OldTimer

Box Score -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Box Score (Final) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- North Texas......... 0 0 14 0 - 14 Record: (2-4,2-1) Louisiana Tech...... 7 20 6 7 - 40 Record: (3-3,2-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 04:53 TECH - Dillard, Mark 3 yd run (Horwedel, Danny kick), 8-56 3:37, NT 0 - TECH 7 2nd 10:29 TECH - James, Anthony 17 yd pass from Kubik, Matt (Horwedel, Danny kick), 8-78 3:21, NT 0 - TECH 14 06:43 TECH - Jackson, Patric 1 yd run (Horwedel, Danny kick), 4-54 2:00, NT 0 - TECH 21 01:11 TECH - Horwedel, Danny 46 yd field goal, 11-62 4:27, NT 0 - TECH 24 00:00 TECH - Horwedel, Danny 37 yd field goal, 5-30 0:35, NT 0 - TECH 27 3rd 11:54 TECH - Horwedel, Danny 39 yd field goal, 8-50 3:06, NT 0 - TECH 30 08:56 NT - Jackson, B. 15 yd pass from Meager, Daniel (Bazaldua, Nick kick blockd), 6-57 2:58, NT 6 - TECH 30 04:38 NT - Quinn, Johnny 33 yd pass from Cobbs, Patrick (Quinn, Johnny pass from Meager, Daniel), 7-69 3:16, NT 14 - TECH 30 02:02 TECH - Horwedel, Danny 29 yd field goal, 6-56 2:36, NT 14 - TECH 33 4th 02:31 TECH - Jackson, Patric 6 yd run (Horwedel, Danny kick), 7-39 3:19, NT 14 - TECH 40 NT TECH FIRST DOWNS................... 15 25 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 36-188 41-227 PASSING YDS (NET)............. 99 283 Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 23-10-2 35-24-0 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 59-287 76-510 Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 1-0 Punt Returns-Yards............ 2-15 5-24 Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 3-89 2-58 Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 2-50 Punts (Number-Avg)............ 8-39.9 4-33.2 Fumbles-Lost.................. 1-1 1-0 Penalties-Yards............... 10-70 8-55 Possession Time............... 26:31 33:29 Third-Down Conversions........ 2 of 11 5 of 14 Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 0 0 of 1 Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 1-1 7-7 Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-11 2-14 RUSHING: North Texas-Cobbs, Patrick 15-108; Thomas, Jamario 13-64; Meager, Daniel 6-8; Phillips, Matt 1-5; Branch, JaMel 1-3. Louisiana Tech-Franklin, Fredd 10-82; Jackson, Patric 11-44; Kubik, Matt 7-43; Dillard, Mark 7-29; Holland, Johnat 1-19; Hicks, Kenny 3-5; Allen, Donald 2-5. PASSING: North Texas-Meager, Daniel 8-18-0-60; Phillips, Matt 1-4-2-6; Cobbs, Patrick 1-1-0-33. Louisiana Tech-Kubik, Matt 23-30-0-283; Allen, Donald 1-5-0-0. RECEIVING: North Texas-Quinn, Johnny 3-43; Jackson, B. 2-21; Nwigwe, Joel 1-15; Harmon, Robert 1-9; Muzzy, Zach 1-6; Mitchell, James 1-3; Cobbs, Patrick 1-2. Louisiana Tech-Harrison, Antho 5-52; Holland, Johnat 4-71; Franklin, Fredd 4-4; James, Anthony 3-50; King, Freddie 3-28; Newman, Eric 2-43; Griffin, Earl 2-15; Jackson, Patric 1-20. INTERCEPTIONS: North Texas-None. Louisiana Tech-Brown, Weldon 1-0; Williams, Tramo 1-50. FUMBLES: North Texas-Thomas, Jamario 1-1. Louisiana Tech-Harrison, Antho 1-0. Stadium: Joe Aillet Attendance: 19481 Kickoff time: 3:00 pm End of Game: 6:11 pm Total elapsed time: 3:11 Officials: Referee: Marc Curles; Umpire: Thomas Miller; Linesman: John Langlois; Line judge: Angelo Giardina; Back judge: Matt Loeffler; Field judge: DuVal West; Side judge: Andy Britton; Scorer: Chris Weego; Temperature: Wind: Weather: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North Texas vs Louisiana Tech (Oct 22, 2005 at Ruston, La.) SACKS (UA-A): North Texas-Chapman, J. 1-0; Branch, JaMel 1-0. Louisiana Tech-Muse, Josh 1-0; Robertson, Barr 1-0. TACKLES (UA-A): North Texas-Weathers, Aaron 7-5; Branch, JaMel 6-5; Graves, Phillip 5-6; Holman, Maurice 4-4; Miller,Chris 2-6; Chapman, J. 3-3; Monroe, Brandon 2-4; Cotton, R. 1-4; Durodoye, Raifu 0-3; Warren, Steve 1-1; Covington, T.J. 1-1; Miller, Joseph 1-1; Mendoza, Derek 1-1; Thomas, Issac 1-1; Ransom, Willie 1-1; Hutchinson, E. 0-2; Cooley, Chad 1-0; Fernandez, Guy 1-0; Foster, Joel 1-0; Pistole, Chase 1-0; Thomas, Jamario 1-0; Eidd, Chris 0-1; Jackson, B. 0-1; Davenport, Ryan 0-1; Pruitt, Sky 0-1; Mahan, Colt 0-1; Stevenson, M. 0-1; Mitchell, James 0-1; Gilmore, E. 0-1. Louisiana Tech-Robertson, Barr 5-4; Hamilton, Jerem 2-5; Williams, Tramo 3-3; Abrams, Dez 1-5; Jackson, Branno 2-3; Alexander, Tere 1-4; Muse, Josh 1-3; White, Eddie 1-2; Crowe, Wendell 0-3; Collins, Sandy 2-0; Santiago, Byron 2-0; Winbush, Quarva 1-1; Moss, Anthony 1-1; Spurgon, Marqui 0-2; Ruffins, Moqut 0-2; Harris, Quin 1-0; Franklin, Fredd 1-0; Williams, Delon 1-0; Graham, Matt 1-0; Brown, Weldon 1-0; Oestriecher, Br 1-0; Hampton, Torran 0-1; Bryant, Alton 0-1; Love, Ladarius 0-1; Hicks, Quincy 0-1. Game Starters: North Texas POS ## OFFENSE LT 72 Foster, Joel OL 58 Alexander, Josh OL 64 May, Jason OL 67 Rose, Chad OL 66 Lineberry, D. TE 88 Davidson, Beau WR 81 Quinn, Johnny WR 31 Nwigwe, Joel WR 49 Jackson, B. RB 43 Cobbs, Patrick QB 7 Meager, Daniel POS ## DEFENSE DL 52 Miller,Chris DL 56 Pruitt, Sky DL 90 Chapman, J. DL 93 Ransom, Willie LB 4 Monroe, Brandon LB 41 Holman, Maurice LB 36 Graves, Phillip DB 8 Covington, T.J. DB 34 Branch, JaMel DB 38 Weathers, Aaron DB 16 Warren, Steve Louisiana Tech POS ## OFFENSE QB 13 Kubik, Matt RB 28 Franklin, Fredd TE 89 James, Anthony LT 73 Miller, Tyler LG 64 Lips, Aaron C 51 Peeler, Jacob RG 78 Lindsey, Marcus RT 63 Considine, Ryan WR 7 Holland, Johnat WR 82 Newman, Eric WR 6 Chambers, Senec POS ## DEFENSE DL 93 Love, Ladarius DL 97 White, Eddie LB 42 Santiago, Byron LB 58 Jackson, Branno LB 34 Robertson, Barr LB 8 Hamilton, Jerem DB 4 Abrams, Dez DB 9 Bryant, Alton DB 20 Collins, Sandy DB 22 Williams, Tramo DL 98 Ruffins, Moqut Player participation: North Texas: 3-Muzzy, Zach, 9-Gilmore, E., 18-Phillips, Matt, 20-Thomas, Jamario, 21-Fernandez, Guy, 24-Cotton, R., 25-Spencer, Truman, 29-Bazaldua, Nick, 32-Hopovac, Denis, 37-Mitchell, James, 40-Mahan, Colt, 48-Davenport, Ryan, 51-Mendoza, Derek, 63-Cooley, Chad, 65-Miller, Joseph, 78-Eidd, Chris, 79-Stevenson, M., 91-Thomas, Issac, 95-Pistole, Chase, 97-Durodoye, Raifu, 98-Hutchinson, E., 99-Harmon, Robert. Louisiana Tech: 1-Richardson, She, 2-King, Freddie, 3A-Black, Jason, 3-Burrell, Robert, 5-Cox, Bo, 10-Champion, Zac, 15-Keagle, Chris, 16-Johnson, Justin, 17-Allen, Donald, 18-Williams, Delon, 19-Womack, Shane, 21-Moore, Keeven, 23-Jackson, Patric, 24-Hampton, Torran, 25-Hicks, Kenny, 26-Moss, Anthony, 27-Spurgon, Marqui, 29-Dillard, Mark, 31-Horwedel, Danny, 32-Alexander, Tere, 33-Oestriecher, Br, 35-Brown, Weldon, 37-Harris, Quin, 40-Dyer, Gerald, 43-Carroll, Bryan, 44-Crosby, Anthony, 46-Hicks, Quincy, 47-Harrison, Antho, 48-Beverage, Chad, 49-Crowe, Wendell, 60-Graham, Matt, 65-Snell, Ryan, 66-Accardo, David, 70-Bagot, Kevon, 77-Jones, Bill, 81-Wheeler, Josh, 83-Leone, Lance, 84-Gooch, Jason, 85-Winbush, Quarva, 86-Augusta, Thomas, 87-Handy, Roderick, 88-Griffin, Earl, 91-Collins, Sammie, 92-Muse, Josh, 94-Day, Wes, 96-Lewis, Oren. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring

