MeanGreen61

How about both

DD showed a lot of class at the end of the game by running out the clock instead of pumping up the score.

After adding College Football Poll, three of the four that are out so far have UNT in the 60's. That's fairly consistant.

The Muts SHOULD be have been the better team. 18 returning starters from Rivals recruit classes that have been ranked at the top of the conference. Going against a UNT team with 10 players starting their first game, R/S freshman QB's first game and virtually an all new defense. With the Muts performance of 5 turnovers, they certainly WERE NOT the best team on Saturday night. The green youngsters topped the grizzled vets

Poll & thread from the Muts board. http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....52&sid=&style=2

Not to any Tulsa lurkers. This is the best ways to tackle Cobbs & Thomas.

Quinn was far from 100%. Had stomach flu Friday night.

The MUTS are in enough pain. No need for you to post this on their board.

Some updated ratings/rankings that are out. SAGARIN 65 North Texas 83 Troy 116 FAU 122 FIU 132 MTSU 173 Arkansas State 174 ULL 180- ULM ------------ Others of interest 30 Kansas State 90 Louisiana Tech 111 Tulsa ================= HOWELL 61 North Texas 78 Troy 99 FAU 100 Arkansas State 106 MTSU 115 ULL 116 ULM 118 FIU ------------ Others of interest 31 Kansas State 80 Louisiana Tech 98 Tulsa ================ COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS 97 North Texas 104 Troy 106 MTSU 109 FAU 112 ULL 114 Arkansas State 115 FIU 118 ULM ----------- Others of interest 63 Kansas State 98 Louisiana Tech 103 Tulsa ================= COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL 68 North Texas 98 Middle Tennessee 102 Troy 108 Arkansas State 109 FIU 113 ULL 115 FAU 119 ULM ------------ Others of interest 48 Kansas State 80 Louisiana Tech 101 Tulsa

From the Sun Belt official site. http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ViewArticle.d...0&ATCLID=188045

Geeze. Plumm has discovered and is using bigger, bolder fonts in posts. What terrible things have we done to deserve this?

Presence of scouts factor into more touches for Cobbs ?

