The Fake Lonnie Finch

That's not exactly true. Some have jobs that, if we screw up, could cause losses of hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to businesses as well as loss to their reputation, if not the complete business itself. It's not the number of people depending on you, it's the value of what you are leading or protecting. Todd Dodge is leading the most high profile part of a school. Unless you are an Ivy League school, most people know you by your athletics. Does anyone really give a crap that Aggies at Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Auburn, or Kansas State bail hay? Can they tell you how their livestock judging teams are doing, since those will be the people, in the future, who do the important job of making sure good food gets on our plates? Hell no. What people know is whether or not their football team sucks. No one comes back with, 'Yeah, but A&M's track team is two-time defending national champions' because no one knows or cares. It's not what brings the cash into the university. Football is the cash cow, if there is going to be one at a college outside what is begged and thieved off of the taxpayers by "academics." Todd Dodge is the leader of what we have as our potential cash cow and calling card. And, he's now 5-33 at it. Look, I've jumped on board this thing, but I can tell you that after two games, the ride isn't less bumpy. This team has a ways to go. I was naive to think Rice wouldn't get close to us. We're deeper in a hole than I ever envisioned. And, believe me, I can envision pretty deep. Coaching is the thing. If this thing craters to 2-10 again, we are absolutely cooked. We lose practically our whole offensive line to graduation and many key players all around the rest of the two-deep. This is important, and it's important now. It's too important to be f-ing around with Wildcat formations 90 yards away from the end zone late in games, blocked kicks, and the like. We're four years into this thing and we're still being stopped in short yardage and still playing chinese fire drill on special teams. Folks, that's coaching. I expected things to be different with Mike Canales, and they have been to a degree. But, if this thing slips to 0-4, we've got major problems for 2010 and 2011. That's just reality.

Any game where Riley Dodge has more rushing attempts than James Hamilton is a problem game. I'm not going to dance around this. I've turned around and believed in this thing, but Riley is not the playmaker he was in high school. He's just not. Stop running him. Just stop. Put the ball, in short distance situations, into the hands of the players who can make the play - namely, Lance Dunbar. If you think the defense will key on Dunbar, play action fake to him and hit a tight end. But, whatever you do, quit the Riley Dodge charade now. It's maddening. If Mike Canales can't see this, it's not a far leap to put down the green kool aid I've sipped since his hiring and jump back aboard the reality train. I've had this fantasy that Mike Canales knows what the hell he's doing. I'm now questioning that based on his use of Riley. It's not getting us anywhere. And, this isn't a program that has the time to go nowhere. We've been nowhere for five straight seasons. I'm also still not seeing the tight ends in the pass game mix. I'm thrilled that they are good blockers in the run game. But...I'm still waiting for this team to show it will use every weapon available in the pass game. If teams know we don't have a serious tight end threat, they will simply free up a linebacker or safety (depending on their defensive scheme) to blitz more or double another receiver. If Mike Canales can't see these things, we're done. RV...fire up that call list as soon as we hit 0-4.

Uh...I think it's been pretty clear that I don't consider Riley Dodge college QB material. If we're having to rely on him at QB, the season is already over and RV should start making contacts for the vacant head coaching position. Our hopes now rest in Thompson. And, I'm fine with that. He's a big, strong, athletic kid. He's the size of a college QB. From his brief appearances, he seems to have the respect of his teammates as well. Like I said, I think there's enough going right with the team that I think we can still pull off at least one win over the next two weeks. If not, well, an 0-4 start is tough for most Sun Belt coaches [opening can of worms]not named Darrell Dickey[/opening can of worms] to overcome.

...given the injury to Tune and 0-2 start, I'm not ready to throw in the towel. I like the upside of Thompson. I like the offense - except for the Wildcat plays with Riley (NOTE: Coaches, look...just keep Riley at receiver or move him to DB. You're not fooling anyone when you bring him in one play at a time...I wrote the same last week, and it was true then as well). I like the fight of the defense. The special teams...I've posted for years to copy other schools and have a TE/Special Teams coach. We still haven't. And, our special teams are still sketchy. Look, in private PMs I've had many conversations. I was asked in one if I was jumping off. I'm not. I want to see how Thompson does in the next two games. Both are road games. Both look to be decent teams in 2010. If he can pull one win out of them, I'm staying on board. If we lose both...sadly, it will be the jumping off point. Shavod blocked a field goal.

I voted for Darrell Dickey at coach. Other choices - Schnellenberger, Blankney, Roberts. I took the UNT guy. Sorry Dickey haters.

A Granbury DT ran off the field on the next to last play of the Granbury - R.L. Turner game last night and starting heaving his guts out on the sideline wall. Granbury won, by the way, and at 2-1 have doubled their win total from 2009. That former baseball player of a coach is actually having them beat teams who are equally as bad as they are!

