MGB: If McNulty wasn't the best option, he wouldn't be out there

GOMG2013 · September 23, 2015

I actually don't think it's a matter of Smith "not knowing the playbook". I bet he knows the playbook just fine. His problem is likely with the paper tests when reading the opposing pre-snap defensive alignment to figure out which super-secret play to check down to if the defense is in a position to stop the current play.

this.

Our offense reacts. We don't impose our will. We aren't built to run our offense no matter what a defense shows. You have to have talent that is unstoppable to get that kind of mentality. My RB vs your LBs and I expect my RB to win the one on one battle.

Aldo · September 23, 2015

As far as the playbook excuse, it's just that, an excuse. This offense is not very complex by any stretch.

I'll go with this.

Me and my buddy were predicting both Rice and North Texas offensive plays as they lined up, including run left/right, option, screen, PA.

We were like 80% right. Base formations not very creative on either side.

Cr1028 · September 23, 2015

It amazes me that UT can adjust their offense mid-season to fit a qb that provides a spark but we can't.

Withers940 · September 23, 2015

McNulty is playing because he is UNT’s best option. There is no two ways about it. If there was a better player on the roster, he would be out there. McCarney and his staff had the whole offseason to look at its other options.

angry animated GIF

adman · September 23, 2015

Hey Brett, Can we agree that once we are out of bowl contention, even though #5 is "the best option", we sit him and start playing at least one of the three guys that will be around next season?

ChristopherRyanWilkes · September 23, 2015

I tend to agree with Vito on this which just depresses me even more about this team. I think folks on here tend to romanticize Smith just like Dajon and Brock Berglund because we are desperate to have our savior at QB. I hope I'm wrong and he comes in and does great things here but history tends to say otherwise.

VideoEagle · September 23, 2015

Then do you buy them making a mistake? This staff has made more than their share in recruiting, is really that hard to believe they are wrong this time?

Take the McCarney glasses off Brett. He is our best option, because our coaches put us in this predicament as him being our best option.

You're probably right, which is sad.
Brett, don't you think the fact that McNulty is our best QB show how bad recruiting has been under Mac? I'd love to see you right an opinion piece on why you think Mac has struggled so much to recruit/develop a solid D1 QB.

Yes, the staff has not done a good enough job in recruiting and developing quarterbacks. That is EXACTLY WHY McNulty is the best option right now, this week. It does not mean he will be the best option for ever or even next week.

this.
Our offense reacts. We don't impose our will. We aren't built to run our offense no matter what a defense shows. You have to have talent that is unstoppable to get that kind of mentality. My RB vs your LBs and I expect my RB to win the one on one battle.

This isn't 1955. Football offense is now based on taking what the defense gives you and making the most of it. That's the whole idea of a zone read, a spread offense where players stop and look to sideline before the snap, why you hear "kill, kill, kill" before most plays on TV. I know some don't like a team popping up like a bunch of prairie dogs but if you watched the National Championship game last year you saw Ohio State and Oregon doing a lot of that.

MeanGreenTexan · September 23, 2015

I tend to agree with Vito on this which just depresses me even more about this team. I think folks on here tend to romanticize Smith just like Dajon and Brock Berglund because we are desperate to have our savior at QB. I hope I'm wrong and he comes in and does great things here but history tends to say otherwise.

And, like Dajon, we'll never know if he is or he isn't unless we SEE him on the field.
Dajon explosive-diarrhea'd the bed when he was playing against 1st-team defenses not named Nicholls.
There is a possibility Smith could do the same. Or, he could play much, much better and live up to his high-school recruiting profile. We won't know unless we see him.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · September 23, 2015

And, like Dajon, we'll never know if he is or he isn't unless we SEE him on the field.Dajon explosive-diarrhea'd the bed when he was playing against 1st-team defenses not named Nicholls.
There is a possibility Smith could do the same. Or, he could play much, much better and live up to his high-school recruiting profile. We won't know unless we see him.

Piggybacking on the Dajon thing, is he on a football roster right now? Can't find him on any roster but thought he was set to be eligible to play for a FCS this season? This has probably been mentioned somewhere else and I missed it. But to your point, if Smith comes out and does the same will folks be any more or less satisfied in Mac for giving him a chance at least? There were still rumblings about Dajon being the best QB after we saw what he did against UAB and Indiana.

Edited September 23, 2015 by ChristopherRyanWilkes

VideoEagle · September 23, 2015

Piggybacking on the Dajon thing, is he on a football roster right now? Can't find him on any roster but thought he was set to be eligible to play for a FCS this season? This has probably been mentioned somewhere else and I missed it. But to your point, if Smith comes out and does the same will folks be any more or less satisfied in Mac for giving him a chance at least? There were still rumblings about Dajon being the best QB after we saw what he did against UAB and Indiana.

