The Fake Lonnie Finch

Brelan Chancellor is already the NT career leader in: Kickoff Returns: 115 (and counting) Kickoff Return Yards: 2,786 (and counting) Kickoffs Returned For TD: 3 (...and counting!) In All-Purpose Yards at NT, he now trails only: 1. Lance Dunbar: 5,375 2. Patrick Cobbs: 5,222 3. Brelan Chancellor: 4,706 He needs 103.3 per game to get past Cobbs; and 133.9 to get past Dunbar. Punt return yards in a season: The record is held by J.T. Smith who had 380 punt return yards during the 1976 season. This year, Chancellor has 177. He needs 40.6 punt return yards per game to break Smith's single season record.

Among NT QBs at the Division I-A/FBS level, Thompson is now: Passing Attempts 1. Steve Ramsey: 1,015 2. Derek Thompson: 886 (needs 25.9 attempts per game to pass Ramsey) Passes Completed 1. Derek Thompson: 536 2. Giovanni Vizza: 532 On a 3rd and 5 from the Louisiana Tech 38, Derek Thompson completed a 35 yard pass to Darnell Smith to become UNT's all-time leader in completed passes among I-A/FBS-level quarterbacks. Passing Efficiency 1. Scott Hall: 132.26 2. Riley Dodge: 125.71 3. Derek Thompson: 125.4 Touchdown Passes 1. Steve Ramsey: 69 2. Scott Hall: 50 3. Derek Thompson: 35 (needs 6.9 per game to surpass Ramsey; 3.1 to supplant Hall at #2) Passing Yards 1. Steve Ramsey: 7,076 2. Derek Thompson: 6,231 (needs 169.1 per game to pass Ramsey) Completion Percentage 1. Riley Dodge: 64.7% 2. Jordan Case: 61.6% 3. Giovanni Vizza: 60.7% 4. Derek Thompson: 60.5% (can probably catch Case and Vizza) Career 200 Yard Passing Games 1. Steve Ramsey: 20 2. Derek Thompson: 17 (has a outside shot at getting past Ramsey) Career 300 Yard Passing Games 1. (T) Steve Ramsey: 6 1. (T) Derek Thompson: 6 (one more game) Career Total Offense (Passing + Rushing) 1. Steve Ramsey: 6,568 3. Derek Thompson: 6,481 (needs 88 yards to pass Ramsey)

This isn't new. Someone posted it a while back.

If he tests well, how can he not go? There have been plenty of Dave Meggett-types in the NFL. "Little" guys who can deliver in the return game as well as contribute as a good third down receiver. I think about Kelvin Martin with the old Jimmy Johnson Dallas Cowboys, a guy who Tom Landry took in the 4th Round of the 1987 draft. He was as dangerous a punt return guy in the NFL when Jimmy started to get that thing cranked up. And, he was a good little possession receiver. Lethal.

NT's All-Time I-A/FBS Leaders in Tackles: 1. Craig Robertson: 381 2. Brad Kassel: 365 3. Burks Washington: 351 With 55 tackles on the season so far, Orr sits at 299 tackles for his career. Thought he'd get to 300 last weekend. Surely, this weekend. He need about 13.7 per game to catch Robertson in the regular season; 11.7 with regular season + bowl game; 10.3 regular season + C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME + bowl game.

Adding something to Brelan Chancellor, punt return yards in a season. The record is held by J.T. Smith who had 380 punt return yards during the 1976 season. This year, Chancellor has 177. He needs 33.9 punt return yards per game to break Smith's single season record. It's within reason that he can do this.

Brelan Chancellor is already the NT career leader in: Kickoff Returns: 113 (and counting) Kickoff Return Yards: 2,747 (and counting) Kickoffs Returned For TD: 3 (...and counting!) In All-Purpose Yards at NT, he now trails only: 1. Lance Dunbar: 5,375 2. Patrick Cobbs: 5,222 3. Brelan Chancellor: 4,569 He needs 108.9 per game to get past Cobbs; and 134.3 to get past Dunbar.