I could care squat, but I'll say this - what they are getting for the money doesn't look all that fantastic. Actually, although I'm happy with what we're getting, for the price, it's not overly spectacular either. All of the stadium makeovers and new-builds have too much of a corporate-looking feel to me. They are new, but not unique. I think 10 years down the road we'll be looking at these new stadiums and commenting on how dated they look. In the college football facility arms race, originality has been the sacrificial lamb. Everyone hires the same company (out of Kansas City, I think) and they all get a tweaked version of what they build.

I used to say scheduling an FCS would keep player from getting hurt early. But, Miami lost four players for the season in their opener last weekend versus Florida A&M. These things are just bad luck. Wish J.J. the best - especially since our son is also named J.J. - speediest and strongest of recoveries for the 2011 Sun Belt Destruction Tour!

Bring a sack lunch and have a picnic at the tailgate of a car or truck or something. Maybe bring a lawn chair or two. This is an idea I hope will catch on in the college football world.

Why is there only one choice for punter? Stupid.

So far, on the channelsurfing.net guide for tonight, you can watch the Auburn/Mississippi State or the Ouachita Baptist/Nebraska-Omaha matchup. The OBU roster is teeming with former DFW area preps: http://athletics.obu.edu/football/roster/

Dude, forget about paying a service. Go www.channelsurfing.net. M'kay?

Guys, we were playing Clemson, not U-LaLa. When you play a team with speed, it tends to expose you in many areas. I'm already on record saying we'll win 9 or 10. But, I never said we'd beat Clemson. Rice doesn't have Clemson size or speed...or coaching. If we lose to Rice...then complain about "pursuit angles" and "overrunning plays" and whatnot. I'm just glad they didn't blow us out. To me, it's a sign the that corner is turned. We've gone from a 79-10 opener in 2007, to playing Clemson pretty tough and holding them under 40. Have we held a BCS conference school under 40 since Dodge has been here? No. We haven't held a BCS school under 40 points since September 25, 2004 in Waco, Texas when the Baylor Bears beat us 37-14. The defense has made progress. You might not like to admit it, but they have. Recognize what is happening. We are better. This battle station is fully operational!

One of my neighbors played baseball at Rice back in the day. He's a good guy. His wife went to Oklahoma State. It's all good. But, I don't really care. We will beat them, and pound them, and grind them into submission before a drooling crowd of around 24k. When you can't eat pizza, then next best thing is just to drive over to Taco Bueno for a muchaco.

In 2007, a DB came off the field and, in frustration (at being coached by high school coaches and business executives) threw some f-bombs around. The WR coach hunted him down and dressed him down for cussing. After the game Dodge said the WR coach was merely "re-directing" the player in question. At the time, I surmised that coaches at this level shouldn't be wasting game time worrying about a player cussing. There's too much other important stuff going on - like the actual game. My suggestion was that WR coach take it up with the player after the game, or during practice some time in the ensuing week. Or...to just let the kid vent and forget about it. No word on whether the old WR coach was ever within earshot of Gary DeLoach upon his return.

Well, he made a touchdown saving tackle last year against Arkansas State.... I'm just saying, good high school athletes, especially quarterbacks, are often moved to the defensive side of the ball in college. I think Riley would be fine. You've got to have good feet, balance, and agility to play corner. I think he has those things. You have to read a quarterback well to play safety or corner. I think he'd excel at that. It's just a shame to have him on the sideline except for gimmicky plays. He's better than that.

