MeanGreen61

Football: Changing of guards UNT O-linemen get new look at first practice 11:48 PM CDT on Monday, August 6, 2007 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The complexion of North Texas’ offensive line changed dramatically on Monday when the Mean Green reported for the opening of fall practice. Senior Josh Alexander, a tackle who sat out all of last season with a knee injury, told head coach Todd Dodge on the eve of fall practice that he wouldn't be able to recover and was giving up the sport. UNT's coaches prepared for the potential loss of Alexander by signing Jacob Kaiser late in the summer. The former Greensburg (Penn.) Central Catholic standout made his debut with the Mean Green at the first practice of fall workouts. "Josh will not be able to play," Dodge said Monday. "He has done everything we have asked of him. We spoke last night and he said he wouldn't be able to do it." Just a few weeks ago, it appeared as if Alexander would come back from tearing the patellar tendon in his knee late in the 2005 season. Alexander tried to rehabilitate the knee injury before the 2006 season, but ended up needing surgery. Alexander spent the last year in rehabilitation and appeared as if he would make it back this fall before suffering a setback in offseason conditioning. UNT's coaches expected Alexander to try to recover in the early stages of fall practice, but the injury proved to be too much to overcome. Alexander is expected to have another round of surgery on his knee. "I am going to let him have two or three days off," Dodge said. "Then we will visit and see if we can find a way for him to stay involved with our program." Dodge said Alexander could end up working as a student assistant. The loss of Alexander will leave the Mean Green with a redshirt freshman at left tackle in Matt Menard and a sophomore at right tackle in Robert Peachey. The loss of Alexander could also open the door for Kaiser, who took an unusual path to UNT. Kaiser said he was being recruited by Tulane, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and East Carolina but ended up without a scholarship offer on signing day. "Unfortunately, I didn't get the offers I wanted," Kaiser said. "I guess you could say I got lost in the sauce. My high school coach, Muzzy Colosimo, and the junior college coach I signed with said they were shocked I didn't get an offer." UNT's coaches immediately jumped on the opportunity to sign a player who fit what appears to be one of the Mean Green's biggest needs. UNT lost both of its starting tackles after last season. "We were looking for an offensive lineman and he just fell right into our laps," Dodge said. "They sent some video from Western Pennsylvania. We loved it and decided to bring him in. To get a guy who is 6-7, 292 -- which is what he weighed in at -- is something we are really pleased about." Kaiser worked out at tackle with what could be just about an entirely new lineup on the first day of practice. Chad Rose and Adam Venegas are the only returning starters on the offensive line. Rose played center last season, a spot that is now occupied by sophomore Kelvin Drake. Kaiser is hoping to make an immediate impact in that new lineup. "I liked coach Dodge's philosophy that a team is like a family and that he is known for winning," Kaiser said. "I am really upset that other schools overlooked me, but that is just going to add fuel to my fire." Kaiser's former coaches believe he could be an impact player for the Mean Green. "Jacob has such a big upside," Colosimo said. "He is big, moves well and he works hard. … Everyone looked at him and said he needs another year and with the limited number of scholarships, they needed guys who could play right now. We thought if he could get into school, he would do well." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

It is gettin' a little old.

Geeze. Always somethin' ain't it?

North Texas Football Media Day Is Set For Wednesday Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 08/06/2007 DENTON (8/6/07) - The North Texas athletic department will hold its annual Football Media Day on Wednesday, August 8 at 11:30 am. This event is closed to the public. North Texas head coach Todd Dodge and selected players will be available for media interviews at the annual media day.The event will be held in the large meeting room on the first floor of the Athletic Center at 1301 South Bonnie Brae Ave. in Denton. Schedule of Events: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. North Texas players available 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Head Coach Todd Dodge available

Excellent, timely post GMoney.

** Regrettably, we will have no tickets to sell on game day. There may be game tickets available at the stadium, but it is expected that this game will be sold out.

Oklahoma -38 v North Texas Tulsa -8 v ULM Penn State -38 v FIU Texas -37 v ASU S. Carolina -27.5 v ULL Arkansas -27.5 v Troy FAU v Muts - Pk VEGAS LINES http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-footba...s-vegas/?s=1734

The scrimmage at Fouts.

