The Fake Lonnie Finch

Really? Is the nation following Colorado any more or less because of their daddy/son situation?

Unfortunately, this is probably right. We're the only school in America which champions losing.

He transferred in May. He didn't crack OU's two-deep after spring practice and didn't want to wait to play. Thomsen just has two players two on the draft in April - WR Johnny Knox (Chicago) and RB Bernard Scott (Bengals). Unusual for ACU to ever have guys go in the draft. Two is unheard of. Thomsen is a good coach. It'd be nice to see him catch on at the FBS level as a receivers coach or running backs coach and continue to work his way up the ladder. He might be able to get a coordinator or head coaching gig at the FCS level next year if ACU continues to win big in 2009. One thing's for sure...he's got enough buzz to have his Division II school on FoxSports Southwest. And, that's doing something. Apparently, ACU and NW Missouri State have become something of Top 5 Division II rivals over the past couple of seasons. How weird would it be to see Graham Harrell's brother, a former Tulsa player, turning and faking to a former OU blue chip tailback then tossing the ball to a receiver who was slated to be Rutgers #1 guy this year? In Abilene? All three of those guys got bits and pieces of playing time last year at Tulsa, OU and Rutgers. They could be as explosive as Billy Malone (originally a Tulane signee), Bernard Scott, and Johnny Knox were in 2008 and 2009.

http://www.acusports.com/news/2009/8/21/FB_0821093309.aspx Here's chance to see ACU and coach Chris Thomsen. Wildcat players of note: Former Gilmer standout and OU signee Justin Johnson at tailback Former Uvalde standout, Baylor signee and son of former Bear and Oakland Raider Vann McElroy, VJ McElroy at receiver. Former Rutgers signee Dennis Campbell at receiver and returning kicks Former Conroe standout and Naval Academy signee Mookie Lewis at corner Former Sugar Land Austin standout and Notre Dame signee Kevin Washington at linebacker Former Sugar Land Austin standout and Nebraska walkon David Pillen at longsnapper Former Ennis standout, Tulsa signee and younger brother of former Texas Texas QB Graham, Clark Harrell at quarterback Former Graham standout and younger brother of current Texas QB Colt McCoy, Chance McCoy at receiver Former Texas Southern signee James Peters at defensive end ACU will also play Texas A&M Commerce in the Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl on September 12th.

Given the the OL and RB is where our experience is, we can only hope this is true. However, the article talks of passing. So....

Why would this surprise you, Jon? They did the same thing to Darrell Dickey during his period of health problems. With such examples, you could say tact isn't the strong point of our alma mater. If she has good reviews, as you state, simply take copies of such to an employment/labor attorney and let them sort out whether or not a claim can be pursued for discrimination or wrongful termination. As you may or may not know, there are certain procedures that must be followed in the the firing of employees. Have an attorney who specializes in employment law sort through it with you.

Or, maybe some readers should have thicker skin and realize that not everyone shares the same opinion of the world, including UNT football.

All the could do consistently in college is pull the ball down and run to the right. He chaffed under his college playbook and complained to Mack Brown until Mack decided to just let him run around the last year and a half of his career. He'll never has the discipline or intelligence to learn an NFL playbook. The guy is 6-5 and still gets his passes batted around the line of scrimmage, just like in college. It's pathetic. The guy is too much of a head case to even work on his mechanics. The only reason Tennessee took him was the owner wanted him. The coaches and management were against it. He's turned into nothing but a multi-million dollar babysitting job for Jeff Fisher.

Well, somebody reads it since Rick Villareal called me this spring to discuss some of the things I'd posted. If not Rick himself, then his toady who once thought I was Kenny Evans. Either way, whatever gets posted here does get into the mix.