Think he's at A&M Commerce. As a wide receiver. So far, hasn't been successful as a DII QB either.

foutsrouts · September 23, 2015

And, like Dajon, we'll never know if he is or he isn't unless we SEE him on the field.Dajon explosive-diarrhea'd the bed when he was playing against 1st-team defenses not named Nicholls.
There is a possibility Smith could do the same. Or, he could play much, much better and live up to his high-school recruiting profile. We won't know unless we see him.

Basically, nobody wanted Dajon just like nobody wanted McNulty. I certainly don't believe exclusively in the "Stars" system for recruiting, but it does have some validity. I'm just afraid that we'll never get to see what this 4 Star guy with some very successful post-HS experience can do. Btw, we all know that Means and Greer weren't exactly lighting up the recruiting boards across the country either, so I guess this is just the MO of our coaching staff. Depressing.

GOMG2013 · September 23, 2015

And, like Dajon, we'll never know if he is or he isn't unless we SEE him on the field.Dajon explosive-diarrhea'd the bed when he was playing against 1st-team defenses not named Nicholls.
There is a possibility Smith could do the same. Or, he could play much, much better and live up to his high-school recruiting profile. We won't know unless we see him.

and we won't see him until Chico creates a system based on his strengths and where he looks good in practice.

A good OC would have seen that this guy has top level talent, so let's design a system similar to what you have already ran, and then build on that.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · September 23, 2015

Think he's at A&M Commerce. As a wide receiver. So far, hasn't been successful as a DII QB either.

Thanks, don't see him on the roster there either but maybe it's not updated yet. http://lionathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=football

Also, don't want anyone to take my statements as a defense of Mac or mini Mac, its the opposite.

Cerebus · September 23, 2015

You know how a lot of people bristle about the idea that RV "invented" tailgating here? Getting the obvious right a lot isn't cause for a lifetime poster contract either.

Is it possible that UNT90... IS RV?

VideoEagle · September 23, 2015

Is it possible that UNT90... IS RV?

Well, when's the last time anyone saw them together?

Cerebus · September 23, 2015

Well, when's the last time anyone saw them together?

BillySee58 · September 23, 2015

and we won't see him until Chico creates a system based on his strengths and where he looks good in practice.
A good OC would have seen that this guy has top level talent, so let's design a system similar to what you have already ran, and then build on that.

Even after Chico leaves at the end of the year I don't see us getting any good QBs or getting good play at the position as long as Mccarney is here.

MGNation92 · September 23, 2015

and we won't see him until Chico creates a system based on his strengths and where he looks good in practice.
A good OC would have seen that this guy has top level talent, so let's design a system similar to what you have already ran, and then build on that.

I would love to see Smith in an Air Raid offense. Hell I'd love to see an air raid offense in general at UNT. I think it would give us the best shot at recruiting big time QBs, and potentially beat P5 programs occasionally.

Army of Dad · September 23, 2015

Is it possible that UNT90... IS RV?

The only way that could work is if they had multiple personality disorder. Their views on scheduling and coach contracts are diametrically opposed.

Cerebus · September 23, 2015

The only way that could work is if they had multiple personality disorder. Their views on scheduling and coach contracts are diametrically opposed.

It's all really, REALLY starting to make sense now....

VideoEagle · September 23, 2015

The only way that could work is if they had multiple personality disorder. Their views on scheduling and coach contracts are diametrically opposed.

Any reason to believe they/he don't? That would explain a lot of UNT90s posts!

GMG24 · September 23, 2015

I don't buy the idea the coaches purposely trying to lose. As for forcing the entire offense to learn a totally new 10-12 play playbook because one guy hasn't learned the real one yet, sorry but that doesn't make sense either. Make the one guy learn the playbook.

Yep. Square Peg meet Round Hole. If the dude has that much talent and struggles to learn the entire playbook run what he knows and get really really good at it. You don't need 1 million plays and formations, just look at SMU they ran about 6-8 formations and the same 5-6 plays out of each. Morris got our defense to line up how he wanted us to and ran where he wanted. Let his stud be a stud its a pretty simple game.

MeanGreenTexan · September 23, 2015

I would love to see Smith in an Air Raid offense. Hell I'd love to see an air raid offense in general at UNT. I think it would give us the best shot at recruiting big time QBs, and potentially beat P5 programs occasionally.

Over McCarney's dead/fired body.

GOMG2013 · September 23, 2015

Even after Chico leaves at the end of the year I don't see us getting any good QBs or getting good play at the position as long as Mccarney is here.

depends on the OC. If it's a QB from a passing system, then no. There's a lot of raw running QBs in high school. UNT can get one. Run him early and develop his passing skills as he gets older. It happens all the time. Juse look at what our last two opponents have done. And Rice is not a prolific razzle dazzle offense. If mac had his way, the Rice offense may be exactly what he is looking for.