The Fake Lonnie Finch

The passing game will be a loss. FBS-level college football is leaps and bounds different than college ball. It doesn't matter what Riley "knows" or how "fast" people think he's going to be. He'll be facing defensive coordinators who have been running rings around his dad and Ford for two seasons. The speed of the game at this level will wear on him. His size will also be a factor in him wearing down. There's simply not enough there for a full season at this level of competition. Vizza took a pounding, but he was built for it. Dodge will not be able to withstand the same kind of beating. In his final high school game, he broke a collarbone. In the small amount of time he saw the field in 2008, he absorbed a concussion. Due to Dodge and Ford's offense, he'll take a ton more hits than if his dad would use his brain and move him to defensive back or receiver where he belongs at this level. Because it is doubtful that we'll have much of a passing game threat, the run game will also suffer. Opposing defenses will once again neutralize Dodge and Ford's pass-first offense, then clog the running lanes enough to build solid leads by halftime. Special teams will be much better by default - Robert Drake is gone and has been replace by a proven college coach, Shelton Gandy. Gandy should be kept, or at the very least interviewed, by the new head coach when the wheels completely fall of the Dodge wagon. If anything keeps us in the games in the first half, it will be Gandy's charges on the special teams units. The front seven will be the strength of the defense. Again, Robert Drake is gone and has been replaced with a guy whose experience dwarves all other coaches on the staff. The secondary is again young. Add to that, the safeties are again being coached by a guy who was a wide receivers coach, a quarterback coach, and then an offensive coordinator during the 17 seasons before he arrived here. In a totally sane alignment of the coaching staff, he'd be on the offensive side of the ball where he belongs. But...we're talking Coach Dodge here, so Petersen's learning curve - and our opponents' "bombs away" mentality - will continue in 2009 Overall, the defense should be much better. Any improvement we see over our one win 2008 will be due to Mike Nelson and Gary DeLoach. As stated a couple of months ago, I'd consider 4-8, with all four wins coming in the Sun Belt, a successful season. As bad as I think the offense will be, the truest axiom in college football is that defense wins games. The Sun Belt may be "tougher" but it is still the Sun Belt. We're into Year Three of this experiment and should have the brain trust on the defensive side of the ball alone to keep two or three games close enough to steal. If we are not competitive in the Sun Belt this season, we will officially be spinning our wheels for however much longer Rick Villareal would continue to let the Dodge experiment play out.

Add to that, the fact the Stoops is trying to help us get the player who could be the best on our roster qualified for us, and it makes even less sense to bash him. And, if he's successful in helping us, he'll have given us a weapon on the field that three full Todd Dodge recruiting classes couldn't produce!

No, KRAM, all I'm saying is get your facts straight with Stoops. He doesn't have to do an online chat. He's out there in front of Sooner fans in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas...in addition to the camps he runs and shows he does around the Norman/OKC area. It's fine that you're happy with Dodge's camps and online chat. But, dragging Bob Stoops into it is ridiculous. Going online would be a step backwards at a program that regularly makes its head football coach available in person. It's 2009, not 1999. As far as bashing Dodge versus bashing Stoops, that's no brainer - Bob Stoops isn't running my alma mater's football program into the ground. There's nothing to laud about one FBS win in Dodge's two seasons. He deserves every bit a bashing that comes his way until he proves he can coach his way his way out of it. That's what he was hired to do. And, it's not like the bar was set very high, for Pete's sake. Darrell Dickey's last two squads only won five games versus FBS competition. And, they sure as heck weren't getting blown out week after week in the Belt even in their losses.