Steven Howard: "Did I mention that no team that has ever played a Division I-AA opponent has ever played in a national title game." Yeah, I guess you did mention that, Steve, but you're wrong. A cursory check of even last year's title game would have told you that. Unless The Citdel and Tennessee-Chattanooga are in some sort of secret FBS conference...well, try again. If it's good enough for the big boys to start off the season, it's good enough for us. Even the medium-size boys who play in bowl games with regularity do it. So, let's cut the crap and go ahead and do it. Besides, most of Todd Dodge's success has come against FCS school Western Kentucky, right? Now that they're fully in the FBS fold, let's get another guaranteed game on the schedule 2008: Florida 70, The Citadel 19 2008: Oklahoma 57, Tennessee-Chattanooga 2 2007: Ohio State 38, Youngstown State 6 2006: Florida 62, Western Carolina 0 2003: LSU 35, Western Illinois 7 2002: Miami 63, Florida A&M 17 1999: Virginia Tech 47, James Madison 0

I'd say you are reading reports about controlled practice conditions. I'm talking about what has happened at game time against opponents. Opposing defense coaches have run circles around Dodge, Ford and George. Recall the post-game comments by Howard Schnellenberger last season. He said they didn't do anything different to cover Casey Fitzgerald than they had any other receiver all year. Why not? Because it's all about scheme, and FAU's defensive staff had ours figured out. What we need is an offensive staff who will figure out what the opposing defense is doing within the first couple of series and then at take the game to them. We don't have that right now. Whether or not its working, we do what we do. If it doesn't work, we just keep doing it. It's as though Dodge and Ford refuse to do anything other than throw it around, even when it's painfully obviously that it won't work. We need them to try to run the ball more this year. With the experienced line and depth at tailback, they'd be fools to not try to establish the run early.

Really? Well, it must be important to some degree. Even Todd Dodge seems to have recognized this by giving Mendoza and Drake the boot following successive seasons with 500+ points given up. And, he replaced them with two very experienced college coaches. I think it does say something. Now...if Dodge would only look at the shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball and make the appropriate changes. Then, we'd really be cooking with grease.

Yes. I've been saying this ever since I've been on GMG.com. This is how Kansas State, Kansas, and Texas Tech built up their programs. You have to be able to run your offense. Going out the first game and having to ditch your game plan because you are behind by five or more scores is ridiculous. It's like you've wasted everything you worked for in the spring and fall. Having an opening game against an FCS-level oppontent gives you the opportunity to maintain a progression of work you began in March and reignited in August. Say whatever you want, but getting a win on opening day, at home, instead of being slaughtered on the road, does a tremendous amount for the confidence of a team. And, it builds on what you practiced in the spring and fall. You don't have to stop down for a beating. In addition, having the game at home is another bonus. It builds fan interest when you win. If you are already 0-3 or 0-4 and getting whipped by the time you play a conference home game, people aren't going to take the effort to come out - yes, even your own alums will opt to stay at home. The athletic department and head football coach need to understand that it's not the people already showing up they need to convince; it's the people who aren't showing up. And, those people - whom many of you call "bandwagoners" - aren't going to come unless its competitive or successful on a regular basis. To pooh-pooh them as bandwagoners is insane. Their money is green, too, and just as useful to the program. So, get a winnable game at home for game one every year and quit f'ing around, getting our butts beat on the road to start the season. Build it. Use the K-State, Kansas, and Texas Tech blueprint - or go back to the Southland Conference for good. Knaves.

Emmitt, Dude, the rubber is about to meet the road for those who think Riley is an FBS-level college QB. Just let time settle it. It's yet another experiment foisted upon us by the high school-level offensive coaching staff that still infests our alma mater's football program. Just be thankful for the new defensive line coach and the shift of the special teams to the watch of a college coach. They'll be bailing out Dodge all season long.

We should go off tackle with Cam. But, it will surely be a screen or bubble screen just to get Riley's first completion out of the way. Boring and trite. But, after two years of watching short passes, why not one more to start the whole thing off. It's what this "offense" does.

