Outside Observations.

[SouthernMustang]

I know after a loss, especially during a rough start to a season, everyone wants to preach doom and gloom and the coach should be gone. I don't think y'all should throw in the towel yet. This season may not be what you're used to... but every team has to take a hit now and then again in order to reload.

Your QB played like a young QB. He made some good long passes, and he made some horrible reads. If he can play with some consistency, he'll be good. I think the key is to adapt an offensive scheme to him right now. It seemed like the young guy was just throwing long bombs too much.

If I were the OC, I would work on some slants, screens, and shovel pass plays to the RBs and WRs to set up a better running game. They knew they could stuff the run, so relied on the long-pass play it seemed. Throw in some short yard passing plays and I think you would've seen A LOT more offensive production. That's something a young QB can do, it'll also keep an opposing defense more on-their-toes so you're two running backs can start getting better yardage.

Defense played good ball. They held the other team to 13 points, despite being on the field a ton. That's good. Holding a team to 13 points should allow you to win.

The only unit I think y'all should be concerned with is the O-line. They outweighed Troy's D-line by 30 pounds (that's what ESPN2 showed) and just didn't seem to have a clue how to make a stand. They've got the size over the other teams, they just need to play like it. That's something that can be fixed in coaching.

If Troy is the #2 team in the Belt behind y'all, and you only lost by 3. I don't see you losing any more Sun Belt games this year and think you'll go 7-4, 6-5 at the worst. Should be bowl eligible again... Best of luck.

[untgirl04]

Thanks for the pep talk, but it's not all as happy as you make it sound. You mentioned that the Oline needed coaching - I think that's where the problems lie. We need the coaches to actually do their job and coach! I'm not saying I could do it, and I realize that since I don't have experience, I shouldn't throw stones, but look to nearly any other D-1A coach out there and you'll see what I mean.

Quotes after the game by DD say Troy was a good team. They were not that good! It's just an excuse for a loss, just like we've heard for Tulsa and K-State. Same song, third verse. It's the song that never ends... I want to hear some people take responsibility for the loss. It shouldn't be JQ because although he did muff that PR, he worked his butt off to make up for that play the rest of the night. The ball was heading into the wind and probably was moving a bit on him. He still should have had it, but the loss was not his fault.

I understand that teams have down years, but usually you're aware you'll have problems before the season starts. With as much talent as there is on that team, we should be playing better. What frustrates me the most though, is that we're not giving PC a good sendoff. He deserves another winning season. He's poured his heart and soul into North Texas and given it everything he's got. He's still a workhorse for us this season. But even his amazing accomplishment of becoming the all-time leading rusher at North Texas has been overshadowed by our losses. PC deserves better. JQ deserves better. They all deserve better.

[SouthernMustang]

Thanks for the pep talk, but it's not all as happy as you make it sound. You mentioned that the Oline needed coaching - I think that's where the problems lie. We need the coaches to actually do their job and coach! I'm not saying I could do it, and I realize that since I don't have experience, I shouldn't throw stones,  but look to nearly any other D-1A coach out there and you'll see what I mean.

Quotes after the game by DD say Troy was a good team. They were not that good! It's just an excuse for a loss, just like we've heard for Tulsa and K-State. Same song, third verse. It's the song that never ends... I want to hear some people take responsibility for the loss. It shouldn't be JQ because although he did muff that PR, he worked his butt off to make up for that play the rest of the night. The ball was heading into the wind and probably was moving a bit on him. He still should have had it, but the loss was not his fault.

I understand that teams have down years, but usually you're aware you'll have problems before the season starts. With as much talent as there is on that team, we should be playing better. What frustrates me the most  though, is that we're not giving PC a good sendoff. He deserves another winning season. He's poured his heart and soul into North Texas and given it everything he's got. He's still a workhorse for us this season. But even his amazing accomplishment of becoming the all-time leading rusher at North Texas has been overshadowed by our losses. PC deserves better. JQ deserves better. They all deserve better.

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It's probably not as positive as I make it out, but I don't think it's nearly as negative as others on here make it out to be either. Y'all lost by 3 to the second best team in your conference. Who else in the conference are you going to lose to? I really don't see any other loss, unless some team sneaks up on you- which I don't see happening after the loss.

