Predict the UNT/SMU Score

MeanGreenTexan · September 8, 2015

See, to me, I don't really see how we are that improved from last year--yes, Greer sucked, but McNulty isn't much better than him, so the WR position may be better, but do we have a QB that can get them the ball to make plays? Plus, our OL is basically starting over.
To me, this game comes down to if our defense can stop them. If it does, we will win, maybe even comfortably. If it can't, we won't win a shootout. Our offense isn't geared to do that. If we score a lot of points, it will be because our defense shortened the field by getting turnovers.

I mean, we all understand that McNulty isn't a great QB, but let's be real here. You need to dig into your memory a little bit. McNulty is far-and-away better than Greer.

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

im basing it on us being terrible last year and we still blew them out. They have upgraded, since that game, but we have too.
If we are going to give them credit for their upgrades, then we have to consider ours.
They lost to pegram and greer...do i need to elaborate? And then if I add wr...
And if we really wanted to, we could have pit up much more on that defense. We just took what they gave us. Very conservative and safe playcalling...even for UNT standards.
If you want to look at stats...greer went 9-12 86 yards. And I think a TD of his was called back. Do I need to elaborate?

We blew out a team that didn't care. SMU put up 67 total yards, 0 points, and 7 first downs on Baylor last year. This year they put up 369 yards, 21 points, and 22 first downs. That is not a slight improvement. That is massive.

They were terrible last year because their coach didn't care so the team didn't either. They got used to losing like the Dodge team that got its ass-whooped by Rice.

Last year they committed 5 turnovers. I bet they don't give up more than 2 this year. Last year they got 276 yards on us, I'd wager you'll see that number nearly double this year. You guys are looking at the final sentence of the book without paying attention to the entire story. We were bad last year but only beat them because they were one of the worst FBS football teams of ALL-TIME. They are a COMPLETELY different program.

If we lose Saturday, I won't be of the "sky is falling" crowd because I saw it coming. I hope that when DMac finally comes to his senses and benches McNulty in favor of Smith, he will let Smith take his lumps and grow rather than giving up and putting the experienced player (that can't win) in like he did last year.

untjim1995 · September 8, 2015

I mean, we all understand that McNulty isn't a great QB, but let's be real here. You need to dig into your memory a little bit. McNulty is far-and-away better than Greer.

My memory from last year reminds me that McNulty and Greer were both bad in the SMU game, but that opponent happened to be the worst FBS school in America, so our defense and special teams and running game just overwhelmed a team that had quit on their coach. I also remember McNulty being the safety net that Mac went back to after Dajon couldn't do anything with this offense against anyone better than your local JV HS team, meaning Minimac could actually bus drive better for Mac's liking than the other two guys. And in the 4th quarter against powerhouse FIU at Apogee, in his 5th start of the season, his redshirt junior year with the same coach and OC, they wouldn't even let the QB attempt a pass because he knew it would probably cause the team to lose.

And that guy is your starter--all because he knows the offensive gameplan and the wishes of his coaches better than the other QBs on the team.

Look, I think they both are brutal FBS QBs. McNulty is at best an FCS QB--Greer might be, at best, a Division-II QB. If that makes him far-and-away better in your view, so be it. Neither of them are turning this into a winner, in my opinion, unless the defense and special teams become great again. The schedule upgrade this year doesn't help them either.

The scary reality is that Minimac is the very best QB that Mac and Chico have been able to get here to run their offense in the way they want it.

Christopher Walker · September 8, 2015

Malonish, I saw on the SMU board that one of your alums expressed concern that Texas might come after Chad Morris because Texas lost. Do you think you guys might be looking past us? That is after you gave up 723 yards against Baylor. That puts you in last place in all of D1 for week 1. Two years ago UNT was tied with Georgia, who was ranked #9 in the nation, 21-21 mid 3rd quarter. We did loose by 24. All I know is every year is a new year. You won't know what you are up against until we hit the field. If you have fear, talk real loud. Maybe that will help. You did keep in tact, your statistical edge, in that, you can't loose em all, unless you loose the first one. GMG

That sure did ramble a little bit.

Quoner · September 8, 2015

That sure did ramble a little bit.

He's just playin' a little fast and lose with the smack talk.

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

I mean, we all understand that McNulty isn't a great QB, but let's be real here. You need to dig into your memory a little bit. McNulty is far-and-away better than Greer.

You must be forgetting the Texas game. That was the only game where they played a similar number of plays against the same competition.