The citizen reporting won't fly. In America, the Constitution gives you the right to meet your accuser in court. There are already lawsuits over red light cameras for this very thing. If the State is going to accuse you of a violation, they have to have their evidence and witnesses in court. There is no local law that preempt that part of the Constitution. This is nothing more than a money grab. Governments everywhere are out of money. They can't raise taxes because we'd revolt and throw their sorry butts out in the next elections. What politicians from local to nation need to do is wake up and admit the money isn't there for every pie-in-the-sky promise they've made. Then, they need to cut back on spending - the same thing we the unwashed masses have to do to get by in our own lives.

I've always loved watching The Griz during the I-AA/FCS playoffs. Love their stadium, too - nestled into the mountains. We should shoot for something about the size they have - with the stands as close to the field as possible (but, not as ridiculously close as they are at Oklahoma State). They are packed and loud on game day at Montana:

Game 1 at Ball State: Ball State 28, UNT 19 Game 2 OHIO: Ohio 25, UNT 22 Game 3 at Alabama: Alabama 47, UNT 6 I predicted we'd give up 100 on the nose for the first three games. That would be a vast improvement over the past two seasons. Over the past five seasons, we've only held our first three opponents under 100 points combined once - and it wasn't during our Sun Belt title run! 2008 = 142 in first three games Kansas State 45, UNT 6 Tulsa 56, UNT 26 LSU 41, UNT 3 2007 = 154 in first three games Oklahoma 79, UNT 10 SMU 45, UNT 31 Florida Atlantic 30, UNT 20 2006 = 90 in first three games Texas 56, UNT 7 UNT 24, SMU 6 Tulsa 28, UNT 3 2005 = 115 in first three games UNT 14, Middle Tennessee 7 Tulsa 54, UNT 2 Kansas State 54, UNT 7 2004 = 137 in first three games Texas 65, UNT 0 Florida Atlantic 20, UNT 13 Colorado 52, UNT 21

There you have it. We're taking the steps we need to take. All it takes is a little nudge in the rigth direction, I suppose.

Yes, we all agree about that. But, NTSU then didn't really do much to attract even its own. Yes, more is being done now. However, when I was on campus from 90-95, the vast majority of college stuff you saw people wearing was for other SWC/Big 8 schools. And, as much as many of us hate to admit it, back then, it really was more of a commuter school. We're still shaking that image. When all is said and done, people like Craig Miller aren't going to support UNT athletics vocally or openly until the school shows it's serious about it. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a waste of time. As defensive as Dunham is about it, Miller falls more along the lines of the college football observers who believe that UNT is so bush league that it hires high school coaches. We did it twice in 16 years. And, the results with both did nothing but solidify their decision to ignore UNT. Also, keep in mind that Dunham is on the payroll. It's not like he could dis the department and program even if he wanted to do it. If Miller was on the payroll, I'm sure he'd be singing a different tune as well. Many of you are critical of the program until you talk to someone in it. You fall for their gab...again and again and again. Miller would do the same if he were near the program. By staying away, Miller keeps his objectivity. Dunham will defend Dodge to the grave if he goes 0-12 because he works with him and, therefore, has some emotional attachment. On this board, the mindset is different. I don't like the hiring of high school coaches. But, I'd rather stand up and have my say - hoping against all hope that it will make a difference when the next hire is made. While Miller is happy OU is winning, I'm unhappy that UNT is losing and will continue to say so until the people in charge correct their mistakes and put the program on the right path. Rick Villareal has called me. I've been invited to this thing and that by various people. Several players parents have contacted me. I don't go for various reasons. One is that I have two young kids, aged 3 and 1 at home and don't really have time. But, the overarching thing is, I love my alma mater and feel like being too close would also suck me into allowing excuses for losing. We've had too many years of accepting the status quo. College football became a big business 20 years ago. We are way behind. I'm going to stay on the outside and demand that we do better and move forward rather than becoming friends with everyone and hooking into a buddy system where we all wink and nod at failure because those involved are nice guys. NEWSFLASH - There are many nice guys out there winning. The time has come for our "nice guys" to quit making excuses and win. If not, get the next set of "nice guys" in here and give them a shot at it. It ain't rocket science.