Gee, you think? As badly as we were beaten, it's amazing he didn't throw more than 16. In 2008, Vizza threw only 16 interceptions in 493 pass attempts. He was intercepted 3.25% of the time. Let's stack that up to the other FBS QBs who had worse interception ratios than Vizza in 2008: Inoke Funkai, Hawaii - 6.94% - Bowl qualifer Robert Marve, Miami - 6.10% - Bowl qualifier Jarrett Lee, LSU - 5.95% - Bowl qualifier Bo Levi Mitchell, SMU - 5.61% Tavita Pritchard, Stanford - 5.12% Nathan Enderle, Idaho - 5.01% Chris Smelley, South Carolina - 4.97% - Bowl qualifier Joe Webb, UAB - 4.53% Marc Verica, Virgina - 4.53% David Johnson, Tulsa - 4.5% - Bowl qualifier Michael Desmoreaux, Louisiana-Lafayette, 4.45% Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois - 4.27% - Bowl qualifier Hunter Cantwell, Louisville - 4.24% Mark Cann, Marshall - 4.23% Juice Williams, Illinois - 4.20% Kellen Lewis, Indiana - 4.15% Diondre Borel, Utah State - 4.13% Chris Ponder, Florida State - 4.09% - Bowl qualifier Kevin Moore, Tulane - 4.02% Julian Edelman, Kent State - 4% Jevan Snead, Mississippi - 3.98% - Bowl qualifier Casey Dick, Arkansas - 3.92% Boo Jackson, Ohio - 3.92% Cullen Harper, Clemson - 3.89% - Bowl qualifier Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame - 3.86% - Bowl qualifier C.J. Batcher, Northwestern - 3.68% - Bowl qualifier Matt Grothe, South Florida - 3.68% - Bowl qualifer Lyle Moevao, Oregon State - 3.6% - Bowl qualifier Richard Stanzi, Iowa - 3.54% Chris Jacquemain, Akron - 3.51% Steven Threet, Michigan - 3.50% Billy Farris, Colorado State - 3.43% - Bowl qualifier Chase Daniel, Missouri - 3.41% - Bowl qualifier Tony Pike, Cincinnati - 3.4% - Bowl qualifier -16 QBs who threw INTs more often than Vizza played on squads who still made bowl games, including the Top 3. Those with worse interception ratios than Vizza included Heisman candidate Chase Daniels, and 2009 Heisman candidate Jevan Snead. Vizza had a higher completion percentage than Snead as well. -Among the 24 teams who played in bowl games on or after January 1st, five had worse interception ratios than Vizza. -31 QBs who had better interception ratios than Vizza did not play on bowl qualifying teams. -Of the 100 Top QBs listed by completion percentage, Vizza was 29th. He ranked 35th in yards passing per game. Giovanni Vizza did his job under extraordinarily bad circumstances. What does it all mean? It means that college football teams don't necessarily live and die with their QB's play. For the circumstances given, Vizza did an excellent job for us. He had a higher completion percentage and lower interception ratio than 2009 Heisman candidate Jevan Snead. So, what's the difference? Snead is coached by bona fide college football coaches. He didn't have to carry his team all the way, every single time out. Vizza was saddled with high school coaches calling the shots. The difference is always coaching. Dodge and Ford's one trick pony offense is a drag on the team as a whole. For the past two seasons, Vizza and North Texas never had the edge of having the team prepared by college football coaches running the show on both sides of the ball and the special teams. With only one win over FBS competition in 24 games, the inability of the coaching staff to prepare to this level of play was grossly on display in every unit of the team. Poor quarterback play alone doesn't explain away getting run out of your own stadium by the likes of FIU. It's doesn't explain having Rice hang 77 on you in three quarters of play. The rank inability of the coaching staff to prepare a credible, coherent gameplan or to adjust when things aren't working is the only explanation there can be. The players don't game plan, the coaches do. To get your butt handed to you by FIU at home is an incredible microscope on the abilities of the guys calling the shots on UNT's sidelines the past two seasons. Giovanni Vizza gave everything he had to this team while he was here. He's a good quarterback. People who scoff at the notion of him challenging for the Texas A&M job are simply bitter. Even if he doesn't win the job there, A&M will have a backup that could start at many colleges around the country. But, the truth is, he's got the tools and talent to push anyone on the A&M roster - especially with an NFL-grade QB coach leading him. We lost when Giovanni Vizza left.

The idea is to have fan noise to disrupt the opposing team when they are backed up near the end zone...although, you'd have to have people in the end zone seats to cause the disruption. So, we're back to square one - no matter what kind of stadium we have, we need people in it...and people who will go ahead and yell.

Yes, I understand that. But, someone posted that Bob Stoops wouldn't be as accessible as to get online for a chat. I merely pointed out that he already traveled from state to state every summer to meet fans face-to-face. I just cleared up someone's misconception. Whether we do it or not is irrelevant. Also, I fail to understand why some here are so eager to slam Bob Stoops when Todd Dodge has repeatedly said that he's trying to help us get Tyler Stradford's eligibility okayed with the NCAA for this season. This is a coach who doesn't have to help us, but is trying to, and all we can do is throw rocks in his directions? Please.

Hey, if he gets us to the national title game like Vick did for Va. Tech...absolutely! We already know that Roger Goodell will reinstate him, so have at it!

Yes. Fans will be going to Denton to see him. Not much of a summer tour. But, he did go online, and was gracious enough to answer the hamburger question. Look, I'm not knocking Dodge. I'm just pointing out that other coaches at other school do interact with the fan, but they do so face-to-face. Someone posted that Stoops wouldn't do such a thing online. And, I agreed...of course not. Why would he when he already travels from state to state to interact with them face-to-face? Here's part of our problem - marketing by the athletic department and marketing by the booster club. Those are the elements that put these face-to-face tours together at other schools. We already know our athletic department won't so much as put up a $500 a month billboard anywhere to push the football program. Yes, the school has pulled down its pants and joined the "look how big mine is" club by having billboards touting our enrollment, but that says nothing about the football program. It just says, "Hey, look at us! We enroll a bunch of students, too, just like Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech!" In the end, an online chat is about par for the course with our school. Those of us with degrees from UNT just kind of accept it for what it is. But to throw stones at other programs who are doing more than we are? Come on.