I want to say something about Savod Atkinson and you will either agree with me or disagree with me: He looks better than he did last year. Now, I'm going to say something else about Shavod Atkinson and you will either agree with me or disagree with me again: He is playing well enough to be a First Team All-Sun Belt performer, and probably Third Team AP All-American since they are too cowardly to give players from our school First or Second Team consideration. Now, I'm going to say yet another thing about Shavod Atkinson and you will either agree with me or disagree with yet again: Rice will be sorry they ever heard the name Shavod Atkinson because it will echo in the heads of their quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, tight ends, wide receivers, guards, tackles, centers, kickers, punters, defensive tackles, defensive ends, outside linebackers, inside linebackers, middle linebackers, cornerbacks, free safeties, strong safeties, deep snappers, holders, head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, special teams coordinator, wide receivers coach, running backs coach, linebackers coach, run game coordinator, tight ends coach, offensive tackles coach, offensive line coach, cornerbacks coach, defensive graduate assistant, offensive graduate assistant, trainers, water boys, cheerleaders (male and female), athletic director, assistant athletic director, executive assistant to the athletic director, senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, senior exective athletic director, associate athletic director for development, associate athletic director for sports administration/support services, associate athletic director of finance, assistant athletic director for student athlete development, assistant athletic director for facilities and operations, assistant athletic director for compliance, assistant athletic director for marketing and ticket sales, assistant athletic director for team giving and special projects, assistant athletic director for ticketing operations, assistant athletic director for football operations, assistant athletic director for media relations, assistant athletic director for equipment, general manager of Rice Sports Properties, account executive of Rice Sports Properties, associate director of academic advising for athletics, assistant director of academic advising for athletics, athletic academic advising coordinators, marketing director, coordinator of strength and conditioning, assistant ticket manager, "R" Association executive director, video coordinator, data coordinator for development, assistant athletic trainer, video specialist, asssistant equipment manager, staff assistants for football, director of facilities and events, events specialist for football, compliance coordinator, football video coordinator, marketing coordinator, accounting assistant, President David W. Leebron, Provost George L. McLendon, faculty senate, board of trustees (current and emeritus), Dean of the School of Architecture, Dean of the Glasscock School of Continuing Educations, Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, Dean of the School of Humanities, Dean of the Jesse H. Jones School of Management, Dean of the Shepherd School of Music, Dean of the Weiss School of Natural Sciences, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dean of Undergraduate Education, Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Mayor Bill White, the Houston City Council, Texas State Board of Education Member for District 6, State Representative Ellen Cohen, State Senator Dan Patrick, State Senator Rodney Ellis, State Senator Joan Huffman, Congressman John Culberson, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Joe Biden, and President Barak Hussein Obama for the remainder of the 2010 college football season.

I don't want to jump the shark here or anything, but... ...do you all really think there will be a coach out there who doesn't know Riley used to be a quarterback? And, if they all know that, won't they be telling their defenses, 'Hey, when this guy #11 gets in the game, watch for a reverse or pass or cakebuilding or something.' I just don't think using Riley every now and then will give an element of surprise. If he was a WR every down, or more downs, then maybe. But, if he's only brought in a couple of times a game, there's not going to be much of a surprise in what he does.

If he really is to banged up, that's a shame. I never was a fan of his as a QB because of his size. But, Eric Weddell played at about his size as a freshman, and helped Utah on both sides of the ball. Like Riley, Weddell played QB in high school. Granted, he also played defense, which Riley did not do. But, it's not that Riley didn't have the ability. Here is where you've got to just be realistic. If the kid can make contact, move him to the defensive side of the ball. I can't imagine you'd find a better DB in the film room prepping than Riley. But, I've wasted my time arguing it before. You've got to put guys where they can help early in their careers. Riley is smack in the middle of his. If he's physically able, I just wish they'd do it.

Here's a picture of it during the UT Screw Job of 1988:

Here is where I make my "move your best athlete" to the defensive side of the ball pitch: Riley Dodge to either corner or safety. At least give him a look in the nickel. You won't have a defensive back more in tune with what a QB is looking for. I also re-new my plea to have Riley return punts and kicks. I don't think one touch per game is enough for Riley if you are going to keep him on the offensive side of the ball. To me, Riley Dodge has always been another Eric Weddle just waiting to happen. The problem is too much time was wasted trying to prove he was a quarterback rather than have him on the field contributing where he was needed. He can do this. He can be Eric Weddle II.

We will Pluck Rice. That's right. You read it first here: We'll Pluck those Rice Owls!

I admire your courage, sir. I am The Fake Lonnie Finch. And, I am radically excited by Coach Mike "Chico" Canales. For years, I have preached that success in the Sun Belt isn't akin to scaling Mount Kilimanjaro. And, along with such rantings, I have claimed that coaching is the essence of success in FBS-level college football. And, here we have a marriage of the two - North Texas, a Sun Belt school; and, Mike "Chico" Canales, a real college football coach. Throw in Conroy Hines to replace the cuss-patrol coach, and we are looking at a coaching staff that is equal to or better than any Sun Belt coaching staff you can name (and, truly, you can only name eight others). This is a coaching staff who pays attention to football before, during, and after a football game. And, that, my courageous friend, is a welcome change. That, as even Robert Frost admitted year ago, has made all the difference in the world. When there is no facility, you pee in the woods.

It must be confusing to opposing fans that we call ourselves the Mean Green and yet show up head to toe in white. White is neither mean nor green. Green pants, green helmets for the road, please. Actually, green helmets for every occassion, including Christmas.

...that Dodge said the defense "played their ass off." Happy that the wide receiver coach didn't try to "re-direct" him for saying ass. Dodge looks more relaxed. He's acting more relaxed. I think he knows this is going to be a big season. It's football again.