Censored by Laurie

First off...this may have been the most exciting and tense UNT game I have been a part of since New Orleans in 2002...and I watched this one from my laptop in a Starbucks 2000 miles away. Two games into Dodgeball and I think the sky is the limit for this program. I've let about 18 hours elapse from the end of the game before posting and I'm attempting to add my take to the concensus of the board: First, Dan Meager - I am a Gio fan...I think he should be playing to cut his teeth and expirience the speed of the college game before he leads us to 3 straight SBC titles. Just want to clear my bias up and leave it hanging over my opinion. I saw a Dan Meager I have never seen before last night...he seemed a lot more composed and he threw some balls that I didn't think he had in him...especially a couple of really nice deep balls. And after a guy sets damn near every school passing record...there is clearly no way he can be benched the following game...just not feasible. But for all the good...there was still a lot of classic DM. I am going to leave the 3 fourth quarter picks alone...he was trying to make things happen at a point in the game where we shouldn't have been down...hell the first pick where he missed Brock Stickler, he actually OVER-threw him...so I guess I can't be too mad about that. There were two specific passes that stick out to me that typified the night for Meager: Brandon Jackson in the right hand side of the end zone has a step and a half on the defender and if DM leads him 2 yards further its an easy six...yet he underthrew him and the corner had time to close...and Brock Stickler WIDE open on the seem and Meager gets way too much air under the pass and again the DB has time to close. There were numerous examples of both of these last night...some the WR's made great plays on...others cost UNT drives and points. Those saying DM cost us the game...are nuts...but these are throws he's been making for 3 years and the criticism is born out of seeing the same thing over and over. I think Dodge will work hard with him over these next 2 weeks to clean up the mistakes...and I'm going to temper my Gio for QB campaign for a while. Second, Evyn Roman - he's become everyones pariah these past two weeks...maybe because his hair makes him so noticable that its easy to direct ones ire towards him. On defense...I'm of the belief he shouldn't be playing corner on a regular basis...saw some good plays out of the true frosh Ealey and some nice tackles after completions by Antione Bush...and if we're going to praise our receivers for the great job they did...Sanders and Lowry deserve the exact same praise...they made some incredible catches. Roman also made a spectacular defensive play to stop a touchdown...and I think showed he's probably the fastest of the DBs because Lowry ran right past Bush and Weathers...and Roman didn't have the greatest of angles. If we want to a scapegoat in the secondary...its Roy Loren. If we want a disappointment in the secondary...its Dominique Green. And if we want a "I heard Dodge praising him in the off-season but haven't seen him on the field and I'm really wondering why" in the secondary...its Desmond Chapman. On special teams...Roman was a man away from breaking a KR for 6...and he's looked a lot better than Bush or K-Wash bring them out. on PRs...it was about 50/50...he needed to field about half of those that went over his head...the other ones you just have to tip your cap to the physics-defying bounces Morestead got. I would rather have a punt returner plant his feet at the 10 or 15 and play the odds that something over his head is going to be a touchback than one who tries to make a play at the 3. Other observations - Fitz was a Walk-on!!!!!!!!! Colt Mahan was tied for second in tackles after the OU game...and he was relagated to special teams against SMU. I like Derek Mendoza...hes great against the run...but man he's slow...he should've gotten to that fumbled exchange...and with QB containment a huge issue I thought Colt would've been the ideal candidate to spy on Willis...I hope to see him on the field more. Micah Mosely will be great in two years...but right now tailback has to be one of the biggest disappointments so far. Jamario didn't touch the field once again...somebody in the medical field please make a hamstring implant and quickly install it in him. And Cam...our most highly thought of recruit saw three or four plays...I hope its a comfort thing and not a talent thing. Robert Peachey please get healthy so Adam Venegas can slide back to guard!!! He just seemed so uncomfortable on the outside...he's probably our best O-Lineman when hes in the interior...but on the edge he's a liability. Last thing...this next week of practice the defense needs to take a look at Brock Stickler and learn how to tackle...he was clearly our best tackler last night. Sorry for the length...wow, first time I've had to apologize for being too long

i thought he was timid against ou...but hes been solid tonight

99 YARD SCORING DRIVE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hes screwed on up...here he just planted at the 10 and let it go...thats the right thing to do

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YES YES D-MO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

big drive!!!!! NOW LETS GO DEFENSE... MAKE A STOP!!!

strength of the team? my apologies for ever having initiated the conversation of cmparring this d to 02 and 03.

oh my...that hurts

stalling out...bad choice to try to thread the needle

agreed...but thats on meager floating one out there...put that on a line and stick has a nice gain

I want Vizza on the field as much if not more than anyone...but Meager has been playing well...a few underthrown balls...but no telling Vizza puts them any better...this game has turned b/c our defense is playing terrible

Tackling is still woeful

ohhh if meager lead jackson....we have 6 more

HOLY TRUMAN SPENCER!

That guy would be Craig Swann...hands down the worst colour commentator ever...listening to him makes me think I'm listening to a 2-A high school game

Most SMU fans think 1982 was last season...every season...for the past 25 years That is pure greatness...have her accessorize the PSU jersey with a Kelly Green undershirt and maybe an eagle face painted on her cheek and I think you're set.

Nova, Louisville, BYU, Virginia and UNT on the road...thats pretty tough. I live really close to Quinnipiac so I will be there Nov. 11th to do some scouting.

Two reasons we aren't in nickel... 1. I'm not sure what point in the game these photos were taken but I don't think anyone expected OU to throw as much as they did. 2. The linebackers are the "strength" of our defense...who would we be running out as a nickel back? An extra corner in Bush or Roman that DeMarco Murray would just run over or an extra safety in Cotton who you're matching up with a wide out who can burn him anyway? In this play it seems the thought was Mo-Ho and B-Mo could cover Murray and Finley. That said...you can't just play a cover 1 man all game...whether you're playing OU, SMU or Colleyville Heritage.

I just checked the Hartford site (hoping UNT got it wrong...they didn't) but they have a kid from Fort Worth...David Bookman, a 6'7" forward who went to Southwest H.S...could be a large Hartford contingent in attendance.

I've got a little bit of what you might call a drinking problem.

What a tease!!!! I damn near jumped out of my seat when I saw Hartford on the schedule until I realized it was a home game!!! Does anyone have any information on that game as to whether or not its a home and home (or possibly a typo and its actually a road game )? It'd be nice to be able to see a game.

Tap the breaks a bit on the negativity. OK State lost quite a bit...and they still have Byron Eaton jacking up atleast 20 shots a game...especially with no Mario Boggan or JamesOn Curry.

Well...would you consider TSU and NMST rivals? NMST was when they were in the SBC and there were some classic games between us but when will we see them again? When will we get the chance to re-live the miracle in the desert (or live it this time...still mad I missed that one.)? And certainly not TSU any more...though I would love them to move up and join the Belt. After this year when will we see SMU again...and before last year when was the last time we played them? A rival to me is an opponent you deal with and see atleast yearly in most sports and your hatred grows with each passing game. I think the closest we have now is MTSU but theyre 1000 miles away. I was simply curious to understand the angst that so many people on here hold toward SMU...I've never really felt it and so I decided to share a story in hopes of getting other stories as to why people consider SMU a rival. It has nothing to do with class envy or a feeling of inferiority.