Edited September 8, 2015 by Cr1028

TIgreen01 · September 8, 2015

Have you guys all forgotten the Dodge years, already? I don't care how many yards or scores that dirty schmoo piles up, their defense WILL GIVE UP MORE. I realize that Baylor is a different animal on offense, but I remember Dodge's teams putting up 450-500 yards on Clemson and still getting pile driven. Can schmoo finish drives when Dodge's teams couldn't? Remains to be seen. Everyone is so enamored with schmoo's offensive output last week that they completely missed how bad the defense was---even when multiple posters keep pointing it out. Congrats, they put up 21 points and STILL LOST by 35 while giving up 56 points and 720+ yards. This isn't just a bad defense, gentlemen, it's historically bad. Worse than anyone we played last year outside of Nichols St.

McNulty and co will be able to score points on them. Everyone needs to settle down.

Withers940 · September 8, 2015

Have you guys all forgotten the Dodge years, already? I don't care how many yards or scores that dirty schmoo piles up, their defense WILL GIVE UP MORE. I realize that Baylor is a different animal on offense, but I remember Dodge's teams putting up 450-500 yards on Clemson and still getting pile driven. Can schmoo finish drives when Dodge's teams couldn't? Remains to be seen. Everyone is so enamored with schmoo's offensive output last week that they completely missed how bad the defense was---even when multiple posters keep pointing it out. Congrats, they put up 21 points and STILL LOST by 35 while giving up 56 points and 720+ yards. This isn't just a bad defense, gentlemen, it's historically bad. Worse than anyone we played last year outside of Nichols St.
McNulty and co will be able to score points on them. Everyone needs to settle down.

By God, I hope you're right. For everyone's Sanity and self preservation

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

Have you guys all forgotten the Dodge years, already? I don't care how many yards or scores that dirty schmoo piles up, their defense WILL GIVE UP MORE. I realize that Baylor is a different animal on offense, but I remember Dodge's teams putting up 450-500 yards on Clemson and still getting pile driven. Can schmoo finish drives when Dodge's teams couldn't? Remains to be seen. Everyone is so enamored with schmoo's offensive output last week that they completely missed how bad the defense was---even when multiple posters keep pointing it out. Congrats, they put up 21 points and STILL LOST by 35 while giving up 56 points and 720+ yards. This isn't just a bad defense, gentlemen, it's historically bad. Worse than anyone we played last year outside of Nichols St.
McNulty and co will be able to score points on them. Everyone needs to settle down.

You know you're right. TCU gave up 782 yards to Baylor last year and we all know how bad TCU's defenses are. We should fully expect to put up 500+ yards with McNulty and company.

NT has gone over 500 yards 7 times in McCarney's tenure. Once in 2011, once in 2012, 4 times in 2013, and once in 2014. Derek Thompson was the qb for each one of those games except in 2014 when Dajon Williams was the qb for the Nicholls game. McNulty cannot move the ball, he has never shown us otherwise. I don't give a flying f about how great he runs drills and draws on a chalkboard. We need someone to get first downs!

Edited September 8, 2015 by Cr1028

GreenTexan13 · September 8, 2015

My memory from last year reminds me that McNulty and Greer were both bad in the SMU game, but that opponent happened to be the worst FBS school in America, so our defense and special teams and running game just overwhelmed a team that had quit on their coach. I also remember McNulty being the safety net that Mac went back to after Dajon couldn't do anything with this offense against anyone better than your local JV HS team, meaning Minimac could actually bus drive better for Mac's liking than the other two guys. And in the 4th quarter against powerhouse FIU at Apogee, in his 5th start of the season, his redshirt junior year with the same coach and OC, they wouldn't even let the QB attempt a pass because he knew it would probably cause the team to lose.
And that guy is your starter--all because he knows the offensive gameplan and the wishes of his coaches better than the other QBs on the team.
Look, I think they both are brutal FBS QBs. McNulty is at best an FCS QB--Greer might be, at best, a Division-II QB. If that makes him far-and-away better in your view, so be it. Neither of them are turning this into a winner, in my opinion, unless the defense and special teams become great again. The schedule upgrade this year doesn't help them either.
The scary reality is that Minimac is the very best QB that Mac and Chico have been able to get here to run their offense in the way they want it.

I just can't compare Greer to McNulty.. Mini Mac is definitely a more solid QB... He has the confidence and determination to get the job done (that's not saying he has the skills). Greer is just a seal in a bay full of great white sharks when he is out on the field. He gets nervous and looks like he is about to puke when he takes the snaps.

