McKinneyMiner

You don't need long term coaches, but it helps that each successive coach is an assistant of the previous coach and that a SYSTEM, a PHILOSOPHY and an IDENTITY are created that each coach follows and, if possible, improves on... Ie. Boise St.

I say try and schedule some road games against mid-level BCS teams... Try and get games against Iowa St., Indiana, Washington St., Duke, etc... These are games that would be winnable once the team and program are at a competitive level... See if any of these programs would be willing to do a 2 for 1... Taking money games against the Texas' and Alabama's of the world might be necessary as well, but treat them as stepping stones and learning experiences... Gauge yourself on how well you compete in those games, not wins... Once the program is a little more solid try and get the bigger programs to come to your house on a 2 or 3 for 1 like UTEP did with UT... This process is not a 1 or 2 year affair... It will take upwards of 5 years to fully implement... UNT needs to stay the course and remain patient...

Good call...!! In 2003 Miami of Ohio finished the season ranked #10 in the AP with a 13-1 record... They lost their first game of the year at Iowa and ran the table including a bowl win over Louisville...

The team our beloved Mean Green started off last season beating in Muncie, Indiana was ranked as high as #12 in the BCS in 2008 before losing a bizarre game to Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game and then tanking in their bowl game... In 2002 Marshall, before moving to C-USA was ranked #24 in the final poll...

You are exactly right... And the only reason it hasn't happened to Boise St. yet is that they are willing to play on the road against anybody without the promise of a return game on the Smurf Turf... Pat Hill rightfully thought that Fresno St. had earned the right to host some of the big schools in the Valley after they had gone on the road and whipped them... He couldn't have been more wrong... The only thing that earned him was the right to move up in competition (against the Ohio St's of the world) and remain a road dog... Boise has continued to be willing to travel to play big teams and they are smart for doing it... I am more familar with this in basketball where in the 80's and 90's UTEP had a string of huge wins in El Paso against top ranked teams like Indiana, Georgetown, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and others... They would give those schools a 2 for 1 and it worked out... Pretty soon, though, no one wanted to travel to El Paso for any reason or any gurantee... Too dangerous... About the only way to continue this is to remain willing to always play at least one marquee game on the road... Boise will be doing this until they can break into a BCS conference...

Winning the SBC will do nothing to correct this... The ONLY thing that will correct this is getting some national profile wins and having big time winning seasons in the mix... If UNT were known as a very difficult team to handle either at home or on the road regardless of opponent, the respect would come... Not that easy to accomplish... There are some teams other than Boise St. and TCU that have that cache... Fresno St. comes to mind... Fresno St. isn't the greatest program in the world, but they have a TON of signature wins against BCS conference schools in the last 20 years... They aren't on the level of a Boise or TCU, but they are nobody's joke either... Marshall used to have a similar mystique though they are down now... Once a program establishes itself within its own conference it can go headhunting for lower BCS teams and eventually try and break through against the big boys...

Sports talk radio is a medium of extremes... Most hosts don't have the talent or the inclination to talk about subjects that are not either clearly negative or clearly positive... If UNT were to go 6-6 this season, you wouldn't hear word one about them... Nothing... Too dull... As long as UNT's football program is struggling, then they are an easy target for jokes, and since the hosts don't really have the talent to come up with clever material they will stick with picking on the downtrodden... Bottom 10 type of stuff... On the flip side, if UNT were to go 12-0 in an upcoming season and get noticed on the national level the hosts would use that as a springboard to discuss the failings of the BCS, the bowl system, blah blah... Belle of the Ball and all that... Anyone remember how much air time or press coverage TCU got prior to Dennis Franchione...?? Try none... Not even in Ft. Worth... After the Death Penalty SMU was a total joke and was treated as such... Right now they are barely relevant and you hear very little about them... When they turn the corner and start beating the TCU's they will be media darlings... I agree that local media outlets should show some loyalty and responsibility by at the very least mentioning local teams... 105.3's ommission of a game score for the weekend is cheap and unprofessional... I never worry too much about the kind of coverage my teams get, local or not... The quality of coverage will be in direct correlation to their relevance... Right now UNT isn't relevant and is down... I beleieve the program is on the rise and soon enough there will be a load of people looking for a spot on the bandwagon...

