DRC Monday column: For UNT fans, it's OK to dream big now

Brett Vito · September 2, 2018

DRC: Favorable schedule , improved defense, return of Mason Fine open up a world of possibilities for the Mean Green

https://www.dentonrc.com/sports/brett-vito-time-has-come-for-unt-to-dream-big/article_726491e3-c606-5895-b739-98b8b3930da3.html

Silent Eagle · September 2, 2018

Oh no- were not taking the UTSA bait, Vito. One game at a time. I know your tricks.

GreenN'walinsVet · September 2, 2018

How did 2015 end up again? You know the last time we hammered SMU to open a season. #onegameatatime

Edited September 2, 2018 by GreenN'walinsVet

Coach Andy Mac · September 2, 2018

Someone has abducted Brett and is posting as him.

UNT 90 Grad · September 3, 2018

2 hours ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

How did 2015 end up again? You know the last time we hammered SMU to open a season. #onegameatatime

#hittwo

greeneagle1 · September 3, 2018

Thanks for the green light @Brett Vito. I was waiting for your approval to start dreaming big.

Mike Jackson · September 3, 2018

A win against Arkansas would be very nice. But I want that first CUSA title. If it is a choice between a narrow upset of Arkansas and CUSA title I am taking the title regardless of our record at the end of he year. Now if you are talking about a 17+ points victory with solid play in all phases of the game against an Arkansas team that ends up going to a New Year's Day bowl I am in.* A win like that gets Apogee sold out this year. If we have a true "buts-in-seats" sellout and perform well the rest of the year the program can get to the heights we dream of.

*(the rest of this mystical beat Arkansas & SMU season would include no worse than a 2nd place finish in our division for me to take the trade off)

akriesman · September 3, 2018

3 hours ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

How did 2015 end up again? You know the last time we hammered SMU to open a season. #onegameatatime

This team is nothing like that 2015 team. That team crushed SMU despite the fact that our QB play looked really average (or worse). Mason is special and he is playing the most important position on the field.

Our passing game is going to roll all season long IMO. They probably won't be as dominant as last night. But, they will be a force in every game.

I am most concerned with our running game though. We still don't have a back that stands out. Last night it was all Mason and the WR's. We have to at least have the defense respect the run a little bit.

Was our defense that good ? We will find that out soon enough. But, the running game was really poor IMO. And, SMU is no juggernaut on defense.

GreenN'walinsVet · September 3, 2018

1 hour ago, akriesman said:

This team is nothing like that 2015 team. That team crushed SMU despite the fact that our QB play looked really average (or worse). Mason is special and he is playing the most important position on the field.

Our passing game is going to roll all season long IMO. They probably won't be as dominant as last night. But, they will be a force in every game.

I am most concerned with our running game though. We still don't have a back that stands out. Last night it was all Mason and the WR's. We have to at least have the defense respect the run a little bit.

Was our defense that good ? We will find that out soon enough. But, the running game was really poor IMO. And, SMU is no juggernaut on defense.

In no way am i comparing the teams from then and now. only mentioning what happened that year, to illustrate that we don't want to start UTSA dreaming.

meangreenacct · September 3, 2018

5 hours ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

How did 2015 end up again? You know the last time we hammered SMU to open a season. #onegameatatime

Are you thinking of 2014? In 2015 we only won one game and that was late in the year and was definitely not SMU. I believe in 2014 we beat them 43-6 (or so), although still had a subpar year.

GreenN'walinsVet · September 3, 2018

7 minutes ago, meangreenacct said:

Are you thinking of 2014? In 2015 we only won one game and that was late in the year and was definitely not SMU. I believe in 2014 we beat them 43-6 (or so), although still had a subpar year.

yes, it was 2014. it was so bad those years, i just picked one, due to blocking most em out of my memory.

UNT 90 Grad · September 3, 2018

5 hours ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

How did 2015 end up again? You know the last time we hammered SMU to open a season. #onegameatatime

8 minutes ago, meangreenacct said:

Are you thinking of 2014? In 2015 we only won one game and that was late in the year and was definitely not SMU. I believe in 2014 we beat them 43-6 (or so), although still had a subpar year.

In 2014, we crushed SMU, but it was game #2. In 2015, we opened against SMU, but SMU won.. UTSA was the one win that year.

Edited September 3, 2018 by UNT 90 Grad

TheColonyEagle · September 3, 2018

I’m now convinced....

Vito doesn’t want UNT to succeed.

Got5onIt · September 3, 2018

2 hours ago, akriesman said:

This team is nothing like that 2015 team. That team crushed SMU despite the fact that our QB play looked really average (or worse). Mason is special and he is playing the most important position on the field.

Our passing game is going to roll all season long IMO. They probably won't be as dominant as last night. But, they will be a force in every game.

I am most concerned with our running game though. We still don't have a back that stands out. Last night it was all Mason and the WR's. We have to at least have the defense respect the run a little bit.

Was our defense that good ? We will find that out soon enough. But, the running game was really poor IMO. And, SMU is no juggernaut on defense.

Agreed. The running game is about the only concern I have. The lack of a decent running game put NT into a bunch of 3rd and long’s in the 1st half. Luckily, the passing game was so dominant it was able to bail them out of those most of the night. For this season to be special, NT will absolutely have to find a running game to help get them there.

KingDL1 · September 3, 2018

Quote

Mean Green pounded the Mustangs 46-23

That got me all excited again!

UNTLifer · September 4, 2018

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO

NutsaCK's writer did this crap last year. We think about nobody but Incarnate Word right now. They are the most important team on our schedule.

VideoEagle · September 4, 2018

Vito's article has got more disclaimers than a new car ad on the radio. Yes, there are a a lot of "ifs" involved in winning the conference but he's quoting Littrel when he writes it's possible. Even that has disclaimers. "

Quote

“There is no doubt in my mind that this is the best team we have had since I have been here,” Littrell said. “What does that mean? We will see. We still have to prepare the right way. It only takes being a little bit off and not preparing the right way one week and you are going to get your butt beat. At the same time, if we prepare the right way I truly believe we can win every game on our schedule."

disclaimers From what I saw in another thread, OTHER writers are also thinking we can have a very special season. DCTF writes we've put the state on notice. It's one game, but it was a great one game!

Now to figure out how to get the text size to work on my iPad!

MeanGreenTexan · September 4, 2018

2 hours ago, VideoEagle said:

Vito's article has got more disclaimers than a new car ad on the radio. Yes, there are a a lot of "ifs" involved in winning the conference but he's quoting Littrel when he writes it's possible. Even that has disclaimers. "

disclaimers From what I saw in another thread, OTHER writers are also thinking we can have a very special season. DCTF writes we've put the state on notice. It's one game, but it was a great one game!

Now to figure out how to get the text size to work on my iPad!

Right. I thought Vito's article was a little more reserved than 'ol Whistler's article last year for UTSA.
Plus, he didn't mention the term, "pipe dream", so I think we're good.