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North Texas Gets SMU In The First Round Of The NCAA Tournament Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 11/07/2005 DENTON (11/7/05) - The North Texas women’s soccer team will face metroplex rival SMU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. in College Station, Tex. North Texas is the second seed in the College Station Regional, along with Texas A&M, SMU, and Northwestern State. Courtesy: Rick Yeatts Heather Hutyra recorded a hat trick in the Mean Green's 3-1 win over SMU earlier this year, the two teams will meet on Friday The Mean Green (16-3-2), fresh off its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title, will take on the Mustangs in a rematch of the two teams from earlier in the season. North Texas beat SMU 3-1 on Sept. 4 in Dallas as sophomore forward Heather Hutyra recorded a hat trick in the win. Goalkeeper Kandice Ellis made a career-high 11 saves in the match. SMU leads the all-time series with North Texas 5-3-1, but the two teams have split the last five matches evenly at 2-2-1. The two teams have three common opponents this season in Houston, UTEP, and Rice. North Texas went 1-1-1 against the three teams while SMU was 2-1 against the three teams. The Mean Green will enter the game red-hot as they have won 11 of their last 12 games and lost only once in their past 19 games. Texas A&M is the host of the College Station Regional and is the top seed. The Aggies are the fourth seed nationally and will take on Northwestern State in the first round. The first round of the NCAA Tournament is set for Friday, November 11 from the Aggie Soccer Stadium.

Brett Vito: Time to let Cobbs shoulder rushing load 08:23 AM CST on Monday, November 7, 2005 The plan sounded like it was built for success just a few months ago, back before North Texas became the first team in NCAA history to put a pair of national rushing champions on the field at the same time. Running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas would share the load, reduce the wear and tear on each other and make the Mean Green’s running game all the more effective. After eight games, one has to wonder if that plan was doomed from the start. UNT struggled to run the ball all season before coming up with one of its best performances on Saturday night in a 31-28 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Patrick Cobbs came into the night averaging just 76 rushing yards a game while Thomas was posting an average of 47. Neither really broke through for a big night until Thomas made an early exit against the Ragin’ Cajuns due to a hamstring injury that has hampered him all season. Once Thomas departed, Cobbs seemed to find his groove. The senior got carry after carry and finished with 197 yards and three second-half touchdowns that would have given UNT a win if its defense hadn’t coughed up a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes. Thomas’ injury was unfortunate considering the sophomore is an outstanding player and all-around good guy who has led the Mean Green to several wins and brought the school a ton of positive publicity. But after Cobbs exploded for his best performance since 2003, one has to wonder if UNT wouldn’t be better off with one running back getting 30 carries a game like the last two years when the Mean Green had one of the best running attacks in the country. Cobbs averaged 152.7 yards a game in that scenario in 2003, while Thomas carried the load and racked up 180.1 yards a game last year. “The thing that we have learned is that both of these guys perform better when they get a higher number of carries,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “Patrick only carried the ball 23 times, but he responded with some nice runs. We will continue to look at how we want to use Patrick and Jamario based on our game plan and how healthy they are.” Thomas really hasn’t been healthy since he set a UNT and Sun Belt Conference record by rushing for 291 yards on 28 carries in a win over Idaho in the 10th game of last season. Thomas pulled a hamstring in that game and missed the next week’s game against Arkansas State before returning to play in a New Orleans Bowl loss to Southern Miss. Thomas has not rushed for 100 yards since the injury and has struggled to get into shape. He came into fall camp at 215 pounds after playing at 195 last season. “The hamstring prevented me from coming into practice in good shape,” Thomas said. “I hurt it over the summer and it has given me problems ever since. I am a little heavier than I expected coming into the year. It’s a little too much weight for me to carry. I would like to get back down to 205.” Thomas’ injury could force UNT back into a one-back system. Dickey said after the Mean Green’s loss to ULL that Thomas’ status for the rest of the season is uncertain. UNT will have to consider in the next few days if the time has come to let Cobbs finish off his senior season carrying the ball 30 times a game and let Thomas rest or at least reduce his carries. UNT has two wins this season. Both came when Cobbs had at least 27 carries in conference games. The Mean Green lost a golden opportunity to pick up a third win when they squandered a lead late against ULL, but are actually still in the race for the conference title. Louisiana-Monroe is the only team left in the league with one conference loss. Every other team in the league has at least two, including UNT. The Mean Green still have a game with ULM on Nov. 19. UNT is far removed from where it wanted to be at this time of the year, and you can bet the Sun Belt would much rather have a team that somewhat resembles a bowl contender. But at this point, the Mean Green still have a chance to rally to win a share of the league title. Judging by what has happened this season, and on Saturday during Cobbs’ breakout game, it might be time to put the Mean Green’s fate in the hands of just one running back. Cobbs has thrived as the Mean Green’s primary ball carrier in the past and looked like a vintage version of himself against ULL. That performance should be enough to convince the Mean Green to ride Cobbs as far as he can take them the rest of the season. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Football: UNT assistant confronts fan at half 08:25 AM CST on Monday, November 7, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal and head coach Darrell Dickey said they will look into a confrontation between offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan and a fan during halftime of the Mean Green’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Fouts Field. Ramon Flanigan A few of the Mean Green’s coaches were walking from the press box to the field at halftime when UNT alumnus Bill Covert said he yelled toward UNT staffers that they were being out-coached. Covert said one of the assistants turned around, walked into the row that he was seated in and asked him to repeat his comment. Covert repeated the comment after the assistant returned to the stairs leading to the field. Covert said the coach turned back toward him, but was restrained by other members of the staff. The coaches then walked to the field. Covert couldn’t identify the coach, but fellow UNT alumnus Paul Clark said Flanigan was the assistant who came into the stands. Clark was seated in the same row of seats as Covert. Clark said Flanigan didn’t shove or make contact with any fans. Covert said he was not sure if Flanigan made contact with any other fans, but he did not touch him. Dickey said he didn’t see the confrontation. Covert said he has not decided if he will file a complaint with the police over the incident. “Ramon regrets the situation,” Villarreal said. “He took the time to call after the game to say he made a mistake.” Flanigan declined to comment.

