UNT quarterback breakdown: McNulty in position to hang on to job

Harry · July 6, 2015

As the 2015 football season approaches, we will look at each position on the Mean Green’s roster. Today we begin with the quarterback spot.

A look at the UNT’s pecking order:

1. Andrew McNulty

2. DaMarcus Smith

3. Josh Greer

4. Connor Means

Outlook for the 2015 season:

UNT struggled at the quarterback position last season, running through three starters while ranking near the bottom of Conference USA in most passing statistics. UNT finished 12th out of 13 teams in passing efficiency (112.4) and 11th in passing offense (172.8).

Greer contributed to that total while starting the first three games of the season before UNT turned to Williams for three games. UNT then gave McNulty a chance and stuck with him for the final six games of the season.

McNulty and Greer both return, but Williams left the program.

read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/07/unt-quarterback-breakdown-mcnulty-in-position-to-hang-on-to-job.html/

Withers940 · July 6, 2015

I really hope Smith is studying his playbook hard this summer and getting in some time with some WR. For some reason, I thought Smith was a Senior this year

SilverEagle · July 6, 2015

I noticed on the latest "official roster" that Sam Wells had been moved to DB. I didn't think he was too bad the limited time that I saw him in practice. Oh well.

GreenTexan13 · July 6, 2015

Since it is pretty much a given that McNulty is taking the field vs. SMU. How many games are we going to see him play before Smith takes the wheel? I can't gamble on McCarney's decisions like some other coaches.

MEANGREENCOACH2 · July 6, 2015

i still have hopes that Damarcus will come in and win the job prior to the SMU game!

given an extra week to impress and make McCarney feel more comfortable running the offense against the 1's

GreenTexan13 · July 6, 2015

i still have hopes that Damarcus will come in and win the job prior to the SMU game!
given an extra week to impress and make McCarney feel more comfortable running the offense against the 1's

I hope you're right!

Ben Gooding · July 7, 2015

D Smith will be QB1 going into Dallas on Sep 12 and I have no doubt of it. If he isn't we have a far more serious coaching debacle than I ever realized.

greenit · July 7, 2015

If D Smith can't win the job by 8/12, he might not be very good.

Please be good DS.

North Texas Shep · July 7, 2015

Am I the only that fears we might get another Berglund? Please, D Smith don't be a Berglund.

SilverEagle · July 7, 2015

Am I the only that fears we might get another Berglund? Please, D Smith don't be a Berglund.

Smith has actually played in games. But then, so did Greer before he arrived. Oh well, so much for making you feel better.

North Texas Shep · July 7, 2015

Smith has actually played in games. But then, so did Greer before he arrived. Oh well, so much for making you feel better.

After last season... There is not much that does.

Harry · July 7, 2015

Got5onIt · July 7, 2015

Am I the only that fears we might get another Berglund? Please, D Smith don't be a Berglund.

Smith started and put up really good numbers at his JUCO last year. Brock's last significant game time contribution after bouncing around for 2 years and arriving at UNT was in high school. I fully expect Smith to come in and win the starting job going away.....

Withers940 · July 7, 2015

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was McNulty, and Hell followed with him.

Revelations 6:8 (Slightly altered)

untjim1995 · July 7, 2015

McNulty will start, at a bare minimum, thru September. Smith hasn't played a down in this system yet. McNulty knows the perfect way to hand off and to throw short passes in this offense, as the senior busdriver. Mac isn't going to make the same "mistake" two years in a row. That's why we have already been hearing the "McNulty is just like Derek Thompson" stuff. Mac trusts Minimac--and no one else right now.

The only chance Damarcus Smith has of starting is 1.) if McNulty gets injured or 2.) we start off poorly. Considering we have SMU to open up with, we will probably be 1-2 going into October, so that won't cause a QB change. But a loss at USM MIGHT cause a change, just as we get ready to play a FCS team at home, similar to last year with Dajon Williams getting to start against Nicholls State. That would be October 10th, in Game 5 at the earliest. I actually think the chances are pretty good that McNulty starts all year, but if I was guessing as to when I could see Damarcus Smith get his first start, it would be if we have only beaten SMU and Portland State and Mac makes a change to try to finally beat UTSA--that game is on Halloween night.

Team we absolutely should beat: @‌SMU and Portland State

Teams we can beat: @‌USM, UTSA, UTEP

Teams it will be really tough to beat, but not completely impossible: Rice, WKU, @‌Marshall, @‌La Tech, @‌ MUTS

Teams we cannot beat: @‌Iowa and @‌Tennessee

Aldo · July 7, 2015

I think the first time we see Smith - that is, if he isn't starting out of the gate - is in the middle of the Iowa game.

Ben Gooding · July 7, 2015

D Smith... game 1 starter. Mac is in the business of winning so my hope is that he actually makes good decisions to start the year off.

