Gutsy call lifts Southern Miss over North Texas

[Harry]

DENTON, Texas The play of the game Saturday versus North Texas will register in the stat book as an 11-yard rush by Tyler Sarrazin.

What it won't show is the fact Sarrazin is a sophomore punter who has never attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-9 in the third quarter of a tie game on the road.

What it will show, however, is after that gutsy call by the Southern Miss coaching staff against North Texas, the Golden Eagles eventually parlayed that momentum into a touchdown to take a lead. After that score, Southern Miss held off the Mean Green to capture a 30-20 victory at Apogee Stadium.

Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/southern-miss/jasonmunz/2014/10/19/gutsy-call-lifts-southern-miss-north-texas/17541807/

[ADLER]

Unfortunately that really was the play of the day.

North Texas had the chance to sustain a drive with fourth down and less than a yard at the USM 40 earlier in the game and decided to punt. That lack of aggression came back to bite North Texas.

Although not mathematically eliminated, at this point North Texas is realistically eliminated from bowl contention.

Put the most entertaining product possible on the field, run a hurry-up offense and fire away. On defense, blitze constantly: sure there will be times that we get burned, but there will also be sacks and forced interceptions. That's entertainment.

And, just as important, use the remaining five games of this wasted season to prepare the players with the most potential to be ready for the September 5, 2015 kickoff when the scores will actually matter again.

Damn the torpedos.....

[NT93]

That was the craziest, most basic fake punt I've ever seen. He just ran right down the middle of the field untouched. Their coaches obviously saw how we set up for a punt return and exploited it. How were we not even considering a possible fake punt considering their field position?

[UNT90]

We don't defend it because we never consider anyone would do it because we sure as hell wouldn't.

Just like the Rams game today. We would have punted the ball away and watched as the other team drove for the winning FG.

[NT93]

Sad, but true.

We looked like a middle school team that didn't realize the fake punt was an option against us.

[greenit]

Haven't we tried the 'entertaining' route? It resulted in what most on here consider the darkest period in UNT football history.

Been there, done that. No Thanks.

[UNT90]

Haven't we tried the 'entertaining' route? It resulted in what most on here consider the darkest period in UNT football history.

Been there, done that. No Thanks.

You know, you can pick a bad boring coach just as easily as you can a bad "entertaining" coach.

Styles don't a good coach make.

[greenit]

True. I guess what I really want is a respectable product on the field. So far, the respect that Coach Mac commands seems to be a step up over prior regimes, but at some point the message loses its effectiveness if you don't produce results.

[UNT90]

True. I guess what I really want is a respectable product on the field. So far, the respect that Coach Mac commands seems to be a step up over prior regimes, but at some point the message loses its effectiveness if you don't produce results.

That was just a general statement and not necessarily aimed at Mac.

I do worry that he thinks he can play Big 12 football here and be successful (defense 1st, take zero risk on offense or special teams). I don't think you can. I think there needs to be a balance.

Crappy recruiting doesn't help things, either.

[ADLER]

Haven't we tried the 'entertaining' route? It resulted in what most on here consider the darkest period in UNT football history.

Been there, done that. No Thanks.

OK, which teams do you foresee us beating playing boring, run out the clock, ball? Why would that style of play provide any advantage over a more entertaining style?

And would you really rather start players with limited ability instead of investing playing time in development of players that have the ability to become future stars? This season is toast. Start building for next year.

[CaribbeanGreen]

That was just a general statement and not necessarily aimed at Mac.

I do worry that he thinks he can play Big 12 football here and be successful (defense 1st, take zero risk on offense or special teams). I don't think you can. I think there needs to be a balance.

Crappy recruiting doesn't help things, either.

I don't disagree with a lot of what you say, but did you just say Big XII football is defense 1st?

[greenit]

OK, which teams do you foresee us beating playing boring, run out the clock, ball? Why would that style of play provide any advantage over a more entertaining style?

And would you really rather start players with limited ability instead of investing playing time in development of players that have the ability to become future stars? This season is toast. Start building for next year.

We may not beat any, but I don't want to return to the laughing stock of the Dodge years. I think Mac bring more credibility than we have had in quite some time. I am comfortable giving hime more time and see what he can build. I believe he is doing more good than bad for the program.

LaTech and USM bother went through a similar loss of depth due to graduation and they both took a dive it should not come as a total shock. Look at how we have struggled at finding replacements at all the key positions.

[UNT90]

I don't disagree with a lot of what you say, but did you just say Big XII football is defense 1st?

Lol.

BIg 12 football when Mac was in the Big 12?

[Proud North Texan]

Mac is dump.. thats why!! he apparently doesn't watch college football!!

[houstonmeangreen]

Unfortunately that really was the play of the day.

North Texas had the chance to sustain a drive with fourth down and less than a yard at the USM 40 earlier in the game and decided to punt. That lack of aggression came back to bite North Texas.

Although not mathematically eliminated, at this point North Texas is realistically eliminated from bowl contention.

Put the most entertaining product possible on the field, run a hurry-up offense and fire away. On defense, blitze constantly: sure there will be times that we get burned, but there will also be sacks and forced interceptions. That's entertainment.

And, just as important, use the remaining five games of this wasted season to prepare the players with the most potential to be ready for the September 5, 2015 kickoff when the scores will actually matter again.

Damn the torpedos.....

That is when I knew we would lose the game...I saw this same sh*t during Mac's first 2 years. It is very telling. Also, when we were down by 10 pts and 3 yrds short of a 1st, Mac decides to kick a field goal....then i knew we couldn't come back....a lot of this is bad coaching IMO.

[Army of Dad]

That is when I knew we would lose the game...I saw this same sh*t during Mac's first 2 years. It is very telling. Also, when we were down by 10 pts and 3 yrds short of a 1st, Mac decides to kick a field goal....then i knew we couldn't come back....a lot of this is bad coaching IMO.

I don't mind the FG attempt there, get the game to a one score differential and go from there. Yes, a TD would have been better and we still needed a stop on defense, but that's a perfectly acceptable strategy.

[meangreendork]

If that play call wasn't the nail in the game - the call to kick a field goal in the last 10 minutes, down by 2 scores - that was the killing play call.

I thought, "wait a sec, in the best case scenario, that means we have to go into overtime to beat Southern Miss." But no, the FG whiffed, so then the best scenario was being down by 3.

I don't understand what the thinking was there. I also figured that the coaches would've gone to the air more, considering that it was producing more than the ground game, and because Southern Miss was leaving some nice gaps in coverage that the receivers were trying to get into.