Again and again and again. Miller grew up in Oklahoma City. Corby's dad played football at OU. Gee, what a shock that they ended up being OU fans. Winning cures all of it. We're not winning. While OU is piling on Big 12 championship after Big 12 championship, you are expecting those two to talk UNT and TCU football? Yeah, sure.

2008 PREDICTION REPOST: I expect 3-9, but would not be surprised by 5-7 (adding winnables Rice and WKU to the win list). DeLoach coming back to guide the defense will be a factor in improving, but he doesn't have the cast of characters he did in 2001 and 2002. It took him a few seasons to build that tough 2002 defense. Now is no different. Too much inexperience on the defensive side of the ball this year. On the offensive side, we'll be fine if Dodge can resist the temptation to monkey with Vizza. Vizza is proven and will again be hooking up with Casey Fitzgerald, Brock Stickler, and Sam Dibrell. Micah Mosely and Cam Montgomery will do well, but the offensive line depth will hurt us in the end. Dodge must turn to recruiting linemen this year or he will flame out before his contract is up. Overall, the games will be closer than last year, and I believe we'll have a winning record at home. However, getting over five wins is going to be asking alot of this group. In 2009, however, there will be no excuse for not contending for the Sun Belt title. Key opponents will have lost senior QBs while Vizza will be a battle-hardened junior...if, if, if Dodge can resist the urge to put in his son too soon! Dodge, Jr. should be redshirting the 2008 campaign while Vizza leads the way and the experienced Meager backs up for his final season. If Todd Dodge can't see that...well...everyone will have vastly overrated his knowledge as a football coach. Game 1 at Kansas State: KSU 45, UNT 21 It doesn't really matter that KSU has a bunch of JUCO guys coming in. On the offensive side of the ball, they have plenty coming back. Their veteran offensive line wears our fledgling defensive line down in the third quarter to break away. Game 2 Tulsa: TU 41, UNT 34 This is a game of two spread offenses. Tulsa had a bad defense on the road last year, but still managed to outscore most opponent in the way to a CUSA Championship appearance and a 63-7 beating of Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl. TU is still a few seasons ahead of us. Our new defensive backs get their first real look at a spread team. Game 3 at LSU: LSU 45, UNT 19 It's LSU. They will be coming off a game with Troy and preparing for the game the next week at Auburn. They get up on us early, then pull the starters to rest for the early SEC showdown with Auburn the following week. Game 4 at Rice: Rice 43, UNT 32 Like the Tulsa game, this is two offenses that wing it around. Rice will have been trashed by Texas the weekend before we get there and will be happy to see softer competition. Game 5 Florida International: UNT 40, FIU 25 We inexplicably lost to the worst team in college football last year, FIU. It won't happen again. Game 6 Louisiana-Lafayette: UNT 36, ULL 31 Yes, ULL has some talented seniors on offense. However, most of it is run-based. By this point in the season, I expect out DL to be doing better against the run. We feed off the win the weekend before and steal one from hardluck Ricky Bustle's bunch for a second consecutive home win. Game 7 at Louisiana-Monroe: ULM 39, UNT 21 Kinsmon Lancaster and a group of experienced receivers and a gelling Warhawk defense snap our two game win streak. Game 8 Troy: Troy 36, UNT 32 We give Troy an unexpected fight, but fall short. We are getting tougher at home. Game 9 at Western Kentucky: WKU 48, UNT 15 For whatever reason, the bottom falls out. The Hilltoppers remember the game that got away in Denton and play a tighter, more disciplined game this time around. Game 10 at Florida Atlantic: FAU 40, UNT 25 These are the Sun Belt favorites. Much experience on offense and defense. At this point in the season, Owl QB Rusty Smith should be well into leading FAU to back-to-back Sun Belt titles. Game 11 at Middle Tennessee State: MTSU 38, UNT 18 A third consecutive tough conference road game. MTSU will be fighting for a piece of the Sun Belt title; we'll still be struggling to learn how to win on the road. Although, this many conference road games this late in the season would be brutal on any team, much less the one we'll have with such an inexperienced defense. Game 12 Arkansas State: UNT 31, ASU 28 For some reason, Arkansas State has lost tons of road game under Steve Roberts - even in Sun Belt play! Their inability to win consistently on the road will bite them here again, was we finish 3-2 at home for the 2008 season - a positive sign for a breakout 2009 season.