The refs got us The fans are against us The lack of facilities We have a young team LaTech is a good team We are going to circle the wagons, everyone is against our team What have I missed? Gosh, I'm not even going to listen to the LSU game next week.

NT is just behind 27 pts to 0. We did not get past the 50 yd line on offense the first half, 2 To's in the first quarter one on the 3rd play of the game, and 2 or 3 delay of game penalties. 4 first downs the entire half. sorry

Football: Turning the tide Mean Green hoping for offensive breakout vs. La. Tech 09:18 AM CDT on Saturday, October 22, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager has taken his share of lumps during the first five games of the season. The redshirt freshman has been beaten up and sacked, thrown four interceptions and started in each outing during a three-game losing streak. That skid was what made the touchdown pass Meager threw last week against Florida International memorable. Not only did it give the Mean Green a 13-10 win, it also gave UNT hope that its floundering offense might start to show some signs of life. The Mean Green will find out today if this is their week to break out when they take on Louisiana Tech in the first of back-to-back non-conference games. “Everyone is getting a little more comfortable with what is going on,” Meager said. “We are young, but we are getting a better feel for what we have to do to win games. You would be surprised how much of a difference having a better feel makes.” UNT has spent half the season waiting for added experience to produce a breakout offensive performance. UNT has yet to score more than one offensive touchdown in a game. Meager’s 7-yard strike to wide receiver Johnny Quinn in the third quarter against FIU was his first touchdown pass of the season. UNT ranks No. 116 nationally in scoring offense with an average of 9.2 points a game. Only Buffalo is averaging fewer points a game than UNT among Division I-A teams. The Mean Green see Quinn’s touchdown and 14-play, 66-yard drive against the Golden Panthers as a sign that they could break out of their funk soon. “It was not pretty offensively, but we made some strides and put together one nice, long drive,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “We didn’t score as many points as we would have liked based on the turnovers and field position we had, but we scored enough points to win the game.” A second straight win could be tough for the Mean Green to manage against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs won their first two games in WAC play before falling to Nevada last week to drop to 2-3 on the season. “Every time after a loss, you want to get back out there,” Louisiana Tech head coach Jack Bicknell said. “That is our attitude now.” The Bulldogs will look to a solid offense to get back on track in their homecoming game. Louisiana Tech is averaging 24.8 points a game and ranks fourth in the WAC with an average of 131 rushing yards a game. The Bulldogs featured one of the top running backs in the country in Ryan Moats last season, but have used a rotation of three players this year. Mark Dillard (298), Freddie Franklin (198) and Patrick Jackson (171) have all rushed for at least 170 yards and are averaging at least 4.5 yards a carry. Quarterback Matt Kubik has thrown for 725 yards and seven touchdowns, giving the Bulldogs a balanced offensive attack. UNT’s defense has excelled the last two weeks while facing a pair of Sun Belt teams, limiting Troy to 13 points and FIU to 10. The Mean Green are hoping that success will translate to a non-conference game for the first time this season. UNT surrendered 54 points to both Tulsa and Kansas State in its first two non-conference games. The Mean Green have thrived defensively since those losses. Junior linebacker Phillip Graves was named the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Week after posting two sacks, an interception, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery against FIU. Even if UNT continues to play well defensively, the Mean Green will need to improve offensively to knock off Louisiana Tech and pick up their first non-conference win of the season. Running back Patrick Cobbs has rushed for 100 yards in three games and has been one of the few bright spots for the Mean Green’s offense. The senior rushed for 112 yards against FIU in his best performance of the season. The Mean Green are hoping that outing and a rare touchdown pass from Meager are signs that UNT is prepared to break out. “We are going in the right direction,” Meager said. “Our running game is coming on. Once we get that established, our passing game will start to come on as well.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com . North Texas at Louisiana Tech When: 3 p.m. Where: Joe Aillet Stadium; Ruston, La. Records: UNT (2-3), Louisiana Tech (2-3) Last week: UNT 13, Florida International 10; Nevada 37, Louisiana Tech 27 Line: Louisiana Tech by 20 On the air: TV — none; Radio — KWRD-FM 100.7, KNTU-FM 88.1