Football: Defense returns to form for UNT 09:44 AM CDT on Sunday, September 11, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The North Texas football team’s defense looked a little like the Mean Green of old on Saturday night in its season and Sun Belt Conference opener against Middle Tennessee — at least when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities. UNT gave up 383 yards of total offense to the Blue Raiders, but came up with a series of key plays at just the right time in a 14-7 win at Floyd Stadium. The Mean Green intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles. Maurice Holman returned one of those interceptions 99 yards for a touchdown while Jeremiah Chapman’s fumble recovery set up what turned out to be UNT’s game-winning touchdown drive. UNT came into the season looking to improve a defense that allowed an average of 29.8 points a game. The Mean Green’s defensive performance helped the team pull out a game in which its offense struggled at times while adapting to playing a new quarterback in Daniel Meager. UNT fell behind 7-0 before Holman’s interception return. “We couldn’t give up,” Holman said. “We go through those situations in practice and know that we have to keep on fighting.” MTSU coach Andy McCollum credited his team’s struggles offensively in part to UNT. “Give North Texas credit,” McCollum said. “They forced turnovers and made some big plays.” Weathers starts quickly North Texas had a number of questions heading into its season opener against Middle Tennessee. Junior safety Aaron Weathers provided at least one answer when he made his debut for the Mean Green. The former Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College standout started at strong safety for UNT and turned in one of the Mean Green’s top individual performances of the night. Weathers made a pair of key plays in the first half that ended MTSU drives deep into Mean Green territory. The game was scoreless in the first quarter when MTSU drove to the Mean Green’s 27-yard line and appeared to be on its way to the end zone when Weathers intercepted a Clint Marks pass at the 22-yard line. Weathers stopped a second Blue Raiders drive when he recovered a fumble by MTSU wide receiver Chris Henry at the UNT 20. Weathers tied with fellow safety Roderick Cotton for the team lead in tackles with 8.5. Cotton was also making his first start for the Mean Green. MTSU breaks sack slump MTSU needed five games, but it finally recorded its first sack in its series with UNT in the third quarter of Saturday’s game. Defensive lineman Jeff Littlejohn recorded the Blue Raiders’ sack when burst through the middle of the Mean Green’s line and drug down UNT quarterback Daniel Meager. UNT entered the game with a 16-0 edge in sacks in the series. Gamble costs UNT North Texas coach Darrell Dickey took a gamble in the first half and watched his team fail to convert a key scoring chance. The Mean Green drove all the way to MTSU 30-yard line where they faced a fourth-and-1 situation. Running back Jamario Thomas tried to pick up the yard in the middle of the Mean Green’s line, but was stopped short. MTSU slowed down UNT’s running game throughout the first half, limiting the Mean Green to 80 yards on 20 carries. Pruitt plays for UNT Junior defensive lineman Sky Pruitt played for North Texas in its game against Middle Tennessee, despite a shoulder injury that kept him out of practice until late in the week. Pruitt was listed as UNT’s starting defensive tackle heading into the game and was one of the few players among the Mean Green’s defensive linemen with extensive college experience. The Mean Green replaced all four of its starting defensive linemen from last season in their game against the Blue Raiders. Pruitt finished with three tackles. NFL sends record contingent The Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks all sent scouts to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to see North Texas take on Middle Tennessee. The NFL contingent was a record for an MTSU game, Blue Raiders assistant athletic director for media relations Mark Owens said. UNT running back Patrick Cobbs and MTSU defensive lineman Jeff Littlejohn were among the seniors considered NFL prospects who played in the game. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Football: Pushed aside North Texas holds off Middle Tennessee in Sun Belt opener 09:42 AM CDT on Sunday, September 11, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs (43) holds off Middle Tennessee’s Jeremiah Weaver during the Mean Green’s 14-7 win on Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tenn. MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee had North Texas on the ropes Saturday. The Mean Green were struggling to get their offense going and appeared to be on the way to their first loss in Sun Belt Conference play since 2001 in the second half at Floyd Stadium. That was when Maurice Holman came up with one big play that turned the Mean Green’s fortunes in a 14-7 win in their season and Sun Belt opener. MTSU (0-2, 0-1) was up 7-0 and drove to the UNT 7-yard line in the third quarter when the sophomore linebacker stepped in front of a Clint Marks pass on third-and-two and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. That mistake was one of several UNT capitalized on while extending its winning streak in Sun Belt play to 26 games, a run that is tied with Boise State of the WAC for the longest conference winning streak in the nation. “I cannot tell you how proud I am of our entire team,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “Our style is to hang in there and keep battling. If we do that, at some point we will make a play. Maurice came up with a huge one.” MTSU had plenty of opportunities to make a similar play and put the Mean Green away, but turned the ball over five times and squandered several scoring chances. No MTSU mistake was more costly than the interception Holman returned for a touchdown to turn the momentum. “I was at the right place at the right time,” Holman said. “I read his eyes, he threw it and I made a play. It was just the spark we needed to get going.” MTSU had controlled the game up to that point, but only led 7-0 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Eugene Gross. The Blue Raiders drove into Mean Green territory six times without scoring against UNT’s defense, which turned in one of its best performances of the last few seasons. The Mean Green took advantage of just enough of the extra opportunities MTSU provided. UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman recovered a fumble by Marks at the MTSU 46-yard line in the third quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Meager threw a 42-yard pass to wide receiver Johnny Quinn on the next play to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Patrick Cobbs that gave UNT a 14-7 lead. How Cobbs would play was one of several questions UNT was looking to answer heading into the game. The senior played in his first game since spending last season as a redshirt due to a knee injury and rushed for 103 yards. Cobbs and fellow former national rushing champion Jamario Thomas split time. Thomas rushed for 58 yards on 10 carries. UNT was also looking to break in a new quarterback against MTSU. Dickey planned to juggle quarterbacks, but stuck with Meager, who threw for 122 yards in his first start. That was just enough for a win against MTSU because of a standout performance from the Mean Green’s defense. Marks threw for 195 yards, but failed to toss a touchdown pass, while Gross rushed for 129 yards. Those yards mattered little against the Mean Green’s defense that came up with big plays at critical junctures. “We expected a little change of pace because we had not had a game yet,” Cobbs said. “We got one today because of our defense.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Links to Daily News Journal & Tennesseean.com articles on the game. http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....01&sid=&style=2

