MeanGreen61

Long road back UNT's Thomas hoping to return to freshman form 09:19 AM CDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006 By Brett Vito/Staff Writer Of all the statements North Texas coach Darrell Dickey has made about the Mean Green this fall, one comment about Jamario Thomas might have been the most encouraging. Thomas had just ripped through UNT’s secondary on a pass play for a touchdown and raced ahead of most of the Mean Green’s running backs in sprints at the end of yet another solid performance in practice. “Jamario looks like he did when he was a freshman,” Dickey said. “It’s obvious this year that he looks like he did his first year as far as conditioning and size. He is eager to get back and be successful because last year wasn’t fun for him.” UNT needs to improve in several areas to bounce back from a 2-9 season, but there is little doubt the Mean Green’s hopes will rest in part on Thomas’ ability to return to the form that saw him average 180.1 rushing yards a game in 2004. Thomas didn’t live up to monumental expectations during his encore campaign last season when he came into camp overweight, battled a hamstring injury and struggled with sharing the spotlight with his mentor, Patrick Cobbs. Thomas managed just 361 rushing yards in 2005, when UNT’s string of consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles ended at four. UNT’s coaches shut Thomas down for the last three weeks of the season after watching him struggle with a strained hamstring while playing sparingly in eight games. “I am really looking forward to this year,” Thomas said. “Last year wasn’t a good one for us. I want to improve on what we did. I am just looking to go out there, have fun and compete.” Thomas’ ever-present smile is back, along with his breakaway speed and quick feet, partly because of the work he put in over the summer. Dickey estimated that Thomas, who is listed at 210 pounds, lost 10-15 pounds in the offseason. Thomas attributed his return to form to the workout regiment he followed over the summer that included lifting weights and running with linebacker Brandon Monroe, one of his closest friends on the team. “Both of us had motivation to get in shape and get stronger after last year because we didn’t do the things we could have the summer before and had some injuries,” Monroe said. UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said Thomas’ improved work ethic is a result of a disappointing season. “The best thing to happen to Jamario was not leading the nation in rushing as a freshman, it was when he struggled last year,” Flanigan said. “He saw that he was going to have to pay the price to be the best.” UNT needs Thomas to be ready to carry the load in an offense that depends largely on a single feature back. The Mean Green’s leading rusher averaged 1,475 yards on 282 carries in their four Sun Belt championship seasons. Cobbs and Thomas won national rushing titles in 2003 and 2004, respectively. UNT will look to Thomas to approach those heights again and help take pressure off the Mean Green’s quarterbacks. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson are battling for the starting job. None of the three has more than one year of experience at the Division I level. Unlike last season, when UNT had both Thomas and Cobbs, the Mean Green also lack experience at running back beyond Thomas. Junior Deavin Cox, a converted defensive back who has not carried the ball at the college level, is projected to be Thomas’ backup. “Jamario knows that there are a lot of expectations on him, but we try to tell him we are not going to win or lose just because of what he does,” Dickey said. “He can’t feel that kind of weight. If we are winning, he is going to be a big part of it. But there are a lot of people who are going to have to help him for him to do what he did two years ago.” Those who know Thomas best believe he is prepared for the challenge. “Jamario senses that people are counting on him,” UNT senior wide receiver Zach Muzzy said. “He has responded well to that.” UNT’S RUSHING PRODUCTION North Texas struggled at times with its running game last season, just one year after UNT running back Jamario Thomas won the national rushing title. The following is a comparison of UNT’s production in the last two seasons. 2004 2005 Yards 2,237 1,569 Yards per game 186.4 142.6 Avg. per carry 4.6 3.9 TDs 21 8 A TALE OF TWO SEASONS North Texas junior Jamario Thomas saw his production fall off last season after he won the national rushing title as a freshman. The following is a comparison of the two seasons: 2004 2005 285 Attempts 89 1,801 Yards 361 180.1 Per-game avg. 45.1 6.3 Per carry avg. 4.1 17 TDs 0