Football: Turning the tide Mean Green hoping for offensive breakout vs. La. Tech 09:18 AM CDT on Saturday, October 22, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager has taken his share of lumps during the first five games of the season. The redshirt freshman has been beaten up and sacked, thrown four interceptions and started in each outing during a three-game losing streak. That skid was what made the touchdown pass Meager threw last week against Florida International memorable. Not only did it give the Mean Green a 13-10 win, it also gave UNT hope that its floundering offense might start to show some signs of life. The Mean Green will find out today if this is their week to break out when they take on Louisiana Tech in the first of back-to-back non-conference games. “Everyone is getting a little more comfortable with what is going on,” Meager said. “We are young, but we are getting a better feel for what we have to do to win games. You would be surprised how much of a difference having a better feel makes.” UNT has spent half the season waiting for added experience to produce a breakout offensive performance. UNT has yet to score more than one offensive touchdown in a game. Meager’s 7-yard strike to wide receiver Johnny Quinn in the third quarter against FIU was his first touchdown pass of the season. UNT ranks No. 116 nationally in scoring offense with an average of 9.2 points a game. Only Buffalo is averaging fewer points a game than UNT among Division I-A teams. The Mean Green see Quinn’s touchdown and 14-play, 66-yard drive against the Golden Panthers as a sign that they could break out of their funk soon. “It was not pretty offensively, but we made some strides and put together one nice, long drive,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “We didn’t score as many points as we would have liked based on the turnovers and field position we had, but we scored enough points to win the game.” A second straight win could be tough for the Mean Green to manage against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs won their first two games in WAC play before falling to Nevada last week to drop to 2-3 on the season. “Every time after a loss, you want to get back out there,” Louisiana Tech head coach Jack Bicknell said. “That is our attitude now.” The Bulldogs will look to a solid offense to get back on track in their homecoming game. Louisiana Tech is averaging 24.8 points a game and ranks fourth in the WAC with an average of 131 rushing yards a game. The Bulldogs featured one of the top running backs in the country in Ryan Moats last season, but have used a rotation of three players this year. Mark Dillard (298), Freddie Franklin (198) and Patrick Jackson (171) have all rushed for at least 170 yards and are averaging at least 4.5 yards a carry. Quarterback Matt Kubik has thrown for 725 yards and seven touchdowns, giving the Bulldogs a balanced offensive attack. UNT’s defense has excelled the last two weeks while facing a pair of Sun Belt teams, limiting Troy to 13 points and FIU to 10. The Mean Green are hoping that success will translate to a non-conference game for the first time this season. UNT surrendered 54 points to both Tulsa and Kansas State in its first two non-conference games. The Mean Green have thrived defensively since those losses. Junior linebacker Phillip Graves was named the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Week after posting two sacks, an interception, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery against FIU. Even if UNT continues to play well defensively, the Mean Green will need to improve offensively to knock off Louisiana Tech and pick up their first non-conference win of the season. Running back Patrick Cobbs has rushed for 100 yards in three games and has been one of the few bright spots for the Mean Green’s offense. The senior rushed for 112 yards against FIU in his best performance of the season. The Mean Green are hoping that outing and a rare touchdown pass from Meager are signs that UNT is prepared to break out. “We are going in the right direction,” Meager said. “Our running game is coming on. Once we get that established, our passing game will start to come on as well.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com . North Texas at Louisiana Tech When: 3 p.m. Where: Joe Aillet Stadium; Ruston, La. Records: UNT (2-3), Louisiana Tech (2-3) Last week: UNT 13, Florida International 10; Nevada 37, Louisiana Tech 27 Line: Louisiana Tech by 20 On the air: TV — none; Radio — KWRD-FM 100.7, KNTU-FM 88.1

Preview: North Texas (2-3) at Louisiana Tech (2-3) 08:31 PM CDT on Friday, October 21, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle 3 p.m., Joe Aillet Stadium, (KWRD-FM 100.7, KNTU-FM 88.1) Line: Louisiana Tech by 20 WHAT'S ON THE LINE UNT – The Mean Green is looking to build on its victory over Florida International. TECH – The Bulldogs are seeking to avoid a third conse- cutive homecoming game loss. WHO'S HOT UNT – Junior LB Phillip Graves had two sacks, an interception, forced fumble and fumble re- covery vs. Florida International. TECH – Junior WR Jonathan Holland had a career-high six catches for 76 yards vs. Nevada. WHO'S NOT UNT – The team drove into the Golden Panthers' territory five times without scoring. TECH – RBs Mark Dillard, Freddie Franklin and Patrick Jackson combined for 78 yards on 27 carries in a loss to Nevada. STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY UNT is tied for sixth in Division I-A in turnover margin (plus-1.40). KEY MATCHUP: UNT RBs PATRICK COBBS AND JAMARIO THOMAS VS. TECH'S FRONT SEVEN UNT has struggled to get its running game going behind Cobbs and Thomas, who are averaging 81.0 and 36.0 rushing yards a game, respectively. UNT WINS IF: It get its offense on track. UNT averages 9.2 points. TECH WINS IF: It maintains its pace of 24.4 points a game. PREDICTED SCORE Louisiana Tech 31, UNT 13

Look for two recruiting announcements next week. Believe there is a total of 3 ships available, one already committed to a guard from Howe. If you look at the roster at the official web site they had a walk on last year that I would suppose has a ship this year Jared Ruffin g 6-0, 175 froCreighton Prepatory, in Omaha NE. Another new name to me is Coby Ray a 6-1 G, 180 from Plano Prestonwood Christian Acade..both shown as Sophs. Has anyone heard anything on women committments?

UNT's Ransom showing signs of breakout 01:27 AM CDT on Friday, October 21, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – The Mean Green will look to defensive end Willie Ransom to extend his streak with at least one big play to three games Saturday against Louisiana Tech. Ransom returned a fumble 21 yards against Troy and posted his first sack last week against Florida International. Ransom was rated a 3 * by Rivals...one of two NT signed last year. the other was Eddrick Gilmore. It looks like Ransom and Aaron Weathers from Coffeyville this year were excellant signings....along with TJ Covington (a 3*) CB we signed last year from Coffeyville. Both Ransom and Weathers did not transfer in January and missed spring training....thus taking time to learn the systems starting last summer.

DD had Meager throw a slant pass...first one I can remember. since DD came here(if anyone can remember others let me know)...of course JQ had to jump several feet in the air to catch it if the photo on the NT Athletic board is the same pass.

Did anyone else notice this in the reports on the FIU game? Does anyone remember a slant pass pattern that NT has run? All I rememb this year is passes out in the flat, roll out passes on the sidelines and the ocassional downfield bomb.

Practicing in pads will increase at UNT 11:42 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – Coach Darrell Dickey said he will probably conduct more practices in pads in the next few weeks in an attempt to improve the Mean Green's execution. Dickey usually scales back the number of practices in full pads midway through the season, but said the Mean Green needs the additional work to cut down on assignment and technique errors. Offense works to improve on third down DENTON – UNT was 1-for-14 on third down in its 13-10 win over Florida International on Saturday, a total the Mean Green must improve, UNT coach Darrell Dickey. The Mean Green is converting 23.3 percent of its third downs, a total that ranks last in the Sun Belt Conference.

