FirefightnRick

106 yards on 22 carries, averaged 4.4 yards a carry. Rick

I suppose Texas State needs to move up to the Big 12 considering they moved the ball at will on Texas A&Mand nearly walked out with a win last week. Come on, tell me it was a fluke. Tell me last year, without even getting the chance to have his FIRST RECRUITING SEASON(COMPLETELY MISSED IT DUE TO THEIR LATE FIRING OF MATSAKIS) that Bailiff went in to Waco with his second string QB and nearly walked out with a win, was a fluke. Corky Nelson didn't have $hit for money, recruits, facilities...a staff? and his teams competed very well with anyone and I never once heard the man tell the local/national media how his kids backs are against the wall when they signed on the dotted line. Schnellinberger still doesn't have a stadium of any kind to play in, in only his third or fourth year of existence. Same for South Florida, who's coaches were in trailers the last time we went down there and got our heads handed to us. So please tell me these guys successes against the bigger programs, programs who had/have more money, better facilities, greater fan bases were all just fluke jobs. Please tell me because I want to be an enabler too you know. Witnessing this season of piss poor offensive performance is not, for the lack of a better statement for "Us Season Ticket Holders/Long time supporters of the Mean Green"....this is not our first rodeo. Some of you enablers need to read up on your history. The rest of us, no, the MOST of US, have LIVED IT! Rick

Why North Texas isn't on there this week after completely dropping all the running back hype is a mystery to me. No one is killing the Sun Belt faster than us, so you would think we would be there this week. I'm am a bit confused as to why NMSU is on there? All they did was put up 350 yards and 10 points against the #13 ranked team in the nation. I know Cal isn't the greatest, but they aren't Tulsa either. ESPN BOTTOM 10 Rick

Welcome to the University of North Texas. Home of the famous SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE offense! Hey, come out this weekend and support your local SPRH! What do y'all think? Since we are into this support-at-all-cost, free for all I think we should shout it from the rooftops. Be proud of what you got, sort of thing. The "SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE" name say's who we are, and we're damn proud of it. Plus, it's catchy, it's marketable, it's unique and nothing describes our offense more. We could sell this. Also, another nickname with a wild west sort of flair could be: The "Hell or High Water" offense. As in, "we're gonna run the ball come hell or high water". Any other ideas out there? Rick

I'll keep most of my sick, firehall sarcasm to myself. But, tires blow out all the time as we saw twice during our trip to the middle, and speed kills. If your not going to slow down, at least put your damn seat belt on. Rick

To start the comeback in tonights win over LSU, Tennessee completed 6 passes for 40 yards to get them to the LSU endzone to set up their first points of the night. From there on, they spread out LSU and took advantage of their weaknesses in the middle. WHY THE PASS? Because the Tennessee running game, playing behind: 355lb OT, 306lb OG, 300lb C, 330lb OG, 338lb OT .....was earning them: 2.0 yards per carry, and finished with 69 total yards rushing for the game. That's an EXPERIENCED, SEC line that averages 338lbs per man. Someone tell me how in the @#$#@$ we are expect to succeed on October 29 against LSU trying to HAMMER THIS SQUARE PEG INTO THAT ROUND HOLE? Rick

Great post Rick. Rick

Said that from the looks of the crowd tonight that some of our fans have already tucked their tails and run. Said that our team is still young and learning but that the coaches saw some things on film that they can correct. Said we have to do better in the passing game if we are to have a chance to establish the run. Said Danny Meager is still the starting QB but will get Phillips more reps. I can't remember the questioned asked through an email, but it prompted DD to address the fans and how he knows we are dissapointed right now. That he does read the message boards and emails, just not as much as he would like due to time. But mentioned how great of a core fanbase we have, then mentioned those here on GoMeanGreen.com and that folks from here had a flag football game to raise money for Andrew Smith. He mentioned how much fun he had laughing at the guy(Stebo) pretending to be him coaching on the sidelines. He said he fully understands us being upset and critical. Said even to those being critical he apprreciates it because at least those are the people who care and expect to see improvement. Those are the people who are "in this fight along with us". Someone may have something else to add as I'm sure I'm leaving something out. Rick

Just by going from history with these weeknight games after the major egg we have dropped on our home openers and after the one we dropped on the 17th, 9,000 if we are lucky. Rick

Don't compare us to OU, compare us to programs more on our level who seem to still find ways to compete each year on offense. Everyone loses players. Rick

Cerebus LOL! Well, maybe that dream offense should be like what most successful Mid major and larger programs are running these days or a version similar to them. Texas Tech, Utah, Boise St, TCU, Marshall, etc. Anything in which, IF we do get behind, we still have a chance. If you listened to the coaches show last Monday and the pregame this past saturday before K State, DD told us outright that we are not a team that can be as affective and do what we do best, if we get behind such as what happened in the Tulsa game. ?????????????? Isn't that going to happen now and then? Aren't we going to get behind? So if we get behind in an OOC game, I can turn the game off then, or head for the car and so can the rest of the team? TCU was down 30 something to 19 the other day in Provo, did you see them running the ball to set up for a field position punt in the 4th? It's mind boggling. What planet am I on? And obviously some of the styles of offense like what Tech or TCU runs seems to be able to pick up fairly easy, or more easy than ours because I've never seen them produce less than 150 yards in a game, at least not to my memory but I could be wrong. Hell, Tech has had a different QB start for them every year yet they go out and put points on everyone. Even in losses, they produce yardage, move the chains and put up points. TCU too. That's all I'm asking for. A change to what wins or what gives us the best chance for a win. Obviously what we have currently isn't working and 8 years has proven such. Rick