Believe me, I know what you mean about coaching. I can't believe Phil Bennett still has a job at SMU. The talent level is better here, but the coaching is still awful. But your coach has won a conference championship 4 straight years. With the loss of an experienced QB last year, I think y'all should've expected everyone to key in on the run (which I think some of you did expect). Not having an experienced QB takes a major toll on a team. Look at OU this year. Look at Ole Miss post-Eli. Look at Bama last year when Croyle went down. And those are teams (Okay, my Rebels aren't in that category but I can wish) that are LOADED with gobs of talent, and even they struggle.

[LongJim]

Wow! Great gameday atmosphere last night! Wife and I really enjoyed the game, and the atmosphere, which is really getting better and better. Tailgating has really taken off! Wow! Whomever should get kudos for that--here's some love!

Positives: I think Meager, although he's young and learning, and with the exception of the picks, played a pretty decent game overall. Looked about like what I expected for someone of his experience. Thought he outplayed Troy's QB. I think he has a lot of promise, and is going to be a pretty good QB. Nice to see him rolling out, and turning upfield with the ball a couple of times. I was hoping he would be able to do that.

RB: Cobbs and Thomas are studs. That's all I'm going to say about them.

OL: Inexperience. Troy DL got under them and filled gaps all night. That's inexperience and technique, and something they're going to have to work on and learn. Pass protection was...eh...ok, I guess. Making strides there.

DL: Were owned most of the night, but still managed to keep the points off the board for the most part. Troy RB's were absolutely gashing them in the early 3rd quarter, so I don't buy the fatigue factor. LB's had some trouble scraping and filling because several times linemen were backed up into them. That was kind of surprising.

Tacking: Wow, really need to work on that. Waaay too many arm tackles. A couple of good pops here and there, but just too many tackles by CB's and safeties for comfort.

Kickoffs looked great. ST coverage was really good.

I just didn't see the run run run punt thing that lots of people talk about. Probably just me, but for the most part, I didn't have a problem w/the play calling. OL, QB, and to a lesser degree, DL need the most work IMO.

Troy had good outside speed, but pretty evenly matched with UNT, from what I saw.

Had a great time last night. UNT will win some games this year. SBC isn't out of the question yet, everyone.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Southern.

Look, some people here believe that UNT is a program that should just reload after losing most of it's starters from last year. It makes no difference to them that 3/5ths of the OL is new, there's a new QB, and there are nine new starters on defense, including the entire defensive line. It does make a difference.

Some also believe UNT has the facilities and pull to recruit with UT, A&M, and anyone else in the region. We don't have those facilities and won't for a while. We make do with what we have.

These are the same people who are so delusional they used to spawn threads about Steve Spurrier coming here to coach. I mean, you see what mindset we're dealing with here? We win the Sun Belt four times and one New Orleans Bowl and suddenly this is a good coaching job. It's crazy, but some believe it.

In short, what Darrell Dickey has done is raise their expectations. To me, that's a good thing. We should expect to do well. But, those expectations shouldn't trump reality. We're young and inexperienced at every position exept running back, linebacker, and kicker.

Young, inexperienced players are going to make mistakes no matter where they play or no matter who's coaching them. Anyone check out OU this year? Iowa? Michigan? Boise State? Utah? They're all breaking in young players who are making mistakes. For some reason, those fans aren't looking to throw their coaches overboard.

Some here are looking to throw out a coach or two. Their expectations are unrealistically high. The fact is that we are in a conference with many schools, like ourselves, who are just a few years removed from I-AA, and were not players in the Division I-A arms race throughout the 1990s.

We've got some ground to cover before we can expect to lose the number of players we lost and not have it affect us. As bad as some may want it to be different, it's not. Darrell Dickey is the man for this job. He took this crappy program and took it a little higher. With patience from all around, he'll take it even further.

Edited October 5, 2005 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[GreenBat]

Thanks LongJim.

The game probably wasn't as bad as we're making it out to be. But it's like a parent expecting more from his child than anyone else. A parent picks apart a performace and points out only the flaws. We NT fans are hard on our teams because we expect nothing short of perfection, which isn't fair to the team.