UNT is recouping a lost season UNT's Thomas has worked overtime to regain 2004 form 09:28 AM CDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas coach Darrell Dickey likes what he has seen from junior running back Jamario Thomas. "Jamario looks like he did when he was a freshman," Dickey said. "It's obvious this year that he looks like he did his first year as far as conditioning and size. He is eager to get back and be successful because last year wasn't fun for him." Thomas didn't live up to monumental expectations last season when he came into camp overweight, battled a hamstring injury and struggled with sharing the spotlight with his mentor, Patrick Cobbs. Thomas set the bar high in 2004, when he averaged 180.1 rushing yards per game as a freshman. Thomas managed just 361 rushing yards in 2005, when UNT went 2-9 and saw its string of consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles end at four. UNT's coaches shut down Thomas for the last three weeks of the season after he struggled with a strained hamstring while playing sparingly in eight games. "I am really looking forward to this year," Thomas said. "Last year wasn't a good one for us. I want to improve on what we did. I am just looking to go out there, have fun and compete." Thomas' smile is back, along with his breakaway speed and quick feet, partly because of the work he put in over the summer. Dickey estimated that Thomas, who is listed at 210, lost 10 to15 pounds in the off-season. Thomas credited his workout regimen that included lifting weights and running with linebacker Brandon Monroe, one of his closest friends on the team. "Both of us had motivation to get in shape and get stronger after last year because we didn't do the things we could have the summer before and had some injuries," Monroe said. UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said Thomas' improved work ethic resulted from a painful lesson. "The best thing to happen to Jamario was not leading the nation in rushing as a freshman, it was when he struggled last year," Flanigan said. "He saw that he was going to have to pay the price to be the best." UNT depends on a single feature back. The leading rusher averaged 1,475 yards on 282 carries in its four Sun Belt championship seasons. Cobbs and Thomas led the nation in rushing in 2003 and 2004. If Thomas can approach his 2004 production, it will take pressure off the Mean Green's quarterbacks. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson are battling for the starting job. None has more than one year of experience at the Division I level. With Cobbs gone, UNT lacks experience at running back beyond Thomas. Junior Deavin Cox, a converted defensive back who has not carried the ball in a college game, is projected to be Thomas' backup. "Jamario knows that there are a lot of expectations on him, but we try to tell him we are not going to win or lose just because of what he does," Dickey said. "He can't feel that kind of weight. If we are winning, he is going to be a big part of it. But there are a lot of people who are going to have to help him for him to do what he did two years ago." Thomas seems prepared for the challenge. "Jamario senses that people are counting on him," senior wide receiver Zach Muzzy said. "He has responded well to that."

Question. If he just got caught up in the numbers game, why didn't anyone else go after him, 1A or 1AA ? Possibly other issues ?

Looks like ya know somethin'

Feelin' guilty Deep?

3 year conference averages. http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Pr...Conferences.htm

Maybe DD's recovery from medical problems & better health = a positive, revitalized outlook