UNT looks into fan incident 10:10 PM CST on Sunday, November 6, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas coach Darrell Dickey said he will look into a confrontation between offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan and a fan during halftime of the Mean Green's game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Fouts Field. A few UNT coaches were walking from the press box to the field when alumnus Bill Covert said he yelled toward them that they were being outcoached. Covert said one assistant walked into the row that he was seated in and asked him to repeat his comment. Covert did so after the assistant returned to the stairs leading to the field. Covert said the coach was restrained by other staff members. Covert couldn't identify the coach. Fellow UNT alumnus Paul Clark, seated in the same row as Covert, identified Flanigan as the coach involved. Dickey said he didn't see the confrontation, and Flanigan declined to comment.

Come on basketball Florida Atlantic -7 v North Texas Middle Tennessee -10 v UL-Monroe Arkansas State -3 v Troy UL-Lafayette -8.5 v Florida International http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-footba...egas/index.html

It's your idea, why don't you contact him or do you just want to stir the pot?

NT prepares for run-heavy offense Linebackers look to stun Ragin’ Cajuns ground game Rian Johnson Staff Writer November 04, 2005 The Mean Green linebackers have been one of the most consistent aspects of its roster this season. That unit will play a key role in determining the outcome of NT’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday. The Ragin’ Cajuns team brings a style of offense similar to that of Texas, in which the quarterback has various options on every play. NT coach Darrell Dickey said the linebackers will play a big role in stopping that type of offense. “Against this style of offense, you have to play your assignments correctly,” Dickey said. “You can’t just run up the field. The linebackers are going to have to do a good job of keying [where the ball is].” The Louisiana-Lafayette offense relies mostly on the run. And thus far, it has proved very effective in Sun Belt play. The Ragin’ Cajuns squad is number one in the Sun Belt in rushing offense, averaging 265.5 yards per game on the ground. What’s more impressive, that stat has Louisiana-Lafayette ranked as the number ten offense in the NCAA. Dickey is very impressed with the offense the Ragin’ Cajuns has shown. “Their offensive line is really good…They are getting big plays off of it, they are not making mistakes,” Dickey said. In addition to its top ranking in rush offense, the Ragin’ Cajuns offense is in the top three of five additional offensive categories in the Sun Belt. It is third in both scoring offense (22.5 points per game) and total offense (369.5 yards per game). It is second in the conference in both first down yardage and third-down conversions. It is the number one Sun Belt team in the red zone, coming away with points on all 13 trips against conference opponents. Louisiana-Lafayette has two different players averaging more than 85 yards per game on the ground against conference opponents in Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy. Josh Harrison also adds 50 yards per game on the ground in Sun Belt play for an offense that has put up 30 points or more in two of its last three games. “They have really been a team that has gotten stronger as the season has gone on…This is a team we are going to have to be at our best to beat,” Dickey said.