Yes, you have because I've just showed them to you. It's not only on their websites, which their fans from across the country visit, but they mail booster club members in the areas they are going to. It's called marketing. You're just not wanting to see that Stoops, Spurrier and many others get out and talk to the fans face-to-face instead of online. Which is fine. But, it's also skits the truth behind the matter. Spurrier goes so far as to not only visit eight cities himself to mix with Gamecock fans, he sends each assistant out to a different city as well. But, who knows...maybe those other schools' fans would rather have an online chat with their head coach instead of talking to him face-to-face, and maybe getting his autograph or shaking his hand, etc. Online is just so much more of a sell. These other places are obviously wasting their time with these face-to-face meetings with the coaches. I mean, how much more patently backwards can they be by putting their coaches right out there in front of the fans?

Coaching...no tight ends or fullbacks to help block the blitzing on almost every down. Add to the lack of throwing time due to the offensive coaches' poor scheme that Vizza basically had two targets to throw to all year, both of whom graduated. We'll see this year whether or not Dodge opts to protect his QB, or whether he and Ford continue to scheme like they're going into battle with Grapevine High. I have my doubts because Dodge said they'd use a TE about 33% of the time. So, 67% of the time, our QB will be getting his butt knocked to the ground by a free roaming blitzer. I've stopped wondering when Dodge will wake up to the fact that he's coaching against college competition now, but...it's pointless. I also think it's funny that people keep saying Riley can run. Wow. That'll really surprise the opponents. There's never been a QB who could run in the Sun Belt. It's so novel. Gee, I wonder how surprised Ricky Bustle, who coached Michael Vick at Virginia Tech, will be to see a QB who can run.

I'm not talking about camps. Every coach does that. Stoops and coaches at other places go to alumni groups specifically to speak to the alumni. Here's an example: http://www.thesoonerclub.com/03_benefits_caravan.html This year, Stoops went to Dallas, Tulsa, and Wichita, Kansas as well as OKC. The year before, they went to Houston instead of Wichita. Michigan State: http://www.msuspartans.com/genrel/060509aab.html LSU: http://www.lsutigertour.com/ The Tigers do 12 cities including Pensacola, FL, Atlanta, GA, and Houston. Iowa State: http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&...;ATCLID=3737586 9 city tour, including stops in Minneapolis, MN and Omaha, NE South Carolina: http://gamecockclub.org/news.aspx?article_id=11 14 - Eight with Coach Spurrier including a stop in Atlanta, GA; six with various assistants going to different cities Many schools have this type of thing. Those are just quick samples. Bob Stoops is certainly one who gets out and sees the fans. So, he and others aren't behind the computer. They're out front, meeting people face to face. It's the 21st Century, fellas. The head coach is the CEO. Chat room is fine, though, and very cutting edge for the 1990s. Also, Dodge can't oversee the summer workouts per NCAA regs. So, it would be good for him to get out and tour the state - and possibly parts of Oklahoma and Louisiana as well. Whether he ever does or not makes no difference to the original point, which was that coaches like Bob Stoops were unaccessible to their fanbases. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those guys are always out in front of their fanbases.

Stoops, etc. doesn't have to go online. OU has a program where he and several coaches tour Oklahoma and Texas during the summer to meet with alumni groups. So, Sooner fans who don't live in the OKC/Norman area get to ask him questions face-to-face. Like every other coach, he also has a call in show during the season, and he makes one or two assistants available for a live radio spot following the games. The question posed had more to do with Dodge's relationship to the press. For whatever reason, his relationship to the DRC is strained. And, again, it's a sign that he wasn't prepared to be a head coach at this level. He faces nowhere near the daily scrutiny of a Bob Stoops or Mack Brown. And, yet, he doesn't seem to handle the local media well. He doesn't understand that at North Texas, he needs all the good publicity he can get.

At least he answered the hamburger question.

I like that he doesn't pooh-pooh the notion of being in a conference with Texas State and UTSA. Although, I think UTSA will go the CUSA route. Old SWT was our rival. We've played them morre than any other school in our history. I'd also like to see some out of conference action with New Mexico State again. We had some good battles with them when they were SBC.

I threw in a hamburger question to see if he would answer it. And, I used my real name.