Now them's fightin' words

Off the Delphi Sun Belt board. CHRIS DUFRESNE / ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL In Reality, Programs Coming Clean Chris Dufresne August 15, 2006 Cars for stars, ammunition caches, steroids, academic fraud, rent-reduced housing for receivers and the parents of award-winning tailbacks … Did the old Southwest Conference reunite over the summer, or did it just seem that way? Harris Interactive doesn't conduct an off-season poll for major college programs, but if it did, this might make a top five: • Oklahoma. National title hopes derailed after quarterback Rhett Bomar and guard J.D. Quinn are shown the barn door for taking more than a test drive at a local car dealership. • USC. Star tailback Reggie Bush leaves behind a Heisman Trophy and a Pac-10 investigation. Dwayne Jarrett celebrates NCAA reinstatement after agreeing to donate back rent to charity while, in an odd case involving steroids and departing players, one Ting led to another. • Miami. Player shot in buttocks by unknown assailant; teammate responds by returning fire. Star tailback and receiver suspended for opener for violation of unspecified team rules — and it must be serious because the opener's against Florida State. • Texas. Running back Ramonce Taylor is run off the Longhorn ranch after a Cheech & Chong party pack is discovered in his car trunk. An anonymous Texas player's national title ring shows up on EBay, a definite NCAA no-no if said player is still active. • Ohio State: Poised for a national title run if you believe the first coaches' poll, the Buckeyes suspend their starting tight end for the season and then are haunted by the ghost of Maurice Clarett's past. So, it might look as if the game's backdrop really hasn't changed over the years. But it has. The headlines and the reality don't square up, creating a pigskin paradox. The sport, in fact, has never been cleaner, its coaches never more vigilant, compliance officers never more defiant. This is not the SWC, says Grant Teaff, the former Baylor coach who is executive director for the American Football Coaches Assn. "From that time to now, it's the difference from daylight to dark," Teaff said. Hardworking people scour the NCAA rule book the way ministers scour the good book. Renegade coaches have been pushed off to golf courses. Boosters lurk on the outskirts, but at least now they are cordoned by ropes. Perceptions are tougher to shake. "Some people say it's the same old Oklahoma," said Joe Castiglione, the Sooners' besieged-of-late athletic director. "That's absolutely and totally untrue." What is true is that a 24/7 news cycle, the Internet, ESPN and chat rooms have escalated transgressions to unprecedented proportions. It used to be that you could be three free Cadillacs into an NCAA scandal before an investigator knew how to find your campus. Now, you sneeze a violation at Oklahoma and it is posted on a rival's blog. Responsible programs have adjusted and actually taken the proactive approach. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops did not hesitate to dismiss Bomar and Quinn, a move that might have cost him a national title. "I hope we've demonstrated a zero tolerance," Castiglione said. "Act swiftly, decisively, fairly and appropriately. "Compliance programs are much better than they've ever been … but you can't be everywhere with everyone." At Texas, under Coach Mack Brown, there was no 12-step program to get Taylor back in the lineup. Miami Coach Larry Coker, under pressure to win after last year's ugly ending, benched two difference-makers. "The clarity of the coaches' positions stands out," Teaff said. And although USC Coach Pete Carroll can be held accountable for opening his sidelines to Snoop Dogg and Ricky Bobby, he has also screamed himself hoarse about rule-following. Phil Bennett, coach at Southern Methodist, the only team to ever receive the NCAA's death penalty, said last fall: "I'll tell you one thing unequivocally. I don't know a school that breaks rules. None. I don't know anybody that I think just openly breaks rules." Which is a good thing, but here's a main point about college football that often gets lost: It is largely ungovernable. Until 1998, its national championship was mythical — voted upon by coaches, writers, foundations and probably a few Kiwanis clubs. Even with the creation of the Bowl Championship Series, a flawed mechanism to produce a clear-cut winner, the premise has always been suspect. The NCAA can send schools to the sanction shed, but it has no jurisdiction over a football champion — NCAA officials, by and large, don't even attend BCS bowl games. The rules in football are such that you win first and deal with the rest later — you can ask Ohio State about the later. In the pros they play for the Lombardi Trophy; in college it's the Machiavelli. One of the interesting subplots in the Reggie Bush case is wondering what would have happened had USC won the national title last year while possibly using an ineligible player. Who was going to strip USC of its national title, Congress? The BCS has no bylaw to adjudicate the issue, although it promised to look into the matter when it appeared the Bush case was going to explode. The NCAA, sorry, has no chips in the title game. The Associated Press pulled out of the BCS and crowns its champion independently. The BCS championship is really the voting coaches' baby, and although their poll will not allow a team on probation to be ranked, it could be a cold day in Waco before the coaches take a title from an after-the-fact offender. It is under this murky umbrella that college football leaks. College basketball is controlled by the NCAA and thus tournament titles can be vacated (note the asterisk next to UCLA's 1980 title-game run) and offending schools can be forced to return money. Football is complicated by its labyrinth of television contracts, bowl tie-ins and, for lack of a better word, greed. Coaches are more vigilant now because their million-dollar jobs are at stake. Presidents have cracked down because scandals are bad for business. But then there's your alumni base … You think anyone toasting at the 10-year reunion mixer for Alabama's 1992 championship team cares that probation was the price? The NCAA can cut the lizard's tail off with scholarship reductions, but you know what lizard tails do. Alabama and Miami were hit hard in the 1990s after winning national titles, but both programs eventually recovered — Miami won 34 straight games and a national title as recently as this decade. Getting people to play by the rules is tougher than you think because … "The general population thinks the rules are stupid, that we're over-restricted," said Mike Karwoski, associate athletics director for compliance at Notre Dame. " … But when it comes to being part of an association, we're a volunteer member of NCAA. You don't have to join. If you're not going to follow the rules, don't join." Bottom line: If a top college player is six months from earning $24 million in guaranteed NFL money, some bloodsuckers just aren't going to wait. Castiglione compares maintaining order in football to a department store trying to fight theft. "They have cameras set up all over the store," he said. "You have a bank of video monitors. You have plainclothes security eyeballing shoppers. Still, at the end of the year, stores report thousands of dollars lost due to shoplifters. People do what they do. No one's trying to make excuses. I'm just trying to provide perspective." The rabble-rousers know how to work fringes and how to exploit the buttonhooks and crannies. College football is cleaner than it has ever been, but don't ever expect it to be a bleach load, not as long as there are ambiguous trophies to hoist and the reward outweighs the risk. You can only hope to throw spike strips down to curb the enthusiasm. For the men in compliance, unfortunately, it's always like eating soup with a fork. Notre Dame has three full-time enforcement staffers working under Karwoski. One off-season Internet story suggested that quarterback Brady Quinn had made illegal contact with an agent and that his eligibility was in question. The story? "It was a joke," Karwoski said. But stuff does happen. So what's a compliance staff to do? "The best we can," Karwoski said.