Firefighters, police ready for showdown 07:16 AM CST on Friday, November 4, 2005 By Donna Fielder / Staff Writer It’s been 34 years since they deadlocked in what could be called the Hero Bowl, but Den­ton’s firefighters and crime fighters are ready to break the tie Saturday in a flag football game that promises to be a slobberknocker. The Denton Police Depart­ment and the Denton Fire Department will vie for city flag football honors Saturday before the University of North Texas game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The city winner will be announced during the college game. The teams have been practicing for about a month, and both sides say they’re ready to win. Strategies appear to vary: The crime fighters have practiced diligently and speak of devising several plays. Firefighters have practiced a few times, but they are relying on their superior athletic ability to put them ahead, they say. “The last time, in 1971, we played in full pads,” said Deputy Fire Chief Mark Klingele, who at 47 is one of the oldest firefighters playing. “There was a controversial ref call that gave the police another touchdown so the game would be a tie. We plan to remedy that. We had a tug of war about 10 years ago. We had no trouble winning that, and we plan for it to be no different Saturday.” Their oldest player will be Tom Nations, at 58, Klingele said. Several firefighters in their early 20s are on the roster. At 44, police Lt. Roger White is one of the oldest players on the crime fighters’ team. “We hear they’ve been practicing quite a bit,” White said. “Of course we want to beat them. But we are playing a bunch of paramedics, and we don’t want to make them mad in case they have to pick us up.” He’s not the oldest player for his team, he said. That honor goes to Detective Keith Smith, 56. The youngest will be Jason Snailer, who turned 21 in police academy last spring, White said. Klingele is the only coach for the firefighters. They just plan to show up and have fun, he said. “When we get several touchdowns ahead, that’s when I’ll go in for one play,” he said. The crime fighters have several coaches. Sgt. Jeryl Golden is head coach, with officers Doug Boydston as offensive coach and Brian Horn as defensive coach. All were college football players. Golden said he plans to rotate players freely. “Flag football only vaguely resembles real football,” he said. “There’s not supposed to be any contact. That doesn’t mean people aren’t going to pull hamstrings or twist knees. Our goal is not to get anybody on to light duty. “We’ve got some speed with the younger guys so we’ll at least hold our own,” Golden said. Sgt. Scott Jenkins plays soccer and was a football star in younger days, but at 40, he’s still feeling the pain of football workouts. “It sucks to get old. In our minds, we’re still in our 20s, but when we practice, our bodies tell us we’re really in our 40s,” he said. Fire Capt. Mike Tucker said he hopes the flag football game is only the start of friendly games between the two departments that work closely together every day. He’d like to see a basketball game and a baseball game in coming months. “Whatever they’re ready for, we’re ready for. I know who’s going to win,” Tucker said. “And it isn’t the police.” Officer Jim Bryan is one of the organizers of the game. The rivalry has to be friendly, he said. “We can’t be too mean to them. They have the keys to the ambulance, and they have to be willing to take care of us if we get hurt,” he said. “Not that we will get hurt, of course. It’s a flag football game, after all.” Klingele said it’s all about having fun and building camaraderie. But he warns that he can talk trash on the field with the best of them, without ever uttering a curse word. “I grew up playing football on the playgrounds of Chicago,” he said. “And in Chicago, on the football field, it’s all about ‘yo mama.’” DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com . FLAG FOOTBALL GAME What: firefighters vs. crime fighters flag football game Where: UNT practice fields, behind the tailgate area at Fouts Field When: 4 p.m. Saturday Cost: free