Defense spectacular for UNT 08:06 AM CDT on Sunday, October 16, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer MIAMI – Florida International's offensive line has faced some pretty impressive competition this season, including Texas Tech and Kansas State. That fact alone made what the Mean Green accomplished in a 13-10 win over the Golden Panthers on Saturday night at FIU Stadium all the more impressive. UNT finished with five sacks and constantly hounded FIU quarterback Josh Padrick. FIU had allowed just five sacks on the season heading into its game against the Mean Green. Colleges North Texas 13, Florida International 10 UNT's defense comes up big again in win over FIU Defense spectacular for UNT Notebook: Cobbs: QB Meager shows improvement Game summary More North Texas UNT's breakout performance rushing Padrick played a key role in the Mean Green ending their three-game losing streak. "We had a good scheme coming in," UNT linebacker Maurice Holman said. "We wanted to come after him this game and see if they could take the pressure. We executed our plan." Holman was one of several players who spent large part of the night in FIU's backfield and was part of what turned out to be one of the key plays of the game. UNT was trailing 10-6 in the third quarter when junior linebacker Phillip Graves burst into FIU's backfield and leveled Padrick. Padrick fumbled the ball on the play and Holman was there to jump on it at the Golden Panthers' 23-yard line. UNT scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown a short time later on a 7-yard pass from Daniel Meager to wide receiver Johnny Quinn. Graves finished with two sacks, while junior defensive end Willie Ransom and sophomore defensive lineman Montey Stevenson each added one. FIU had prevented its opponents from getting to Padrick for most of the season, but had to make a few adjustments on its offensive line heading into its game against UNT. Starting left guard Ed Wenger had a concussion and did not start, although he did play. "They were using some twisting inside and a couple of other things we weren't used to," FIU head coach Don Strock said. "We adjusted in the second half, but they still got to us." The pressure UNT applied helped the Mean Green force eight turnovers, stopping multiple FIU scoring threats. UNT used several different blitz packages to apply pressure, but also benefited from rotating a host of defensive linemen into the game. Ransom moved into the starting lineup for the first time this season in place of senior Eli Hutchinson. Ransom responded with his first sack of the season. UNT had just six sacks on the year coming into the game. The improvement UNT made rushing the passer helped the Mean Green force Padrick into enough mistakes to negate his 243 passing yards. "[Defensive coordinator] Kenny Evans did a good job of game-planning for their protection scheme," UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. "We got some guys free and made some things happen when we blitzed. When we didn't blitz, we got pressure with four guys. It was important for us to pressure Padrick because it could have been a long night if we didn't." • • • BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

I was watching a FB game on TV Saturday....can't remember the teams but they were BCS...One team has lost their 1st and 2nd team QB's to broken legs and were playing their 3rd string QB, whom I believe was a Freshman......he really connected on some beautiful passes and played 1, 000 times better than NT is doing.

Notebook: Cobbs: QB Meager shows improvement 08:10 AM CDT on Sunday, October 16, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer MIAMI – North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs said Saturday that he has seen improvement from redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Meager on a regular basis this season. That improvement was evident during UNT's 13-10 win over Florida International at FIU Stadium. Meager didn't exactly light up the scoreboard, but he took care of the ball, avoided mistakes and threw what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown pass when he found junior wide receiver Johnny Quinn on a slant pattern in the end zone in the third quarter from 7 yards out. The performance was a good sign from Meager, who entered the game off a tough outing against Troy. Colleges North Texas 13, Florida International 10 UNT's defense comes up big again in win over FIU Defense spectacular for UNT Notebook: Cobbs: QB Meager shows improvement Game summary More North Texas "Daniel is definitely growing up," Cobbs said. "He is getting better and better each week. He made some key passes and used his feet to get out of a lot of situations and kept our offense going and that is all we need." Meager came into the game averaging just 90.8 yards a game passing and was completing just 45 percent of his passes. Meager didn't reach his average, but was efficient and came up with some important plays. That is all UNT typically asks of its quarterback Meager completed 10 of 15 passes for 79 yards and tossed the first touchdown pass of his career. He also had 13 rushing yards. The former Richardson Pearce standout's performance marked a dramatic improvement from a 9-for-26 outing against Troy in UNT's last game. Meager tossed a pair of interceptions in that game. FIU plays without West Ben West's moment in the spotlight for FIU came to an end when Golden Panthers coach Don Strock suspended his starting running back indefinitely for a violation of team policy. The announcement made just before the game came just two weeks after West posted one of the best performances for a running back in the short history of the program in a 23-3 win over Florida A&M in the Golden Panthers last game. West became just the second player in FIU history to rush for more the 200 yards in a game against FAU when he finished with 214 yards. West moved into the starting lineup when starter Julian Reams was forced to miss the game with a neck stinger. Reams was back into the starting lineup and rushed for 78 yards against UNT. UNT juggles lineup UNT juggled its lineup for its game against FIU, elevating defensive end Willie Ransom and tackle Josh Alexander into the starting lineup. UNT coach Darrell Dickey had praised the performance of both players who entered the season as backups in recent weeks. Ransom returned a fumble 21 yards in a loss to Troy in the Mean Green's last game while Alexander had seen additional time on UNT's offensive line. Ransom replaced senior defensive end Eli Hutchinson, while Brown took sophomore Jeremy Brown's spot in the lineup. Briefly ... Nick Bazaldua kicked a field goals from 20 and 41 yards to break out of a slump that had seen him make just one of his first four attempts on the season. ... Junior wide receiver Johnny Quinn caught two passes for 18 yards and extended his streak of games with at least one catch to 30 games, a streak that ranks ninth among receivers at Division I-A schools. • • • BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