Howell Picks. UNT -14 vs Tulsa Oklahoma State - 22.5 vs Arkansas State Missouri -7.5 vs Troy Muts 0 vs Akron Minnesota -22 vs FAU Georgia -30.5 vs UL-Monroe UL-Lafayette vs NW State (1AA no line) FIU - bye week http://www.jhowell.net/cf/cfpred.txt

99-yard interception return bails UNT out 11:43 PM CDT on Saturday, September 10, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee had North Texas on the ropes Saturday. The Mean Green was struggling to get its offense going and appeared to be on the way to its first loss in Sun Belt Conference play since 2001 in the second half at Floyd Stadium. That was when Maurice Holman came up with the big play that turned the Mean Green's fortunes in a 14-7 win in its season and Sun Belt opener. MTSU (0-2, 0-1) was up 7-0 and drove to UNT's 7-yard line in the third quarter when the sophomore linebacker stepped in front of a Clint Marks pass on third-and-2 and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. That mistake was one of several UNT capitalized on while extending its winning streak in Sun Belt play to 26 games, a run that is tied with Boise State of the WAC for the nation's longest conference winning streak. "I cannot tell you how proud I am of our entire team," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "Our style is to hang in there and keep battling. If we do that at some point we will make a play. Maurice came up with a huge one." MTSU had plenty of opportunities to make a similar play and put the Mean Green away but turned the ball over five times and squandered several scoring chances. No MTSU mistake was more costly than the interception Holman returned for a touchdown to turn the momentum. "I was at the right place at the right time," Holman said. "I read his eyes, he threw it and I made a play. It was just the spark we needed to get going." MTSU had controlled the game up to that point but only led 7-0 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Eugene Gross. The Blue Raiders drove into Mean Green territory six times without scoring against UNT's defense, which turned in one of its best performances during the winning streak. The Mean Green took advantage of just enough of the opportunities MTSU provided. UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman recovered a fumble by Marks at the MTSU 46-yard line in the third quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Meager threw a 42-yard pass to wide receiver Johnny Quinn on the next play to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Patrick Cobbs that gave UNT a 14-0 lead. How Cobbs would play was one of several questions UNT was looking to answer heading into the game. The senior ran for 103 yards in his first game since spending last year as a redshirt because of a knee injury. Cobbs and fellow former national rushing champion Jamario Thomas split time. Thomas ran 10 times for 58 yards. UNT was also trying to break in a new quarterback against MTSU. Dickey planned to juggle quarterbacks but stuck with Meager who threw for 122 yards in his first start. "We expected a little change of pace because we had not had a game yet," Cobbs said. "We got one today because of our defense." Briefly: Johnny Quinn has caught a pass in 26 straight games. ... Maurice Holman's 99-yard interception return was the longest for a UNT player since J.T. Smith returned one 100 yards in 1976 against Louisiana Tech. ... UNT is 5-0 against MTSU. E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

Game stats http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/boxscore?gid=200509100152