There are many problems on this team, but if the team keeps working hard, better times are in front.

[TIgreen01]

Wow!  Great gameday atmosphere last night!  Wife and I really enjoyed the game, and the atmosphere, which is really getting better and better.  Tailgating has really taken off!  Wow!  Whomever should get kudos for that--here's some love! 

Positives:  I think Meager, although he's young and learning, and with the exception of the picks, played a pretty decent game overall.  Looked about like what I expected for someone of his experience.  Thought he outplayed Troy's QB.  I think he has a lot of promise, and is going to be a pretty good QB.  Nice to see him rolling out, and turning upfield with the ball a couple of times.  I was hoping he would be able to do that.

RB:  Cobbs and Thomas are studs.  That's all I'm going to say about them. 

OL:  Inexperience.  Troy DL got under them and filled gaps all night.  That's inexperience and technique, and something they're going to have to work on and learn.  Pass protection was...eh...ok, I guess.  Making strides there.

DL:  Were owned most of the night, but still managed to keep the points off the board for the most part.  Troy RB's were absolutely gashing them in the early 3rd quarter, so I don't buy the fatigue factor.  LB's had some trouble scraping and filling because several times linemen were backed up into them.  That was kind of surprising.

Tacking:  Wow, really need to work on that.  Waaay too many arm tackles.  A couple of good pops here and there, but just too many tackles by CB's and safeties for comfort.

Kickoffs looked great.  ST coverage was really good.

I just didn't see the run run run punt thing that lots of people talk about.  Probably just me, but for the most part, I didn't have a problem w/the play calling.  OL, QB, and to a lesser degree, DL need the most work IMO.

Troy had good outside speed, but pretty evenly matched with UNT, from what I saw.

Had a great time last night.  UNT will win some games this year.  SBC isn't out of the question yet, everyone.

←

Good post! I'm a diehard who's been to every home game(a few away and a few NO Bowls) but one since 1997 and I came away with pretty much the exact same thoughts. Before this game I was very worried about this year's team. The Tulsa loss was awful, but we had chances last night. Our O & D lines are really struggling....I feel better about our Oline's chances for improving b/c there are some players there but they just don't seem to have the confidence yet. Our Dline just flat out looks outmanned--they play HARD, but just don't seem to be as talented. That said, there are bright spots on the DLine. Willie Ransom finally made an impact, so did the freshman J. Miller. There is hope here for next year. Our QB has some serious athletic ability...He showed signs of having that "refuse to lose" attitude that Hall had, but he's young and makes mistakes. I feel much better about this team (for this year and next) after last night's game.

...and yes, our tailgating is improving every single week. I was confused, at first, by the parking lot security guards, but filling in the rows and closing them off is MUCH safer than we have had in the past. All in all, gameday at NT is getting much better.

[LongJim]

Southern.

Look, some people here believe that UNT is a program that should just reload after losing most of it's starters from last year.  It makes no difference to them that 3/5ths of the OL is new, there's a new QB, and there are nine new starters on defense, including the entire defensive line.  It does make a difference.

I'm sure those arent' in-vogue statements to make, but I agree 100%. They've got to get their assignments down and cut down the mistakes, and that comes with practice and experience.

Some also believe UNT has the facilities and pull to recruit with UT, A&M, and anyone else in the region.  We don't have those facilities and won't for a while.  We make do with what we have.

No question. As much as I like to take in a game at Fouts, it's not DKR or The World's Largest Tacklebox".

In short, what Darrell Dickey has done is raise their expectations.  To me, that's a good thing.  We should expect to do well.  But, those expectations shouldn't trump reality.  We're young and inexperienced at every position exept running back, linebacker, and kicker. 

Testify.

We've got some ground to cover before we can expect to lose the number of players we lost and not have it affect us.  Darrell Dickey is the man for this job.  He took this crappy program and took it a little higher.  With patience from all around, he'll take it even further.

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I agree. And it's going to happen. It's happening little by little every year.

[LongJim]

Thanks LongJim.

The game probably wasn't as bad as we're making it out to be. But it's like a parent expecting more from his child than anyone else. A parent picks apart a performace and points out only the flaws. We NT fans are hard on our teams because we expect nothing short of perfection, which isn't fair to the team.

