In hindsight, SMU and Arky wins gave us false optimism

Harry · December 17, 2018

Heading into the season these two games seemed to be the biggest challenges we had along with FAU and to a lessor extent UAB in conference of course.

When we excelled in both of these games it felt amazing. I think the prospect of going undefeated - while always difficult - was within reach and not just a pipe dream.

La. Tech was the game that exposed our weaknesses and in many ways our opponents took that blueprint and used it effectively against us the remainder of the season.

McCarney left this place a mess and it will take time to rebuild. This years recruiting class is a great first step but it will not happen overnight.

Hunter Green · December 17, 2018

16 minutes ago, Harry said:

Heading into the season these two games seemed to be the biggest challenges we had along with FAU and to a lessor extent UAB in conference of course.

When we excelled in both of these games it felt amazing. I think the prospect of going undefeated - while always difficult - was within reach and not just a pipe dream.

La. Tech was the game that exposed our weaknesses and in many ways our opponents took that blueprint and used it effectively against us the remainder of the season.

McCarney left this place a mess and it will take time to rebuild. This years recruiting class is a great first step but it will not happen overnight.

Agreed. Plus, I think we should go JUCO if necessary to "beef" up our linemen.

Big Z · December 17, 2018

21 minutes ago, Harry said:

Heading into the season these two games seemed to be the biggest challenges we had along with FAU and to a lessor extent UAB in conference of course.

When we excelled in both of these games it felt amazing. I think the prospect of going undefeated - while always difficult - was within reach and not just a pipe dream.

La. Tech was the game that exposed our weaknesses and in many ways our opponents took that blueprint and used it effectively against us the remainder of the season.

McCarney left this place a mess and it will take time to rebuild. This years recruiting class is a great first step but it will not happen overnight.

Sugar coating it a bit

But we had a second half of season let down and the coaches didn’t adjust very well. The bowl game was a huge disappointment.

I think we can win it next season but it will depend on if our defense gets better

GMG

Edited December 17, 2018 by Big Z

NT93 · December 17, 2018

I think it was even more so the way we beat SMU and Ark. Had both of those games been close games that we won, I don't think expectations would have been quite as high (though they would have been elevated). Add to that the way we lost the three games we lost during the regular season and it was unfortunately disappointing when, with a 9-3 record, we should have all been excited about one of the best records in program history.

MeanGreenTexan · December 17, 2018

I disagree.

We held double-digit leads in each of the games we lost except the bowl game, and when Mason goes out in the first quarter down 14-7 against the best team we've played all year, that's all we needed to lose that one the way we did. The optimism was not false. The execution VS LATech & ODU was disappointing. Losing to Conference champ UAB was tough, and the way the bowl game went down left a sour taste.

The expectations were where they needed to be. There were just way too many times pressure got to the team (I'm including UTEP & UTSA... games we should have blown out the opposition).

KingDL1 · December 17, 2018

I am not sure that is true what game were we out matched in this season minus the bowl game? We could have just as easily gone 12-12 I think going into the 5 game of the season the coaches lost the team to the hype and the celebration. I think after that they had a hard time not getting ahead of themselves and finishing off game.

Now that is on the coaches that is on Wren the Mean Joe Jersey thing with video had to be a huge distraction, the attention for being undefeated was a big distraction. While the video was cool it was not the right game for it and I am not sure there is a right time during the season. Way too much going on.

But no way do we have a chance to beat Utah State without Fine. It had to go shootout and it had to be perfect play for it to work. With as many injuries as we saw yesterday I also wonder about conditioning and practice for the bowl game was probably disturbed by the Kansas state hoopla.

agw0038 · December 17, 2018

Injuries, 2nd half adjustments, and handling success are the three words i would use to define this season.

I have no issue with the high standards, and im glad we're starting to develop a culture where winning is the expectation. All that being said, we have a very young coaching staff. This year we took a big jump in the level of play on the field, next year i think we see a big jump in the level of coaching and decision making.

I also think we have Littrell for at least 3 more years. GMG!

Edited December 17, 2018 by agw0038

MeanGreenTexan · December 17, 2018

34 minutes ago, agw0038 said:

Injuries, 2nd half adjustments, and handling success are the three words i would use to define this season.

I have no issue with the high standards, and im glad we're starting to develop a culture where winning is the expectation. All that being said, we have a very young coaching staff. This year we took a big jump in the level of play on the field, next year i think we see a big jump in the level of coaching and decision making.

I also think we have a Littrell for at least 3 more years. GMG!

2018: The Season that should have been.

southsideguy · December 17, 2018

I say nonsense, in the past would have never beaten those guys even though they were bad. I think we played our best games of the year against those two teams. The wheels seemed to come off after the LaTech game. I don't know if it was Easly going down or what. If we would have like we did against those two teams the whole season we would not have lost a game.

