akriesman

I can usually keep calm in public. But, I completely lost it after that last interception by Rodge as I stormed out of the stadium. As if the first 9 weeks were not bad enough, these last 2 weeks are simply unbelievable. The last two weeks we have totally dominated both FIU and Army. Yet, we somehow lost both games due to mistakes at the worst times. We should have killed Army today based on what I saw on the field. It is completely obvious that Todd Dodge has assembled some pretty good talent here. But, it seems like every critical in-game decision that the coaches have made has backfired. What do you do if you are Rick and Dr B ? This team is soooo close to being good. Is it the coaching staff ? Is it just horrible luck ? Personally, I would be afraid to make a change when we seem to be on the cusp of something really good. But at the same time, these losses are killing our program right now. I don't know what to think right now other than rage and anger. What I do know, is that I have never in my lifetime witnessed a sports season (any sport) where a team continuously snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. This season has been completely rediculous.

This is both funny and sad at the same time. I don't know how many times during the games I have said "wow, I am glad we are not playing a good QB".

I also want to thank Mr Mosely for his thought provoking post. You are not afraid to speak from the heart sir and I applaud you. This forum can be brutal enough to scare away any parent. But, I wish that more parents would take the time to publicly support the coaching staff and the university during times like these. Most of us alumni don't have a clue what is going on from the parents perspective. If you as a parent are happy with your son's education both on and off the field, then that is something to uplift all of us. Your comments made my day. This season has been a heartbreaker . I don't know if I have ever backed a team that has had so many gut-wrenching losses in one season. Coach Dodge seems like a really good man. I hope that he is able to turn this thing around. And, when he does, I hope that he will not take anything said in this forum personally. While some of the criticisms here can seem pretty harsh, these are just passionate fans that are venting their frustration the only way they know how. Some of Dodge's biggest critics here are guys that give almost all their free time to supporting the team. So, while I may not agree with the negative comments myself, I respect the opinions of those that give so much time and effort to the program. North Texas has too few alumni that really care about the football team. I remember a comment by Andy Reid (Eagle's coach) a while back. Andy takes a beating in Philly because he has not won a Super Bowl, despite all the playoff success. Andy never holds personal grudges against the fans and always says that he would rather have passionate/angry fans than those that could care less. I hope TD has the same attitude towards fans and their passions. FWIW, our last coach here lost my support when he dissed the fans, even if it was deserved at times. Sorry for the personal rant

Kudos to TD on this one for taking advantage of his teams talents, instead of trying to force the passing game ! Now, about that defense........

I would certainly think so. I can't believe we are favored. If I was a betting man.......

SCREAMING EAGLE-66. Great post. Like they have said for years, defense wins championships. Our offense is exciting and it puts butts in the seats. For me, going to the games are a lot more exciting than they used to be. But, I admit that a stifling defense will win more games than an explosive offense. We don't necessarily need the stifling defense that we had with Booger to challenge for the Sun-Belt title (of course that would be nice). But, what we have seen over the last few years from the 'D' is certainly not going to get us where we want to be. I still have faith that DeLoach can turn this thing around, as long as he has input on the recruiting side of things. He did it before, he can do it again.

Personally, I think people are putting too much importance in DeLoach being on the sidelines. Maybe he lit a fire under them this time. But, it is definately not a long-term solution IMO.

I would make us about a 2 TD underdog this week. I think we can keep it entertaining at least. We can beat ULM. But, the defense is going to have to be better than they have been over the last 3 weeks. I am not very confident of that

Yeah, we won the battle of putrid defensive efforts. There is embarrassment on both teams right now.

Considering the sorriness of the opponent, that was the most frustrated I have ever been with this defense. Terrible tackling. Undisciplined penalties. The entire first half they get burned by the same exact play over and over (sweep left with cutback). No pressure on the QB. If not for the QB strip late in the 4th, we probably lose this game. Once our defense took WKU out of their rhythm, WKU became a shell of themselves on offense. But, why did it take so long to figure them out when almost every fan knew which play was coming from WKU ? Despite the win today, the last 3 games overall have been very discouraging from a defensive standpoint. With just an average defense, this is a pretty good NT team we have. But, our defense right now looks a lot like last year. Earlier this year, I thought that 2010 would be a big breakout year for this team. I am not so sure right now, because even with a more explosive offense, you cannot expect to have to score 50+ points a game to win. And, our defense has a long, long way to go before they become average. I admit that losing Tobe hurt a bit. But, there is no excuse for todays performance. Anyway, kudos to the offense for rolling like they did, despite the frustration they must have felt at not being helped at all by the defense. At least we got the win. This place would have been absolute mayhem if we would have lost todays game.