Among NT QBs at the Division I-A/FBS level, Thompson is now: Passing Attempts 1. Steve Ramsey: 1,015 2. Giovanni Vizza: 876 3. Derek Thompson: 862 (needs 25.6 attempts per game to pass Ramsey) Passes Completed 1. Giovanni Vizza: 532 2. Derek Thompson: 520 Passing Efficiency 1. Scott Hall: 132.26 2. Riley Dodge: 125.71 3. Derek Thompson: 125.4 Touchdown Passes 1. Steve Ramsey: 69 2. Scott Hall: 50 3. Derek Thompson: 34 (needs 5.9 per game to surpass Ramsey; 2.7 to supplant Hall at #2) Passing Yards 1. Steve Ramsey: 7,076 2. Derek Thompson: 6,010 (needs 177.7 per game to pass Ramsey) Completion Percentage 1. Riley Dodge: 64.7% 2. Jordan Case: 61.6% 3. Giovanni Vizza: 60.7% 4. Derek Thompson: 60.3% (can probably catch Case and Vizza) Career 200 Yard Passing Games 1. Steve Ramsey: 20 2. Derek Thompson: 16 (has a outside shot at getting past Ramsey) Career 300 Yard Passing Games 1. (T) Steve Ramsey: 6 1. (T) Derek Thompson: 6 (one more game) Career Total Offense (Passing + Rushing) 1. Steve Ramsey: 6,568 2. Scott Hall: 6,440 3. Derek Thompson: 6,257 (needs 51.9 per game to pass Ramsey)

The Volstead Act has nothing to do with it. That was a federal law. States can make their own laws regarding alcohol sales. Entities are free in the United States to serve it or not...as you say, God Bless these United States...for the freedom to not sell it.

Other stadium we've been to for road games, how many of them sell beer? SEC prohobits alcohol sales. No Big Ten school except Minnesota...although they lost money doing it: Texas doesn't sell it. Oklahoma, no. Less than 25 of the 120+ FBS schools sell it. So, what is the point?

Exactly. And, another honest question: why does it matter? Get drunk before and/or after the game. If you can't go a three to four hour stretch without alcohol, check into rehab.

I'm thinking it's got to be Berglund. He's got the size, and - we're told - the wheels. I wrote earlier in the week about a Bergdozer (). The thing is, if the line is banged up, and Johnson and Anyiam are not going to be 100%, it's time to simplify. These short distance things are, 'Who is most powerful...my line or yours. My fullback/h-back or your end/linbacker, My quarterback or your linebacker/strong safety?' I think having Derek Thompson throw more shows that they understand that they cannot run with the current line injuries. But, look at Denver/Dallas last Sunday. Both Manning and Romo eventually threw second half interceptions. You can go to the well too many times in the pass game. At some point, you have to take that pressure off the QB and control the line of scrimmage. I know I'm just pipedreaming here, but the coaches are paid - as, now, as well paid as any assistants we've ever employed at UNT - to make adjustments. We can't just throw our hands up in the air and say we can't do it. Or, as McCarney said, "We can't just waive the white flag and throw it 70 times." I agree. But, if your second team OLs are not good enough to step in a be physical, you need to be thinking about how to get some sort of run threat going. Earn that salary!

And, boy...look at how far the bloom has fallen off the rose at FIU. After that bowl season, 3-9 last year and 1-4 so far this year...4-13. I guess we can complain about our lot. But, when you look at how far backward FIU and, say, Southerm Miss have gone over the past two seasons...I'll take our problems over theirs.

This. We've run into a bunch of bowl bound schools. On the other hand...that kind of shows you where you are. At some point, we have to begin to win a few of these.

Run the QB in a Belldozer like formation: Last year, versus Baylor, who had 10 in the box...10! Last week, versus TCU, eight in the box with a ninth later coming over to take an elbow in the face: I mean, look at these things. This isn't a fleet-footed quarterback. Hell, the clip against TCU, it took 'til f'ing Christmas for the play to develop! But, the blocking is ridiculous. Surely, Berglund is at least as fast at Blake Bell. I mean, look at the Baylor clip. He's got the brace on his knee and is limp-loping down the field 50 yards! Blocking. Blocking, blocking, blocking. I'm not saying I don't love Coach Simmonds. What I'm saying is, we've got no one but the starting five who can block properly? And, then, only if they are comfortable together for two seasons? Maybe we still lack the proper depth to expect guys to just step in for other guys. But, dadgum. If that's the case, the offensive coaches need to earn their money and think of a way to scheme around the weaknesses.

That's also the best green we've ever had. Can someone explain why we went with a lighter green anyway? As I recall, it coincided with the firing of Dickey/hiring of Dodge. Or, no...that was a different light green. Now, we're at this green that is greener, but not like the good, old, dark, meaner looking green. Give me the meaner looking green, interlocking NT or SOW on the helmet, "Mean Green" on the collar, and pants with the old school double stripe for $500, please, Chuck!

MTSU being our old rival from the Sun Belt...helping us kick off our first C-USA home game...should help. Maybe we should have marekted it in Austin. Tickets selling on their end of the Cotton Bowl are scalping for less than on the Oklahoma side: http://www.stubhub.com/red-river-shootout-tickets-oklahoma-vs-texas/texas-vs-oklahoma-10-12-2013-4184122/ At least if they are going to watch mid-major grade football, we could have invited them to the C-USun Belt grudge match between us and Middle Tennessee. Cheaper and less heartbreak for them.

Surprise...our first C-USA home game is against an old Sun Belt foe.

One Scott Hall 26 interceptions thrown in 784 attempts = one every 30.15 passes. Derek Thompson 26 interceptions thrown in 843 attempts = one every 32.42 passes. Try again. Two Riley Dodge 20 interceptions thrown in 481 attempts = one every 24.05 passes. Derek Thompson 26 interceptions thrown in 843 attempts = one every 32.42 passes. You lose...again. Three Jason Mills 34 interceptions thrown in 697 attempts = one every 20.50 passes. Derek Thompson 26 interceptions thrown in 843 attempts = one every 32.42 passes. Three strikes, you're out! Four Giovanni Vizza 36 interceptions thrown in 876 attempts = one every 24.33 passes. Derek Thompson 26 interceptions thrown in 843 attempts = one every 32.42 passes. Bonus. You lose a fourth time. Congratulations. Five Jordan Case Eight interceptions thrown in 346 attempts = 43.25 Derek Thompson 26 interceptions thrown in 843 attempts = one every 32.42 passes. Ah. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes. Except for the two-year tenure of Jordan Case, Derek Thompson has protected the ball better than all the quarterbacks you list. Others Steve Ramsey 67 interceptions thrown in 1,015 attempts = one every 15.14 attempts Vidal Carlin 47 interceptions thrown in 633 attempts = one every 15.07 attempts And, there you have it. A nice list of the Division I-A/FBS quarterbacks who have guided North Texas since the mid-60s. Of the whole lot, only Jordan Case took better care of the football than Derek Thompson. Congratulations, Derek! You are in good company!

Amen. Kenny Rogers had more wins in his career than Ron Guidry. But, I'll be damned if he was a better pitcher than Louisiana Lightning!

He completed 491 in 1,015 attempts...less than 50% for his career. Also, he threw 67 interceptions. So, more than 6% of his passes were intercepted. Derek has completed a higher percentage and 3% of his passes have been intercepted. Yes, the times were different. But, the bottom line is, Ramsey played on NT teams that had more talent for that era on both sides of the ball. And, you know what? It's crazy that I'm now a Derek Thompson apologist. When we signed him, I scoffed because he only had one other offer - from one of the directional Division II New Mexico schools. I mocked the people who said he was a sleeper and compared it to Darrell Dickey's so-called "stealth" recruiting that Todd Dodge was supposedly saving us from. Having family in Granbury and knowing how little football tradition it has, then thinking of little Glen Rose down the road a piece...it was just all highly laughable to me that this kid was a I-A/FBS-level quarterback. But, guess what? Derek has proved me wrong and I'm big enough to admit it. I admire this kid a ton. He has bled for this team. To wit: -2009: His redshirt was originally burned in the final drive of a horrible season during a game that really meant nothing in the overall scheme of things. -2010: He suffered a major injury early in the following season -2010: The year he suffered the major injury he was not the starter. He was called to duty because of the injury to Nathan Tune. He was ready when called upon as all players at all positions should be at all times if the give a damn about the program/school which is paying for their education! He wasn't moping, going to twitter to rant, or transferring out because he wasn't The Guy. -2011: He overcomes injury to become the starting QB and leads us to the first five win season, and non-losing conference record, since 2004. -2012: He plays through a season where the fans turn on him despite having few playmakers at receiver, and the main one, Chancellor, being lost for the last quarter of the season. -2013: He keeps calm and keeps the starting QB job despite having the head coach put it up for grabs. -2013: He is among the top three QBs in the conference. He is in the Top 20 for the entire NCAA for completion percentage, Top 15 for completions, Top 35 for QB efficiency. -2013: Through all of the fan bitching about him, he stays above the fray and leads the team. He doesn't pout, rant on twitter/facebook, or embarrass the university...and, I doubt he ever will. This is not a kid who will turn around someday and cuss the fans back or give them the finger or criticize coaches, fans, or teammates. Derek Thompson has turned me from skeptic to believer. After all this kid has done for this school during an obvious transition time (stadium, coaches, conferences), I don't see how anyone can be critical of him. If anyone on that campus can be called true to the Mean Green, it is Derek. We say we want a football team full of good kids who love the university, play hard, and do things right on and off the field. Guess what? Derek Thompson is that kid. So, f*ck you.