Finally

Fine, but that wasn't what you posted.

Don't beleive the post mentioned 'telling them to beat Texas', but that the players and coaches want to beat Texas........a big difference. Are you saying they shouldn't want to win the game ?

Movie Gallery. The same folks that have their name on the Troy stadium.

It's kinda hard to abandon what you don't have. First we gotta get a passin' game before thought can be given to possible abandonment.

More From The Press-Register Spread offense now has trigger Troy looks to Omar Haugabook to run pass-happy attack Sunday, August 13, 2006 By TOMMY HICKS Sports Reporter TROY -- Once Tony Parker was named offensive coordinator at Troy University, he asked coach Larry Blakeney to send him video tape of the 2005 season so he could get a look at the quarterbacks. After watching the tapes one thing became apparent -- he needed a quarterback who could run his spread offense. FULL ARTICLE http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/in...7070.xml&coll=3

Actions speak much louder than words.

HELP ! please !

More From The Birmingham News Trojans stress team after three arrested Sunday, August 13, 2006 MIKE PERRIN News staff writer TROY - Troy University players and coaches said they were looking forward as they headed into their first preseason scrimmage Saturday, working to build stronger bonds on the team after being shocked by the arrest of three now-suspended teammates on Friday. Maurice Coleman is free on $7,500 bond while Chris Bradwell and Nikko Doyle remained in Pike County Jail on Saturday afternoon following their arrest in connection with a second-degree burglary just after midnight Friday. All three were suspended from the Trojans' team, where they were battling for starting positions on defense. Coleman is a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman from Eufaula. Both Bradwell, a defensive lineman, and Doyle, a linebacker, are transfers from Northeast Mississippi Community College. Bradwell is a Jacksonville, Fla., native who played high school football in Alpharetta, Ga., and Doyle is from Batesville, Miss. "We're going to try to get closer and try to bond together," said Leodis McKelvin, an all-Sun Belt Conference kick returner. "Our chemistry won't change. We're still going to be a team. Our main objective is we're going to play hard as a team." Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said an emotional team meeting was held Friday before the news of the suspensions was made public. "I just told them that all teams are going to face crises," he said Saturday at Troy's media day preceding the scrimmage at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium. "This is our first one. We're going to face some more and it could be anything. "We have to close ranks. I told them, `Some of you young guys have to step up, some of you injured guys have to get well. Some of you older guys may have to shoulder a little heavier load.' "It may be the offense that complements this situation on defense, or the special teams. Everybody's involved. It's a `we, us, our' deal. It's not those guys or these guys. "We had a very emotional meeting. (Junior wide receiver) Gary Banks offered a prayer in support of them, their lives and their futures. We broke out of there and put it behind us." Blakeney said he had not spoken to the three players, who are also suspended from school pending an investigation, but some of his assistants had been in contact with them or their families. Steve Dennis, in his second year as athletics director at Troy, said while he could not comment on the incident or its consequences, the athletic department takes its educational role seriously. "We care about our kids and we'll see where it goes," Dennis said. "We care about each individual who comes here ... they are all young, searching, growing, trying to find the right things to do in life. "We are always, always going to try to keep our young men and women in the best possible situation they can. If something happens, we're going to try to take care of it in the best, most professional manner we can. "The things these young people go through today, they need a lot of mentors. "They need a lot of good influences and a lot of great examples. From our chancellor and from the professors and all the people at the university all the way to every coach and administrative person we have, I'm real proud of them."

