Bowl? Is the Mean Green’s non-conference strength of schedule a concern?

To put it simply, yes and yes.

UNT has improved in every season under Seth Littrell, who has his best team in his third year with the Mean Green.

UNT finished 9-5 last fall. The question for the Mean Green heading into the year was the same as it is for any team with high expectations – what are the potential trouble spots?

SMU had beaten UNT in three straight years and ranked high up there among the teams that could trip the Mean Green up. Arkansas is an SEC team and was considered another team that could beat UNT, especially in Fayetteville.

UNT won both of those games, which has cut into the list of games that look dangerous on paper.

Littrell is like every coach out there. He likes to talk about UNT being able to win or lose every game on its schedule, but let’s be honest.

If you look at UNT’s schedule, the toughest games left for the Mean Green are against Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic, and both of those games are at home.

UNT could win out.

That’s where UNT’s strength of schedule will come into play as far as a New Year’s Six Bowl goes. C-USA looks improved, but it’s still not going to garner the respect of the AAC or the Mountain West. UNT won its only game against a Power Five team, but Arkansas could finish 2-10 or 3-9.

UNT needs to win out and then have everything fall its way. That means having Central Florida and South Florida lose twice and Boise State drop another game somewhere.

Mason Fine is in his third year as the starting quarterback and the offense is clicking at an extremely high level, what are they doing so well?

At this point, pretty much everything.

Fine is a terrific college quarterback and has mastered Littrell’s offense. He has a good group of experienced receivers around him.

The big question for the Mean Green heading into the year was if its offensive line would improve and if losing running back Jeffery Wilson to the NFL would be a killer.

UNT’s offensive line struggled at the end of last season and nearly got Fine killed while giving up 15 sacks in the last two games of the season. Littrell always says that blaming sacks on the offensive line is an overly simplistic view of things but there is little doubt the line is the biggest factor.

UNT has allowed just six sacks so far this year. The Mean Green also seem to have found a replacement for Wilson in Stephen F. Austin transfer Loren Easly. He rushed for 177 yards in UNT’s win over Liberty and has 276 rushing yards in three games this year.

The improvement of UNT’s line and the emergence of Easly has given the Mean Green a well-rounded offense.

North Texas leads the country with 10 interceptions defensively, what makes this secondary so good?

UNT has settled into Troy Reffett’s system after struggling with it at times last season. The comfort level the Mean Green have found has made a big difference.

UNT plays a ton of man coverage and blitzes quite a bit. The idea is to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and allow its secondary to make plays.

That is exactly what UNT is doing this year. UNT’s is getting home on blitzes and its defensive backs are making plays on ill-advised throws.

The Mean Green have two senior cornerbacks in Nate Brooks and Kemon Hall who are both playing well. UNT made some changes at safety to get players who are better in coverage on the field. Jameel Moore is playing more at the nickel spot, which has helped.

It seems as if North Texas brings a lot of blitzes from its linebackers, is this due to a lack of pass rush from the defensive line or is that just part of defensive coordinator, Troy Reffett’s scheme?

That approach is just part of Reffett’s scheme. UNT only has three linemen in its 3-3-5 alignment.

The Mean Green are going to bring additional players on nearly every passing down to get pressure on the quarterback. Linebacker E.J. Ejiya and Brandon Garner are particularly adept at getting to the quarterback and lead UNT with 4.0 and 3.5 sacks, respectively.

What are your keys to the game Saturday night if North Texas is going to pull out a win over Louisiana Tech?

UNT just has to keep doing what it has done all year.

What I would worry about if I was UNT are the couple of players Louisiana Tech has on defense who could change this game in Jaylon Ferguson and Amik Robertson.

Ferguson is one of the best pass rushers at the Group of Five level nationally and could give UNT problems. Robertson is also capable of taking away one of the Mean Green’s top wide receivers and limiting Fine’s options.

Louisiana Tech scored 21 points against LSU and should be able to score against the Mean Green’s defense. UNT is better, but I’m not ready to expect the Mean Green to shut down the Bulldogs completely.

If Ferguson and Robertson give UNT problems and Louisiana Tech does what it has done all year offensively, the Bulldogs could have a chance to pull off the upset.

If not, I expect UNT to win by more than a touchdown.