I'm with you... A winless season was a distinct possibility in my mind after the rash of injuries... I'm not saying this rights the ship, but it does make it more palatable to arrive at Fouts next week and have something legitimate to cheer for... Just knowing that the players and coaches are still into the season should be a big boost for a disillusioned fan base...

I admit I was one who just didn't believe that this team was capable of this kind of performance on the road... I was dead wrong and I am glad to say so to the world... They kept mistakes to a minimum and executed an offensive game plan that had FAU totallly off balance at times... Hats off to the players and coaching staff... See everyone at Fouts 6:30 next Saturday... Well done men, well done...!!

But someone might give it a second look because it *could* be a turd-shaped gold ingot... It's all about impressions an razzle dazzle...

5 years $200,000 per...

That is a really good, positive suggestion about what can be done to salvage the rest of the season, and I have to admit it got me a little fired up reading it... However, I think expecting Baine to average 15-27 for 197 and 1 TD and no INT's is being VERY optimisitic... I think under the best of circumstances we could expect Baine to average about 140 yards and I think we can expect about a pick per game... Dunbar and the running backs are going to have to make up the difference... I still think the rest of this season doesn't offer much hope, but I can see how it might be possible to salvage a little somethin' somethin'...

I'm sure that is true of most, if not all, tailgating scenes in college football... The crowd INSIDE Fouts, however, was enthusiastic, loud and provided a great home field atmosphere... I have NEVER seen that at Ford unless the opponent was UTEP and then it was just the UTEP fans shouting down the scattered SMU faithful...

I have been to several SMU games, and you are right, the tailgating on the Boulevard is far and away the best part of game day there... I have personally witnessed, though, that many of the people that tailgate on the Boulevard do not make their way into the stadium at game time... It is an excuse to party on Saturday and more power to them... However, I have been to 3 games in the last 6 years as a UTEP fan/alum where our crowd EASILY outnumbered theirs... That is downright embarrasing for a school of their reputation... I assure you that even when UTEP was the worst college football team in the country no opponent EVER had more fans in the Sun Bowl than the Miners... SMU has an enrollement of about 11,000 and a living alumni base of about 100,000... TCU has an enrollment of about 10,000 and a living alumni base of about 75,000... Dallas has more people than Ft. Worth... And yet, there is no comparison in terms of game day experience, fans in the seats, etc... And there wasn't even before TCU began to get a national reputation... No one cares about SMU football... And I am willing to bet big that even if they elevate their program to TCU levels they still won't have a corresponding interest among the community and alumns... That is just the fate of SMU and I am glad UNT is not in the same boat...

Locksley is a mere 1-14 in parts of two seasons... The lone win being against Colorado St. (this year's version of the Bad News Bears) He is also under investigation for assault on one of his own coaches and a public altercation with a member of the student media which is supposedly being covered up by the university and local print media... I think the 72-0 loss to Oregon earlier this season was the highlight... Down 59-0 at half and all... And to think he took over a program that was believed to be IMPROVING and on the rise... Todd Dodge may be the 119th worst coach in FBS, but there is a BIG step down to 120...

While your at it, ask SMU if rebuilding a program from the ashes, hiring a high profile coach, winning a bowl game and being a favorite to possibly win their conference is translating into "Game Day Experience"... When I go to a game I want to have fun... I want my team to win, but I don't want to feel like one of 316 fans that witnessed it... If all I cared about was standings I would just watch the big BCS schools play on t.v. and check to see to see if UNT won on the Internet Saturday night or Sunday morning...

