McCarney: UNT won’t pull redshirts off East Texas WRs

Harry · October 7, 2014

A couple of people have asked me over the last few days about the chances of UNT turning to the Carthage wide receiver of Tee Goree and OKeeron Rutherford in an effort to give its offense some additional threats.

I asked that question in todays press conference.

- See more at: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/10/mccarney-unt-wont-pull-redshirts-off-east-texas-wrs.html/#sthash.klJ2LS7K.dpuf

untcampbell · October 7, 2014

Good non-move.

TE's will be increasingly a part of the offense, and that isn't a bad thing.

GMG

Brett Vito · October 7, 2014

MGB update (found the quote):

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/10/mccarney-unt-wont-pull-redshirts-off-east-texas-wrs.html/

Ben Gooding · October 7, 2014

It's a waste of a year if Goree or Rutherford couldn't bring a spark into the offense and help propel us into a consecutive bowl game. If they can do just that then it's a waste of talent. Two bowl games in a row is more important to this program than a year of extra eligibility for 2 players. If they simply aren't ready than they aren't ready and I would guess the coaches know. The coaching staffs credibility is kind of a wash right now in terms of evaluating offensive talent though, but that's a dead horse I'll stop beating right there.

MeanGreen01 · October 7, 2014

Good move, at this point it would be a waste. Kidsy and DT are totally capable of handling this year. We have to remember that until the last couple of games we didn't even have a QB that could get the ball into their hands. The QB to WR combos take some time and this will get even better, they'll learn one another and will start anticipating ones moves. The most important move was to get a QB out there that could move the ball. The young WR's will only get bigger, faster, and will be catching balls with DW during practice. Next year will be fun watching them!

UNT90 · October 7, 2014

Goree turned 18 in late August. This is a good long term decision by the coaching staff.

LongJim · October 7, 2014

On board with it. Good decision.

Eastwood Eagle · October 7, 2014

Good move, at this point it would be a waste. Kidsy and DT are totally capable of handling this year. We have to remember that until the last couple of games we didn't even have a QB that could get the ball into their hands. The QB to WR combos take some time and this will get even better, they'll learn one another and will start anticipating ones moves. The most important move was to get a QB out there that could move the ball. The young WR's will only get bigger, faster, and will be catching balls with DW during practice. Next year will be fun watching them!

I agree with this. Good move in the long run.

hickoryhouse · October 7, 2014

The Carthage Crew will be big players for us for a long time. giving them the extra year to develop is the right decision and if DW ends up starting for us for the next several years they will be a tough group to stop by DW's senior year. Then after that these guys will still have another year and that can only help our next qb as he is starting for the first time. Long term decision with impacts felt years down the line. possibly.

H-towngreen · October 7, 2014

I would certainly love to see them out there but anytime you have a chance to redshirt someone you should do it. 1 extra year in a college weight program makes a world of difference.

greenminer · October 7, 2014

The number 1 priority for this program is getting into a 2nd consecutive bowl and sustaining momentum. It IS worth pulling their shirts if it is the difference-maker.

This is a big risk, IMO., absolutely worth it if we can get to that bowl without them. I'm just not so certain at this point. This team is the opposite of last year: we need an O to jump on the opponent first and give the defense some breathing room.

THOR · October 7, 2014

do the players ever have a say in this decision? i don't know if i would want to stay in college 5 years if i didn't have too...

TheColonyEagle · October 7, 2014

I think it was the right move.

Unless they can play defense, I don't know how much they can help us win this year....

Travis · October 7, 2014

Goree turned 18 in late August. This is a good long term decision by the coaching staff.

Ageist.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · October 7, 2014

If we show our ass at UAB due to the passing part of the offense, I will strongly disagree with Coach McCarney. What we have out there now is one playmaker...or, the same problem DT faced much of his career here as well.

Difficult for any QB to improve when the doesn't have more than one guy he can really count on. Also...makes things much easier for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme if you've only got to take one guy out of the game.

I know this is well covered territory in other threads but...we just seem too thin at many positions for four recruiting classes in. I'm straining to be a glass half-full type fan here because I do like McCarney, Canales, Grant and the crew. But, at some point, you have to look around and wonder why there aren't more viable contributors at this juncture.

MeanGreenTexan · October 7, 2014

If we show our ass at UAB due to the passing part of the offense, I will strongly disagree with Coach McCarney. What we have out there now is one playmaker...or, the same problem DT faced much of his career here as well.

Difficult for any QB to improve when the doesn't have more than one guy he can really count on. Also...makes things much easier for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme if you've only got to take one guy out of the game.

I know this is well covered territory in other threads but...we just seem too thin at many positions for four recruiting classes in. I'm straining to be a glass half-full type fan here because I do like McCarney, Canales, Grant and the crew. But, at some point, you have to look around and wonder why there aren't more viable contributors at this juncture.

Time for my adopted player to get into the mix a little more.

Harry · October 7, 2014

If we show our ass at UAB due to the passing part of the offense, I will strongly disagree with Coach McCarney. What we have out there now is one playmaker...or, the same problem DT faced much of his career here as well.

