It is somewhat ironic that the first North Texas player to ever score a touchdown in beautiful Apogee Stadium when it opened in 2011 holds the keys to Dan McCarney's most critical season in his 4-year tenure as head coach at UNT.
Andrew McNulty has taken his lumps as a quarterback in the UNT program over the years but very few would question that his play this season may well determine if the staff can turn around a regrettable 4-8 campaign in 2014.
Rewind back to 2011. Dan McCarney had been hired to replace Todd Dodge who in many eyes had run the program into the very bottom of the NCAA. McCarney had his first signing class, and as most new coaching staffs he hustled to put together the best class he could in limited time.
I remember seeing McNulty's name on signing day and scratching my head and wondering who is this guy? Here was a guy who was from Iowa City Mac's hometown. Unheralded as a prospect, he did have an outstanding senior season and as a junior at Iowa City he played behind a 4-star prospect named AJ Derby who now plays for the Patriots in the NFL. Not a highly rated prospect whose best shot was the fact that Iowa was sniffing around but never provided a formal offer.
Later we learned that McNulty was the son of Jim McNulty who was a teammate of Dan McCarney at Iowa in the early 70's. Bloodlines certainly didn't hurt his interesting move to be a scholarship quarterback in Denton, Texas. Timing played a role as well. Mac knew he had to change the mindset of a program that had fallen into the depths of despair. McNulty could be a key piece to the puzzle.
2011 was an odd year in which Derek Thompson was slated as the starter but McNulty's mobility allowed him to get into some games and actually start a game against a salty Tulsa team where he was running for his life. It was hard to give him a decent grade with only 352 yards and one touchdown. The kid was a true freshman and physically not prepared for physical nature of the game at this level.
2012 was a medical redshirt year for McNulty who I believe suffered a wrist injury.
2013 as a sophomore he saw limited action in eight games behind Derek Thompson.
2014 was really the first time we got to see what McNulty could do. He did not beat out transfer Josh Greer but he stuck it out when Greer faltered and Dajon Williams after that. So we really got about half a season to evaluate what McNulty was capable of.
His first real start was in a home game against Southern Miss in Denton where he went 20 of 35 for 287 yards. UNT would end up losing this game by a score of 30-21 but the key point was McNulty did not turn the ball over and he was only sacked once. The game prior, Dajon Williams had two interceptions (one for a pick 6) and five sacks in a 56-21 loss that may have been the low point of an already disappointing season.
If you measure results as wins and losses, McNulty started 6 games in 2014 and went 2-4 and quite frankly the UNT defense had become a shadow of it's former self. It was not turnovers that hurt McNulty, it was that the UNT run oriented offense could not outscore most of the opponents they faced in the second half of the season.
A lot of UNT fans blame McNulty for all the ails the program and it's fall from a bowl win and respect in 2013 to a 4-8 record in 2014. But to do that is frankly unfair. No, Andrew McNulty does not have the biggest arm, or the greatest speed. He won't dazzle you as players like former Eagle Dajon Williams could with his raw god given abilities. He's not a vocal leader, he is somewhat shy and quiet preferring to lead by example.
He does offer you a blue collar, intelligent and hard working kid who has given his all in his 5-years here. Look at the off season workout reports and you will see McNulty leading the pack. Look at the grade reports and he makes high marks. He has never been in trouble. By all accounts he is the player every coach wants to have in their program. If you look at him physically speaking, he has transformed from a 6-1, lean 175 pounder into a very strong 210 and is much more able to withstand the perils of C-USA defensive linemen. There has not been another UNT player who has bought into the off season strength and conditioning program more than McNulty.
Most that follow UNT will concede that McNulty will most likely be taking the first snap as UNT faces cross town rival SMU to open the 2015 season. I submit to you that he is deserving of this. Whether or not he will take future snaps and lead the team throughout the season remains to be seen. He will have a lot of players looking to relegate him to the bench. Juco transfer DaMarcus Smith come into the mix this Fall with a lot of credentials and talent. Josh Greer has seen a revival of his career and hopes to make his way back into the lead position. Redshirt Freshman Conner Means will look to make his move as well and he clearly has some talent.
My hope is that UNT fans will give McNulty the benefit of the doubt. He has been a good soldier in this program and deserves his chance to show what he can do. Results will certainly be the final determination but in my opinion there is not another quarterback on this roster that has worked harder and is more deserving of leading the team against SMU.
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Edited by Harry
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