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sun_bel...ons/SunBelt.htm Sun Belt Game of the Week UL Lafayette (3-5) at North Texas (2-5) 7 pm ET GamePlan Why to watch: North Texas is in the middle of a lousy year with no defense, less offense, and few prospects for a big turnaround. But with one win over UL Lafayette, the Mean Green can go to 3-1 in Sun Belt play with a home date with Sun Belt leader UL Monroe still ahead. In other words, everyone has counted out the defending champs too soon. UL Lafayette plays some of the most exciting games in the country with four of the last five decided by three points. At 2-2 in the conference the Sun Belt title is a distant dream, but wins over the final three weeks can get the Ragin' Cajuns very, very close. Why UL Lafayette might win: If you don't stop the ULL running game, you don't stop ULL. North Texas isn't stopping anyone's ground game allowing 211 yards per game having major problems in the linebacking corps wrapping up. Troy's defense and linebacking corps is far, far better than UNT's, but the Ragin' Cajun running game tore off 265 yards and four touchdowns. Expect more of the same this week. Why North Texas might win: As bad as UNT's run defense might be, ULL's isn't any better allowing close to 200 yards per game. Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas are finally starting to get going a bit with Cobbs rushing for 108 yards against Louisiana Tech and Thomas rushing for 83 against LSU. Oh yeah, ULL will run wild, but North Texas won't be far behind. Expect this to be the team's best game on the ground yet. Who to watch: He might not be as talented or as heralded as his North Texas counterparts, but ULL's Tyrell Fenroy has been more productive this year with 640 yards and five touchdowns. He ripped apart Troy for 156 yards and three touchdowns last week, and will still be the main ball-carrier as long as Jerry Babb, not running QB Michael Desormeaux, is under center. What will happen: UL Lafayette is playing as well as anyone in the Sun Belt and will stun North Texas by running for 300 yards in the win. CFN Prediction: UL Lafayette 20 ... North Texas 13 ... Line: UL Lafayette -4 | Make your pick and compete against others Must See Rating: (5 lock yourself in a room to watch - 1 The Legend of Zorro) ... 2

DeCourcy's SportingBlog Western Kentucky wants a complete upgrade November 3, 2005 A gentleman from Western Kentucky wanted to know about the derivation of the term "mid-major." He was part of the audience in a Q-and-A session Wednesday between WKU supporters and several sportswriters who closely cover college sports, and he made it clear he considers that particular designation distasteful. I couldn't tell him where the word came from. I don't believe there's a dictionary anywhere that can provide its etymology. But I did try -- and failed -- to convince him it need not be a pejorative term. On the tour that we writers were given of WKU's basketball facilities, it became obvious the Hilltoppers' digs are extraordinary for a program in the Sun Belt Conference and would shame even many who compete in the Big East. I've seen a lot of nice locker rooms, but looking at Western's, it was hard not to conclude that it was pretty amazing a mid-major program could be so high-class. The university is planning a similar upgrade for its exceptional Division I-AA football program: new training, conditioning and office areas along with a stadium upgrade. The money is in place, and ground is to be broken next spring. But that might not be the only change for Western football. The school has been studying a move to Division I-A, and that could have a profound impact on basketball. Few have successfully executed this transition, but Western will not charge blindly into oblivion. A plan has been formulated to endow the extra 20 scholarships that would be permitted in I-A. The idea is not to have to rob the basketball program's success to pay for the football program's upgrade. That doesn't mean it won't be problematic. For Western to go in that direction, it would probably want to be a part of a league such as the Mid-American Conference. In the Sun Belt, the Hilltoppers are at a competitive advantage and, in their best years, they should be competitive for the league's NCAA Tournament bid. In the MAC, there are probably five or six programs that consistently compete at Western's level, and those that are just below are more competitive than the Sun Belt's also-rans. The high degree of competitive balance in the MAC has prevented the league from getting more than one NCAA Tournament bid in any season since 2000. So the road to mid-major affirmation -- that NCAA bid -- would be much more treacherous. Western had best be sure that's what it wants. Life at the lower end of Division I-A football is probably less glamorous than at the high end of I-AA. While many in the first grouping spend time trying to get attendance levels up to minimum standards with gimmicks and downright begging, in the latter group they're playing for a genuine championship. Western won the I-AA national title in 2002. The trophy looks nice on display in the program's aging offices. It probably will have a heck of a nice home in the new complex.