NorthTexasWeLove · December 17, 2018

TIgreen01 · December 17, 2018

Distraction is the word I'd use to describe 2018. Once the punt return heard round the world happened, we were up and down. Media attention like we've never seen, new agent shopping our HC, rumors of schools recruiting Fine, etc. It all points to a team that had to deal with too many distractions and that ultimately is what did them in.

greenminer · December 17, 2018

2 hours ago, Harry said:

McCarney left this place a mess and it will take time to rebuild. This years recruiting class is a great first step but it will not happen overnight.

The McCarney debacle is getting very far away. I don't think I should see it at all next year, even if there may still be a sliver of truth to it. This excuse should be gone and we will be looking at SL's inability to recruit/develop linemen his first 2-3 years.

Edited December 17, 2018 by greenminer

MGNation92 · December 17, 2018

Just now, greenminer said:

The McCarney debacle is getting very far away. I don't think I should see it at all next year, even if there may still be a silver of truth to it. This excuse should be gone and we will be looking at SL's inability to recruit/develop linemen his first 2-3 years.

It'll be interesting to see who will make the excuse next year of "Remember 2015?"

The reality is, not a single person who was on that roster will be on the roster next year outside of guys who redshirted. Almost every single player next year will be Littrell's. The McCarney argument is indeed wearing very thin.

NorthTexasWeLove · December 17, 2018

10 minutes ago, greenminer said:

The McCarney debacle is getting very far away. I don't think I should see it at all next year, even if there may still be a silver of truth to it. This excuse should be gone and we will be looking at SL's inability to recruit/develop linemen his first 2-3 years.

3 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

It'll be interesting to see who will make the excuse next year of "Remember 2015?"

The reality is, not a single person who was on that roster will be on the roster next year outside of guys who redshirted. Almost every single player next year will be Littrell's. The McCarney argument is indeed wearing very thin.

Yup. It'll happen. The woe is me SL can't do anything bad crowd will most certainly still bring it up.

I think both Emmitt and now Harry have mentioned 2015 in their state of the defense posts of the bowl game.

greenminer · December 17, 2018

9 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

It'll be interesting to see who will make the excuse next year of "Remember 2015?"

The reality is, not a single person who was on that roster will be on the roster next year outside of guys who redshirted. Almost every single player next year will be Littrell's. The McCarney argument is indeed wearing very thin.

I think we tend to linger on these past events because, if you're looking from the outside like we are (and not using it as an excuse for coaching), 3 years just isn't a very long time. The freshman who saw that Portland State game are probably still in school.

This school has suffered through so much TERRIBLE administration and gameplay - decades of it - it makes a lot of sense that our older fans are trying to put some perspective on this. We are in a very, very different era of athletics from, say, even 5 years ago. Take it as perspective, but not as an attempt to excuse the current coaches from responsibility.

Edited December 17, 2018 by greenminer

NorthTexasWeLove · December 17, 2018

9 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I think we tend to linger on these past events because, if you're looking from the outside like we are (and not using it as an excuse for coaching), 3 years just isn't a very long time. The freshman who saw that Portland State game are probably still in school.

This school has suffered through so much TERRIBLE administration and gameplay - decades of it - it makes a lot of sense that our older fans are trying to put some perspective on this. We are in a very, very different era of athletics from, say, even 5 years ago. Take it as perspective, but not as an attempt to excuse the current coaches from responsibility.

Meh...GaSouthern went 2-10 last year 10-3 this year. UCF when 0-12 the same year we went 1-11 and they're rolling on 25 straight. There are so many other scenarios like these 2. We use our past as a crutch because it's all we know. We find something to lean on and we lean on that bitch with allllllll our weight. We get people that wear green sunglasses that a shade of green so dark they can't seen out of them. We, on this very same board, had people defending Dan McCarney AND RV tooth and nail until the very, very end. Now, we obviously aren't in that same predicament, but the same mindset is still well and alive. Content with 9-4 when 12-1 was EASILY there for the taking. Getting pounded on in big games. And the excuse remains the same...'Remember the 1-11'. That's nothing but an absolute pile of bullshit. Steamy, hot bull shit.

Edited December 17, 2018 by NorthTexasWeLove

FirefightnRick · December 17, 2018

OMG more excuses. I worry about some of y’all. SMH!

Rick

PlummMeanGreen · December 17, 2018

Moving Forward➡️

• Years from now the record book & UNT football media guide will show for 2018:

North Texas at Arkansas...........W

SMU at North Texas....................W

GMG!

NorthTexasWeLove · December 17, 2018

Just now, PlummMeanGreen said:

Moving Forward➡️

• Years from now the record book & UNT football media guide will show for 2018:

North Texas at Arkansas...........W

SMU at North Texas....................W

GMG!

NorthTexasWeLove · December 17, 2018

1 minute ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

If anyone is going to be a royal turd 2 days before signing date then get the hell off this forum, all ye who are “always” Negative Ned’s.

GMG!

PS: That you, Coach Bill?

We got blasted 52-13. I think people can say whatever the hell they want.

If we have commits bounce it won't be because of posts...it'll be because of that 52-13 blasting in the first sentence.