UNT86

Any time a coach is on the last year of his contract, it is used heavily against the school in recruiting. I cannot thing the portal would change that. Players want to think they will get to play immediately and over multiple years. It would hurt us a lot more than whatever the payout/buyout is for any coach you might want to let go early to have him on the last year of his contract. I was having deep thoughts during our game last week too watching special teams and the number of guys that only play there. IF it were my team now, I would make sure every player burns a year of eligibility. No more redshirts. If they transfer, they do it with one less year. If they are planning on transferring and keeping their year, they have to let me know before I play them in a 5th game.

It also looked like we put #25 Thomas-Faulkner in as the Mike last week and ran a version of Tampa 2 where the Mike has some deep middle responsibility. He didn't really get as deep as most do when they run that, so I may be mistaken, but it sure looked like it. That was a first for us too.

My issue isn't their success. It is that they are insufferable when they win. They have not learned how to win with class. And the fact that The Drive nearly tanked their season and we kept them from being undefeated last year only relieves the pain a little that they kept us from winning the conference the first year they came to Denton.

When our LBs stunt, it is almost always a B gap stunt. We rarely, if ever, stunt an outside LB. I don't remember the last time we brought the Eagle on an edge stunt. We don't cross our DL either. Even when we make a 4 man front with the Devil, we don't cross our DL. They just try to whip the guy in front of them. My thoughts are that the pressure by the LB is intended to occupy a guard so he cannot help on the nose or end. Mostly however, the QB sees the pressure and dumps the ball where the LB voided. Anyway, those are my observations.

This is something that I have noticed this year and especially the last couple of weeks. The timing of our wrinkles, changeups, and key breakers has been really good. Also glad that we didn't just run the reverse one time. Keep running it until they stop it.

1) We started using a nickel package vs Florida Atlantic two weeks ago. We take out a DL and move the Devil, usually #44 Richards, to DE. We move #25 Thomas-Faulkner to the Devil spot and put in another safety. This week the safety was #22 Crosby who has been out for about a month. This was our best defense for locking down La Tech and creating pass rush. 2) When we rush 3, we also have a spy on the QB. This lets our rush pick the best lane without worrying about contain. We only get in trouble when the QB is a better athlete than our LB. 3) Since #26 Texada has become a starter, we have tried several things to cover for him. SMU exposed his height. He was not out of position, but when he had to play jump ball against a taller WR, he usually lost. Against Texas Southern we tried to run some cover 2 and give him safety help over the top. Southern ran a lot of trips into the boundary which put him back 1 on 1 as the field corner. We tried to replace him against UNLV and another injury put him right back on the field. However, you can see the results of film and coaching since then. He has gotten much better. He still gets picked on, but the only TD Tech got in the second half was when he missed a tackle. 4) Our LB’s stunt poorly. Our LB stunts seem to just run into the fat guys and get wasted. Maybe it is because we don’t stunt much. Maybe we don’t stunt much because we do it poorly. It might just be an example of priority during practice time. You tend to get better at what you work on. I suspect we don’t spend a lot of practice time on it. 5) Our defense got a lot better when #25 Thomas-Faulkner went to safety. He plays the short side safety that has to run support more often. Apparently other teams watch film because a lot of time and effort seems to go into matching him up in coverage. He does a lot for us that does not show up on the stat sheet. Many times he makes the play without being the guy that makes the tackle.

How about just don't be a jerk to a kid that is playing his butt off for us?

Yes. Aune is better than Bean. Bean can run, but that is all. He cant hit a bull in the butt throwing. I would take Aune over Bean every time.

To heck with both of them. I hope they enjoy the cash, but you could see last year they were talented, selfish, and nearly uncoachable. Players like this make coaching miserable. You want the talent on the field, but you know at some point they are going to do something that will cost you the game. To heck with both of them.

Except he won against a ranked team for only the second time in school history.

Fans watching a press conference to get excited for a game..... I'll pass, thank you.

Seriously, whet do you expect at a press conference? It isn't a pep rally. He isn't there to get the fans fired up for the game. He isn't going to tell you the game plan. Even if he did, you probably wouldn't understand. There is nothing of value in any of these press conferences and there never will be. If he hates them, I get that. I would hate them too. Same stupid questions... "Tell me Coach, how do you see your team this year?".... really? I don't see the point of complaining that they aren't entertaining or informative. Press conferences never will be. Move on.

He rarely played linebacker last year. He was part of the turnaround on defense. When he went to safety, we got a lot better.

The safety position Faulkner plays doesn't have to cover someone elusive. That position is all about run support and he is very good at that. The other safety covers more and fills less.

I think you will see plenty of two tight. 12 personnel was a key to our late season run. Look at the UTSA game and you will see lots of 12. I don't see that using more than 2 TE at a time really helps us that much, but if Seth wants to take the practice time to teach it, we certainly have the depth. And remember, Seth was a TE coach early in his career.

I I'll take Sean-Thomas Faulkner. He was a difference maker over the last half of the season and just does a lot of things that help you win. Solid open-field tackler. Love what he brings to the team.

I truly don't care if we ever play another P5 program again in any sport. They only use those games now to get a look at our best players and see how they match up or fit in their programs. Playing them only helps them pick the best players off our roster. I won't be upset the day the P5 do what they want and actually break away from the NCAA and become a minor league system for the NFL and NBA. I won't surprise me either when the requirement to attend class is lifted and getting a degree while playing becomes optional at the P5 level. It is coming.

Just committed to us. Go Mean Green !!!

My issue lately with Voertmans is that they have something that everyone likes and don't order enough. They quickly sell out and don't order more. The selection in the store has been good, but limited... and it was limited before Covid. My issue with B&N was that they wouldn't rotate the selection in the stadium store. If you went in there week 1, you could see what would be offered the entire season. Also, the store at the Union closes at 3 on game day when we have a 6:00 game. That does not make a lot of sense to me. I am glad we have a stadium store. I remember the days when we had nothing.

Kiffin is the poster child for everything that is wrong in college football.

He reminds me of Jamario. He is faster than he looks. He makes people miss. He has a burst when he needs it.

Let's also give Littrell credit where it is due. He finally hit on a DC and the defense was MUCH improved. He changed the offense to a downhill running scheme mid-season because of our talent and what we could do best. He took much of the pressure off our QB to win the game and we went on a win streak and gave a ranked team a beat down. He also held together a team that went through a losing streak that could have finished off many teams. He hasn't been perfect, but who is. And when your best assistants get poached every year, it is hard on the program. Remember, the coaching grass isn't always greener on the other side.

At some point, we are going to have to address the pay for our assistant basketball coaches. While we will not be able to compete with Mississippi State for what we pay, we do have to help our head coaches keep their good assistants. And if pay isn't the issue, what is? We lose our assistant coaches, particularly on the girls side every year. It is hard to build consistency when you are having to teach the new coaches your system every year. I know I was a better assistant coach my second, third, and fourth years with my head coach than I was my first. I would suspect that goes the same at the college level.

She chose to play for someone else. I cared before. Don't care now. Don't wish her bad, just don't care about players that leave.

Middle school often uses a smaller football. They are not required to do so, but most will.