UNT 2015 Spring game in review

Ben Gooding · April 19, 2015

My opinion of there being no excitement surrounding this program in our coaching staffs 5th season is a joke of an opinion? Odds are not in our favor to have a winning percentage this season. It will then be 1/5 success rate. He will still get to waltz right back into 2016 and then what? Not this coaching staff, but my opinion is the joke?

Harry · April 19, 2015

Guys we don't like personal attacks on here. Please refrain from that. This is a very informative thread and we appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts on the game. If you don't agree there are ways to articulate it without personally attacking or name calling. Thx and GMG.

greenit · April 19, 2015

QBs were pretty much in shotgun all day. As I recall, the QB was under center most of last year.

Edited April 19, 2015 by greenit

Cooley · April 19, 2015

I was impressed with the number of punts we got in today. (Especially the one on the opponents 41 yard line - in a spring game) We were in mid season form.

Christopher Walker · April 19, 2015

yeah... Vito is definitely stretching the truth right now...

Vito is the last person anyone should look to for QB evaluation.

It's starting to feel like Vito is writing in nigh contempt of people on this board.

Hunter Green · April 19, 2015

I agree with most on this board that DW is our best QB right now. He does bring an excitement to the team, but more importantly, he brings an added dimension that little Mac cannot. One play in particular was a third and long where DJ faked to the RB before pulling it back and running left for about eight - ten yards and a first down. No way McNulty makes that play. There is so much upside to Williams and Conner Means. As for Greer, I think we've seen enough. No way should he take another snap. McNulty is as good as he's ever going to get. I hope that by the time conference gets fully underway, our coaches will start to invest in the future with QB's that will take us to the next level. In my book it's,

1. Williams

2. McNulty

3. Means

GO MEAN GREEN!

Cougar King · April 19, 2015

In other news, our Spring game went pretty well.

SilverEagle · April 19, 2015

8:57 — Quinn Shanbour was in for one series, three plays, one incompletion and a sack. And now we can quit talking about Shanbour.

Hmm, forgot to mention that later he came back out there and directed a TD drive (mostly Ivery carring the ball) ending with him throwing a TD pass to either Loving or Smith.

Not bad for a QB that, on the average, got about six snaps per scrimmage (if that) prior to the spring game. I wonder how he would have looked if he had gotten the same number of snaps as Greer in practices/scrimmages?

For that matter, how would Means have looked if he had gotten the same number of snaps as Greer in spring practices/scrimmages?

I can tell all of you out there that in the practices and scrimmages that I attended before this spring game, Means got less than half the number of snaps as Greer. And yet most of you who have commented on the game seem to agree that Means at least shows more potential and/or ability than Greer.

Like last year, I keep scratching my head and wondering why they insist on spending a whole spring, pounding that square peg into a round hole.

Edited April 19, 2015 by SilverEagle

outoftown · April 19, 2015

Honestly the only QB who didn't have one bad drive:

Shanbour. There were only like two passes and a lot of Ivery, but there were 0 mistakes and a lot of poise.

Edit: I forgot about that first series...

Means looked athletic and nice at times, but there were also some boneheaded plays. McNulty looked for what the D gave them, and if it was not glaring obvious what it was he did not create anything on his own. Was really lucky not to get an intrception or two.

Dajon looked really good when he knew what he wanted to do, but I am not sure he keeps looking for the wide open man long enough, and since it was "tag the QB and the whistle blows" noone can know if he would have gotten out of trouble. As things went he took also a good bit of negative plays, something minmac mostly avoided.

Greer....the second half was actually nice and efficient. The less is said about the first one the better though. If he is a deer in the headlights in the spring game already...

Chumley...is NOT a QB. Move him already, there are plenty of positions he could see the field, QB is not one of them.

Finally. I know people think "no injuries", and this is how most programs do, but I don't care. You have to practice real takling even for the QBs some time, to find out who will stand in the pocket and take a hit and who will not, who gets himself out of trouble, and who will just have happy feet. The moment for that should be the spring game, because if someting happens there, you will not miss practice time and will have time to get healthy until fall. if you do it in fall and something happens, you go nicked up into the season. Moreover, if ever losing a QB due to injury doesn't hurt you, it is when you got 8 of them on the roster. Plus you are trying to find the right guy for in game situations... play like it really is a game.

Personally I have to say that particularly DW might have been hurt by the wistle blowing like in tag football. When the wistle blew, it looked quite often, like they would not really have gotten him to the ground before he would have gotteen a good deal of yardage.

positives: We are really deep at RB. I think the defense will be surprisingly good particularly on the line and at LB, as the white team showed we have depth there and not just a guy or two.

WR is not good yet, but seems at least better than last season.

Edited April 19, 2015 by outoftown

UNT90 · April 19, 2015

It's starting to feel like Vito is writing in nigh contempt of people on this board.

Starting? Lol.

And he will continually point out how smart he is and how stupid you are.

He should really stop doing that, considering he gets scooped by this board about 85% of the time and uses info obtained from this board as a source for his articles and blogs.

Edited April 19, 2015 by UNT90

SilverEagle · April 19, 2015

4. UNT has some young talent at running back

UNT wants to get the ball to multiple running backs next season and has some options beyond Antoinne Jimmerson, the Mean Green’s top returning rusher. Jeffrey Wilson didn’t have a big day in the spring game, finishing with 44 yards but looked good all spring, when he earned the starting job. Willy Ivery rushed for 70 yards on eight carries. The two should combine with Jimmerson to form a solid rotation.