Did this a couple of week into fall practice last year. But, we're going to Florida for the better part of two weeks, so I'll get it in now. The Fake Lonnie Finch 2009 Guide will be available the week of game one in some form. My prediction for 2008 was 3-9 with a couple of possibilities of a couple of stolen wins. It is the same in 2009: 3-9 is likely, but 5-7 wouldn't surprise either. The experience we lost on the offensive side of the ball will have the wheels spinning for the most part on that side of the ball. The fun of 2009 will be watching the front seven under Mike Nelson and Gary DeLoach. Shelton Gandy's special teams will also be an improvement over the Keystone Cops meets the Three Stooges routine we've been treated to over the past two seasons. As with the 2008 prediction, although I don't expect us to have a winning season, I expect us to be competitive. And, I mean very competitive. There simply is no excuse for it anymore. No more raising the Darrell Dickey boogie-man as an excuse. It's time for Todd Dodge to prove his worth here. If we've gotten three to five wins at the conclusion of the season, and have been competitive in all others (excluding Alabama), he's warranted another season. If we get blown out early and often again, it really is time to call it off and get a college football coach in the drivers seat again. Game 1 at Ball State: Ball State 28, UNT 19 The hiring of Mike Nelson as the defensive line coach and the special teams take over by Shelton Gandy will be fully evident in Game One. The opening game will not be like the blowouts from 2007 and 2008. Both teams are breaking in new quarterbacks. Ball State has more supporting skill players returning for their QB. Ball State's QB is also being tutored by Stan Parrish, the former Michigan assistant who coached both Brian Griese and Tom Brady during the careers at Michigan. The Wolverines won a share of the 1997 national title with Parrish guiding the QBs. Parrish was also the QB coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2002 Super Bowl title season. The chess match of this game will be among Parrish of Ball State and Mike Nelson and Gary DeLoach of UNT. With a super star at tailback, Ball State will provide an immediate test for Nelson and his young, newly configured defensive line. Ball State may be replacing four offensive linemen, but they are not replacing them with players who haven't seen the field before. UNT's defensive line rotation, will be featuring brand new players in their first FBS-level game. Parrish will likely have his QB doing what he had his QBs at Michigan do so well - protect the ball and let the ground game control the tempo of the game. Game 2 OHIO: Ohio 25, UNT 22 Many UNT fans feel this game is a good bet for an out of conference victory. I agree. In 2008, Ohio switched from a run-heavy offense to a diverse offense which saw them split the play selection almost 50/50 between the run and pass. The Bobcats return two QBs who started parts of last season (one was injured early on). After an 0-4 start that saw the Bobcats lead Ohio State in the second half before losing and playing Big 10 Northwestern to within eight points (both of the road), they settled into a 4-4 record in their final eight games. Here again, we'll see Mike Nelson's experience at play. He and Ohio coach Frank Solich gameplanned against one another for the better part of a decade when they were at Iowa State and Nebraska respectively. Solich was the offensive coordinator, then head coach. Nelson was the defensive line coach charged with stopping the then-formidable Husker rushing attack. The renewed showdown between Nelson and Solich alone will be worth the price of admission in this one. As with the Ball State game, having more experienced skill players returning on the offensive side of the ball should be enough for the Bobcats to pull this one out. But, Mean Green fans shouldn't despair of a loss here. Ohio is very likely a bowl contender in 2009. Playing them to the gun will be an excellent sign. Game 3 at Alabama: Alabama 47, UNT 6 There's really not much to discuss here. Alabama was a quarter away from playing in the national title game last year and returns nine starters off that defense. Trying to scheme against that defense will be the high school Todds - Dodge and Ford - and their new QB and WRs. It won't be pretty as Alabama's experienced front seven squashes whatever those two attempt to muster. Game 4 MIDDLE TENNESSEE: MTSU 36, UNT 28 With 10 starters returning on to an offense led by former Troy coordinator Troy Franklin, the Blue Raiders have no excuse for underachieving again in 2009. Franklin is eminently familiar with MTSU's conference foes. UNT's secondary is going to be better than in 2008. But, MTSU returns eight of its top nine receivers and should be able to win enough battles in the secondary to take home the win. The Blue Raiders are ridiculously experienced on both sides of the ball. Few underclassmen are in the starting mix. Rick Stockstill really has no excuse to not be the front runner for the Sun Belt title. along with Troy. If he can't get it done with this team, you wonder if he can ever get it done. What keeps us close, again, will be Nelson and DeLoach. Nelson's line should be gelling enough to have some answers for talented Blue Raider tailback Phillip Tanner. Plus, he and DeLoach have seen plenty of spread offenses in their day. Nelson matched wits against Mike Leach in the Big 12 for a few seasons and was on the staff of San Diego State with former OU co-offensive coordinator Chuck Long. DeLoach had a good swim through the Pac-10 whose schools are more than adept at winging it around weekend after weekend. Game 5 at Louisiana-Lafayette: Louisiana-Lafayette 29, UNT 28 UNT and ULaLa are almost identical twins on paper. Both lost their their starting QBs and