NCAA Football Boxscore - North Texas at Florida Intl Attendance: 14,433 Final 1 2 3 4 Score North Texas « 0 6 7 0 13 Florida Intl 10 0 0 0 10 1st Quarter Florida Intl Field Goal - 25-yarder by Adam Moss. 6:13 Remaining. Florida Intl Touchdown - 2-yard pass from Josh Padrick to Samuel Smith. (Adam Moss kick). 1:13 Remaining. 2nd Quarter North Texas Field Goal - 20-yarder by Nick Bazaldua. 6:47 Remaining. North Texas Field Goal - 41-yarder by Nick Bazaldua. 1:22 Remaining. 3rd Quarter North Texas Touchdown - 7-yard pass from Daniel Meager to Johnny Quinn. (Nick Bazaldua kick). 1:59 Remaining. 4th Quarter No Scoring Final Team Statistics North Texas Florida Intl First Downs 11 18 Rushes - Yards 48-147 27-79 Passing Yards 79 243 Return Yards 26 22 Passing (Att-Comp-Int) 15-10-0 32-20-2 Punts - Average 9-36.8 3-41 Fumbles - Lost 2-1 6-6 Penalties - Yards 15-146 4-25 Time of Possession 34:15 25:45 Individual Statistics Passing North Texas Att Comp Yards Int TD Daniel Meager 15 10 79 0 1 Florida Intl Att Comp Yards Int TD Josh Padrick 32 20 243 2 1 Rushing North Texas Att Yards Average TD Patrick Cobbs 27 112 4.1 0 Jamario Thomas 7 24 3.4 0 Daniel Meager 11 13 1.2 0 Team 3 -2 -0.7 0 Florida Intl Att Yards Average TD Julian Reams 15 78 5.2 0 Adam Gorman 6 17 2.8 0 Josh Padrick 6 -16 -2.7 0 Receiving North Texas Rec Yards Average TD Brandon Jackson 3 12 4.0 0 Robert Harmon 2 23 11.5 0 Johnny Quinn 2 18 9.0 1 Zach Muzzy 2 19 9.5 0 James Mitchell 1 7 7.0 0 Florida Intl Rec Yards Average TD Samuel Smith 8 98 12.3 1 Cory McKinney 4 47 11.8 0 Chandler Williams 4 64 16.0 0 Julius Eppinger 3 29 9.7 0 Adam Gorman 1 5 5.0 0 Kicking North Texas FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt Nick Bazaldua 2 3 41 1 1 Florida Intl FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt Adam Moss 1 2 25 1 1

Tough defense helps UNT end slide 12:21 AM CDT on Sunday, October 16, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle MIAMI – North Texas turned to its defense over and over to protect a narrow lead at Florida International on Saturday. The Mean Green was up to the task every time. UNT forced eight turnovers and came up with a key stop in the final two minutes to pull out a 13-10 win in front of 14,433 at FIU Stadium. UNT shut out FIU in the final three quarters and dodged a bullet when Adam Moss pushed a 41-yard field goal wide left with 1:12 left. The drive was one of four times the Golden Panthers advanced into UNT territory without scoring. Colleges North Texas 13, Florida International 10 Summary Saturday's scoreboard More Colleges "We were able to build on each stop," UNT linebacker Phillip Graves said. "We felt like we were on a roll. They made some big plays, but we were able to hold on." The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Mean Green, which had its 26-game Sun Belt winning streak stopped by Troy in its last game. UNT (2-3, 2-1) almost had to rely on its defense to make a final stand when FIU (1-4, 0-2) drove 62 yards to UNT's 24-yard line and faced fourth-and-1. But FIU coach Don Strock elected to attempt a field goal on the Golden Panthers' last drive. "I thought they were going to go for it," UNT linebacker Maurice Holman said. FIU decided to go for the tie instead of challenging a UNT defense that limited the Golden Panthers to an 2.9 yards per rush. "We have great confidence in our kicker," Strock said. "It's not like he can't kick a 40-yard field goal." The missed kick was one of several squandered scoring chances by both teams. UNT drove to the FIU 10-yard line in the first quarter before sophomore running back Jamario Thomas lost a fumble. UNT also had a first down at the Golden Panthers' 3-yard line in the second quarter but failed to score. "We didn't take advantage of our opportunities like we should, but we protected the ball like I like for us to protect it," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "We have just got to get to a point where when we get turnovers, we take advantage of them." UNT fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but senior kicker Nick Bazaldua kicked a pair of field goals before halftime. UNT finished its comeback when Holman recovered Josh Padrick's fumble at the Golden Panthers' 23-yard line in the third quarter. Three plays later, UNT capitalized when wide receiver Johnny Quinn caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Meager. Meager finished with only 79 yards passing, and Patrick Cobbs posted 112 yards rushing. Padrick threw for 243 yards for FIU, but he couldn't push the Golden Panthers past a Mean Green team looking to bounce back from a tough loss. "The win was big because we did what we needed to do to get it done," Cobbs said. "Our defense made some plays. Hopefully we can build off of it." E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com DMN De

You are correct, a win is a win, but that does not mean NT is headed back in the right direction....we had 11 first downs to FIU's 18, FIU had 8 turnovers to NT and we could only score 13 points and only the second offensive touchdown of the year, NT had 15 penalties .....more penalties than points scored. An this was to a FIU team that only started FB in 2002 and has never beaten a 1A opponent. I do not consider this as headed in the right direction.

