FirefightnRick

I posted something about this earlier, that other Belt teams seem to be able to produce on offense, if just a little bit against the bigger teams but we never seem to be able to. Other than Baylor in '03 and Colorado in '04, our offensive strategy just doesnt' seem to get it done. Arkansas State, 330+ yards against Oklahoma State this past weekend, Troy, 320+ yards against Missouri FAU, 246 yards against Minnesota ULM, 211 yards against Georgai. I know this isn't anything to talk about, but Tulsa is no Georgia? This in no way is a complete example of what I'm talking about. You can go back and search through the years past and see that even in blowout loses, and during some wins, that many of our Belt bretheren have been able to at least move the ball against the larger programs. But we consistently have not been able to including a crappy 129 yards against Tulsa. Something is very wrong with this. Thoughts? Rick

Ditto. Good job Rick. Rick

Great game for another one of those "Too" guys. Too small, Too slow, Too etc? Rick

Ebone has a good point. Without discussing too much dirty laundry here, I'll just say our "recruitment" was not at full strength last season. And I believe what AV is describing is us not having the ability to beat the blitz other than the back-out screen. Very few hot routes being thrown, especially none to the Tight End. Rick

I think if I had one question I would ask: At any point in the past, or possibly will you in the future, consider changing to a "Pass to set up the run" system? To me this has been a very interesting discussion. Without a top 10 defense, like what we had in 2002, our conservative "Run to set up the pass"(does not include any passes that invovle a crossing route of any kind) has not competed very well with the bigger programs, with blowouts coming to top programs and outright losses to others such as to Memphis, Southern Miss, Baylor, Colorado, Air Force, etc. And what is even more confusing to me is why does our system work against Belt teams but not against OOC programs...for the most part? Several of the Belt teams seem to be able to compete with the bigger programs during their OOC games at least offensively at times. Even before Troy was 1-A they put up offense and points against teams like Nebraska yet like in '03, they come to Fouts and get shut out? MTSU regularly puts up offense against the bigger programs and FAU doesn't seem to have a problem moving the ball either. I know FAU beat us last year but barely. Other than the '02 Baylor and possibly the '04 Colorado game we haven't had many games where we put a scare in anyone offensively in OOC play. I do know the past two years we have seen us pass more as the season moves on but we are still a set up the run with the pass type offense. Everyone loses players. Look what it's done to OU. But we seem to always have these stagnant offensive outings at the first of the season. I wonder if it's time for a change offensively? Thoughts? Rick

I can and will get over the loss. Like my kids, I love the Mean Green because they are mine. Not because they buy wins every year like other programs, or that they look good, or because win in conference and make me proud, but because they are mine. But what burns more than anything, and this goes back to every good first decent crowd at opening day we have had the past several years(Baylor'00, TCU'01,Nichols State'02, FAU'04), is all the hard work so many people in the university and athletic department did to bring back such a great game day experience for all of us only to send people home with such a sour taste. Plus with all the hype this season has brought about our running backs, and all the media attention that was there yesterday that came with it, media attention all of us have demanded for, for ever it seems, it was just a horrible, horrible time to drop such a "Steamer" of this magnitude. Hopefully as many have said already that most fans, especially those with families will remember the good time they were having before the late second quarter started. One of my officers at the FWFD who I have educated on everything there is to know about NT over the years came up with his family for the day. His second oldest daughter is attending NT as a freshman this fall. She came with a scholarship and could have attended anywhere she wanted and chose NT and according to the family she has had a blast so far. FirefightinJoey got to meet these folks as well and to hear about their experience about the day, everyone had a wonderful time and admitted how shocked they were how nice everything was, all the new facilities , the tailgating and the game day experience and all. Most college game day experiences for them in the past has been at TCU. I spoke to him today and he said regardless of the lopsided loss, he's now a Mean Green fan plus the entire campus really made a complete new and different impression on him and his wife and mostly they are thrilled their daughter seems very happy to be there. This is what we must have for the future. Rick

It was a good sight for me, and hopefully for our future, to see Chancellor Jackson done up in Green, head to toe, and in attendance at the game. He has to know by now that from the outpouring of support that showed up yesterday on game day, that it does nothing but help his cause to see this program grow and flourish. Something positive at least? Rick