WRs from 2008. The Cajuns also lost their top tailback, while UNT returns theirs. UNT's line is experienced. The Cajuns return all five starters on their line. They played almost every snap together save for two games when one guard was injured. That 12 starts apiece for four returners and 10 for the other. None are underclassmen. The line features both Lombardi and Rimington Award candidates and may be the best in the Sun Belt. Both UNT and ULaLa return about the same thing on defense as well a couple of DLs, all linebackers, and many experienced players in the secondary. Each team returns almost their entire compliment of special teams specialist. This should truly be a coin flip of a game. Here, I simply give the edge to the Cajuns because, again, what their new offensive skill players have in the way of coaching is still superior to what ours will have. Their likely starter at QB stepped in for an injured Michael Desmoreaux last season and delivered a win. His main competition for the starting job also played in 2008 and threw a touchdown pass. So, it's not as if their new starting QB is going to be totally green. Mix that in with the experienced line and special teams, and I just think you have to go with these guys at home. Game 6 FLORIDA ATLANTIC: UNT 33, Florida Atlantic 28 Florida Atlantic is expected to compete for the Sun Belt title and garner a third straight bowl trip. They return Unitas award candidate Rusty Smith at QB and their leading receivers, but lose seven starters on defense. They also lose their two leading rushers on offense. I believe this game will come down to the wire, with us finally notching an upset victory of old man Schnellenberger. I have no rational basis for this prediction, other than the Law of Averages dictates that we've got to get up on them sometime. With their defense being rebuilt, this may be the year to sneak up on them and do it. On a side note, FAU defensive cordinator Kirk Hoza should be on the short list to replace Todd Dodge if we falter again this year and and Rick Villareal pulls his head out of his backside. Game 7 at Troy: Troy 30, UNT 29 I expect this to be another edge-of-your-seat type game. Troy is looking for its fourth consecutive Sun Belt title. But, like Florida Atlantic, they've lost alot on the defensive side of the ball from 2008. While I expect the Trojans to win the title again, I don't think they'll be beating teams by double digits, as was the case in most of their 2008 Sun Belt teams. Their offense returns nearly every skill player and most of the line. Their special teams returns intact. Larry Blankney is the best coach in the league. He'll be pushed here by our solid defensive coaching staff, but will pull out the win at home. Game 8 WESTERN KENTUCKY: UNT 37, Western Kentucky 22 Western Kentucky is finally a full-fledged FBS team. They, sadly, account for 2/3rds of our win total over the past two seasons. They had a terrible time moving the ball in 2008 - except against us. In their five games against Sun Belt competition last season, the Hilltoppers managed 80 points - 40 of those came against us. No more. The Hilltoppers return only three starters on defense and are very thin on depth at all positions there. They return seven starters on offense, but that shouldn't really make a difference. Our defensive coaching staff should be able to easily handle whatever is thrown their way. There is no reason for us not to win this game by double digits. If WKU is playing us close again in 2009, we will be well into another one or two win season. This is a game we should dominate on both sides of the ball. Game 9 LOUISIANA-MONROE: Louisiana-Monroe 28, UNT 20 ULM's new defensive coordinator is bringing in a high pressure package he used in the MWC with New Mexico and in the WAC with UTEP. Add to the lineup, New Mexico's former DL coach and Georgia's former secondary coach. They will shape a Warhawks defense that returns nearly everyone in their defensive two-deep from 2008, which will help offset the loss of QB Kinsman Lancaster at QB. The high school Todds have yet to prove they can scheme against high pressure defenses. The addition of the secondary coach from Georgia will be a boon for ULM as he has already spent part of his career preparing defensive backfields for battle against the likes of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. It will likely be too much the the Todds to deal with...again. This would be a great weekend to break out the two tight end set. But, don't hold your breath. Game 10 @Florida International: Florida International 40, UNT 32 The Golden Panthers return 10 starters from their high-scoring offense of 2008. This is the year they break through. And, where they go this year is where we would be had be hired a college coach back in December of 2006. Mario Cristobal came close to a breakthrough last season, coming within eight of South Florida and three of Louisiana-Monroe. Wins there would have given FIU the miracle winning season after recently losing 26 games in row. A bowl contending Panther squad could spell grief for coaches not getting it done in other places (MTSU, UNT, ULALA). Game 11 ARMY: UNT 25, Army 19 This game shouldn't be close, but it probably will be. Rich Ellerson is a great coach who is getting the opportunity to show it at the FBS level. It not improbable that he has the Black Knights in the four to six game win category in 2009. And although they may have a losing record in 2009, Army is not going to be a team to look past. Game 12 at Arkansas State: Arkansas State 26, North Texas 23 Barring injury to Reggie Arnold and Corey Leonard, ASU should be able to squeeze out another win in what is becoming a good rivalry between the two schools. Steve Roberts' team is loaded on defense and strong on offense. He has no excuse from competing for the Sun Belt title.