Surely he's not implying that NT has depth at RB......

He forgot to mention A.J. Ezzard who had almost as good a day as Ivery. That gives us Wilson, Jimmerson, Ivery, Ezzard. We also saw Rex Rollins flashing his very fast wheels out there early in the scrimmage. Throw in a healthy Evans and I repeat what I've said before. We have the deepest RB situation that NT has ever had. And while Porter (#34) didn't tear it up out there in his limited appearances, he had an overall good spring. I hope he's invited to come back in the fall.

UNT 90 Grad · April 19, 2015

How was the crowd?

I took this in the 4th quarter, so some folks had already left:

North Texas Shep · April 19, 2015

Dajon looked good. I was hoping at half they were going to move him to the green team. That way we could see how he does with the starters. Plus, he showed he deserved a chance with what he did with few reps and backups. Means is the real deal. Just needs more practice. Chico better not be pulling our leg. I want fast pace from start to finish when we invade Ford Stadium.

GMG24 · April 19, 2015

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/headlines/20150418-nichols-new-coachs-goal-is-to-wake-a-sleeping-giant-morris-sees-potential-in-mustangs-fertile-recruiting-grounds.ece

I would like this guy, Chad Morris gets it, all of IT. I am sure we had close to or over 5k at the start and throughout the first 3 quarters. I am however, not sure we had 1,000 HS/MS (I say that bc their coaching cards are the same) stop by our spring practices and watch. SMU and Houston have really taken to Twitter I know that it's hard to believe but even that little bit makes the university more visible, and recruits see it as excitement.

Btw it looks like that really athletic QB they have is getting it figured out with some coaching.

Edited April 19, 2015 by GMG24

CaliMeanGreen · April 19, 2015

Just an FYI: Canales was calling plays for the white team yesterday and Coach Q was for the Green Team. GMG

Edited April 19, 2015 by CaliMeanGreen

UNT90 · April 19, 2015

Just an FYI: Canales was calling plays for the white team yesterday and Coach Q was for the Green Team. GMG

His QBs better develop this year...

GOMG2013 · April 19, 2015

SMU coaches were there. shouldnt get too caught up into playcalling. not sure we even ran nickel on defense. just basic stuff.

Marty · April 19, 2015

Highlights:

http://www.meangreensports.com/collegesportslive/?media=495286

Edited April 19, 2015 by Marty

GOMG2013 · April 19, 2015

i saw a few positives. mcnulty's arm looked stronger. the tempo looked good at times and the offense will benefit. mcnulty still held the ball too long.

smiley looked good. RBs looked real good.

Blake Bean can play. just needs to stay healty.

finney can play and should be a starter. he just needs to learn more and get in shape.

DL looked good. i think our defense will be better

next year.

UNT90 · April 19, 2015

http://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2015/4/18/8450379/north-texas-spring-game-observations-and-thoughts

Terrible article.

NorthTexan95 · April 19, 2015

http://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2015/4/18/8450379/north-texas-spring-game-observations-and-thoughts
Terrible article.

~~I think it's a solid article EXCEPT for the first point on McNulty being the best quarterback~~.

CORRECTION: the article is awful.

Seems like this guy wrote his article from the stats sheet and did not actually watch the game.

McNulty had a really nice deep touchdown pass but increasingly looked lost as the game wore on. Williams definitely looked the best and would grow a lot if he can get consistent playing time next season. This quick pass offense really suites Williams. Hopefully, our incoming Juco QB can get his classes in shape and pick up the offense quickly.

Edited April 19, 2015 by NorthTexan95

UNT90 · April 19, 2015

I think it's a solid article EXCEPT for the first point on McNulty being the best quarterback. Seems like this guy wrote his article from the stats sheet and did not actually watch the game.

McNulty had a really nice deep touchdown pass but increasingly looked lost as the game wore on. Williams definitely looked the best and would grow a lot if he can get consistent playing time next season. This quick pass offense really suites Williams. Hopefully, our incoming Juco QB can get his classes in shape and pick up the offense quickly.

I guess you missed the beginning part where he identified the wrong team winning the scrimmage.

And end part where he identified our DC as Skladany.

Can't trust any analysis with basic errors like that. I wouldn't be surprised if he simply read Vito's article and did his own re-write.

Edited April 19, 2015 by UNT90

UNT90 · April 19, 2015

It's Underdog Dynasty. Ran by a bunch of dudebros. I was hoping it would be good but it has less integrity than Bleacher Report. What were you expecting?

Getting a score right?

Checking a coaching roster?

You know, everything one might learn in journalism 101.

And I take back the part about just reviewing Vito's article, as he obviously got the score right and even mentioned the adjustment to the new DC, Cosh.

It appears they went straight from a stat sheet.

NorthTexan95 · April 19, 2015

I guess you missed the beginning part where he identified the wrong team winning the scrimmage.
And end part where he identified our DC as Skladany.
Can't trust any analysis with basic errors like that. I wouldn't be surprised if he simply read Vito's article and did his own re-write.

Yes, I did miss those points. I read the first section and kinda skimmed the rest while I was busy updating the scholarship spreadsheet.