Emmitt and Forney bring up great points. And as I posted last night, the secret is out, we have ZERO passing threat. If we had it, I truly feel we would have seen it last night. The entire world knows who is getting the ball, we must pass to stretch the defense. If a defense stuffs the run, we're done. I was glad to see Tulsa continue to put on their traveling clinic of how to play "pass n catch" with their tightend Mills, #20. Maybe, just maybe we learned something watching the guy run around in the open lanes all night long but I'm not going to hold out a lot of hope on this. We had the state's leading High School reciever in catches on our team for 4 years in Andy Blount. He got the ball thrown to him maybe 6 times a year average? Instead, he was used mostly as a blocking back, which he 1. Hated to do, 2. Didn't do well in the first place. A complete waste of talent on the field. Everyone here remembers full well what he did when Scott did get him the ball. Will we finally start to utilize the Tight End after seeing what that position can do to a defense? Rick

The Emerald Express' TD run down the left side in which he juked the corner out of his socks was just unbelievable. At that point our defense was playing Tulsa to the wire and our offense looked as if they were going to start clicking but two holding plays later, including the one that brought back the TD and we were done. Still, I can't get that move he made on the corner out of my mind. Rick

When Phillips came in, his first snap was a roll out to the right and our recievers were heading long down field, but the ball was blown dead at the snap due to a delay of game or something yet Phillips continued his roll out. At that point it was obvious we were going to try something different, possibly a stronger arm at QB. And Tulsa knew it as well. They read that and blitzed the remaining plays Phillips was in there, sacking him at least once, maybe twice. This told Tulsa that Meager can't throw long due to his shoulder. 35 yards seems to be his range and Quinn has yet to have a ball thrown in front of him. He's had to stop on every long throw so far. Due to this, we currently cannot stretch a defense to open the running lanes. Our coaches are in a pickle right now on offense and I'm not sure what else they can do to change it. All a defense has to do is stuff the run, and we're done. MTSU did the same thing last week on defense. Luckily for us, Quinn had better timing on his jump on that one rainbow to the 1 yard line last week. Get ready and get used to it, this is only the beginning. Rick

I sit to the right of the section where the recruits sit. At the start of the game the Talon who was running the NT Battle Flag was having problems with it and I couldn't get his attention to come down in front of our section to help him with it, so I went down to the railing in front of my section and crossed over to the left two sections, including the recruit section to get to him and repair the flag pole. I did and tracked the same way back to my seat. Right as I sit down a nice Eagle Angel comes over to me in front of my 4 year old and everyone within ear shot and explains to me that, due to NCAA rules, alumni are not allowed near any recruits who are visiting and asked if I not come into that section again. I know this rule, it's been explained here before but the look on everyone's face in my section was priceless to say the least over the shear dedication our Eagle Angels have to do their job, and the even more stupidity as to why it is they(the recruits) are allowed to sit in the middle of a very crowded alumni section to begin with if it's such a danger to bring problems...rule wise? For fear of getting North Texas placed on probation and myself getting thrown into jail I didn't have the guts to tell her that a couple of them rubbed past us as they made it down the crowded stairs to their seats at the beginning of the game. Rick

Nine turnovers in the first three quarters, 17 posessions in the first half with more drops than a Rabbit's cage. Ugly! Rick

After spending last saturday afternoon at MTSU's Floyd Stadium and experiencing how it feels to be inside a quality football stadium suite, I can't help but imagine what life will be like for the Denton Chamber of Commerce once they can take hold the opportunities offered them by a new football facility to have their functions in. This is how the ties that bind strong financial relationships between collegiate athletic programs and the business world are formed, something we have really never had before. A new stadium is truly the key to our future success. Rick

Remember the Chromse scripted "North Texas" we made two years ago? I believe I will order our new Chrome AutoEmblem sticker with this logo designed by Zeke. I already have 25 orders for it when they go into print. How many others should I have made? Any thoughts? Should I eliminate the "Mean Green" and just leave the "NT", or all letterin left off all together? All the Green sections will be chrome and the "Mean" and "Green" and "NT" parts will be a black background. Rick

I'd just like to know where the signs are that we paid for and gave to the cheerleaders last year at the N.O. Bowl? If they would give them back we could start it all by ourselves on the alumni side. Rick

