GrayEagle

This is the first fall practice scrimmage. It's just a scrimmage..they're not even using a scoring system. The first and second offense teams will run a specific number of plays and new guys will be inserted in both the offense and defense throughout the scrimmage. As such, I'm sure that the only filming is for staff use and will not be broadcast or streamed. We may be able to see some portions later but that has not been stated.

I'll take your word for it that it's a great article. I don't have permission to see it.

I like it. It makes it easy to spot a teammate.

Thanks for getting this thread back on track. If Bryce English says he intends to make an impact that means that he is healthy and will return to form. Go Bryce!

Yes, the stable looks full now but situations change. The new redshirt rule should enable that to happen generally but what if not playing a strong freshman causes him to transfer? Not every quarterback is content to want to stay five years. Especially a good one. Game experience can be worth a lot. Mason Fine played as a true and I'm sure glad that he did. If Kason Martin plays this coming season it would put him in line to be the backup in 2019. If Kason doesn't play this year and Cade Pearson does then he's the heir apparent in 2020 due to experience. I like Pearson's play but I don't know that he's the best quarterback behind Fine. As long as we get one good quarterback every year then I hope that the coach has the option of putting his best two quarterbacks on the field. Now that the third best quarterback can play in up to four games, give him an opportunity in blowout games. In my opinion, there is no substitute for game experience.

We had a recent post about COA benefits. What are the benefits for a walk-on? I assume that they get board. After all, they need to follow a menu in order to be in shape and have a chance for a future scholarship. It would be a shame if scholarship players were eating near the locker room and practice facilities and the walkon had to either leave campus to eat or do without. What about room? Do they get a room in Victory Hall or do they have to go elsewhere and pay their way? I realize that they pay their own tuition and books. At least, I believe that walk-ons pay for their books. Lastly, can they receive any part of a COA adjustment? If they are getting none of these benefits then I've got to admire even more the sacrifices they make in time and money to contribute to the sports program. And for some, they're not even rewarded with a game appearance.

He was also a headhunter. Remember the helmet-to-helmet with Jalen Guyton?

With the exception of the 2002 Texas game (which I know he was outstanding because I was there) what were his stats against the OOC vs the SBC games?

I loved Booger's play and marveled at the things that he did. But, Booger did not face the caliber of competition that Bryce will face. I don't expect Bryce to be back up to speed until later in the schedule but I believe that ultimately you're going to see double-team blocking to keep him out and if that happens Young will go wild. I really think that Bryce will improve the defense, front to back.

He thinks that he will. That's what is important.

Ditto what Deep said. Congratulations, and I wish you happiness for the rest of your life. When is the signing date?

Most of the newcomers are known...notably Austin Aune, Daizion Carroll, Caleb Colvin and Jordan Redfearn. Aune is a former highly rated quarterback from about six years back who has been playing professional baseball. The latter three are scholarship athletes (at least I believe that Colvin is a blueshirt). There are about another half-dozen walkons new to the roster since spring training There have been two reductions to the roster that are noteworthy and a little shocking. The first loss is Creighton Barr. Creighton was a two-year starter at center before being replaced last year by Sosaia Mose. Perhaps injury had dropped Barr's performance level. He was listed as second string center after spring training. The second loss is more shocking...Blake Patterson, our #1 punter, has left the squad. He had improved during last year to a 41 yard average. He will be missed. Three others who have left the program are DB Warren Cotlong, WR Kerry Hall and DS Jake Davis. Davis was expected to contend as the #1 deep snapper this fall.

Let's hope that we get a serious update when the Athletics Center gets expanded in this next year (or two). The Center itself still looks pretty good but the major offices need plenty of work. Since the addition will be toward the stadium, I expect the AD and coaches offices will be relocated there with a view of the playing field. The expansion toward the south should update the weight room to the size and standard of at least any G5 and likely better than many of the P5s. The improvements in the current building should update the locker rooms. We may not be an Oregon, Notre Dame or Oklahoma State but we definitely won't be an embarrassment.

The MAC definitely did not need this. With the exception of Toledo and Ohio the MAC didn't draw well with weekend games. Oh, if Central and Western Michigan had good teams they could draw well enough for the FBS but the rest of the league needs to be at the FCS level even though some were pretty solid in bygone years. The MAC fudged a little to get into the FBS. Several of their members did not have the required 30,000 seat stadiums for Division I (FBS) but were allowed if the majority of the conference did. I think maybe the same held true for the 17,000 attendance requirement. If G5 members want to play on Wednesday nights then it should be on an individual basis, not conference. Only those members who average 17,000 and above should have that option IMO. We need to be strength-ening the G5s, not weakening them.

Can lightening strike Karl Benson again? First the WAC and then the Belt. I don't think that he's the worst commissioner but he sure seems snake bit.