North Texas Wins Season Opener Against Middle Tennessee, 14-7 Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 09/10/2005 Murfreesboro, TN (9/10/05) – The North Texas football team scored 14 points off five Blue Raiders turnovers to defeat Middle Tennessee, 14-7, and extend its Sun Belt conference winning streak to 26 games in the Mean Green’s season opener on Saturday night at Floyd Stadium. "I can't say how proud I am of this team to battle back and pull out a win against a very good Middle Tennessee team,” said North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey. “We were able to capitalize on their mistakes and did enough offensively to get out of here with a win.” The Mean Green (1-0, 1-0 Sun Belt) won its first season opener since 1996 when it defeated Illinois State, 20-14. North Texas was originally scheduled to open the 2005 season at LSU, but the game was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. "It's good to get this first win out of the way,” said Dickey. “We didn't know how we would come out with this being our first game and having so many guys out there who have never played. They showed tremendous heart and this test will only help them down the road.” North Texas extended its series record against Middle Tennessee (0-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) to 5-0. Three of the games have been decided by less than a touchdown. North Texas extended its conference winning streak to 26 games, which ties the longest such streak in the nation with Boise State. Sophomore linebacker Maurice Holman returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter. It was the longest interception return by a Mean Green player since J.T. Smith returned one 100 yards against Lousiana Tech in 1976. Holman’s interception was MT’s second of five turnovers in the game. Safety Aaron Weathers intercepted his first pass as a member of the Mean Green in the first quarter, halting Middle Tennessee’s first drive into North Texas territory. On MT’s second drive into the red zone, Colby Smith missed a 42-yard field goal attempt. Smith also missed a 25-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas combined for 161 rushing yards. Cobbs was 28-for-103 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run that gave North Texas a 14-7 advantage. Cobbs’ scoring run in the third quarter came after a Middle Tennessee fumble which was recovered by NT’s Jeremiah Chapman. Cobbs has now run for 2,999 yards in his career, which is 121 yards shy of the school record of 3,120 career yards held by JaQuay Wilburn. Freshman quarterback Daniel Meager completed 10 of 15 passes in the game for 122 yards, including a long of 42. Meager completed his first collegiate pass in the first series, a tipped ball that was hauled in by Joel Nwigwe for 14 yards. Meager's 42-yard pass to sophomore Johnny Quinn set up the Cobbs touchdown in the third quarter. Quinn’s catch kept his streak of 26 straight games with a reception. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played at North Texas. North Texas had 10 players make their first career start for the Mean Green. Seven of the 11 defensive starters were making their first collegiate start. The Mean Green returns home to face Tulsa in a non-conference game on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6 pm in Fouts Field.

The 'more experienced' team made the mistakes tonight and it cost 'um. Our younger guys made fewer mistakes & have the W.

MTSU hopes fans show for big Sun Belt game Stopping North Texas' RBs a challenge By MIKE ORGAN Staff Writer MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State officials are hoping for a run on tickets. Coach Andy McCollum has some run hopes of his own — that on the field his Blue Raiders can stop the run at tonight's home opener against North Texas. It's a key game some are calling the school's most important since MTSU (0-1) stepped up to Division I-A in 1999, and the hope is that fans will show up en masse for the 6 p.m. kickoff. Long-range, it's a crucial game on another level. The Sun Belt champion goes to the New Orleans Bowl (wherever it ends up being played), and all Sun Belt roads to that game likely will go through North Texas. As for tonight's North Texas-MTSU game and the prospects for local support, the University of Tennessee doesn't have a game, Vanderbilt is on the road at Arkansas and Tennessee State plays Jackson State in Memphis. That leaves fans few, if any, excuses to skip MTSU's showdown with the Sun Belt Conference power, armed with one of the nation's most impressive rushing attacks. Some estimates have called for a crowd of 25,000 at Floyd Stadium, where the largest attendance last season was 14,208 for homecoming against Utah State. This will be North Texas' first game this season. The Eagles' opener scheduled for last week at LSU was postponed by Hurricane Katrina. "We want to know that people have our backs through thick and thin,'' senior defensive end Devarick Scandrett said. "A big crowd really makes us play better. My being here these four years has been good, but who knows how good we would have been if the stadium had been full for all those games?'' McCollum agreed: Every little bit helps. "We need edges with the four-time defending champions coming in here," he said. "Our kids will play hard, I promise you that.'' Promotional duties aside, McCollum is preoccupied devising a scheme to stymie North Texas' offense. He will need to do so in order to snap the four-year victory streak the Eagles have over the Blue Raiders. MTSU has plenty of Sun Belt company when it comes to North Texas dominance. The Eagles own a staggering 25-game conference victory streak dating back to a 2001 loss at Louisiana-Monroe. "They have confidence of winning and they know how to win,'' McCollum said. "Somebody has to take that away from them at some point.'' A good place to start is by tackling North Texas' running game. The Eagles have always been a force on the ground during Coach Darrell Dickey's eight-year reign. He is the nation's only current I-A coach to lead his team to four consecutive conference titles, and he's done it relying mainly on top-notch running backs. For the last five years North Texas has featured a back who gained at least 1,000 yards. Two of those are on this year's roster, and each has a national rushing title to his name. Patrick Cobbs, a senior, was the NCAA rushing champ in 2003 with 1,680 yards (152.7 yards per game). Jamario Thomas, a sophomore, stepped in last year after Cobbs suffered a knee injury and finished as the nation's leader with 1,801 yards (180.1 ypg). So, how will Dickey use the dynamic duo, with Cobbs fully recovered and Thomas eager to pick up where he left off last season? "At times they will play in the same backfield,'' Dickey said. "We don't see it as being a problem because of the type of kids they are. They've become very good friends.'' n Mike Organ is a staff writer for The Tennessean. Reach him at 259-8021 or morgan@tennessean.com.

