How much slack should Austin Aune have this season?

Coach Andy Mac · August 3, 2021

With a former four-star recruit in Ruder behind Aune, the quarterback situation could be similar to last season–which would bode badly for the team. If Aune has a slow start to the season, the football coaching staff will have a dilemma. Trusting Aune to improve could mean sacrificing early wins in a daunting non-conference slate, which in turn would be detrimental for team morale. On the other side of the coin, switching quarterbacks could create a similar dynamic to 2020, where neither starter was able to consistently gain their footing.

Read more: https://www.ntdaily.com/column-how-much-slack-should-austin-aune-have-this-season/

Salsa_Verde · August 3, 2021

If SL wants to keep his job…..uhhhh none?

PlummMeanGreen · August 3, 2021

The 2001–2004 Mean Green didn’t put all 4 of their bowl teams seasons together until about half way thru each season as I remember.

I think this 2021 MG team will not fully mesh until about half way in the season, too. If It happens sooner & UNT even gets wins some on GMG have said are un’winnable I think that would mean many of our portal transfers came thru earlier than expected & we are having a good 2021 football season.

🦅

emmitt01 · August 3, 2021

Inversely proportional to the amount of slack SL should expect Wren to have for him at year’s end

UNT 90 Grad · August 3, 2021

1 hour ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

The 2001–2004 Mean Green didn’t put all 4 of their bowl teams seasons together until about half way thru each season as I remember.

I think this 2021 MG team will not fully mesh until about half way in the season, too. If It happens sooner & UNT even gets wins some on GMG have said are un’winnable I think that would mean many of our portal transfers came thru earlier than expected & we are having a good 2021 football season.

🦅

Well, I’d say they didn’t start putting them together until half way through each season. That’s because the non conference games were front loaded and we’d lose those and win all the conference games, more or less.

Wag Tag · August 3, 2021

None! GMG

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · August 3, 2021

Zero. If he plays bad at SMU, put Ruder in and stay with it. If he earns his spot in fall, but can’t perform in either SMU or UAB, move on.
No more 2 QB system, stick with someone

UNTLifer · August 3, 2021

9 hours ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Zero. If he plays bad at SMU, put Ruder in and stay with it. If he earns his spot in fall, but can’t perform in either SMU or UAB, move on.
No more 2 QB system, stick with someone

We honestly don't know what we have with Ruder, so what if he replaces Aune vs. smuT and plays bad as well?

Edited August 3, 2021 by UNTLifer

meangreen11 · August 3, 2021

It seems to me the Ruder has to surpass Martin and Kuehne before he gets to the starter who is Aune right now.

MeanGreenTexan · August 3, 2021

7 minutes ago, meangreen11 said:

It seems to me the Ruder has to surpass Martin and Kuehne before he gets to the starter who is Aune right now.

If this is a challenge for Ruder, we wasted a scholarship on him.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · August 3, 2021

25 minutes ago, meangreen11 said:

It seems to me the Ruder has to surpass Martin and Kuehne before he gets to the starter who is Aune right now.

Those 2 are basically out of the picture.

GrandGreen · August 3, 2021

Aune like every player, must be the best at his position to start. My guess is that he will start and have his best year.

The real QB battle will be for second team.

Edited August 3, 2021 by GrandGreen

Green Crazy · August 4, 2021

It depends on how close the next QB is to him in performance. If he clearly wins the job and Martin and/or Ruder aren't close, then more slack is given. If the backup QBs are breathing down his neck like I expect then no slack at all.

PlummMeanGreen · August 4, 2021

To me QB is down the list of concerns. Our Defense has to show up early this Fall albeit mid season is realistically when this team meshes. Makes for an interesting & most watchable season no matter what.

🦅

WanderingEagle · August 5, 2021

Aune’s success in 2021 boosts our chances of being great. Barring massive regression he won’t be the reason we lose games. We just need him to be adequate, and hopefully a little better than he was in 2020. And there’s plenty of talent behind him that can do it if he can’t.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · August 5, 2021

7 hours ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

To me QB is down the list of concerns. Our Defense has to show up early this Fall albeit mid season is realistically when this team meshes. Makes for an interesting & most watchable season no matter what.

🦅

If we had a defense, we could’ve won 7 games last year. Sadly we had a DC that can’t teach simple techniques (back to back years it seems) and positional coaches that clearly didn’t know what they were doing. The guys on defense are very talented, but not taught correctly. None of the BS “they should know from high school” because it’s a completely different game in FBS football.

I know that has nothing to do with Aune, but if he had a defense and wasn’t in holes early on, he could’ve been better. And if he had a QB coach through the year

Rant over

Edited August 5, 2021 by NorthTexasSportsNetwork

PlummMeanGreen · August 5, 2021

After listening to Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett on UNT podcasts along with his Baylor radio pals in Waco who have a podcasts, Coach B’s main yet simple theme is “getting those stops on 3’rd downs.” Sometimes such simplicity with fanatical effort on each play (a la the Urban Meyer theory) can produce very visible results. I think we have enough talent now to get some of those results. I’m pretty sure they’ll have the guidance & I think some of you feel the same now.

🦅

Edited August 5, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

outoftown · August 5, 2021

10 hours ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

If we had a defense, we could’ve won 7 games last year. Sadly we had a DC that can’t teach simple techniques (back to back years it seems) and positional coaches that clearly didn’t know what they were doing. The guys on defense are very talented, but not taught correctly. None of the BS “they should know from high school” because it’s a completely different game in FBS football.

I know that has nothing to do with Aune, but if he had a defense and wasn’t in holes early on, he could’ve been better. And if he had a QB coach through the year

Rant over

All true. Would also have all been true with Bean as a starter.

I am still not sure Aune is the answer at QB.

RBP79 · August 5, 2021

18 minutes ago, outoftown said:

All true. Would also have all been true with Bean as a starter.

I am still not sure Aune is the answer at QB.

IMO....Bean lacked maturity last year.

Just feel Aune or Ruder will step forward...

meangreen11 · August 5, 2021

2 minutes ago, RBP79 said:

IMO....Bean lacked maturity last year.

Translation = Bean pouted too much

NWKGREEN · August 5, 2021

You will be very happy with what you get in Jace Ruder. He could be the best athlete on the team. Also he is smart enough to know the offense already since being there all summer. Don’t be surprised.

Jonnyeagle · August 5, 2021

1 minute ago, NWKGREEN said:

You will be very happy with what you get in Jace Ruder. He could be the best athlete on the team. Also he is smart enough to know the offense already since being there all summer. Don’t be surprised.

I like what I am hearing here. Tell me more. I am pulling for him to do well and push Aune but it seems like the die has been cast already reading Vito.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 5, 2021

4 minutes ago, NWKGREEN said:

You will be very happy with what you get in Jace Ruder. He could be the best athlete on the team. Also he is smart enough to know the offense already since being there all summer. Don’t be surprised.

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