2002 was the first year FIU fielded a FB team...this is just their 4th year to play FB.....and we are behind them at this point evidently without a TD

nfm

UNT up against airborne Panthers 07:56 AM CDT on Saturday, October 15, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle North Texas coach Darrell Dickey knew of Don Strock long before he became the head coach at Florida International. Dickey watched Strock rack up more than 6,000 passing yards as the starting quarterback at Virginia Tech and then play with the Miami Dolphins. That experience could offer the Mean Green an indication of what they will face today, with kickoff set for 5 p.m., in a game against the Golden Panthers at FIU Stadium. "Don Strock was a great college and professional quarterback," Dickey said. "He has installed a lot of things that he did in professional football in his team. They have only been sacked a few times this year, even though they throw the ball from the pocket a lot." FIU might not have a quarterback to rival Strock in his playing days, but Josh Padrick has more than sufficed. Padrick enters the weekend ranked first in the Sun Belt in passing with an average of 205.5 yards a game. The Golden Panthers torched Arkansas State for 362 yards passing in their first Sun Belt Conference game and added 226 yards last week in a win over in-state rival Florida A&M. FIU (1-3, 0-1) had two weeks to prepare for the Mean Green since that win on Oct. 1 and will no doubt have some more tricks to throw at UNT (1-3, 1-1) with a passing attack that has already been highly effective. The Golden Panthers rank near the top of every statistical category in the Sun Belt when it comes to throwing the ball. FIU leads the league in passing yards with an average of 239.0 a game, a total that is more than 40 yards better than the nearest competition. Florida Atlantic's average of 195.8 yards a game ranks second in the league. Junior flanker Chandler Williams also leads the Sun Belt in receptions (5.25 per game) and receiving yards (79.2 yards per game). UNT's defense is looking for just about any way to slow Padrick down. "It's going to be huge to get some pressure on their quarterback," UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman said. "They have a pro-style offense, use a lot of five-step drops and haven't given up that many sacks. We have gotten better at getting to the quarterback by using stunts and blitzes. We will have to get better this week." Those strategies paid off against Troy. Chapman posted two of UNT's three sacks in a loss to the Trojans to push the Mean Green's season total to six. Building on that total could be a challenge against FIU and Padrick. Strock's pro-style offense often includes deep drops that give defensive players a long way to go to reach Padrick. FIU has thrown the ball 144 times this season while allowing just five sacks. The total is impressive considering the Golden Panthers have faced Texas Tech and Kansas State. UNT is hoping to limit Padrick not only by getting to him with a solid pass rush, but also by keeping him off the field with an effective running game. The Mean Green have struggled to get their running game going this year behind Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas. UNT is averaging just 102.2 rushing yards per game, well off of its average of 186.4 yards per game last season. That total has contributed to the Mean Green holding the ball for an average of 26:30 a game. Dickey and UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said they have seen progress in practice that could help the Mean Green break through. FIU is just hoping that improvement does not come today. Cobbs is averaging just 73.2 yards a game, while Thomas is posting 39.0. "They have a running game that is the equal of any we have seen," Strock said. "With the last two national [rushing] champs, it is certainly something that concerns us." The timing of the game is also a concern for FIU. The Mean Green are coming off a loss to Troy that ended their 26-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak. UNT is looking to get back on track with a win over FIU that could help the Mean Green stay in contention for the conference title. "I can't say that it is perfect timing for us," Strock said. "They have a lot of pride as a team, which is obvious when you look the fact that they won 26 straight conference games. They will want to start all over again this week." • • • BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

UNT men, women hoopsters begin practice this weekend 08:14 AM CDT on Friday, October 14, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer North Texas women's basketball coach Tina Slinker has been looking forward to this weekend ever since Middle Tennessee's Patrice Holmes stunned the Mean Green last season. UNT took the eventual conference champion to overtime before Holmes made a few key plays late to sink the Mean Green in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. All but two of UNT's players from that team will be back on the floor this weekend when both the Mean Green's men's and women's teams open practice for the 2005-06 season. "This is the most experienced team we have had in a while," Slinker said. "We have four seniors who have all been in the program. I am very excited about starting practice." The UNT women will open practice on Saturday morning, while the men will practice on Friday night, the first day Division I college basketball teams can begin preparing for their regular season opener. Both UNT teams are looking to build on 14-14 seasons. The UNT women will only have a few issues to sort out while preparing for their exhibition opener on Nov. 2 against the Houston Jaguars. The Mean Green return Bobo and junior post Mia Ajekwu, who averaged 13.0 and 11.3 points a game, respectively, last season. Four other players who started at least 13 games also return. UNT will add four freshmen recruits and Amber Jackson to that core. Jackson, a 6-2 forward, was expected to be an impact player as a freshman last year, but missed the season with a knee injury. "It's big to get Amber back," Slinker said. "She has shown signs that she has recovered and can make a big impact this year." The UNT men will have a different look after the departure of five players, including Leonard Hopkins. UNT's starting shooting guard led the team in scoring with an average of 18.1 points a game and was named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference for the second straight season as a senior last year. Junior guard Calvin Watson averaged 11.3 points a game last season and is the Mean Green's leading returning scorer. Point guard Isaac Hines and center Jeffrey Simpson are also back after starting as juniors last season. UNT will add several key recruits to that core, including shooting guard Kendrick Davis. The Arkansas transfer is one of several in-coming recruits UNT will de-pend on this season, which will begin with its exhibition opener against Abilene Christian on Nov. 11 The Mean Green have seven new players on their roster. "We are excited to get to work on Friday and prepare for what we think will be a great season," head coach Johnny Jones said. "This team has done a tremendous job in strength and conditioning, is close and is one of the most competitive teams I have had since I have been here." • • • BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