Hutyra Lifts The Mean Green One Step Closer To The NCAA Tournament Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 11/03/2005 Courtesy: Rick Yeatts Heather Hutyra scored the game-winning goal against Western Kentucky MOBILE, Ala. (11/3/05) – North Texas sophomore forward Heather Hutyra showed why she is the reigning Sun Belt Conference Soccer Player of the Year. With North Texas tied with Western Kentucky 1-1, Hutyra scored the game-winning goal with 2:40 remaining to propel the Mean Green to a 2-1 win over the Lady Toppers in the semifinals of the 2005 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The top seeded Mean Green (15-3-2) advance to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game for the sixth consecutive year and will face the winner of the South Alabama-Middle Tennessee match on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the SBC title. In a tight defensive struggle, neither team was able to score in the first half as the Mean Green out-shot the Lady Toppers 7-4. In the second half North Texas struck first as junior Julie Radford scored her second goal in as many games in the 49th minute. Freshman Amanda Johnson fired a free kick into the Western Kentucky box and on a loose ball Radford buried a shot into the top right side of the net making it 1-0. The Mean Green held onto that lead until Western Kentucky (7-10-3) evened the match up at 1-1 when Jenna Silverberg beat Kandice Ellis in the 71st minute of play. The two teams went back and forth until the Hutyra was able to work her way free for the game-winning goal. Hutyra’s goal, her 19th of the season, came from the top of the box as she drilled a shot in the top left side of the net. The win is the 15th of the season for North Texas, just one shy of the school record. North Texas is going after its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship and second straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Mean Green is 1-4 in the five previous SBC Tournament final games.

ACLU approved sign

College Football Data Warehouse has UNT's ALL TIME record as 456-394-33 thru last season (2004). Link http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/su...texas/index.php

http://goblueraiders.com/?go=story&doc=4547 Fan: Kerry Crawford (Greenville, SC) Question: As an alum I would love to buy season tickets for football but the status of the team is prohibiting me from doing so. Also, what is being done to bring in bigger name schools to Floyd Stadium?