Question: What is a better description for our offensive philosphy? Currently, we set up the pass with the run. But it's more like we set up the pass with the run run? Stupid idea I know, but as far as I can tell, Navy and Air Force are the only other teams that run as much as we do. Navy nearly beat Maryland the first week of the season amassing 343 yards and only throwing 12 times. But that's Paul Johnson's system. Johnson has never had an offense that didn't move the ball that I can remember. Air force beat Washington the first week of the season, but they had a record passing day against us last year. They can be very successful when they balance out. Given this, both Air Force and Navy are much stronger and are more established with a broader range in recruiting than we have, and even they struggle with their systems. We need to get out of the striaght on, power running game since it takes such a long time to reload each year with it. Rick

Am I alone in thinking that, if it takes so much to overcome losing 2 to 3 starters on offense, including getting to the third or fourth week of the season in order to get our running game going that, possibly there needs to be a change in our style of offense? We will lose someone every year. Every Year! How is it that W. Kentucky, Texas State, FIU, Army, NMSU and so many other offensive systems are able to get it on against larger programs in the beginning of the season and we can't. We have proved this offense is very difficult to learn and operate for 8 seasons now. And then, when it gets going, it's not all that great to begin with as evidence in 3 of the past 4 Bowl games. We need a change. Go to a system that our level of talent can learn quickly and be affective in all season long. Rick

...because I plenty of @#$@# copies to share. Soon as I walk in this morning my loving brothers at the station made sure I was aware that it would be perfectly fine for me to cross over to the dark side and support the Frogs, or Oklahoma State, Texas and whatever else they could hang on my locker. Ah, the pleasures of being Mean Green! GoPokes.com is OSU's version of GoMeanGreen.com, but they have a full color, 10 issue a year magezine that goes along with it. This month includes a copy of the Scout.com CD video so you can keep up with the latest recruiting mess. Amazingly, local Stillwater bookstors ADVERTISE with this subscription. What a novel idea? Rick

I see Johnny doing no worse by leaving than staying with this system because he cannot improve any more at what his initial assignment is: Downfield Blocking. It's part of the game, but that isn't what will get him in the NFL. He's already getting interests. Should he get an invite to some camps and show his speed and work ethic, he's gone. Rick

Correct me if I'm wrong. After this season I see us losing: LG Jason May, RG Dylan Lineberry TE Beau Davidson RB Patrick Cobbs Backup: RT Robbie Vanderslice And potentially we will lose Johnny Quinn who could/should leave for the NFL draft. HOLY CRAP!, if we are expected to produce so little this year after losing three starters AND gaining an extra top back to utilize, what will we do having to potentially replace 4 or 5 starters on offense next year? We will be so extremely young next season they may end up calling us the DAY CARE MEAN GREEN. Rick

TCU is 2-0 in the MWC and has made national news twice beating OU in Norman, and the '04 National Champion Utah Utes in Ft Worth. Rick

I hear what your saying, but you loss those three games by an average of 19 points, including a 4 point loss to one of them. Then you rebounded by winning the N.O. Bowl over us. I'd take that any day over a 54-2 trouncing to Tulsa. Any day. And I wouldn't call a 17-0 loss to Utah in the Liberty Bowl a blow out, but I'm glad there are schools out there that consider that as such. Regardless, your program has lived up to it's Motto of: Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime? Did I get that right?, by going out and playing to win all 4 quarters. Most of y'all would have hung someone by now had you been told you were going to go out and play to try and keep it close, and hope for the best in the 4th, only to see real blowouts like yesterday, every year around this time. Rick

Kenny Evans, our D coordinator has done an excellent job here at NT considering the holes our offense has put his squad in. The fact that he can recruit any D talent at all knowing good and well they will come here and be on the field all day getting their head handed to them is remarkable in itself. Lose Kenny Evans and lose even worse. He's by far our top recruiter. Evans also knows what it takes to install a top 10 defense as he was the #2 guy under Deloach. I don't blame our defense at all in all this. Everyone goes through personell changes. Look at TCU. They lost their DC to Texas State two years ago. It didn't change the fact that on offense they still go out and try to score from anywhere on the field instead of waiting for their defense to set them up. They don't care where the ball is placed, their headed for the endzone with anyone they put in. Boise has had changes, Marshall has gone through them, Bobby Ross is in his second season at Army. Losing Deloach is not the problem. No more Excuses. Rick

Thanks coach, I forgot they ended that QB switch crap last year with him and Pierce. Dombrowski is a triple threat still. It seems like he's played for them for 5 years? I remember their other guy, K.C. Carpenter? Good QB that got hurt by just before they played us in that game in '01. Even though he couldn't move he stayed in and played the game. We were lucky he was immobilized the rest of that game. Rick

I agree with you on some points and at NT we have done as much as can ever be expected with the promotions. But then looking back at your record it's easy for you to say some of that, considering it's been 13 seasons since your last losing season, and moreso, it's been 10 years since your last blowout loss. And one 42-0 loss to Tennessee in the middle 90's isn't going to hurt today's attendance at Southern Miss. Apples and Oranges. Rick

I agree wth most of what you say Dawg, but here your wrong my friend. There's a WHOLE LOT people can change by complaining on this board. They can change what they do on their weekends. There's halloween party's coming up, the state fair, there's Cowboy watching partys, another nascar race in November, TCU is undefeated in their new conference....etc....... This offensive system is poor. Without a top 25 defense to set it up in good field position and making things happen it becomes very dismal and boring. And boring runs people off. I've seen it before. I hope I don't see it again. Rick

More offense please. Rick

bump Rick

Added to the list. Rick