I totally understand where you're coming from. Everyone should have high expectations, but yeah, there's work to do, for sure.

[ipEAGLE]

Once again... Our O-LINE is NOT young! They have plenty of expierence. The only one without expierence is the center! There is no excuse for how we are playing.

[eagle37]

I think what we have seen in the last four games is exactly what we are going to see all season.

A lot of you have compared UNT to Oklahoma and to go along with that is that the opposing teams that play UNT and Oklahoma are doing the same thing.

Line 7 to 8 guys up in the box and dedicate your game plan to stopping the run. Make a young, inexperienced QB throw to receivers with limited talent and cover them one on one in the secondary. The OC can be as creative as any OC in America, but with what UNT has it will not work.

Two top rated running backs, inexperienced QB, one good receiver and a young line along with a young defense. This is what the coaches have to work with.

Don't think for a minute that this team has given up, because they haven't. It is frustrating to have success for so long and fall flat, but the players and coaches will continue to give 100% on the field.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

----I did not have near the problem with the plays called this time as I did in the Tulsa or SoMiss Game. This time the offense just did not get it done.... the poor defense was on the field way too much and too soon since the offense could not maintain any drives. They were exhausted and kept the Troy score low.

[FirefightnRick]

It makes no difference to them that 3/5ths of the OL is new, there's a new QB, and there are nine new starters on defense, including the entire defensive line. It does make a difference.

4 of our five O linemen have blocked for a national rushing leader and tab 40 starts under their belts. We replaced a QB, a tightend and our center. 11 offensive players have played in over 151 games.

I'm not saying we expected to be the best team in the land this season, but to average less than 3 yards a rush with those two backs is shocking.

And nice read on the game LongJim, but I get the feeling this was your first game to watch? We didn't do the run, run, run and punt last night, we tried to change it up..............finally! Two, three seasons too late in my oppinion and the lack of our new QB being able to make it all come together in one game, one season showed. Many of those plays were not there against MTSU, Tulsa, which is the only way your going to get experience running them.

If by any chance we here have made up the "We only run, run, run, and punt all the time" out of the thin blue sky, why do you suppose Troy/MTSU, Tulsa, K State, Southern Miss......etc played 9 in the box with the safety 7 yards off the line? Why?

We have watched it for 8 years now. Yes, some play action passes were mixed in, but most were the same tire routes, the same tired play action passes blah blah blah. But overall, nothing has changed.

Rick

[LongJim]

And nice read on the game LongJim, but I get the feeling this was your first game to watch?  We didn't do the run, run, run and punt last night, we tried to change it up..............finally! 

LOL! Not the first game to watch, no. I'm sure the coaches watched some film and saw some matchups they wanted to try to exploit. Conversely, I think they also saw some matchups against people like Tulsa, and KState and saw some matchups they wanted to avoid. I have trouble believing that a lot of people (not saying you ) are not considering this. I agree that DM should probably turn it up and run more. Possibly work in a little option stuff. But this offense HAS to play to it's strength, which is running the football and keeping the defense honest with the pass. Again, this is my opinion, but for them to base their attack on a Freshman QB throwing to a receiver corps that is NOT the strong suit of the offense--in order to set up the run--is folly!

If by any chance we here have made up the "We only run, run, run, and punt all the time" out of the thin blue sky, why do you suppose Troy/MTSU, Tulsa, K State, Southern Miss......etc played 9 in the box with the safety 7 yards off the line?  Why?

I know you're not making it up. I realize what offense UNT has been running. They run it because it has been successful and works for their personnel.

Teams stack the line because they WANT UNT to throw the ball! They WANT the ball in DM's hands, because they believe they can whip our line and stuff the run, don't believe our QB can beat them, and they WANT to be able to force him into mistakes. That's why the O-line has to get it together in order to open up the running game. Meager is NOT going to win games (at this point in his development) with his arm right now. Other teams realize that, and are trying to force him to throw, by stuffing the run. IMO, our receiving corps is not good enough (at this point) to be a viable primary offensive option.

We have watched it for 8 years now.   But overall, nothing has changed. 