Mike Locksley is the worst coach in FBS football... Would you trade TD for him...?? I wouldn't...

I actually agree with this in the big picture... My enjoyment of going to the games will not be diminished in the least, but I also understand that changes are on the way and next year will look and feel totally different than this year... But, if you don't win in college football your employment status tends to change...

The Mean Green are in a very peculiar position for the rest of the season... Quarterback - There is no reason to play Riley Dodge at QB for the remainder of the season... He is not the future at that position and supposedly is not even physically capable of playing the position effectively... The only reason to play him would be if Blaine is so terrible that it will be an embarrassment, or if Coach Dodge believes that Riley is the only hope (albeit slight) to keep his job... What would you do...?? For the life of me I can't understand why the offense isn't just handed over (no pun intended) to Dunbar... I think he is literally their only chance to win a game this season... Not 7 games, A game... Did you really ever think that WKU would be looking at a date with us and SALIVATING...?? They are... Trust me... I think it is (or at least should be) a forgone conclusion that this team will have a new head coach and coaching staff next year... I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing, but it might not translate into the win totals we were hoping for for the new stadium... More than anything I hope the players can show some heart and not give up on themselves... It's no surprise with all the bad luck and bad play that the fans are jumping ship, but the players have every reason to play for themsleves... I will be at all the remaining home games curious to see what the team makes of the rest of the season... I'll be cheering myself hoarse, but without much hope...

I say we hire him just to get him out of that "boof"... I watched that whole game and even before I realized it was ML I was convinced I was listening to the worst color man in the history of football broadcasting... He was atrocious...

Try being a UTEP fan... A general look of stunned lack of comprehension graces all our countenances...

Funny thing... When Riced scored their last TD it never even occurred to me that Tune wouldn't take us down for either a game winning TD or FG... I was stunned when that didn't happen... I honestly believed that much...

I admit, I cheer for laundry... The red (and blue) of the Texas Rangers The blue and silver of the Dallas Cowboys The orange of the UTEP Miners and... The green of the UNT Mean Green... Every season I cheer on old hands and new faces, but in the end it is about the laundry... Win or lose I am a die hard fan for the teams I support... And that is exactly what I am teaching my son... I try not to get too wound up about the things I have no control over, like who the coach is, who the athletic director is and even who the players are... Once they are employed by or play for my team they get 100% support (and even criticism) until they are no longer with us... I know some people say that my money and my attendance is my "voice" with the team... I have never thought that way... The team is put together by individuals who don't answer directly to me and I offer my support one way or the other... If that makes me a blind, naive fan then that is what I am... That being said, see you at the next game...

Last year my 8-year old son and I attended the Army game and had a great time... A close, disappointing loss, but a great game... After the season I asked him if he would like to get season tickets for the next season and he immedialtely replied, "YES!"... So, we cleared some budget and bought 2 season tickets in section B... As the season approached we were both incredibly excited... We attended the Alumni game-watching party at Fox and Hound for the Clemson game and had a great time... Which brings us to last night's game... We had a previous engagement, so we didn't get to tailgate which he loves to do... We arrived at the stadium about 20 minutes before game time... We saw the sky divers and got to see the band... The student section provided an incredible, big-time atmosphere... The game was so tense and relentless that I kept wondering how a 9-year old was taking it... Well, he was yelling his lungs out, pounding the bleachers and cheering on HIS team... When the game was over I looked at my son and I saw that he was disappointed, but then he looked at me and said, "I am so glad you bought season tickets Dad. This was SO fun and it's going to be a great season!" Isn't that what all this is really about...?? I want UNT to win as much as anyone... And I honestly believe they are so, so close... But more importantly I am looking forward to each and every game this season and in seasons to come to spending time with my son at a football game on fall Saturdays...

That site leaves off the 1-AA playoff game... This one has the complete record... http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/north_texas/opponents_records.php?teamid=366