Recognition Cobb's big night gets UNT national exposure 11:07 PM CDT on Saturday, August 12, 2006 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas running back Jamario Thomas received a call from one of his friends back in Longview, followed by another from his girlfriend on Friday night. Both wanted Thomas to turn on the television and join in watching Patrick Cobbs’ coming out party in the New England Patriots’ preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. The former UNT running back caught a short pass and raced through the Falcons secondary for a 57-yard touchdown to highlight a night in which he caught three passes for 80 yards, rushed for 25 yards on five carries and also played on special teams. It was Cobbs’ first game with the Patriots after signing with the team as a rookie free agent. By the end of the game, word of Cobbs’ exploits had spread and several of UNT’s players, coaches, administrators and fans were watching Cobbs do in the pros what he did for the Mean Green in college. “I haven’t gotten to see it yet,” Thomas said of Cobbs touchdown catch and run. “I am looking forward to it. My cell phone started ringing right after it happened.” Cobbs’ big night, the boost the UNT football program received from it and the example the former national rushing champion set during his time with the Mean Green was the big topic of conversation on Saturday when the Mean Green opened their first session of two-a-day workouts. Cobbs played four full seasons at UNT before leaving the school in 2005 as its all-time leading rusher with 4,050 yards. His best collegiate season came in 2003 when he won the national rushing title with an average of 152.7 yards a game. He took a medical redshirt season in 2004 with a knee injury and came back to rush for 1,154 yards as a senior last season. Cobbs was overlooked in the draft, but was invited to a mini camp with the Patriots and earned an invitation to training camp. A solid performance in the preseason could help Cobbs overcome long odds to make the Patriots roster or that of another NFL team as an undrafted free agent. The Patriots have five running backs on their roster, including veterans Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney, the 21st overall pick in the 2006 draft. Cobbs fit right in with those players in his first preseason game and gave the Mean Green some free publicity in the process. Cobbs and his background at UNT were discussed at length on the television broadcast. “Those are things that help our program,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “I think they said the words North Texas about 12-15 times in the second half. There are kids out there wanting to be recruited watching those games. It used to be that we would watch those games and we didn’t have anyone playing. … [Cobbs] did a very good job and more importantly helped give himself a legitimate opportunity to make their team.” Cobbs also played on special teams for the Patriots, which Dickey said will increase his chances of making the team. Even when he was at UNT, Cobbs returned kicks and played on the punt block team. “He scored and came right back and played on the kickoff team,” UNT linebacker Phillip Graves said. “That emphasizes how important special teams are. … When the young players see a guy like Patrick running down there on special teams in the NFL, his actions speak louder than words.” Dickey spoke to his team about Cobbs and what he did for the Mean Green after Saturday morning’s practice. “I pointed some things out to the players: No. 1 Patrick didn’t miss practice, didn’t miss lifting weights, graduated in four in a half years with two degrees with over a 3.0 GPA, was a national rushing champion, bounced back from a very serious injury to have a great senior year, was an outstanding leader and played on every special team we asked him to,” Dickey said. “He’s an example for every kid out here.” Davenport out with MCL injury Ryan Davenport missed practice on Saturday with what UNT’s training staff has determined as an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee. The severity of the injury and how long Davenport will be out have yet to be determined. Davenport suffered the injury in a one-on-one tackling drill on Friday. Briefly … Junior college transfer Brian Carlson has made a move to tackle for the foreseeable future after working at both tackle and tight end early on in practice. Dickey said Carlson made the move because of a lack of depth at tackle and an abundance of players at tight end. … Freshman tight end Victor Gill of Argyle caught touchdown passes during drills in both the morning and afternoon practice sessions. Dickey said he has been impressed with Gill so far in practice.

Muts made it according to the amended and I assume final stats that are up now on the NCAA board. Heres' the conference totals Troy - 19425 Arkansas State - 18,381 UL-Lafayette - 17,591 North Texas - 16,446 Middle Tennessee - 15,241 UL-Monroe - 14,617 Reclassified/provisional Florida International - 15,477 Florida Atlantic - 11,476

Anyone?

GEICO Joins Sun Belt as Corporate Partner Courtesy: Sun Belt Conference Release: 08/11/2006 NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference has announced the signing of noted auto insurer GEICO as the latest corporate sponsor of the league. FULL ARTICLE http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ViewArticle.d...0&ATCLID=537243