"Though the Sun Belt was a quarter-step better (if that) than many I-AA conferences just a few years ago, it is now a full-fledged competitive I-A league that can stack up with Conference USA and the like." Totally agree. The strength of the conference has really grown the last 3 years or so. At one point, the Sun Belt was obviously the worst I-A conference. IMO, we are at least as good as the MAC right now. And, there is a lot more potential for growth in the Sun Belt than in the MAC (also IMO).

That is a really good point. Riley is very deceptive with his handoffs running this offense. It definately helps the backs get extra yardage. Our defense scares the hell out of me right now......again.

It's a what can you do for me now generation. I was talking to a Texas Tech fan today. He said the Tech fans are calling for Leach's head already. Are you kidding ? The guy has overachieved at TT. Texas Tech is is almost a UNT clone stuck in a worse location than Denton (Lubbuck). They do have a much better conference. But, you can't expect them to compete on a regular basis with Texas and OU. They want to fire a guy that has overachieved over the years, because they are not competing for a national title ? Good grief. Our teams sucks right now. But, they are improving over the horrible year last year when we hit rock bottom. Give the staff one more year. 4 Years is all I am asking for. That is the norm for turning around a program.

Yep. Next year is a no excuses year. I think even the most patient of us will agree to that.

Dodge vs Dickey. Ok, the results on the field are not any better right now. However, attendance is up. School spirit is up. We have a new stadium coming. TD does not alienate the fans. Did I miss anything ? Things are definitely better than they were 4 years ago, despite the result. And, we have already hit rock bottom and are on the way up (albiet slowly).

I guarantee that we are going to have a pretty darn good offense next year. But, I expected to have at least an average defense to go with it. After the last 2 games, I am VERY concerned about our defense for the rest of this year and next. I said all along that I would wait until TD has had a full 4 years before getting too upset about things. I still stand by that. However, my confidence is starting to wane.

Man........we............REALLY.........suck.

Man........we.............suck.

Troy 48 UNT 24 Hey...thats an improvement.

Can't help but laugh at that comment.......or cry.

TD absolutely made the correct call, the team just did not execute.

23,310 people showed up tonight to watch a 1-4 (now 1-5 team). Would that have happened 4 years ago ? No Way. Everybody can see that this is a team on the brink of something really good, even though they continue to invent new ways to lose right now (3 kicks out of bounds....are you serious). Our team is getting beat each week because of their own mistakes. However, we are starting to see is superior talent on our side of the ball. Mistakes can be overcome, a lack of talent cannot. Things are about to turn around. We all need to try and hang on a little longer. I have high expectations for this team next year (compete for the Sun Belt). If we have the same execution problems next season, then I will really begin to worry. This team is going to rock next year. Book it. For now, Captain Kangaroo owns us

Exactly ! If TD had come out and done the exact same thing here, we would be facing the same situation. In that case, the only thing keeping Todd here might have be Riley (who could have took a year off and transferred though). We took a risk on a guy with no HC experience at this level. But, he does have a ton of potential and is looked up to by a lot of blue chip HS players and their parents. Things are taking longer to turn around here. But, in the long run, this might actually be better for the program overall if things start to really turn around in years 4 and 5, instead of 2 and 3. As UntJim says, coaches that turn things around quickly are highly sought after. We just don't have the resources (right now) to retain coaches like that. I was initially happy with the hire and I still am, despite the fact that I thought we would be seeing more victories by year 3. The Ohio and ULL games were hair-pulling disasters. But, if you look at things with an open mind, you have to be pleased with the team improvement overall. One thing for sure. It is going to be interesting to see how the team reacts after the ULL loss. Howard is a pretty good coach and that concerns me. When it comes to experience at this level, he and TD are at opposite ends right now.

It is incredibly frustrating to be 1-4, when we should probably be 3-2 at this point. But, I see a cruel twist of fate in the near future for this team, even though right now the lynch mobs are out (understandably so). I don't expect much the rest of this year outside of being competitive. But, next year I can see 7 or 8 wins for this team in Dodge's 4th year (especially if both Cole and Stradford match expectations). Then, the 5th year could be even better due to the maturation of youth and the continued buildup of talent. What happens then ? At that point everyone will be sucked up in a wave of optimism, just to have the rug pulled out when TD gets a bigger contract elsewhere after his 5th season (his last under the current contract). At that point, we start the cycle all over again with a new coach. This is the sad life of a North Texas fan. But, we should at least have that new stadium to help in the next coaching search

There is a fine line between winning and losing (unless you are the 2008 NT team). Right now, this team does not know how to win. The good news is that the talent is here. And, recruiting talent is the hardest part. So, with a little confidence and swagger, this team could become real contenders. That being said, I have never, ever seen a team self-destruct as much as this one. As a fan, it is miserable to watch.