Football: Running game key for UNT Mean Green going for 26th straight SBC victory 08:50 AM CDT on Saturday, September 10, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The way Middle Tennessee head coach Andy McCollum sees it, no mystery surrounds the Blue Raiders’ game against North Texas at 6 p.m. today. The fact that UNT has not played a game and has yet to settle its quarterback situation is secondary to the central challenge. If the Blue Raiders want to end the Mean Green’s 25-game winning streak in Sun Belt Conference play, they will have to find a way to stop Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas. The duo has captured the last two national rushing titles and is a big reason for the Mean Green’s success. “We don’t know exactly what they will do with their two running backs, but I don’t see them getting away from what has made them successful,” McCollum said. UNT has thrived in the past in large part because of a solid running game that has proven remarkably effective in the Sun Belt. The Mean Green have won the last four conference titles and are favored to win the championship again this season. Today’s game against the Blue Raiders will represent one of the biggest roadblocks in the Mean Green’s path to another league title. MTSU returns 17 starters from last season and features one of the Sun Belt’s top quarterbacks in junior Clint Marks. Marks completed 70.4 percent of his passing last season and threw for a MTSU record 2,749 yards. The preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection completed 12-of-18 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in a season-opening loss to Alabama last week. “Middle Tennessee has a big, athletic and physical team,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “We have great respect for them. We will have to be at our best to have a chance.” UNT lost a chance to play a game before its Sun Belt opener when the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced the Mean Green to postpone their season opener against LSU on Sept. 3. The game was rescheduled on Friday for Oct. 29. “So many things come up during a college football season that we have no control over,” Dickey said. “We don’t know if not playing LSU will give us an advantage or a disadvantage. We will just have to adjust.” One of the biggest adjustments UNT will have to make is finding a new quarterback. Dickey named redshirt freshman Daniel Meager the starter for the LSU game, but said that freshman Matt Phillips and possibly redshirt freshman Kellen Haynes would also play. “We feel as good as we can when you consider we are going to play a quarterback who has not taken a snap in a college game,” Dickey said. “We will play two and even three so we can get a sense of how they play in game-type situations.” Northing would help UNT’s quarterbacks more than a solid game from Cobbs and Thomas. Cobbs won the national rushing title in 2003 with an average of 152.7 yards a game before a knee injury forced him to miss the majority of last season. Thomas took over for Cobbs and went on to win UNT’s second straight national rushing title with an average of 180.1 yards a game. The pair is expected to split time this season. UNT’s coaches will look to Cobbs and Thomas to lead a team still looking to answer several lingering questions after its season opener was postponed. “It’s been discussed a lot, whether having played is an advantage for us,” McCollum said. “It does not matter when or where you play North Texas, they are always tough.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Doesn't compare to last year's LB talent ???