'88 UT bullshit TD catch 6 feet out the back of the endzone by Keith Cash for the win. Long ass drive back from Austin. '92? WORST COACHED GAME IN NT HISTORY(for me). While easily in field goal range, Parker forgets what down it is and has the QB roll out and simply throw away the football over the back of the endzone on 4th, instead of at least throwing to any of the recievers in the endzone for a chance to score against SFA for homecoming. Then we get a late field goal to go up by 2 with 20 seconds left, but Parker blows it again by having the kicker POOCH KICK the ball for about a 20 yard kick off rather than kicking it deep with under 15 seconds left in the game. SFA fair-catches it around mid field, completes one pass for 15 yards and kicks a 50 yarder to win with no time left. Long ass drive back from Denton. '94 With a 5 point lead in the final minute and a half against Oklahoma State, Simon refuses to put anyone back to field a punt. The ball hits at the North Texas' 20 yard line and rolls to the 1 inch line.(This has to be one of the most stupid strategic decisions I have ever seen to date next to baylor's fumbled return for a TD against UNLV). Then the Pokes stuff us on three straight hand offs and force an intentional safety, yet we still have the lead by 2 with under 30 seconds to go. But after they get the free kick they complete two first downs and kick a long one to win with no time left on the clock. Long ass drive back from Stillwater. '99 The dropped punt against a&m. Long ass drive back from Irving. '00 The fumbled pass and catch of 40 or 50 yards against Tech at the goal line with seconds remaining. 3 yards to go and it would have been pure elation! Does the ball that gets popped out over the sideline zip out of bounds? No, it goes straight back out to the middle of the field where Tech drops on it and runs the last seconds out on the clock. Long ass flight back from Lubbotocks. '01 The blocked field goal that still futtered over the cross bar for Troy State for the win, sending us to the New Orleans Bowl with a losing record. Long ass night at the firehall after listening to it by radio thinking, "Thank God there wasn't any air travel service other than a homing pidgeon to Troy Alabama". Rick

I like it, I'll take one. My thoughts on it. I bought some new stickers in various forms with that same logo at Voertmans' for my helmet, truck and locker and in a magnet form at the NT Boodstore. People keep asking me what it's for which tells me somehow we need something else to go with it. No one is seeing it in the papers because it's not on the helmets. so they have no idea and I have to explain it. I know it will take time, but for right now it needs some help in my oppinion. Rick

The '01 season opener attendance of 13,000+ is pretty good considering the circumstances. We finished 3-8 the previous year in which the final game had maybe 1,000 in attendance. To start the '01 season off we had gotten our heads handed to us....again, at OU. And finally, we were just coming off a road loss to ULM and went into the home opener 0-1 in conference and 0-5 overall. The fact that we had anyone in attendance at that point is a miracle. Rick

green goblin gets free beer of his choice, all day this saturday from the Mean Green Nation for the top signature of the year award. Rick

Five things that stand out to me. Tulsa had 17 more plays than ou did. Tulsa had the ball for nearly 11 minutes in the second qaurter? Tulsa held ou to 43 yards total passing. 21 first downs for Tulsa to ou's 14. 344 total yards for Tulsa, 269 total for ou. Rick

TCU has now defeated two top 10 teams from last year on national TV. "Excuse me Mr. DFW bus driver, is that seat back there still available?" Rick

It was as much a thrill to all of us 80's Mean Greeners to get to talk to the legend himself after the game and finished off for me an outstanding weekend. Rick

Excellent idea. Anything in print that explains traditions around the stadium makes too much sense. Rick

This is Danny Meager's team to lead. I can't help but think had he moved his aim two feet to the right, hitting Davidson in stride last saturday night for six what the offense would have been able to do afterwards due to the Blue Raider defense backing off a bit. My question is will Chad Rose face another Nose Tackle as quick as Littlejohn? I think having Lineberry playing next to him helps a great deal. Rick

Scott Davis to Marcus Camper, catching the ball over behind the head of a UT cornerback for a 40 yard strike and a first down that lead to NT taking the lead in the '88 game. Scott Hall's final second TD in the Miracle in the Desert game in '01 TJ Convington's 109 yard fumble recovery/return for a TD against Utah State '04. Rick