Of the 6 games AM started last year we went 2-4. The 2 wins were vs the bottom feeders of the conference. Not to mention we lost at home vs another current bottom feeder in USM. I see us literally going 3-9 with AM as the full season starter. If I see this from afar I am sure Mac can see it up close. The sentiment or percption is we are going into fall camp with a closed QB competition. I think our QB situation is nothing close to being a closed competition. I think Mac will take a good long look at D Smith in fall camp and will not be able to not start D Smith on Sep 12. I also think we'll be hearing a lot from Canales and his public opinion on the QB situation for his job is on the line. He will indirectly inform us through Vito interviews through fall camp who he thinks should be QB1. At this point in his UNT tenure why would he not. If AM starts it will be on the sole basis of Mac wanting to give his buddies son an honest shot. The absolute worse case scenario is handing the reigns over to D Smith halfway through the season to try and lead a confident shot team. To me, why delay the inevitable. Give the regins to D Smith in fall camp once he proves he can play and allow him to gel with the team throughout fall camp is what needs to happen and it's something I believe will happen.

untjim1995 · July 7, 2015

D Smith... game 1 starter. Mac is in the business of winning so my hope is that he actually makes good decisions to start the year off.
Of the 6 games AM started last year we went 2-4. The 2 wins were vs the bottom feeders of the conference. Not to mention we lost at home vs another current bottom feeder in USM. I see us literally going 3-9 with AM as the full season starter. If I see this from afar I am sure Mac can see it up close. The sentiment or percption is we are going into fall camp with a closed QB competition. I think our QB situation is nothing close to being a closed competition. I think Mac will take a good long look at D Smith in fall camp and will not be able to not start D Smith on Sep 12. I also think we'll be hearing a lot from Canales and his public opinion on the QB situation for his job is on the line. He will indirectly inform us through Vito interviews through fall camp who he thinks should be QB1. At this point in his UNT tenure why would he not. If AM starts it will be on the sole basis of Mac wanting to give his buddies son an honest shot. The absolute worse case scenario is handing the reigns over to D Smith halfway through the season to try and lead a confident shot team. To me, why delay the inevitable. Give the regins to D Smith in fall camp once he proves he can play and allow him to gel with the team throughout fall camp is what needs to happen and it's something I believe will happen.

In the last win, at home against FIU, McCarney wouldn't even let McNulty throw the ball in the entire 4th quarter after he threw a bad interception. Literally, McCarney preferred letting McNulty hand off on every snap for the rest of the game, which was a lead of less than a TD, than to trust him to pass or to let another QB go out there instead.

Edited July 7, 2015 by untjim1995

Ben Gooding · July 7, 2015

In the last win, at home against FIU, McCarney wouldn't even let McUlty throw the ball in the entire 4th quarter after he threw a bad interception. Literally, McCarney preferred letting McNulty hand off on every snap for the rest of the game, which was a lead of less than a TD, than to trust him to pass or to let another QB go out there instead.

yeah, it was bad. Really, really bad. But, the spin on AM now is that he's the guy that Mac trusts? I call BS. There is no trust.

untjim1995 · July 7, 2015

yeah, it was bad. Really, really bad. But, the spin on AM now is that he's the guy that Mac trusts? I call BS. There is no trust.

I'm just telling you that you are on an island without many other folks right now in believeing that McNulty won't be our starter in September at SMU. Frankly, I don't see how you can look at the situation we have at QB, with the head coach we have, and the gameplan that we run and think that Damarcus Smith will start over Andrew McNulty.

But then again, I'm just an old geezer these days. Its probably just the 25 years now of following the team closely that makes me see things less optimistically than you young guys do. I, too, remember thinking in 1995 when I graduated that we were about to become an awakened giant, that I would finally be able to talk sports in a similar fashion as my SWC buddies. I was certain of it, even felt like we were on our way in the SBC Domination Years. Then, Tulsa happened....followed by absolute, pure-ass give-up by Dickey....that led into the debacle that was Todd Dodge for 4 seasons...and RV keeping his job...and budget being the only thing that mattered.

Oh to be young again...and have Mean Green Shades that aren't jaded. I was once there, too, BG. But, just as those before me told me the same thing, give this place enough time and you'll realize you follow the team because they are yours or you'll walk away--but either way, the leadership here won't give a damn what direction you decide to go--because they have hundreds of thousands that have walked in your shoes on campus and sat in those classrooms--as long as that stays that way, that's all they care about. Cheap tuition and cost of attendance means job stability. Spending money on sports is a "bet" in their eyes...and if they are gonna "bet" its not gonna be on sports.

Cr1028 · July 7, 2015

In the last win, at home against FIU, McCarney wouldn't even let McUlty throw the ball in the entire 4th quarter after he threw a bad interception. Literally, McCarney preferred letting McNulty hand off on every snap for the rest of the game, which was a lead of less than a TD, than to trust him to pass or to let another QB go out there instead.

But I thought AM was the safe bet bus driver who doesn't make mistakes that Mac trusts. I'm sure glad that he did the same for the other quarterbacks on our roster, oh wait, no, he benched those guys without a chance at redemption.

GreenTexan13 · July 7, 2015

In the last win, at home against FIU, McCarney wouldn't even let McUlty throw the ball in the entire 4th quarter after he threw a bad interception. Literally, McCarney preferred letting McNulty hand off on every snap for the rest of the game, which was a lead of less than a TD, than to trust him to pass or to let another QB go out there instead.

yeah that was a tough game to watch, stress meter went crazy that day, But did you honestly think Mac would of put Dajon in the game? same goes for Josh Greer. Dajon was put in the never ending dog house after UAB, and Josh Greer completely blew his chance for 2014 when he choked against LA Tech. Mac left McNulty in there because he was checked out for the season at rotating QB's in my opinion.

I really, really, really want Smith to be our starting QB when the season begins in Dallas in September. However I know how stubborn Mac is... And I'm afraid McNulty will be out there before Smith. I do think that McNulty would snag us the win against SMU and Portland State. But the smart decision is to put Smith out there. We do not need another Derek Thompson situation and be back to a rusty QB in 2016. Smith needs the games under his belt as a junior, so we can have a trustworthy and broken in QB for UNT when he is a senior. Plus he is better then McNulty and I want to win more games.