UNT ready to face FIU for first time Golden Panthers faltering in first Sun Belt season 07:15 AM CDT on Friday, October 14, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer North Texas will face a familiar challenge this weekend when the Mean Green take on Florida International. FIU hails from one of the nation's hotbeds for high school football recruits, is loaded with returning players and is in the process of moving up from Division I-AA. The scenario is almost exactly what the Mean Green encountered last year against Florida Atlantic, which pulled off a stunning upset of UNT at Fouts Field. That 20-13 loss has been on the minds of UNT's players and coaches heading into their second game against the Sun Belt's new Florida contingent. "For a team that has been Division I for one or two years, they have more older players than we do," Dickey said. "If you look at their offense and defense across the board, they have a number of seniors. It's the same scenario that we faced with Florida Atlantic last year." FIU has six senior starters on offense and another five on defense. The Golden Panthers struggled to take advantage of that experience early in the season when they opened with three straight losses, but were competitive against Kansas State in their season opener. That same Wildcat team drubbed the Mean Green 54-7 just two weeks ago. FIU broke through for its first win of the season on Oct. 1 by taking out in-state rival Florida A&M, 23-3. The Golden Panthers have been preparing for their first home game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference ever since. The Mean Green have never played FIU, but know just what to expect from the Golden Panthers. "Florida schools have a lot of speed," UNT linebacker Derek Mendoza said. "We need to have a good game plan going in and execute it. That's what we haven't been doing. We have had good game plans, but we haven't executed." FIU's speed has helped the Golden Panthers become one of the most effective passing teams in the Sun Belt Conference. Junior quarterback Josh Padrick leads the league with an average of 205.5 yards a game, while junior flanker Chandler Williams ranks first in both receptions per game (5.25) and receiving yards 79.2. UNT has struggled at times defensively this season, but has come up with a few key plays to turn the tide when opponents try to throw the ball. Sophomore linebacker Maurice Holman returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in a win over Middle Tennessee to open the season. Holman's interception is one of five UNT has posted on the season. Mendoza also intercepted a pass against MTSU and credited the Mean Green's string of critical turnovers to getting in to the right place at the right time defensively. UNT will need to come up with a few more big plays to get back on track and turn the tide in its series against Florida teams. The Mean Green have posted a 2-8 record against teams from Florida and have not beaten a team from the state since knocking off the University of Tampa in 1970. There might not be a more ideal time for the Mean Green to break through than this season. UNT enters its game against FIU off of a loss to Troy that ended the Mean Green's 26-game conference winning streak. UNT learned last year that they won't be able to assume a game against one of the Sun Belt's new Florida schools will be an automatic win that will turn the Mean Green's season around. "Last year FAU came in here and played better than we did," UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman said. "We learned last year that you can't take anything for granted." • • • BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. UNT VS. FLORIDA The North Texas football team has only played 10 games against Florida schools, but a few of them have been memorable. The following is a look back. 1976 – Florida State 21, UNT 20 The Mean Green hosted the Seminoles for homecoming on Nov. 14, 1976, when six inches of snow and fell at Fouts Field. UNT led 20-13 late before FSU mounted a final touchdown drive and picked up the win on a halfback pass from Larry Key to Kurt Unglaub for a two-point conversion 2004 – Florida Atlantic 20, UNT 13 FAU snapped UNT's eight-game home winning streak and picked up a milestone win in its transition to Division I and playing in the Sun Belt Conference. 1947 – UNT 20, Florida 12 UNT picked up its first win over a Florida team to kick off an eight-game winning streak. The Mean Green went on to win the Lone Star Conference title.

Kentucky HC position rummored being fired or asked to resign prior to the S. Carolina game...rummored leader...TT coach Leach..among other candidates Mike Price from UTEP Missouori HC rummored prospects include Mike Price from UTEP ( don't believe the mo coach as been fired at this time. Louisiana Tech...rommored prospects include Sonny Dykes and the Tulane coach Fran Scelfo....have not heard of their coach being fired also. Middle Tenn job on line this week....rumored How many will bet Price won't be at UTEP next year?

Not only NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO but hell NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO He would hire a coach that teaches the system he believes in which is the reason so many are unhappy with DD now. This is not to say that RV is perfect, because as many know I have been unhappy with some of the changes he has made,a but he has done more for NT than any AD I can think of and I have been following NT since 1954.

Lets see we have an 11 game winning streak and we are 9-2-2? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm