DRC: UNT 2021 schedule takeaways -- Mean Green will face tough road

[Brett Vito]

 

[PlummMeanGreen]

Well, we won 4 games last year with a not real strong defense.  I think the talent UNT has waiting in the wings (to play defense)is hardly chopped liver.  

🦅❇️🦅
 

Edited January 28, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTLifer]

It wasn't a talent issue, it was a system/scheme issue on defense.

[Matt from A700]

I don't think we're in too bad of shape if Vito predicts us to have a tough road.

[PlummMeanGreen]

In the early 2000’s during the 4 years in a row we went to the New Orleans Bowl; anyway, as I recall the first 6 games of each of those seasons it seems we rarely had more than 1-2 wins so—-we’ve had bad season starts in the past yet came out OK. 
🦅❇️🦅

[UNTLifer]

40 minutes ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

In the early 2000’s during the 4 years in a row we went to the New Orleans Bowl; anyway, as I recall the first 6 games of each of those seasons it seems we rarely had more than 1-2 wins so—-we’ve had bad season starts in the past yet came out OK. 
🦅❇️🦅

That's what gets me.  Many on here state that if SL doesn't win 7 or 8 games then he should be gone, yet we name practice fields and put coaches in the HOF with overall losing records.

[MeanGreenTexan]

4 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

That's what gets me.  Many on here state that if SL doesn't win 7 or 8 games then he should be gone, yet we name practice fields and put coaches in the HOF with overall losing records.

...in the past.

The times, they are a changin.

Dickey didn't have nearly the resources (let alone the dollars) that Littrell has.   Expectations must rise.

[UNTLifer]

15 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

...in the past.

The times, they are a changin.

Dickey didn't have nearly the resources (let alone the dollars) that Littrell has.   Expectations must rise.

Oh, I agree.  The above was sarcasm...kind of.

[meanrob]

57 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

That's what gets me.  Many on here state that if SL doesn't win 7 or 8 games then he should be gone, yet we name practice fields and put coaches in the HOF with overall losing records.

Get the f outta here with this crap. 
 

If any of the highest paid coaches in their respective conferences not only didn’t compete for a championship but had THREE STRAIGHT LOSING seasons, they’d either be fired or on the hot seat. And not one of those fan bases would be happy. I don’t care if it’s the Lone Star Conference. 
 

During the games in the chat you’re just as pissed off and frustrated as most of us. Then the off-season comes and you blow smoke everywhere. Last two years, rinse, repeat. 
 

If the inconsistency continues and he wins four or five games (highly likely), he needs to go. It’s the worst division in FBS, we’re not asking him to compete in the SEC West. 

[Coach Andy Mac]

14 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

I don't think we're in too bad of shape if Vito predicts us to have a tough road.

[UNTLifer]

19 minutes ago, meanrob said:

Get the f outta here with this crap. 
 

If any of the highest paid coaches in their respective conferences not only didn’t compete for a championship but had THREE STRAIGHT LOSING seasons, they’d either be fired or on the hot seat. And not one of those fan bases would be happy. I don’t care if it’s the Lone Star Conference. 
 

During the games in the chat you’re just as pissed off and frustrated as most of us. Then the off-season comes and you blow smoke everywhere. Last two years, rinse, repeat. 
 

If the inconsistency continues and he wins four or five games (highly likely), he needs to go. It’s the worst division in FBS, we’re not asking him to compete in the SEC West. 

Relax. You will notice my second comment said it was sarcasm.  The sort of was directed at those that believe DD belonged in the HOF.

[meanrob]

12 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Relax. You will notice my second comment said it was sarcasm.  The sort of was directed at those that believe DD belonged in the HOF.

And if Littrell wants to have a friend donate a million bucks (or whatever the amount was) to the AD, he can put his name on something too. 
 

[El Paso Eagle]

15 minutes ago, meanrob said:

And if Littrell wants to have a friend donate a million bucks (or whatever the amount was) to the AD, he can put his name on something too. 
 

Is the ole DD practice field still around?

[El Paso Eagle]

1 minute ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Is the ole DD practice field still around?

I guess that is a yes -
https://meangreensports.com/facilities/darrell-r-dickey-football-practice-facility/11

 

[TheColonyEagle]

I see a guaranteed 1-5 start with a 50/50 two game stretch at Rice and USM. 

How do we not lose a minimum of 8?

Next year will take a monumental turn around. An unbelievable reversal. 

[TheColonyEagle]

Our offensive guru, QB whisperer coach doesn’t have a QB in a make or break year.....

seems like that’s a problem 

[greenminer]

26 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Our offensive guru, QB whisperer coach doesn’t have a QB in a make or break year.....

seems like that’s a problem 

I agree.  How in the world are we gonna figure out our defense when we don't have a QB to lean on?

[WanderingEagle]

4 hours ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Our offensive guru, QB whisperer coach doesn’t have a QB in a make or break year.....

seems like that’s a problem 

2020 nationally, we were 10th in YPG, 23rd in PPG and 23rd in total passing yards, and of the two QB's who were responsible for those stats, the better one is returning. 

 

Shoot I'd put QB as one of our safer positions heading into fall. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by WanderingEagle

[southsideguy]

Are we playing Mizzou for the money that is a mistake.   We need to build momentum going into conference play and we  start conference play 1-3 we lose the fair seat fans.  I am not saying play St Mary school for the blind but we need winnable games.  As far as SMUT goes they bring nothing to our stadium and we inflate their numbers.   Dump them and find a team that can bring fans in.  Houston Baptist brought more fans in than SMUT.  

[97and03]

On 1/30/2021 at 10:58 PM, southsideguy said:

Are we playing Mizzou for the money that is a mistake.   We need to build momentum going into conference play and we  start conference play 1-3 we lose the fair seat fans.  I am not saying play St Mary school for the blind but we need winnable games.  As far as SMUT goes they bring nothing to our stadium and we inflate their numbers.   Dump them and find a team that can bring fans in.  Houston Baptist brought more fans in than SMUT.  

This is such backward thinking. I don’t know - or care - how many SMUt fans come to Apogee. We need to quit worrying about opponents fans traveling to Denton. 
You know who SMU does get to come out to games? NORTH TEXAS FANS. And that is who we want at the games anyway. 

[TheColonyEagle]

On 1/29/2021 at 9:12 PM, greenminer said:

I agree.  How in the world are we gonna figure out our defense when we don't have a QB to lean on?

Of course Defense is our biggest issue....but our offense is WAAAY overrated. We rack up yards after the game is out of hand....

Our QB situation is NOT good. We couldn't decide between two middle of the road QBs last season....just because one left and now we have a starter by default doesn't mean the QB situation is fixed.

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

25 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Of course Defense is our biggest issue....but our offense is WAAAY overrated. We rack up yards after the game is out of hand....

Our QB situation is NOT good. We couldn't decide between two middle of the road QBs last season....just because one left and now we have a starter by default doesn't mean the QB situation is fixed.

 

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how the same offense looks with a decent defense (assuming we have one under Bennett).

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Of course Defense is our biggest issue....but our offense is WAAAY overrated. We rack up yards after the game is out of hand....

Our QB situation is NOT good. We couldn't decide between two middle of the road QBs last season....just because one left and now we have a starter by default doesn't mean the QB situation is fixed.

Offense was 21st in 3rd down conversions.  30th in 10+ yards from scrimmage.  12th in 20+ yards from scrimmage.  6th in 30+ yard plays from scrimmage...etc.

...do I understand that our stats are inflated to some extent because of garbage time production? Yes. but...

Defense was 123rd in the country in allowed yards per play.  111th in defending 3rd down conversions.  115th in allowing 10+ yards from scrimmage.  116th in 20+ yards from scrimmage.  119th in 30+ yards from scrimmage.  125th in 40+ yards from scrimmage....y'all ge the point.

My position is this: If we get a QB, it won't matter if we don't address our defense. If we get a defense, a middle of the road QB will be good enough to compete for CUSA.  If we upgrade both, 2021 could be special.

I have completely baseless optimism a hunch that Aune will be better by default next year, because Bean won't be in his shadow.  If he's not, we have some new options coming in 2021 that appear to be be better than anything we put out in 2020 anyways.

[untjim1995]

This schedule is rough, for sure. The OOC is very tough for where we are right now as a program. I see 1-3 in that for sure. CUSA East at FIU and home to Marshall is also really tough. I'd have liked those reversed, honestly, because I think we could beat FIU at home, but I don't trust SL on the road, so I don't see a win in either of those CUSA East games, so that's 1-5. CUSA West gives us the other 6 games. The three non-Texas CUSA West teams are just way too physical for us right now, so I don't see a win there, which gets us to 1-8. The three Texas CUSA West teams are where we probably can get a few more wins. I can see us getting a win or two there, so I see us at 3-9 overall.

Don't be a bit surprised to see Phil Bennett get named as interim HFC at some point and use it as his interview to be our next full-time head coach. I could easily see this happening after the Liberty game and give him the chance to see what he can do against Rice, USM, UTEP, FIU, and UTSA.

I want SL to be our coach in 2022 because it means he did much better than what I'm suggesting above. But I just don't see it. We have no QB, a new QB coach, a new DC who has to basically rebuild a defense, and a MUCH harder schedule than we have played in a long time. And I think SL has to win 6 games to keep his job, and I can only see 3 wins at most on here for where we are right now. 

[TheColonyEagle]

2 hours ago, greenminer said:

Offense was 21st in 3rd down conversions.  30th in 10+ yards from scrimmage.  12th in 20+ yards from scrimmage.  6th in 30+ yard plays from scrimmage...etc.

...do I understand that our stats are inflated to some extent because of garbage time production? Yes. but...

Defense was 123rd in the country in allowed yards per play.  111th in defending 3rd down conversions.  115th in allowing 10+ yards from scrimmage.  116th in 20+ yards from scrimmage.  119th in 30+ yards from scrimmage.  125th in 40+ yards from scrimmage....y'all ge the point.

My position is this: If we get a QB, it won't matter if we don't address our defense. If we get a defense, a middle of the road QB will be good enough to compete for CUSA.  If we upgrade both, 2021 could be special.

I have completely baseless optimism a hunch that Aune will be better by default next year, because Bean won't be in his shadow.  If he's not, we have some new options coming in 2021 that appear to be be better than anything we put out in 2020 anyways.

I hope you're right....

I'm not sure what the greatest one season turnaround is for a defense but for our defense to be good enough to win with a middle of the road QB....our 2021 turnaround will have to be one of the greatest in football history.

Maybe we'll see history in Denton this year...