Ramsey was 1967-69, three seasons. And, you're right, it isn't apples to apples. Ramsey was throwing to 1st Team All-Conference receivers Barry Moore and Ron Shanklin in 68 and 69, and 2nd Team All-Conference receivers Shanklin and James Russell in 1967. Ramsey's offensive line also included Willie Parker and Glen Holloway, who would have a nice runs in the NFL. Please name me the NFL talent that Derek Thompson has had in front of him and and wideout since he's been here. Is it worth mentioning who was on the Mean Green defense when Ramsey was there? Guys who stiffled many opponents before going onto NFL careers themselves in Joe Greene, Cedric Hardman, Lenny Dunlap. Chuck Beattie, and Tom Gipson? If you ask me, what Thompson has done is equally, if not more, impressive because he has never had the type of talent surrounding him that Steve Ramsey had. Not to take anything away from Steve Ramsey. But, look at what both quarterbacks had to work with during each tenure. North Texas: 1967: 7-1-1, 16.4 points per game given up, defense holds opponents to 14 or less 5 of the nine games 1968: 8-2-0, 18.4 points per game given up, defense holds opponents to 17 or less 6 of the 10 games, four under 14 1969: 7-3-0, 17.4 points per game given up defense holds opponents to 17 or less 7 of the 10 games (again), with five under 14 During the 29 games 1967-1969, the seasons Ramsey started at North Texas, the defense held opponents to 17 or less points 18 times! In 14 or those 18, the opponents were held to 14 or less! The fact is, not only did Steve Ramsey have better receivers and a better line than Derek Thompson has ever had, the other side of the ball kept Ramsey from having to play comeback all the time. Derek Thompson has never had the luxury of a great defense that Steve Ramsey had. Derek Thompson, barring injury will also have started for three full seasons, 2011-2013. Thusfar, and coincidentally for the sake of this discussion, North Texas had played in 29 games during that time span. The defenses have held opponents to under 17 only seven times, six of those under 14. So, you are correct. It is apples and oranges. Steve Ramsey compiled his statistics on squads that were much better than the ones Derek Thompson has played on. Both quarterbacks are impressive. I don't see how anyone looks at the situations the two had as starters and believes what Thompson is accomplishing isn't impressive. (And, it's equally depressing to look back and see how great those North Texas team of old were compared to what many of us in younger generations have seen!)

Going back through Vito's stuff, he had a piece on Reinhardt that said he'd been offered as an OL by Texas State and was committed to them before we came into the picture and pitched him an offer to be a blocking tight end. Regardless, given the number of positions he played, he's obviously a kid who is capable and athletic. I've got a friend who is an assistant at Saginaw. He might have some insight on the kid. Whatever the case, OL or blocking tight end, he'd be a good choice to be a lead blocker in a Bergdozer-type of situation for sure!

Followed the game mostly online Saturday because my son had a baseball game at 3. This is the first time I've seen the blocked field goal (3:00 to 3:30 mark of the clips). Wow. I mean. Wow. How in the f*ck does nobody even touch that guy. Now that I've seen that, chalk that up, for me, as worse than the problems the lack of a run game caused us. Geez, if they are going to block a kick, at least make them work for it.

They are coming down. I thought at the beginning of the season that it would be impossible because I figured we'd be running 30-40 times a game and passing 20-25. Chancellor is delivering as a receiver and in the return game. I really think he has a shot at it! He had 204 all-purpose yards against Tulane. Whether he gets it or not, McCarney will be hard pressed to find a replacement who can do it all like him in 2014.