September 9, 2005 Taking a look at the UNT defense Cody Gibson GoMiddle.com Staff Writer North Texas and their run of four straight division titles has started with their solid play on defense. Coach Darrel Dickey has a simple philosophy run the ball and play good defense, an old school mentality that seems to work for his team. However, this group returns only three starters which is a cause for concern, but North Texas always seems to be an elite defense in the Sun Belt. Defensive Line North Texas has no returning starters from last season's crew and this group seems to have a lot of holes with the huge dearth of inexperience. Chris Miller and Issac Thomas are the two players that figure to rotate in at nose tackle. Miller and Thomas both saw time last season, and are strong run stuffing players who will try and plug the gaps for the linebackers to roam from. Sky Pruitt and Montey Stevenson will fill in at the other tackle position and both are adept at stopping the run as well. As for the defensive end, Eli Hutchinson and Jeremiah Chapman are the two starters at the defensive end position, after a huge battle for the spots in camp. Both are play makers, who saw a lot of game action last season. It will be interesting to see how this line matches up against the Blue Raiders. This game will be the litmus test for the defensive line and Middle Tennessee should prove to be a big challenge with their experience up front on the offensive line. Linebacker One thing Coach Darrel Dickey can count on is having a solid group of linebackers this season. This experienced group is headed by sophomore Derek Mendoza. He made more of an impact as a coverage linebacker, leading the team with five pass breakups. Travis Thompson will back him up and should be the first LB off the bench on Saturday. Thompson tallied 95 tackles last year in junior college. Another sophomore, Brandon Monroe tallied 11 tackles at outside linebacker and will return this season to man the outside. Last year's other starter Shawn Early injured his knee and this prematurely ended his season. Instead, Phillip Graves will be penciled in as the starter. Middle Tennessee will have its hands full, but this group doesn't compare with the talent they faced last season. Middle Tennessee should be more than ready for the Mean Green line backing corps. Defensive Backs Few corners in the Sun Belt can match T.J. Covington's size (6-2) and North Texas is banking on him having an exceptional year. His leadership will be the key in helping North Texas defend the pass and improve on a lowly pass defense lass season. If there is one weakness in the North Texas armor during their run of titles it has been the pass defense. Converted receiver Ja'Mel Branch switches to defense this season and has little experience playing the position. However, Dickey believes that he is a good enough athlete and football player to make the transition. Deavin Cox also should figure to be on the field quite a bit as the third corner and spelling Branch at times. Aaron Weathers and Roderick Cotton will inherit the starting safety jobs, both of whom saw a lot of action last season and should be ready to step in. Middle Tennessee should test this group early and often. Their success against the secondary will be a huge determining factor in who wins this game. Special Teams Nick Bazaldua will pull double duty this season, as place kicker and punter. Bazaldua is an all-Sun Belt selection who has a powerful and accurate leg. He punted in high school and was a fine punter, North Texas shouldn't miss too much here. Johnny Quinn will be handling the kickoff duties for the Mean Green. Quinn averaged a solid 8.5 yards a return and had an 85 yard touchdown. As for kickoffs, Patrick Cobbs and Zach Muzzy will be assigned to kickoff returns. Both are explosive runners who should be a home run threat on returns. Overall, the North Texas defense is vulnerable at all positions, especially on the defensive line. The secondary also has a number of holes. And this begs the question, is this finally the year? Ll of the pieces are in place. Tomorrow we will look at the specific match-ups and examine how Middle Tennessee will beat North Texas.

Monroe News Star wants comments on the schedule change. (From the ULM thread) I'd like to get some fan reaction to this decision for The News-Star. Is this the right move and the charitable thing to do in tough times? Even if there is money involved or future considerations, do consecutive bye weeks, two tough road games late and potentially losing TV time on ESPN Regional put ULM at a competitive disadvantage? I don't know if there is compensation involved for ULM as the folks in charge today declined to comment beyond the release. Send your e-mails to pletlow@thenewsstar.com. Be sure to include your name and hometown. Thanks. The voices of the fans and our readers are important. Paul Letlow The News-Star