Bonfire in jeopardy? County burn ban may halt Homecoming event Kasey Crill Intern November 03, 2005 The final word on whether NT’s traditional homecoming bonfire will be held this year is still up in the air for the Talons. All of Denton County is under a burn ban that might restrict NT from its annual bonfire celebration. Rick Jones, fire marshal for the city of Denton, said he will not issue a burn permit to the Talons or NT, without exception, if there is a burn ban. “If NT continues with the bonfire while there’s a burn ban going on, they’ll be in violation of the county-wide burn ban,” he said. Because NT is a public university, it can negotiate with Joseph Gonzales, Denton County fire marshal, who might make some exception. Wendell McCloud, emergency services manager and NT’s fire marshal, said he is waiting on official word from Gonzales on whether or not NT’s annual bonfire can be an exception to the ban. He said no open sparks or flames are permitted in such dry conditions. Gonzales could not be reached for comment. Brad Simpkins, assistant emergency management coordinator/investigator of Denton County, said burn bans are declared on a weekly basis and are decided on Tuesdays. The bonfire is scheduled for Nov. 18, which is still more than two weeks away. Denton County’s burn ban decisions are based upon the Keech-Byrom Drought Index, National Weather Service recommendations and recommendations of the fire marshal, Simpkins said. Denton County is currently under severe fire weather conditions, he said. Rainfall is 12-14 inches down. Lauren Lee, Houston senior, is a Talons member in charge of the 2005 bonfire. She said this year’s bonfire will be smaller than usual: 25 feet wide by 25 feet deep by 25 high as opposed to the usual 40 feet wide by 40 feet deep by 25 feet high. Lee said the Talons will proceed with pursuing the permit for approval of the bonfire. The bonfire could be built, and the fire department may soak the area surrounding the bonfire in preparation. However, even with all preventative efforts, the final decision will not be known until the day of the event. Lee said every year there is a chance the bonfire will be canceled based upon the wind speed on the day of the event. They will press forward with production regardless, she said. Chuck Fuller, assistant vice president of business services, is in charge of a back-up plan in case the bonfire is canceled. The Talons will host a laser light show in the coliseum after the basketball games, he said. They are undecided on if they can even proceed with bonfire plans, Fuller said. They are running out of time to put together any kind of elaborate alternate plan. Exceptions to the burn ban depend on precautions taken, weather and the vegetation surrounding the area, Simpkins said. Stiff requirements will have to be met if the bonfire takes place. NT had to cancel the bonfire in 2000 because a burn ban was in place. “We’ve broken a 40-year tradition at NT before because of a burn ban,” Simpkins said.

SBC standings take twist Title fate still in Mean Green’s control Rian Johnson Staff Writer November 03, 2005 College football has reached the midseason point for most teams in their conferences, and the Sun Belt is no exception. Once again, coaches and players have proven how little anyone covering college football actually knows. Entering the season, college football experts recognize three teams from the Sun Belt that would represent what is now known as the Lafayette Bowl: NT, Troy and Middle Tennessee. However, two of the three teams are all but out of the conference race, and have been replaced by Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. Fortunately for NT, the Mean Green is not one of them. Since beating NT at Fouts Field, Troy has lost two of its last three games, both losses coming on trips to Louisiana. They fell 27-3 against Monroe on Oct. 15 followed by a 3-point overtime loss Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette. With two losses, the Trojans would need Sun Belt frontrunner Monroe to lose three of its last four games for a chance at the title. After losing its season opener to NT, Middle Tennessee split its next two conference games, beating Florida Atlantic 35-14 on the road and then losing to Lafayette 13-10 at home. The Blue Raiders will need to win out in conference play, with two of its final three Sun Belt games coming against Arkansas State and Monroe, both of which are at home. The only preseason conference favorite controlling its own destiny is the Mean Green. NT’s lone conference loss cannot prevent the Mean Green from winning the Sun Belt. If the Mean Green can win out, with Monroe on its schedule, it can take the conference title, but winning out will be a tough test for a team that has not showed the capacity to perform at a peak level on a consistent basis. The Mean Green enters its final stretch of the season in third place, half a game behind Arkansas State and a game behind Monroe. NT will face both of those schools in its final four games of the season, along with Lafayette, who trails the Mean Green by a game. At this point in the season, to say the Mean Green could win two of those games is probably a stretch, let alone go undefeated. But what does this guy know, his top three picks at the beginning of the season were Middle Tennessee, Troy and NT.

This sites loaded with info & easy to navigate College Football Data Warehouse http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/index.php

They are members of the Southern Conference. Link to their board. Check 'um out. http://p197.ezboard.com/bmoctalk

The Chattanooga AD ( initials S.S.) was also AD at UNT and UCF......... Loves golf