A whole new era UNT returns to practice to start Dodge's reign 10:37 PM CDT on Sunday, August 5, 2007 By Brett Vito/Staff Writer North Texas junior quarterback Daniel Meager can sense a difference in the atmosphere surrounding the Mean Green as it heads into the beginning of fall practice today. A sense of uncertainty that lingered during spring workouts just a few months ago has been replaced by a quiet confidence, one that comes with a better understanding of what the Mean Green is trying to accomplish under new head coach Todd Dodge. Meager was one of 105 players, including the Mean Green's entire 2007 recruiting class, who reported Sunday for the beginning of practice at 3:30 p.m. today at the Mean Green Athletic Center. "Everyone is really confident," Meager said. "We had good workouts this summer. We feel good about ourselves and want to get the ball rolling." In UNT's case, flying might be a more accurate description. The Mean Green spent spring practice adapting to Dodge's spread offense after spending nine years in a run-based attack under former UNT head coach Darrell Dickey. There were a few bumps along the road after the change, ones the Mean Green believes will be less frequent now that it has experience in the system. "We are really comfortable now," senior wide receiver Brandon Jackson said. "Spring was about learning the offense. Now, with two-a-days starting, we are going to be working on improving and getting ready for [Oklahoma]." UNT will open the season Sept. 1 against the Sooners in Norman, Okla. Perhaps the biggest challenge the Mean Green will face before its opener is finding a comfort zone on offense. UNT is rebuilding its offensive line and its wide receiver corps after last season. Jackson caught 17 passes for 188 yards and is UNT's only returning receiver who caught more than 10 passes last season. UNT could also start several young players on its offensive line, including redshirt freshman Matt Menard and sophomore Robert Peachey at the tackle spots. Featuring so many young players on offense will be both UNT's biggest problem this season and its most important asset in terms of the future of the program. "Offensively we have a bunch of young talent," Dodge said. "The majority of those players are going to be back next season, so it won't be like we are going to spend three months teaching a new offense and then they are all going to be gone. It's a good scenario for us." Several of UNT's young players have spent the summer in Denton to prepare for the season. The extra time the Mean Green's young offensive players have spent together has helped them become more familiar with each other and Dodge's system. "Like coach Dodge always says, we are speaking the same language now," Meager said. "We know what to expect and what is going on." UNT officially began the buildup to the season on Saturday night with the Mean Green Kickoff Cookout. School officials unveiled the team's new jerseys at the event and spoke about the upcoming season. A crowd of 600 fans attended the event. Seeing so many of its supporters out only made UNT's players more excited for the opening of fall workouts today. "We are always excited to start two-a-days," Jackson said. "But now that we have all these people coming to the Kickoff Cookout, it makes us even more excited." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. UNT practice primer North Texas will open fall practice under Todd Dodge for the first time today at the Mean Green Athletic Center. The following is a rundown of some of the issues UNT must address: Key question: Is Meager the man? Junior Daniel Meager came out of spring practice as UNT's starting quarterback, but he will have to hang onto the job in what should be a competitive fall practice. Matt Phillips and Nathan Tune are just two of the other players competing for the job. Highly regarded recruit Giovanni Vizza will also have a chance to show what he can do. Position battle: Linebacker UNT is loaded with experienced linebackers and there will be fewer positions up for grabs with the Mean Green moving back into the 4-3 defense after spending last season in the 3-4. All-Sun Belt Conference linebacker Maurice Holman, Brandon Monroe and Derek Mendoza are slated to start, but will be pushed by Tobe Nwigwe, Colt Mahan and Craig Robertson. Player to watch: Jamario Thomas UNT depended largely on the talents of a string of standout running backs to power its offense in previous seasons, including Jamario Thomas. The former national rushing champion won't have to carry as heavy a load this season, but it would help UNT if the senior can overcome a history of injuries and be the game-breaker he was earlier in his career. Key to success: Adapting to the system UNT will finish going from one end of the spectrum to the other this fall when it completes installing a new spread offense that will rely on a passing attack to replace its old power running game. The Mean Green made progress in spring practice, but must finish the task this fall. Strength to develop: Defense Since he arrived at UNT, Dodge has raved about the talent he has to work with on defense, especially in the Mean Green's front seven. UNT has three preseason all-conference selections on defense: Holman, defensive end Jeremiah Chapman and safety Aaron Weathers. How those players adapt to playing in a new 4-3 alignment will be key for the Mean Green, especially early in the season while the team's offense is finding its way. Area of concern: Offensive line UNT will open practice with a redshirt freshman and two sophomores scheduled to start on an offensive line that is expected to protect a quarterback in a passing offense. Spencer Leftwich returns for a second stint at UNT and will be in charge of finding a way to quickly develop a young group. UNT practice schedule August 6 -- 3:30 p.m. (helmets) 7 -- 3:30 p.m. (helmets) 8 -- 3:30 p.m. (shells) 9 -- 3:30 p.m. (shells) 10 -- 3:30 p.m. (full pads) 11 -- 10 a.m. (scrimmage at Fouts Field) 12 -- Off 13 -- 9:30 a.m. (full pads) 14 -- 8:45 a.m. (full pads); 3:30 p.m. (full pads) 15 -- 9 a.m. (full pads) 16 -- 8:45 a.m. (full pads); 3:30 p.m. (full pads) 17 -- 10:45 a.m. (full pads) 18 -- 10 a.m. (scrimmage at Fouts Field) 19 -- Off 20 -- 8:45 a.m. (full pads); 3:30 p.m. (full pads) 21 -- 9 a.m. (full pads) 22 -- 8:45 a.m. (full pads); 3:30 p.m. (full pads) 23 -- 10:15 a.m. (full pads) 24 -- 9:30 a.m.; 6 p.m. (mock game at Fouts Field) 25 -- Off 26 -- 9 a.m. (rookie roundup) 27 -- Off 28 -- 3:30 p.m. (practice) 29 -- 3:30 p.m. (practice) 30 -- 3:30 p.m. (practice) 31 -- 3:30 p.m. (practice)