You can thank LSU for that. Tulane was the original University of Louisiana many years ago. It decided to go private so it archived the University of Louisiana name. Southwestern Louisiana Institute had become large wanted a name change that sounded more prestigious so they went to Tulane to see if they ever planned to use the University of Louisiana name again. Tulane said no so SLI filed with the state legislature to change their name to the University of Louisiana. When the bill was presented in the legislature, that august body, composed of a majority of LSU grads decided that it would give it too much prestige over Louisiana State which is usually the second banana in a state's pecking order. So, they said that the Lafayette school could use the University of Louisiana if they could get another university in Louisiana to also be called the University of Louisiana at (wherever). SLI was to use the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Well, they got Northeast Louisiana University to agree to change their name to University of Louisiana at Monroe but since the name was so long they preferred to use ULM. University of Louisiana at Lafayette was even longer. Louisiana-Lafayette didn't fit the marquee either so they just used the sign that's actually on the entrance to their campus...University of Louisiana. Because ULM did not want to use either Louisiana-Monroe or UL-Monroe and I guess because the Lafayette campus was much older, they deferred using the term University of Louisiana. Long story short; anytime you see Louisiana or University of Louisiana it refers to the Lafayette campus. The Sun Belt Conference uses Louisiana referring to Lafayette. Some sports magazines also use Louisiana alone. It may take years for 'Louisiana' to catch on but perhaps in twenty or thirty years through common usage it will happen. It's happened for me.

The Belt has done a few good things, the best of which was adding App State. Arkansas State has improved in quality and attendance. Troy has maintained a strong presence in spite of losing their long-time coach. That's about it. The rest of the programs are 'meh' or lower. Louisiana, Texas State and South Alabama rise and fall slightly each year while staying in the meh category. Georgia State started at the bottom and hasn't moved much higher. Georgia Southern has fallen. ULM gets an occasional win that they shouldn't but their attendance and budget smack of Division II. Coastal Carolina contributes nothing to football, although they do have an outstanding baseball program. When you're at the bottom any movement for the better is improvement but that doesn't move the conference past anyone yet. I do wish them well, however. I'm for improvement in all G5 conferences as well as college football as a whole.

I don't believe that his knee was ever strong enough to make the 2-deep. If you go by the composite rating he was tied for 7th with Chandler Anthony who is on the 2-deep. There are 18 offensive linemen so he would be just above the middle of the pack if the rating is valid. Potential.

I'm a worrier so take this comment with a grain of salt... I'm glad to see Mason bulk up for strength but I don't want to see bulging biceps that might affect his throwing motion. So, I'm glad that he can match the strength of a lot of linemen but from this point on just stay in shape, Mason. The cherry on top has been his intense mental approach to improvement. I believe that we'll see better production than last year (which was fantastic).

What was really said was that he was a successful coach here. Since this was his only head coaching job it would have to be here. Personally, I don't call a winning percentage of less than 40% "successful"; and definitely not in the realm of "great coach".

I truly agree about the G-5 coaches being a bunch of wimps. What they should be doing is pushing for an eight team playoff with six P-5 and two G-5 teams. It would at least partially be redemption for the money that they took from the G-5s when the two levels were formed. They used a coalition to form an anti-trust cartel to keep from sharing as much money as they had been. Other than the playoff drivel, I enjoyed the media day broadcasts and especially North Texas' input.

Man, let's not knock the influx of Okies. Wren Baker is an Okie. So is Seth Littrell. That's the Top 2 athletic positions IMO. Our offensive line coach, Chuck Langston, played at Oklahoma. There are six from Oklahoma on the current football squad including one of the best quarterbacks in the nation (Mason Fine). Bussey is one of our top receivers. There was an all Oklahoma kicking team in Moore and Shanbour last year who were among the nation's best. Ashton Preston was a starting nickel back. We have commitments for 2019 from two 3-star recruits who played in Oklahoma, quarterback Will Kuehne and defensive lineman Domeco Roland. It pretty much started with former national rushing leader Patrick Cobbs, who is still a great spokesman for North Texas. If we can keep getting talent like the above from Oklahoma I wouldn't mind if they changed our name to Texhoma University. (I'm not serious but let me think about it).

I agree that one great season by FAU doesn't seem to say that the Florida schools have arrived. FIU is still struggling. At least FAU got their attendance average up to almost 19,000 this year; above the original watermark of 17K that was set for entrance to Division 1A. FIU, on the other hand, averaged 14,286 in spite of being one of the largest universities in the United States. They are still struggling and I'm still looking for the plus from them (other than one great athlete).

For a former (and current) offensive coordinator I thoght that DD ran a boring offense. It's as if he ascribed to the Darrell Royal theory about a pass. I remember in the TCU game that it seemed that the entire North Texas fans began chanting as one..."Throw the Ball!!! Somewhere along the way he switched to a passing offense, which he used at Memphis, and he became successful. Darrell seemed to be a good guy, always reminding us that he was one of us...a Mean Green Club member. Then he did the unforgivable with the ill-fitting black shirts in his finale. That really put a damper on his legacy. If he apologized for that episode I've yet to hear or see it.

1974. It was Hayden Fry's worst record year of his tenure here. San Diego State came here ranked 16th in the country and left with a 14-0 whipping.