Got5onIt

You may be right GreenFlag about the 2 players. Mendoza , on the other hand, I do not agree with you. I would say Holman & Weathers are the best defensive players on this team. Noone here expected this defensive unit to become the '85 Bears this year. The tremendous dropoff in play is the issue. Even casual NT fans (if there is a such a thing ) can see the difference this year from last.

We need more guys out of the south Dallas schools: DeSoto, Duncanville, Cedar Hill, & Carter!

Don't forget Jmo might be having a good night, yet will only touch the ball 2 times in the 2nd half.

I highly doubt this has any effect. Remember NT just switched to the 3-4 last year. The recruits before then all came in on the 4-3. So, the players who are jr/srs now were recruited during the 4-3 years. Now defensive recruiting, that's a whole other debate.

I could live with this as I said a .500 season should be considered a success. However, what have you seen that gives you confidence that NT will win at least one SBC game?

Well put. Defensive problems cannot be thrown solely on these players and this DD excuse. That is cheap BS, IMO.

I wouldn't say he gets a free pass for 3 seasons, but 3 seasons is an "understood" timeframe for marked improvement. If this team only wins 2 games this year then wins 2 again next year, all hell would break loose on these boards.

Something has to change. Why not start with the QB?

LOL!!!

I question this move if this indeed true. Maybe a bit of over confidence contributed to doing this?????

See Rice for a perfect example of this.

After seeing the Toppers knock off MUTS, I wouldn't put any of the upcoming games into the "sure win" category. NT has not earned the right to expect to beat anyone this year. Anyone save their face covering paper sack from the end of DD's tenure? We may need to dust them off.

I hope so, but I can assure you that finding good Tackles with the footwork and balance to pass block at the D1 level is difficult. Now take that issue and emphasize it with an offense that passes 99% of the time and you see the dillemma we're facing. Many good lineman can offset a weakness in pass blocking wth superior run blocking ability. That will not happen here.

Agree with you. McFadden is the best back in the country, period. Him being out Saturday would be huge, IMO. Arkansas' pass defense is about as bad as ours and their QB play is pretty bad as well. Is it a winnable game? Sure, all games are winnable. I just don't see NT going into Fayettville and pulling an upset. That Green kool-Aid must be damn good to help everyone forget the losses to SMU & FAU!!!

How about wtaching 5A ball, playing 5A ball, & college ball. Does that count? Well, you hit on it. The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster, and SMARTER. This changes what works and what doesn't. Don't discount how much these changes effect the game of football and gameplans on both sides of the ball. It makes all the difference in the world. Offenses & defenses are so much more sophisticated at this level. To help you understand, it's why the countertrap is a bread-n-butter play for many High Schools but a rarely run play in college. It's why the option works in college but not the NFL. It's the reason we see lots of zone blitzes in college and the NFL and not in high school. In high school 1 player can dominate a game and teams can gameplan an entire offense/defense around them. This does not happen at the next level. It's not so much as SMU & FAU have surprised our coaches with freakishly new things, football is still football, but I do believe that the cliche "putting your players in positions to succeed" is the gospel at this level. It all boils down to understanding the physical abilities of your entire team, your opponent, and adjusting to that when need be.

Well put. Some people forget that NT is a Bowl Championship Subdivision school. Coaching at a Bowl Subdivision school in Texas is higher than any position any high school can offer.

You'll have a very magical night if you choose to eat at the concessions stand.

must...resist...temptation.......

Good coaches do this and this is what I think Finch was trying to say about Mizzou's head coach. Brad Smith ran an entirely different style of offense and it was taylored to fit him. Was the "mightiness' of the Dodge system that made Mizzou do it? Who knows. Their winning record helps the argument.

Here's a thought: Could Meager be playing "wrecklessly" looking to make the big play in order to keep his job? Everyone knows he's on a short leash and that Vizza is breathing down his neck (at least many here like to think that ).

I knew this attitude was bound to show up sooner or later. Pitiful North Texas should be thankful for what they get because Mr.Big will be kicking you to the curb anyway. I don't think anyone is disputing Todd Dodge's ability as a coach. His high school record proves that. Oh and just in case you didn't know this Dodge "cut his teeth" in the NCAA division long before he became the face of the Dragons. Many of us like to think that the talent level on this team is not as "bad" as you or any other "outsider" likes to believe. Just looking at the strides the offense has made proves this. You couldn't have told me at this time last year that this offensive unit would be throwing for 600yds and scoring 30+ points through the air. Hell, most on here would've loudly laughed in your face. Because of the offense, I'd like to think the defensive unit would follow suite in improvement. Do you blame anyone who thought the same with 9 returning starters on the defensive side of the ball??? Did I believe NT would post a winning record? Absolutely not. But I fully expected them to float around .500 and can't help but think this will not be possible. The game is different between high school and college. Only the naive believe it is not.

So you're saying DM is going to the NFL??????? Your post is sig material, my friend. Please tell me you're being sarcastic?

As much as I haven't agreed with your postings in the past, I absolutely agree with you here. Hell, look at Rice for what a coach can & cannot do for a program.

Waiting to hear "These are DD's players" in 3, 2, 1.....

I was trying to be sarcastic.