Yes, I know. Florida has three fullbacks on their roster, and they use them in short yardage situations. Kind of like...well, the other 118 FBS schools not named UNT.

Good question by Rick...second one today involving the word "Fullback." Dodge, though, can't seem to type the word "Fullback" in any response. [Comment From FirefightnRick ] Do you ever see a fullback worked into the offense for certain situations? 11:33 Coach Dodge: In short, yes. We have plans for some short yardage and goal line sets to have a second back, or a tight end lined up in the backfield. There are some possibilties for that. Yes, coach, there are some possibilites for that. Will you recognize them is one of the questions to be answered in 2009.

They rated him as an athlete, not a QB. However, the.... Nevermind. The rubber will meet the road in about a month.

Todd Dodge: We do have a tight-end offensive package and you will see it a little more this season. We use a tight end around 33 percent of the time, and with guys like Micah Mosely and Cam Montgomery, we will have a much more versitile looks at the goal line. Riley is very comfortable under center, and you can look for him to take snaps under center at the goal line if the situation calls for it. Hmm. If you are at the goal line, how does the situation not call for it?

I sent in a question with my real name "Kevin." I asked about the goal line offense: will we have a bona fide goal line offense, replete with QB, fullback, and tight ends. I also reminded him that touchdowns are worth six points whether we run or pass for them. I admit, it's quite snide, but...we need to score more.

You're welcome. Love the darker green unis. I'd like to see a dark green helmut with those silvery flecks in it to give it a little sparkle like they do these days with a white 70s Worm logo on the sides...and a disco ball hanging above video scoreboard that rotates after we score.

In some defensive systems, you don't ask for high production from your interior defensive linemen. What they want in those is for the tackles to occupy their linemen and create holes for the linebackers and strong safety to make plays. Kansas State used this of system back in the 1990s under the Stoops brothers, Brent Venables, and Jim Leavitt. In these systems, the interior linemen become unsung heroes. They don't get much in the way of statistics. If the players buy into it and are effective at being able to control their offensive linemen, it's very effective. The other piece of the puzzle is that the linebacker and safety have to be very discipled in their assignments and reads. It's a high risk, high reward type of defensive play that creates alot of man situations in the secondary. But, it doesn't matter. If the interior linemen are creating holes for blitzing linebackers and safeties to pour through, you mess up the opposing offense's timing...and you can pile up alot of sacks if the linebackers get really good at hitting their holes. You have to have very unselfish players at DT/NT to pull off this kind of defense. When it works, it's beautiful to watch. In the end, I don't think it'll be a problem. Deloach is more than capable of developing linebackers and Nelson has a long history of producing good defensive lines. If these guys think Eddrick can do what they are asking him to do, then he probably can. The play of the front seven is what has me excited about the upcoming season.

I did ask a question (which RV sidestepped...most likely to placate the current coach) using my real name. But, it doesn't make a difference which name I use. My real name or screen name have no bearing on the competitiveness of the football team. Nor does it have anything to do with the athletic adminstration. Besides, Rick Villareal already knows who I am. One of his flunkies who trolls the board gave him my phone number and he called me personally back in April. We disagreed about many things. I'm not impressed that he called. Nor am I impressed by excuses, which he was full of when he spoke to me. Nothing is his fault or Todd Dodge's fault. They're just two men who are hapless victims of circumstance. The bottom line is, college football teams are judged by wins and losses. This school hasn't fielded a winning squad since 2004, and the last two years have been pitiful. It's not impressive to get blown out at home by FIU. Until such time as we can put up a winning record against at least our Sun Belt foes, none of it will be in the least bit impressive. Nothing Rick Villareal or Todd Dodge say will change it. Talk is cheap. The only thing that changes impressions for the positive is winning. And, those two are ultimately responsible for whether or not we win or lose. The players don't coach themselves. They don't make the gameplans. They don't make the personnel decisions off the field. Rick Villareal has nothing more to say to me. And, it doesn't matter what Todd Dodge says during the summer before the season starts. It's nothing but talk. His effort is gauged in the squad's on the field results during the fall. There's no magic to it. Real name or screen name...unbelievable. Wake up.

Man, the bar is set low: The expectations of myself and of Coach Dodge is that we have to see progress in the number of wins and the competitiveness of our teams. Especially in SBC games, we should be nearning that point where everyone of those games is winnable and when its over we had a chance to walk away with a W. We must elminate those games where the margin of loss is substantial. That being said there are a number of factors that effect the football season, injuries, etc, and is something we will evaluate when we get to December. We should be "nearing the point?" Yeah, okay. But, when do you hold him responsible for not being "near the point?" I'd say unbelievable, but...it is UNT.

Throw in the plethora of players that have left during the Dodge era and you have your answer.