Bottom line... which, I totally agree with you on the fact that we don't have a FBS QB playing for us. I think this season is going to either ride on McNulty at least becoming a little more productive then he was last year. And our defense/special team, plus the other offense guys making McNulty look great. Harry has said in the podcasts that McNulty will not lose us a game, but he won't when us one either. That is 100% true IMO.

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

I'm curious, has a college football quarterback who played for his father(or adopted father) ever not started their senior year?

Withers940 · September 8, 2015

I just can't compare Greer to McNulty.. Mini Mac is definitely a more solid QB... He has the confidence and determination to get the job done (that's not saying he has the skills). Greer is just a seal in a bay full of great white sharks when he is out on the field. He gets nervous and looks like he is about to puke when he takes the snaps.
Bottom line... which, I totally agree with you on the fact that we don't have a FBS QB playing for us. I think this season is going to either ride on McNulty at least becoming a little more productive then he was last year. And our defense/special team, plus the other offense guys making McNulty look great. Harry has said in the podcasts that McNulty will not lose us a game, but he won't when us one either. That is 100% true IMO.

HA

NTSUEagle · September 8, 2015

Dave Barnett's Alma Mater- 26

Jeffrey Skilling's Alma Mater- 21

Welcome back, Dave! Will be listening on Saturday! Hope Mr. Skilling can listen as well...

TIgreen01 · September 8, 2015

You know you're right. TCU gave up 782 yards to Baylor last year and we all know how bad TCU's defenses are. We should fully expect to put up 500+ yards with McNulty and company.
NT has gone over 500 yards 7 times in McCarney's tenure. Once in 2011, once in 2012, 4 times in 2013, and once in 2014. Derek Thompson was the qb for each one of those games except in 2014 when Dajon Williams was the qb for the Nicholls game. McNulty cannot move the ball, he has never shown us otherwise. I don't give a flying f about how great he runs drills and draws on a chalkboard. We need someone to get first downs!

Ok, fine. Baylor put up 574 yards and 45 points on SMU last year and 782 yards and 61 points on TCU. Are you suggesting that dirty schmoo fielded a better defense than tcu last year based on those results or that TCU might give up MORE than 782 yards to Baylor this year?

Yards are just yards if you don't score. TCU scored 58 points against Baylor. They finished drives. Dirty schmoo moved the ball in the first half until Baylor started tackling. Then all the qb scrambling and gimmicks amounted to zero points all while their defense kept getting gouged. Baylor did whatever they wanted to schmoo's defense. I've seen defense played like that first-hand, back when we went up to Norman and got annihilated by the offensive juggernaut of that day, OU. No knock against Van Malone, but this is his first DC job. He doesn't get the benefit of the doubt that Patterson gets after fielding great defenses for nearly 2 decades. It's hard to gauge a team after just the first week, but to my eyes, schmoo is still fielding a small defense that can be run on---even if they stack the box--and thrown over. Obviously it's hard to say what our offense will look like since nobody outside the team has seen a practice, but I just didn't see a defense out there last week that looked improved over schmoo's terrible defense of 2014. If anything, I thought they looked worse.

MeanGreen13 · September 8, 2015

If we are within 7 at half we can win, otherwise SMU will mind bogle us with speed and moves. Prescott Line and Matt Davis are far superior to any we can field at QB or running back. Play smart defense and keep it close and we can win. If we blow up early it will be a rout for SMU. I hope we are ready, but after seeing SMU I fear we are not prepared for what we are about to face. Speed and QB/RB play will be the difference unless our defense can suck it up big time.

Maybe Davis but Line would not be the best running back at UNT. I don't think he is the best running back at SMU.

MeanGreenTexan · September 8, 2015

Maybe Davis but Line would not be the best running back at UNT. I don't think he is the best running back at SMU.

That Freshman kid was pretty good.

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

Ok, fine. Baylor put up 574 yards and 45 points on SMU last year and 782 yards and 61 points on TCU. Are you suggesting that dirty schmoo fielded a better defense than tcu last year based on those results or that TCU might give up MORE than 782 yards to Baylor this year?

I'm suggesting that Baylor was up 31-0 on SMU less than 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter and called off the dogs. If Art Briles wanted to, he could've hung a hundred points and a thousand yards on smu but he didn't. TCU and Baylor were trading punches last year which is why the yards were so high.

I am by no means suggesting that smu is going to win 10 games but I am saying that our 43-6 score is irrelevant this year. They are a vastly improved team and until I see our offense prove it, I don't believe that we are.

GreenTexan13 · September 8, 2015

Sorry our defense didn't look good versus NUMBER FOUR BAYLOR, lol.