I get the feeling from your posts that you'd like something a little more wide-open, Rick. Hey, maybe it'll happen! But I would also love to see JMO and Cobb ram it right down the defense's throat, as well. I love football like that.

Edited October 6, 2005 by LongJim

[meangreendork]

Maybe it's time for Dickey and Flannigan to check out the Spread-Option offense that's been so popular with schools like Boise and the big mid-major programs. I don't think that the SBC teams can handle it, and I'm betting those suckers won't see it coming. Danny's a mobile guy with great moves- an option offense lets him move and lets him get the ball to our strong point- the RBs. If he can pass to the close WRs, then he can keep the D honest and away from the line.

And hey, this gives the opposition some scary things to handle if both JT and PC are on the field at the same time...as they wont know where its going and to whom. But like I said- Danny's gotta learn to be consistent with his passing game.

[ipEAGLE]

Meager couldn't take the hits that come along with running the option.

[FirefightnRick]

I get the feeling from your posts that you'd like something a little more wide-open, Rick.  Hey, maybe it'll happen! But I would also love to see JMO and Cobb ram it right down the defense's throat, as well. I love football like that.

Good points for sure, and yes, I and many others would like to see it as well. I guess for me all in all, one play keeps coming back to me that solidifies our limited chance of ever seeing a new system under the current staff or ever seeing a change of any kind. 4th and inches in which we hand off deep. Even had Jamario held onto the ball I wouldn't have liked the call due to the unecessary risk. We got stuffed on it at MTSU and got stuffed again against Troy regardless of the fumble.

I see no reason to hold onto the current system that supposedly is built to our strengths. Because right now, it isn't our strength and we have fallen back to 1999 all over again. Yes, it's worked against much weaker Belt teams...barely on many occasions I might add, and moreso due to the fact that we have had a very good defense to keep us alive which in truth, has been our true strength. We do not have that now.

During our Conference run we have won 14 games by ten points or less. 6 of those were by 5 points or less, 5 of them were by 3 points or less. Our so called strong running game in the previous 4 years has lost to two provisional 1-AA schools and has been stuffed by numerous unranked OOC teams including 3 beatings in the bowl games.

During our 26 conference game winning streak, which started in '01, we have beaten 2 teams with a WINNING RECORD. That's TWO TEAMS!!!!!!!

An 8-3 MTSU team in only their 2nd full year in 1-A, and a 7-5 NMSU team in '02.

So for me the conservative running game has been good against Belt teams. But I expected more improvement by now. It's been 8 years to build depth in this system and it's failed miserably. The current system has been proven to be easily defended by non Belt opponents, and now by them as well. I see no reason how it would disrupt the program to change to a more updated, open style of offense at the end of the year. Bring in a Todd Dodge or someone else as OC who can teach the system and start from there. We would have nothing to lose.

By the way, just to remind what has cost us offensive production, so we are told, that due to current players not being able to gel from a lack of playing together? Unless Lineberry graduates in May and qualifies for grad school we will not only lose him, But also lose May, Davidson and Cobbs. That's 4 more players to replace, forcing next year's team to wait until who knows when for this team to GEL in this so called strength of ours.

Rick

[KingDL1]

I see no reason to hold onto the current system that supposedly is built to our strengths.    Because right now, it isn't our strength and we have fallen back to 1999 all over again.  Yes, it's worked against much weaker Belt teams...barely on many occasions I might add, and moreso due to the fact that we have had a very good defense to keep us alive which in truth, has been our true strength.  We do not have that now.

During our Conference run we have won 14 games by ten points or less.  6 of those were by 5 points or less,  5 of them were by 3 points or less.  Our so called strong running game in the previous 4 years has lost to two provisional 1-AA schools and has been stuffed by numerous unranked OOC teams including 3 beatings in the bowl games.

During our 26 conference game winning streak, which started in '01,  we have beaten 2 teams with a WINNING RECORD.  That's TWO TEAMS!!!!!!!

An 8-3 MTSU team in only their 2nd full year in 1-A, and a 7-5 NMSU team in '02.