I agree to a point. Where many go over the line with their expectations of Riley, I go overboard in my expectations of Mike Nelson. Therefore, I expect that he will have our front line, even the new guys, breathing fire. He always did a Iowa State, whether the players were new or veteran, he had the ready from the gun. Remember, he had a DL at Iowa State who had over 100 tackles as a true freshman. I think Nelson will be more than able to get his JUCOs set from the start. The newcomers on the offensive side of the ball...well, they won't be benefitting from the same type of coaching the new defensive players will be getting. As for the special teams, too much emphasis is being placed on the punter. Everyone else returns. Our place kicker has a strong leg. We've got excellent deep snappers. Even though our return game was dicey last year, they are another year more experienced. And, they are all coming back to Shelton Gandy, not Robert Drake. Hear me now, believe me later - the special teams and defense are going to be much better with the new coaches. Let me back up and say one more thing about Robert Drake. I've banged on that guy alot. Maybe too much. But, the deal is, you rarely see special teams guys also coaching the defensive line. Maybe you can pull it off in high school. But, I'd don't think I'd ever seen it in college before Dodge came to UNT. Usually, you have a guy who is special teams/tight ends coach. But...well...you know the story there. The main thing is, the special teams coaches normally don't have as many "regular" players to coach as Drake did in addition to their special teams duties. In fact, many schools these day have two defensive line coaches - one for the ends, and one for the interior linemen. So...maybe it wasn't Drake's fault so much as it was the guy who put him in charge of, basically, three different units. Again, you may be able to have a guy take on three unit at the high school level. But, well...you know what I'm saying. Either way, don't underestimate Nelson and Gandy. Those two guys will have their guys getting it done from Game One.