Difficult for any QB to improve when the doesn't have more than one guy he can really count on. Also...makes things much easier for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme if you've only got to take one guy out of the game.

I know this is well covered territory in other threads but...we just seem too thin at many positions for four recruiting classes in. I'm straining to be a glass half-full type fan here because I do like McCarney, Canales, Grant and the crew. But, at some point, you have to look around and wonder why there aren't more viable contributors at this juncture.

Too early to jump ship and question Mac. Indiana was just better as was Texas and La. Tech is the best in the west with their one and done transfer QB. Let's see how UAB roadie goes and then I may join you.

Cerebus · October 7, 2014

Let's see how UAB roadie goes and then I may join you.

It'll be too late by then. At that point we'll have two conference losses and will need to finish 4-2 (against USM, Rice, FAU, UTEP, FIU and UTSA) to even become bowl eligible. Realistically with two losses already we'll need to finish with seven wins to get a bowl invite, that means going 5-1 against that group. I wouldn't like our chances.

We are five games into the season, we have a really good idea of what we are. We have an offense that is going to rely on a redshirt freshman playmaker, and a defense who struggles to get penetration without the blitz and then struggles with coverage when we do blitz. The only paths I see to a bowl game for that mix is:

1) For Dajon to play near perfect most games. I don't see that happening. He is a talent, but he is raw. He will make a play that will make your jaw drop, and he will make a play that will make you bury your face in your hands. Often in the same game, sometimes in the same drive.

2) Skladany to figure out some blitzing scheme that allows us to create pressure. I don't see this as being to likely either. On one hand I have a ton of trust in Skladany, but on the other he already has had plenty of time with this group to try and create that. Maybe he just doesn't have the people to do it.

3) Winning shootouts by getting new playmakers into the offense.

It's make or break time for this season. I don't know why we aren't playing all our chips. Back to back bowl games will lead to recruiting success.

Ben Gooding · October 7, 2014

I've already jumped ship, did it last year while watching our offense. You can't consistently do what Alabama does on offense and defense as a G5 school and expect to string together success. We can't recruit, we haven't adjusted well this year and player development talk by coaches and fans alike is just an excuse for poor recruiting. Good defense and great special teams is a great recipe for winning if you're a top 25 recruiting class year in and year out. But times are changing and freaking Alabama is even trying to open their offense up quite a bit. I don't trust McCarney and what he tries to do schematically on O or D. Offense has opened up slightly bc of necessity, not bc of want. We get another 1:1 QB he will be starting him, but this time without a defense. Year 4 and his defensive philosophy is stop the run with DE sized players at DT, LB sized players at DE. It's a gaggle F right now and in year 4 that is concerning. If the 2012 Alabama team rushed for 363 on us then OK, no excuse for giving that up to Indiana. But Mac's excuse is we aren't as talented? Terrible.

untcampbell · October 8, 2014

I would argue the momentum from last season was gone after the Texas game. Back to earth....and reality.

The "momentum" was really one game in January of 2014. It was great for the program, and it did not go away. I will enjoy that win for many years to come.

We will get it back the next time we get into a bowl game that a lot of people can attend, whether that is this year or next. We have a bunch of folks (not fans, really) that will never see a game at Apogee, never look at a message board, don't give to the program, pull for Texa$ or A$M or whoever is winning that year and don't own a North Texas t-shirt.

I smiled broadly when they showed up in Dallas. Whether they intended it or not, they helped us look like a program with some fans and likely helped us pull out a win. When we win consistently, they may prove me wrong and make it back to Denton.

I think Coach thinks he can win with this team, and is willing to go with his guys win or lose. Bright side: if we win this year, we will be even better next year. I don't see another 10 year bowl drought ahead.

In the mean time, any time we can get an extra year for our kids is good for the program and I am happy we will have, among others, the Carthage men, Dajon and CMeans for five years.

GMG

Edited October 8, 2014 by untcampbell

Eagle1855 · October 8, 2014

I think going to back-to-back with bowls games matters immensely. It's easier to sell the program as one that is trending upward, rather than one that had a fluke winning season. That said, we're a young team. And one down year in a run of several good ones probably doesn't matter that much.

I appreciate the strategy of keeping the redshirts for the future. However, as bad as we've been, we're still very much alive and well in C-USA -- this season. Mac has said we're "not as talented" and I have a hard to figuring out what that means or how that's to be remedied if you've got guys that are immensely talented sitting on the bench.

Like I said, I get it. I can probably make a case either way. But this team's got absolutely nothing going on right now. The Indiana game was over in less than five minutes. This UAB road game is going to tell us a lot. If it looks like La Tech, you can go ahead and call this a rebuilding season.

MeanGreenHoops · October 8, 2014

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't interpret the comment about talent to mean raw talent, he meant playmaking talent on the field right now. Which it's true, we don't. I think this team has more raw talent than last years team, but it's very young and is making way too many mistakes.

We are rebuilding on defense, that is the main problem.