Malonish, I will probably never get the, "I hate cougarking GTFO" mentality with you. You're the new guy who comes to poker night and doesn't quite fit in with the group of guys who get together every Friday. I can't say I accept you here, but dammit! I can't hate you being here.

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

If we are within 7 at half we can win, otherwise SMU will mind bogle us with speed and moves. Prescott Line and Matt Davis are far superior to any we can field at QB or running back. Play smart defense and keep it close and we can win. If we blow up early it will be a rout for SMU. I hope we are ready, but after seeing SMU I fear we are not prepared for what we are about to face. Speed and QB/RB play will be the difference unless our defense can suck it up big time.

Can field or will field?

GOMG2013 · September 8, 2015

I am by no means suggesting that smu is going to win 10 games but I am saying that our 43-6 score is irrelevant this year. They are a vastly improved team and until I see our offense prove it, I don't believe that we are.

To you All the fans that are all on SMU's ______ and impressed by the way they looked in their blowout loss against baylor, don't forget to hop on here and give our boys and coaches credit when we beat them. Make sure you also remember that it will also be a quality win on the road.

Don't come back with, they had young players that choked, it was really like a home game cause unt had more fans, they didn't play as well as they did against baylor, they would have beaten us if davis didn't get hurt, etc...just come on here and act like we beat an SMU team that "has vastly improved"

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

To you All the fans that are all on SMU's ______ and impressed by the way they looked in their blowout loss against baylor, don't forget to hop on here and give our boys and coaches credit when we beat them. Make sure you also remember that it will also be a quality win on the road.
Don't come back with, they had young players that choked, it was really like a home game cause unt had more fans, they didn't play as well as they did against baylor, they would have beaten us if davis didn't get hurt, etc...just come on here and act like we beat an SMU team that "has vastly improved"

Likewise if we struggle, make sure you give criticism where it is due.

GOMG2013 · September 8, 2015

Likewise if we struggle, make sure you give criticism where it is due.

why should i be critical? Based on some comments SMU is a quality opponent. They are freaking world beaters with this fantastic new coach. No shame in losing to a great coach, great recruiting, from a team in better conference on the road huh? No shame in losing to a potential bowl team like some have built SMU to be based on a freaking half of football...and I'm still trying to figure out how their defensive improvement can be seen in that half of the Baylor game...

Edited September 8, 2015 by GOMG2013

Cr1028 · September 8, 2015

why should i be critical? Based on some comments SMU is a quality opponent. They are freaking world beaters with this fantastic new coach. No shame in losing to a great coach, great recruiting, from a team in better conference on the road huh? No shame in losing to a potential bowl team like some have built SMU to be based on a freaking half of football...and I'm still trying to figure out how their defensive improvement can be seen in that half of the Baylor game...

Because, as you said, they have not just a bad defense but a historically bad defense. Their defense is worse than any we faced last year outside of Nicholls. Those were your words correct? I will stand by my words as you should stand by your words. If we get beat or McNulty and co aren't able to score points on them, you will lay criticism on the offensive coaching staff.

emmitt01 · September 8, 2015

I think people are overlooking something critical. Baylor, the "#4 team in the country", didnmt have Shawn Oakman or their All Big XII safety against SMU. That's a totally different defense without them.

I know, I know, it's "just two players". It's two All-American caliber players at D-Line and safety. If you don't think that makes for a totally different defense then call John Harbaugh and tell him the Ravens are the same on defense without Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed. Or tell me that the '02 North Texas defense would have been no different without Brandon Kennedy and Jonas Buckles.

NT - 27

SMU-17

Edited September 8, 2015 by emmitt01

malonish · September 8, 2015

Malonish, I saw on the SMU board that one of your alums expressed concern that Texas might come after Chad Morris because Texas lost. Do you think you guys might be looking past us? That is after you gave up 723 yards against Baylor. That puts you in last place in all of D1 for week 1. Two years ago UNT was tied with Georgia, who was ranked #9 in the nation, 21-21 mid 3rd quarter. We did loose by 24. All I know is every year is a new year. You won't know what you are up against until we hit the field. If you have fear, talk real loud. Maybe that will help. You did keep in tact, your statistical edge, in that, you can't loose em all, unless you loose the first one. GMG

Is that a multiple choice question?

C...no B! B! Wait... D. Yeah, D.

Malonish, I will probably never get the, "I hate cougarking GTFO" mentality with you. You're the new guy who comes to poker night and doesn't quite fit in with the group of guys who get together every Friday. I can't say I accept you here, but dammit! I can't hate you being here.

I love you too.