Amazing, isn't it. Last year, I praised the playing of Riley at WR because that's where he should be...or safety. He's a good athlete, but he's not a college QB. There's nothing wrong with that, hundreds of kids each year who have played QB in high school get switched to WR or DB by their college coaches. And, the reason is that you want your 11 best athletes on the field on both sides of the ball. As thin as we were at receiver last season, we needed someone else in the mix. The only way I'd have handled it differently is to have waited a game or two longer to throw him in there. And, last year, that would have been the perfect time because it would have been at about the time Sam Dibrell bailed. Look, I know that many of you are enamored of the what you think is the Dodge family mystique. The problem is, opposing defenses could care less. To them, it's just another game, another coach, and another QB. And, unfortunately for us, it's a coach that they haven't had a difficult time defending. If Dodge is true to his word, only having tight ends 1/3 of the time (I think he's exaggerating about how much he intends to use the tight end, but that's a whole different discussion), it doesn't mater who's back there, the pressure is going to be relentless...again. You're still giving opposing defensive coordinators too many opportunities to blitz. Riley is a good four or so inches shorter than Vizza and weighs, at minimum, 15 to 20 pounds less. He'll be hard pressed to match Vizza's 62+% completion percentage on the plays where he does manage to stay upright. Some of you talk about Urban Meyer and Mack Brown and Bob Stoops and their spreads, and somehow want to correlate that to Dodge. [Coach Hines Voice and Leg Kick]Not even close[/Coach Hines Voice and Leg Kick]. Those coaches regularly employ tight ends, and they all use a fullback as well. And, they each try to establish a successful run game as well as passing game - even when they're in the gun. Furthermore, Todd Dodge, at the college level, has not even come close to demonstrating the ability to either (1) produce a successful gameplan against defenses at this level, or (2) adjust during the game or halftime when his gameplan isn't working. And, yes, I know that Rick Villareal and bunch of the rest of you want to continue to blame Darrell Dickey and the "condition of this program when he left" and all of that other garbage. It's nothing but excuses. I've had it thrown at me in a personal conversation with him and I've read it enough times here. It's nothing but an excuse to fail. Mack Brown didn't run around making excuses not to succeed because of John Mackovic's mess. Bob Stoops didn't waste time crying about the Chinese fire drill of a wreck John Blake left the OU program in before he arrived. And, those guys were having to rebuild it on the fly in one of the two toughest conferences in the nation (the SEC being the other). We sure as heck weren't as bad off as FUI when Mario Cristobal took over that program. And, somehow, he's managed to not get his school's football program embarassed week after week with the type of thrashings we've had over the past two seasons. But, again...Cristobal's background before he was hired versus Dodge's. I'm just sayin'...and reiterating. At some point, you cut the talk and get down to chalk. It's time for the coaches to prove their mettle. They either have the ability to get a group of players competitive in...the SUN BELT Conference...or they don't. If they don't (again), for Pete's pepper, cut the dadgum thing loose and get on down the road with the next chump. You owe it to the players who have committed their four or five years of eligibility to play here to have someone leading them that knows what the Sam Hill blazes they are doing. (Coach Hines reference, for the uninitiated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y04wkGhaNe4 )