So for me the conservative running game has been good against Belt teams.  But I expected more improvement by now.  It's been 8 years to build depth in this system and it's failed miserably.  The current system has been proven to be easily defended by non Belt opponents, and now by them as well.  I see no reason how it would disrupt the program to change to a more updated, open style of offense at the end of the year.    Bring in a Todd Dodge or someone else as OC who can teach the system and start from there.  We would have nothing to lose.

Rick

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It constantly amazes me how little people pay attention, above are listed the real numbers of the real games of the Glory of DD not so hot.

People look into it yourself get off the DD Kool-Aid® and realize this is not the rebuilding year many are making of it. Put DDs head on the line now period.

[meangreendork]

I agree with changing the way the team plays. The old system only worked because none of the SBC teams had the people to stop the run and we had a QB to draw off the defense with good passing.

Danny isn't a great passing QB right now, but he can move really well. Spread-Option? Option-Run?

[PlummMeanGreen]

It constantly amazes me how little people pay attention, above are listed the real numbers of the real games of the Glory of DD not so hot.

People look into it yourself get off the DD Kool-Aid® and realize this is not the rebuilding year many are making of it. Put DDs head on the line now period.

←

First of all, very nice with the "rights reseved" logo on Kool-Aid.

OK, if this is not a rebuilding year, then just what is it? The only other possibility is that this may be the year that some of the other Sun Belts schools have caught up (or passed) our program. I saw a "D" the other night that reminded me of the Southern Miss "D" in last year's NO's Bowl and don't we still basically have the same offense personnel we've had the last 2 years in Mean Green Country save the center position?

If having 8 out of 11 new faces on the Mean Green defense doesn't sound like a rebuilding year, then what else we going to call it?

All the anti-DD'ers who show up in full force on this board after each loss (and that is every American's right of freedom of thought and speech); yet a constant barrage of "the sky is falling" after "any" loss of every year Dickey has been in Denton is (IMHO) a waste of time and energy and here are a few reasons why:

(1) How about the fact that no non-BCS school in America would want to take the negative public relations hit from outsiders (ie, the local, regional and national media?) for firing a coach that has taken their school to 4 bowl games in a row (winning one against another conference's co-champion no matter what you think about that CUSA football co-champion who did beat TCU that same year BTW);

(2) DD has a contract that was arranged by present UNT officials beginning with Norval Pohl with approval from our BOR's and that contract will be honored by those UNT officials;

(3) But more important for DD, he has played his politics well on campus (which we all attempt to do in all our careers FWIW) starting (and ending) with the NT chairman of the BOR's. At NT, that's about all anyone would need. (Any further questions on that part of the subject)?

IMHO, Darrell Dickey will have a career similar to that of Bill Snyder at Kansas State University and that not so bad a deal for either school I feel most would agree. Like Snyder at KSU, DD will grow with his job as our football facilities continue to grow in numbers over at the Mean Green Athletic Village. DD will (like Snyder did at KSU) have to tweak his assistant coach's staff from time to time because it won't be DD who gets fired just because some don't like the offensive coordinator' play-calling) and DD will be at NORTH TEXAS when we have many more new faces (coming from record enrollments each year) who will take the place of the "one" face who lets all this DD business get their goat as to cause them to even quit supporting their very own alma mater. No one NT employee is worth going to that extreme, right?

As I've expressed numerous times to some of you, Coach Dickey does not run the kind of college football offense that I prefer to watch and I really wish we had Stoops, Saban, Bowden or Mack Brown as our coach, but we all know that is also a waste of time, energy and keyboarding strokes from anyone connected with NORTH TEXAS, now don't we?

YET IT'S A 2 SIDED COIN: Anyone ever think DD wishes he had many more thousands of Mean Green fans who would put their money where there opinions were and those many extra fans who would spend more time praising the program when it has had success than what seems like triple time of criticizing it when we don't have that success? Anyone think DD wishes more would join the MG Club thus providing more funding for the athletic coffers so we don't have to open almost each football season with a Top 5 school or body bag game so we can pay some bills? But Troy U has had success with some of the Big Boys? True...but Troy U also has a nice new football stadium to recruit toward, folks.

