What we learned: A look back at the weekend for UNT, Conference USA

Unfortunately for UNT, Louisiana Tech had an answer and rallied for a 42-31 win.

The loss dropped the Mean Green to 3-5 on the season and 2-4 in Conference USA play. UNT will wrap up the regular season on Friday, when the Mean Green will host UTEP at Apogee Stadium.

Before we turn our attention to that game, here’s a look back at what transpired last week for UNT and across Conference USA in this week’s edition of what we learned:

1. UNT’s goals are pretty much all out of reach now

UNT headed into its game against Louisiana Tech with an opportunity to finish out the regular season at 5-4.

UNT would have had to win its last two games to get there, but the path was realistic. Louisiana Tech was down four key players who opted out of the season and the Mean Green had the Bulldogs at home.

UTEP has lost three straight to open C-USA play after starting the season 3-1.

UNT couldn’t capitalize after running out to a 14-7 lead on Bulldogs and heads into its game against the Miners as an underdog at home.

The challenge for the Mean Green now is getting up to play one final game at home.

2. UNT’s struggles won’t impact Darden

It would be perfectly understandable if Jaelon Darden lacked motivation late in his senior season.

Darden has a future in the NFL and is playing for a team that has struggled all season long. He continues to show remarkable fight while cementing his legacy as an all-time UNT great.

Darden finished with eight catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns on a night he became UNT’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 34.

The senior has 66 catches for 1,017 yards and a program record 15 touchdown catches.

The numbers Darden has put up are remarkable, as is the way he has continued to produce throughout the season.

3. C-USA’s shot at the national spotlight is gone

Marshall brought C-USA some terrific exposure this season while winning its first seven games and shooting up to No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

All the Thundering Herd had to do was beat Rice and Charlotte to complete an undefeated regular season and keep C-USA in the national conversation.

Marshall came up short in a stunning 20-0 loss to Rice on their home field.

The Thundering Herd fell all the way out of the Top 25. It was a tough break for C-USA, which is now conspicuously absent from the poll.

The American Athletic Conference has two ranked team in No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 18 Tulsa. The Sun Belt has two in No. 11 Coastal Carolina and No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette and Mid-American one in No. 24 Buffalo.

Independents BYU and Liberty are ranked No. 14 and No. 22.

Marshall could work its way back into the poll with a win over Charlotte in its regular season finale, a win in the conference title game and a bowl win.

The Herd is perfectly capable of getting there, but C-USA’s chances of having an argument that it has the best team outside of a power league is certainly gone.