TIgreen01

That was the start of three terrible calls from the officials. Don’t forget the PI that wasn’t to extend that next drive. Then the fumble that got stolen. Pretty clear who the conference wanted to win that game. Still, the game was there for us to take and the failures in the red zone are 100% within our control.

Typical problems with the air raid showed up today. Gotta have a real running game and be able to run it more than just when the D shows a light box.

I liked that we have more than one guy willing and able to drive, score and draw fouls. That bodes well for the future on nights when the threes aren’t falling. When Evansville tried to get back in the game we drove and got to the line. Lots of experienced guys on this team. I didn’t know what to expect with so much turnover, but that looked like a recent North Texas team to me. Awesome to see that our style of play and tenacity carried over to this new bunch.

His talent isn’t being wasted. It’s being maximized. If he and the offense aren’t balling out we’d be out of every game. We’re not 8-0, but can’t say his talent is being wasted. That’s just a bit too far down the negativity branch for me.

I don't like the transfer portal because it's turned players into mercenaries, and not students at our school (if they never really were, the mirage still appeared that they were). However, I'm not certain that the TP really helps the top P5 ALWAYS and hurts the G5 ALWAYS. In the past, taking on JUCOs was at best a 50/50 proposition and usually a year in your system before you saw positive results. Transfers coming from a P5 to us were usually not guys you could count on (obvious exceptions to this rule - Marcus Trice and a few others). Then the TP opened up and it seems that we're hitting on more transfers than in the old days. I expected us to be terrible this year with 77 new players coming in (see above reasons), but that has not been the case. I think with a smart staff who doesn't rely on word of mouth or film highlights on players, but on their own eyeballs and instincts, the TP can really be a weapon to level the playing field. I can't believe I just typed that....

I read the depth chart and see that our linebackers are all listed between 230-240…but my eyes tell me they are 20lbs lighter and they definitely play like they are. It is rare to see our linebackers hit and drive the ball carrier back. We almost always get drug another 2 yards. So all that to say I can see why the announcers would look out there and see 24 or 36 and confuse them as another safety on the field. After our game yesterday I watched the Baylor Oklahoma state game. OSU has guys with prototypical size in their front 7, but they might be even worse than us at defending the run. They gave up over 350 to Baylor.

I agree. This has been the case since I’ve followed UNT, though. Going to the New Orleans bowls all those years, we were always much smaller than the teams we faced. Everytime Houston has been to Denton I’ve been shocked by how much smaller we were. UAB and smu used to make us look small, too. We’ve been able to get by against most of our peers, but the step up reveals a big gap in recruitment that we haven’t come close to closing since I’ve been around. This year’s oline is one of the bigger units I can remember us fielding. Don’t care what gets printed on a roster, they are bigger and closer to the level we need to be at to win a championship. I do think this is where NIL could really help. To get those difference makers on defense you’re going to have to pay up.

Can’t argue with that.

Well…no staff changes are imminent, per that answer. Laying the groundwork that the DC won’t be back another year, though.

We have the best 7 on 7 coach in the world. If football keeps taking the physical part of the game away and eventually does away with tackling, we might have something here. Until that day comes, we are nowhere close to a complete football team.

Plenty of room in this club.

I’m too old to be naive, but I do still get surprised. Maybe flabbergasted is a better word.

I think he’s still surprising me after what I just saw. I mean…I expect him to run his favored 3-3-5. I’d hope for a 3-4 or a 4-4 in that scenario. But a 3-2-6?! What the actual ….

I don’t know what else better demonstrates the defense under Caponi than Tulane’s last drive before halftime. Coming off an interception and in a game where they’ve run the ball at will, the entire stadium and tv watching world KNOWS Tulane is going to run the ball. What do we do? We come out with 6 defensive backs. Obviously. Tulane runs two running plays that each go for over 20. Enough is enough.

Last time we got embarrassed on homecoming we fired the head coach. Not saying that should happen today, but it’s past time for this defensive coaching staff.

Today is the day.

Were you around for the 2007 Navy game? I could say the entire 2007 season, but that one game was especially bad and reminiscent of this past Saturday's defensive debacle. If not, have some mercy on those of us that were. Difference is that was year 1 of Dodge and Mendoza. Mendoza was gone after one year. We're living out this year what it would have been like to keep him around for another year.

This and I dislike the poll. Should we fire him today would be a valid poll. Not should we fire him at the end of the season. What if we have a miraculous 180 and become a top 10 defense the second half of the year...but I already voted to fire him. Guess he's gotta go cause I said so at mid-season. 🙂 The defense is bad. It's losing us games we should otherwise win. It's obvious to both the technical football film geeks, the completely unaware Swifty types, and pretty much anyone who just glances at a final score. No need for a poll. Something's gotta give.

This, too.

This. Period.

Kid is likely a genius. Parlayed a good season at UNT to a paid backup role at maybe the best academic institution outside the Ivy League. Thought he had already graduated and was working on his first masters while he was here last year. He’s using the system to the fullest. No problem with that at all, and good on him.

Against Tech and Memphis, the only two teams we’ve faced that have winning records, the defense was a liability. I’d agree that we have progressed from last year, but last night they lost us the game. To say that they are closer to a title defense is sarcasm, right? Closer in terms of improving from absolute garbage to just plain garbage?? …and yeah, I know you were just trying to respond to the original post and are the only one following directions in this thread. 🙂. I’ll stop.

So you’re saying we graded well?😉 When Memphis needed to move the ball, they did. Their offense seemed to be better with some game pressure on them. We badly need someone that can actually get home on a blitz, or at least get the Qb out of the pocket. Shipley being out didn’t help. Anyone know what’s going on there?

Exactly. Anytime we scored or took a lead, Memphis did whatever it wanted. That’s what I took away. Tulane will likely do the same.

Morris’ are both lighting it up. Defense is trying to set fire to the house underneath them. 🤮