Edited October 8, 2014 by MeanGreenHoops

The Fake Lonnie Finch · October 8, 2014

Too early to jump ship and question Mac. Indiana was just better as was Texas and La. Tech is the best in the west with their one and done transfer QB. Let's see how UAB roadie goes and then I may join you.

How is it too early too question Mac? We questioned Dodge much sooner than his fourth season. And, it was at about this point in his fourth season that he was fired.

We're not talking about firing. I think what we're beginning to question is the depth and development. Canales has been here for five seasons, Mac four. And, yet...

...at QB, we're "hoping" the current guy develops because no one else on the roster has

...at WR we only have one guy making plays consistently

...at TE we appear to have depth, but not consistency in making plays

...at OL we were led to believe that this group was going to dominate based on experience; but, outside of Nicholls State, that hasn't happened this year, which is a shame because the one place we do seem to be okay is at RB.

...at DL we are thin on experience, and getting blown off the ball

...at LB we have not had a playmaker step forward to replace Orr; and, really, who besides Orr was a consistent playmaker at LB?

...at CB we still seem to shuffle a lot of bodies from here and there, and it hasn't helped us against teams with half-decent passers, which is a shame because we do seem to have had some decent Safety play.

Special teams seems okay. The new kicker is pretty good. I know we were spoiled by watching Chancellor as our return guy for the past few seasons. But, still, where is the talent to replace him?

We all fully understand that this isn't a "reload not rebuilt"-type program the way an OU, Texas, or Alabama are (should be, anyway).

But, doesn't it strike you that after four years with a coach that the depth and development shouldn't be as...lacking in so many areas? I can understand if you were not deep in maybe one part of a unit. But, on offense and defense, we seem to be waiting on development in many moving parts.

I suppose at the end of the day we only have to finish 4-3 in a pretty mediocre conference to make another bowl. But, if we can't make a second bowl game in this conference with a coach and staff as experienced as any in the league, isn't it right to start to raise some questions about recruiting and development?

And, please recall, I've been staunchly in McCarney and Canales' corner when many here raised these questions sooner. So, I wasn't lighting my torch after the Texas loss, or even the Louisiana Tech loss.

Hopefully, we can whip UAB and this thing will begin to gel. But, honestly, I'll be worried if we can't run on UAB, or if they somehow beat us. I know they are "improved"...however, I'd have a hard time digesting a loss to a team that has been down for so long, then led by an FCS via high school coach guy in just one season. Ya know?

Edited October 8, 2014 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

Mean_Green09 · October 8, 2014

How is it too early too question Mac? We questioned Dodge much sooner than his fourth season. And, it was at about this point in his fourth season that he was fired.

We're not talking about firing. I think what we're beginning to question is the depth and development. Canales has been here for five seasons, Mac four. And, yet...

...at QB, we're "hoping" the current guy develops because no one else on the roster has
...at WR we only have one guy making plays consistently
...at TE we appear to have depth, but not consistency in making plays
...at OL we were led to believe that this group was going to dominate based on experience; but, outside of Nicholls State, that hasn't happened this year, which is a shame because the one place we do seem to be okay is at RB.

...at DL we are thin on experience, and getting blown off the ball
...at LB we have not had a playmaker step forward to replace Orr; and, really, who besides Orr was a consistent playmaker at LB?
...at CB we still seem to shuffle a lot of bodies from here and there, and it hasn't helped us against teams with half-decent passers, which is a shame because we do seem to have had some decent Safety play.
Special teams seems okay. The new kicker is pretty good. I know we were spoiled by watching Chancellor as our return guy for the past few seasons. But, still, where is the talent to replace him?

We all fully understand that this isn't a "reload not rebuilt"-type program the way an OU, Texas, or Alabama are (should be, anyway).

But, doesn't it strike you that after four years with a coach that the depth and development shouldn't be as...lacking in so many areas? I can understand if you were not deep in maybe one part of a unit. But, on offense and defense, we seem to be waiting on development in many moving parts.

I suppose at the end of the day we only have to finish 4-3 in a pretty mediocre conference to make another bowl. But, if we can't make a second bowl game in this conference with a coach and staff as experienced as any in the league, isn't it right to start to raise some questions about recruiting and development?

And, please recall, I've been staunchly in McCarney and Canales' corner when many here raised these questions sooner. So, I wasn't lighting my torch after the Texas loss, or even the Louisiana Tech loss.

Hopefully, we can whip UAB and this thing will begin to gel. But, honestly, I'll be worried if we can't run on UAB, or if they somehow beat us. I know they are "improved"...however, I'd have a hard time digesting a loss to a team that has been down for so long, then led by an FCS via high school coach guy in just one season. Ya know?

Sorry to break this news to you, but UAB is the better team. This is a bad match-up for us.

untcampbell · October 8, 2014

We can win this game.

Let me try my hand at coach speak for a minute: It will be decided on who makes the fewest mistakes, capitalizes on opportunities and controls the ball....like most games.

Need everyone playing their best and with intensity.

Key stat: we aren't coming off a bye week.

GMG