Section E, Row 31

Sun Belt football keeps getting hotter Conference still making strides against others Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters has been the most vocal booster of the league's football venture for the past six years. That hasn't changed as the conference enters its seventh year of football this fall. The difference is that this year, he may be right on target. There are lots of reasons to think that Sun Belt football is hitting its stride. It's not the SEC or the Big 12, and all things considered it's still not Conference USA, the Mountain West or the WAC. But reaching parity with the latter leagues isn't that far away, and it's galaxies closer than its 2001 start - and closer than a lot of people are willing to admit. Consider: The league had a winning record (4-3) against Conference USA last fall, including Troy's 41-17 romp over Rice in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. It wasn't just a matter of picking on the bottom-dwellers, either ... fourth-place finisher UL topped C-USA overall champion Houston and next-to-last North Texas beat bowl-eligible SMU for two of those wins. Sun Belt teams had 11 out-of-conference wins last year, the second-most in league history. More than half of those came against Division I-A competition. Four league teams were bowl-eligible with wins in six or more games last year, after only nine hit that mark in the first five years combined. No Sun Belt team lost to a I-AA team in 2006 (5-0). That may not sound like much, but the league had at least one such loss in every other season and had a losing record against I-AA competition in its first year. One recruiting service ranked the Sun Belt above two other leagues for its overall signing classes. The league has an all-time conference high four national network prime-time appearances this fall, not including the New Orleans Bowl. And, the league transitions to a more-stable nine-team football group for 2009 when Western Kentucky becomes the 120th I-A member. "In past years, we were always asking ourselves if this was going to work," Waters said. "Now, we're starting to ask how good we can be." If last year's New Orleans Bowl was any indication, that could be pretty good if you're Troy's Trojans. The men of Troy claimed a share of last year's title and grabbed the Crescent City berth courtesy of a head-up win over co-champion Middle Tennessee, and devastated 6-2 C-USA runner-up Rice in the bowl game. Troy didn't look much like a bowl team at 1-4 entering last October, but won six of its final seven. Still, a surprising loss to Arkansas State in its home finale put postseason prospects in peril, before the Trojans rallied from two touchdowns back in the final five minutes to shock Middle Tennessee's league-leading and home-standing Blue Raiders. "Winning out got us in," said Troy coach Larry Blakeney, "but being in the conference was part of it, too. We've furnished two bowl teams twice in the last three years, and I think we're developing a scheduling philosophy across the league that's going to help us." That schedule's still tough this year. Of the league's 40 non-conference games, 28 of them come against teams that went to bowl games last year. Florida Atlantic faces a 2006 bowl team in every one of its non-conference games, and three others play four bowl teams. UL plays three - Tennessee (Outback Bowl, #23 final ranking), South Carolina (Liberty Bowl) and Ohio (GMAC Bowl). This year, though, some of those games will be played at Sun Belt home stadiums. UL's contest against Ohio is at Cajun Field, Troy brings Indepen-dence Bowl participant Okla-homa State to town, North Texas hosts Navy (Meineke Car Care Bowl), Tulsa (Armed Forces Bowl) opens the college football season on Aug. 30, at UL Monroe (on ESPN2), Florida Inter-national hosts Maryland (Champs Sports Bowl) and FAU has two bowl teams at home - Minn-esota (Insight Bowl) and South Florida (Papajohns.com Bowl). "We have always stressed how important it is to win non-conference games," Waters said. "And it's always easier to win those games at home. Teams are coming to our campuses now." Troy is the pick to win the league title, no surprise given the way the Trojans finished last season. And, in every other year of the league's existence, the preseason pick held at least a share of the conference crown in the previous season. But three other teams in the league got first-place votes, including one from Blakeney who tabbed Arkansas State as his preseason pick. "Just looking at the players returning," Blakeney said, "it was hard between Middle, ASU and Lafayette. A lot of teams have a lot of good players back." Of last year's 44 players that claimed regular-position spots on the All-Sun Belt first and second teams, 22 of them are back this year. And the two teams that had the smallest representation on last year's teams - seventh and eighth-place finishers North Texas and Florida International -both have new coaches. "Last season was a watershed for us," Waters said. "It's getting better. The challenge is for us to keep making it better."

Football: Dressed for success Mean Green unveils new uniforms at cookout 11:21 PM CDT on Saturday, August 4, 2007 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas finished unveiling a new look for a new era in the history of its football program on Saturday night during the annual Mean Green Kickoff Cookout. UNT will wear white pants both home and away to go with the white helmets the school introduced in late July. The Mean Green will wear white jerseys for away games and Kelly green jerseys for home games. A crowd of 600 fans packed the Mean Green Athletic Center to see the jerseys introduced. "It's very encouraging to have this many people come out," new UNT head coach Todd Dodge said. "It blows your mind, the type of support we are getting right now. It's very exciting." Dodge said he designed the uniforms in January with the help of officials from Under Armour, the company that will provide the Mean Green's apparel. UNT wore darker green jerseys in the past and decided to go with a new look after Dodge took over for former head coach Darrell Dickey in December. The reaction to the new look was positive, both from UNT's fans and players. "I think they are pretty sweet," UNT quarterback Daniel Meager said. "It's the first time I have been in a newer style uniform. When I was in high school, we had a traditional style uniform and our previous uniforms here were more of a traditional style." UNT's new uniforms look similar to what Dodge's teams at Southlake Carroll wore. Dodge said the comparison is a natural one because both schools have green and white as their colors. Several UNT fans said they liked the look after it debuted at the end of the school's kickoff event for the season. UNT senior defensive end Blake Burruss and senior defensive back Aaron Weathers modeled the new uniforms. "It's a good look for a new start to the program," UNT fan Jeff Baltzley said. "They are sharp looking. It will help in recruiting. Kids like the Under Armour look. It's on the cutting edge, just like where the program is headed." UNT's kickoff event opened what will be a few key days for the Mean Green football program at the beginning of the Dodge era. The team's players will report today and practice for the first time at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. The Mean Green will work out at 3:30 p.m. each day in the opening week of practice before a 10 a.m. scrimmage at Fouts Field on Aug. 11. UNT officials said Saturday they were excited about what is to come this season after seeing so many fans at the school's kickoff event, where Dodge, UNT president Gretchen Bataille and athletic director Rick Villarreal all spoke of the potential they see in the program. "We are excited," Villarreal said. "The turnout tonight is a sign of the excitement that is around the program and football season getting started. The great part is it is across the entire spectrum. We have young kids, fans who have been here for a long time, new fans, faculty and staff. There is a lot of renewed interest." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

There are people here who complain even when there's nothing to complain about. Complaining is a way of life and the thought of making a positive post makes them shudder

Found this in a post on the Tulsa board. Makes sense with the fast pace of the hurry up no huddle offense. Stamina & agility vs size. "O linemen are going to be in basketball shape. Thus, the days of superhuge 300+ pounders is gone, because they cannot keep up with the pace of the hurry-up no huddle offense."

Wonder what Fouts would look like without the track and if the end-Zone seats were move up closer to the field? Looks like a fit if they were just moved over and up.

Stephen F. Austin ? Nicholls State ? Shouldn't they be coming to Denton ? We played at their house last season.

Not another Wilson v Meager, Dodge2007 v Emmit thread.

Without the track, the end zone seats could actually be moved closer and be in the same zip code as the field.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE PREVIEW http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/080107aat.html North Texas Mean Green Offense: Once upon a time, Jamario Thomas led the nation in rushing when he was a true freshman (180.1 yards per game). That was three years and a Sun Belt title ago. Since then, Thomas has seen the Mean Green go from the penthouse to the outhouse in just two seasons. That led to the firing of Darrell Dickey and the hiring of Todd Dodge, who had great success as head coach at nearby Southlake-Carroll High School. His passing offense, known as "Dodge Ball," is sure to bring excitement back to Denton, but Dodge is adamant in saying Thomas will be a vital part of the offense. He'll need to be, as five quarterbacks will vie for the starting job, which Dodge will announce two weeks into fall camp. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson all struggled last year, and Nathan Tune redshirted. Coaches are high on true freshman Giovanni Vizza, but Meager was the leader coming out of spring. Starters Adam Venegas and Chad Rose return as starters, but the offensive line is a question mark other than that. The receiving corps lost All-Sun Belt honoree Johnny Quinn, so Brandon Jackson must step up there. In this offense, many receivers are needed so plenty of youngsters will get a chance. Defense: Dodge feels good about his defense, which could go a long way in setting up the offense. End Jeremiah Chapman is the top returner, while linebacker Maurice Holman and safety Aaron Weathers are stars in their own right. The defensive line returns three starters and the linebacking unit returns seven players who started at least one game last season. Roy Loren teams with Weathers to give the Mean Green a mean safety duo, and plenty of experience returns at the cornerback position with Antoine Bush, Dominique Green and Desmon Chatman. The Skinny: Say what you want about A.D. Rick Villarreal firing former head coach Darrell Dickey not long after he had a heart attack, but it was getting stagnant in Denton. That's why Dodge Ball was brought in to create some excitement. It will be interesting to see how the transition goes from successful high school coach to college head coach, but it should pay dividends, as recruiting for the 2008 class is already off to a great start. The headliner is quarterback Riley Dodge, son of the coach. This year will likely be a rough one again for the Mean Green, but one big early conference win -- just to get UNT over the hump -- can be enough to shock the Belt.

North-South, East-West, upside down - sideways......... I just like the 12 schools & think this make a great conference for UNT.

I put Rice & Houston with the East because they are closer to USM, Tulane & UAB. Also Memphis & USM are both charter members & big rivals.

Harry put up a video link that gave us a taste of the ability that Riley will bring to the Mean Green. Here's a link to some Vizza videos that show why TD is so high on him. Giovanni Vizza http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewp...mp;pr_key=55402

OK, How would you arrange 'um ? I just like those 12 as a conference. We've got a long history with NMSU and I prefer have them over any Sun Belt team.

OK it's just another off-season realignment thread, but this is a CUSA lineup I'd like to see. Marshall, UCF and ECU go elsewhere due to conference realignments. CUSA replaces them with North Texas, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. NMSU gives UTEP a nearby travel partner. Memphis Southern Miss Tulane Houston Rice UAB North Texas Tulsa SMU UTEP New Mexico State La. Tech

UNT ranked #60. Non-BCS Top Four #53 BYU #56 UTEP #58 Miami Ohio #60 UNT RIVALS RECRUIT RANKINGS http://rivals100.rivals.com/teamrank.asp?Y...pe=0&Sort=0