Any of you remember how Dallas Cowboy fans back in the mid 1960's wanted to run Tom Landry off after his first 6 years of dismal records with the Cowboys? Well, you younger nestors may not remember, but what (then) Dallas Cowboy owner Clint Murchison (Lupe's brother-in-law) answer to all of Landry's critics was rewarding Landry with an unprecedented 10 year contract for the Cowboy's coach. So all the disgruntled Landry fans just cooled it, settled down, faced reality from the powers that be (Murchison) and just went along with their support for their Dallas Cowboys. None of Landry's prior critics were heard to complain later when their little ol' local Dallas pro football team would become known as America's Team, either.

Solution? Consider jumping on the DD Bandwagon whether you like him, his offense, his defense, the style clothing he wears, the cologne he wears at his coach's show, the soft drink he drinks during the course of a football game or whatever the situation BECAUSE..........the DD bandwagon is going to be rolling in Denton for many more seasons to come, just like the Tom Landry bandwagon continued in Dallas, Texas, for almost a quarter of a century after his first very dismal 6 years with the Cowboys when everyone and his dog in Dallas wanted him tarred, feathered and run all the way back to Mission, Texas, Landry's hometown.

Edited October 6, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

[SouthernMustang]

Maybe it's time for Dickey and Flannigan to check out the Spread-Option offense that's been so popular with schools like Boise and the big mid-major programs. I don't think that the SBC teams can handle it, and I'm betting those suckers won't see it coming. Danny's a mobile guy with great moves- an option offense lets him move and lets him get the ball to our strong point- the RBs. If he can pass to the close WRs, then he can keep the D honest and away from the line.

And hey, this gives the opposition some scary things to handle if both JT and PC are on the field at the same time...as they wont know where its going and to whom. But like I said- Danny's gotta learn to be consistent with his passing game.

←

I wouldn't be so quick to wish for that. SMU's tried it this year ... we keep trying to pass, and keep getting incompletions. That leaves our D on the field for way too long with way too much time on the clock for the other team to score.

[untgirl04]

I wouldn't be so quick to wish for that. SMU's tried it this year ... we keep trying to pass, and keep getting incompletions. That leaves our D on the field for way too long with way too much time on the clock for the other team to score.

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The D being on the field for too long....? No, we wouldn't want that. No.... wait. Isn't that what's happening now?

[PlummMeanGreen]

I wouldn't be so quick to wish for that. SMU's tried it this year ... we keep trying to pass, and keep getting incompletions. That leaves our D on the field for way too long with way too much time on the clock for the other team to score.

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As I look back to times in recent years when NT needed to ignite a stalling running game, the forward pass played a very big part in doing just that.

"IF" we have some catchable passes caught against Troy U, I really feel we have a different outcome to this game, but that's all hindsight, of course.

A "catchable pass" has been defined as any pass close enough for a receiver to touch no matter how nicely (or badly) a pass has been thrown in that receiver's direction.

Even former NT Coach Hayden Fry in the ESPN2 booth with Dave Barnett and Craig James made the comment on the pass from Meager to Stickler and even though it was not caught, Fry said you have to have those kind of plays. INTERPRETATION OF THAT: Anyone who was around here during the Fry era knows exactly what Hayden Fry was saying between the lines on that. See next paragraph...

UNT did have many pass attempts the other night with a handful more that should have been caught, but I think what Fry was also inferring in a round about way is that you really have to set up the passing game earlier with NT's style of offense to get the running game going as to score more points earlier in the game.

GMG!

Edited October 6, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

[eulesseagle]

If you take a look at the four games we have played the run to pass ratio looks like:

Game 1:MTSU 60 plays............44 run (73%).........16 pass (122 yards)

Game 2:Tulsa 58 plays...........36 run (62%)..........22 pass (59 yards)

Game 3:K-State 47 plays...........26 run (55%)..........21 pass (74 yards)

Game 4:Troy 58 plays...........31 run (53%)..........27 pass (129 yards)

Our QB's are 38-86 (44%) average 96 yards per game.

Evidently, DD is going to more passing.

[risinggreen]

Hey Euless, are you implying that our illustrious OC is just now beginning to recognize that we need to have a little more variation in our offense? About time! Maybe he will even do it right next time! We shall see.