DRC: Aune shines in first start to open season, guides UNT past UTEP

[Brett Vito]

https://twitter.com/brettvito/status/1563790827381465089

Edited August 28, 2022 by Brett Vito

[peanuts104]

"Shines" is a bit optimistic.  But he did make some good throws in tight windows, something I lamented on last year that he should have been able to do given his baseball background. That first half was a struggle though.

I think the bigger story should be that the team is finally incorporating TEs back into their passing progressions and our running backs are absolute beasts.

[Brett Vito]

 

[p_phelps]

Aune still only completed 55% of lasses. It may have been his best game,  doesn't mean it was an amazing performance.  Play like that against smu and we get beat. Defense on the other hand, loved their adjustments!

[ScreamingEaglesFan]

I wish I could've read Phil Bennett's lips when he was talking to KD Davis and the other guys on defense after the penalties that kept UTEP's drive alive.

[NorthTexan95]

47 minutes ago, p_phelps said:

Aune still only completed 55% of lasses. It may have been his best game,  doesn't mean it was an amazing performance.  Play like that against smu and we get beat. Defense on the other hand, loved their adjustments!

I have flashback of Derek Thompson having games like this and a certain beat writer praising it. 

[El Paso Eagle]

1 hour ago, p_phelps said:

Aune still only completed 55% of lasses. It may have been his best game,  doesn't mean it was an amazing performance.  Play like that against smu and we get beat. Defense on the other hand, loved their adjustments!

Give Aune credit for makingsome nice throws, but the fact still remains that he had several very makable throws that were missed that keeps completing percentage so low.

Happy for the win, but not sure how good/bad UTEP is.

Edited August 28, 2022 by El Paso Eagle

[greenjoe]

It’s hard to be a prophet in your own land.

[Wag Tag]

Have to love the offensive balance. Like last year Anne and his turnovers were killers.. If he can stay above 55% with very few turnovers we can win a lot of games. Bennett is the life saver!

[MeanGreen_MBA]

55% 250 yds. 3 TD’s. Zero INT’s

 

i will take that with our running game all day

[Hunter Green]

2 hours ago, ScreamingEaglesFan said:

I wish I could've read Phil Bennett's lips when he was talking to KD Davis and the other guys on defense after the penalties that kept UTEP's drive alive.

Love Phil Bennett.  Old school coach that's not afraid to tear into your ass even when it's your star pupil. Their performance after that was nothing short of brilliant. 

[emmitt01]

I give credit to Aune; he didn’t do anything to lose us the game (though that fumble in our red zone is 6 points for the opposition if he does it next week).   
 

It seemed clear that the offense was tailored to do what he is capable of…short throws, roll outs with a receiver coming across the field to take a short lob, no real deep shots.  Against the majority of CUSA this will be just fine because the threat of the run keeps defenses from dropping 6-8 defenders into coverage.  Where I am concerned is the games where you have to get vertical (beyond 15-20 yards) to have success.  
 

Also, he still threw several at people’s feet.  Likely because he never got his feet settled, he appeared to be constantly throwing off his back foot trying to avoid any pressure of being hit.  What made Mason special was the ability to stand in there and deliver.  

[Marty]

 

[Cooley]

Very low bar at the QB position but happy for a win on the road. 

[NT80]

No, that was not "shines", that was "managed".   Aune seemed nervous in the first half, with several poor throws (again) and indecision to run himself or pass.  Second half was better, crisper passes.   I was disappointed SL left him in at end of game instead of getting Gunnell some reps.   SL overuses QBs.

Edited August 28, 2022 by NT80

[p_phelps]

1 hour ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

55% 250 yds. 3 TD’s. Zero INT’s

 

i will take that with our running game all day

Why should we take 55% completion.  We have a dude that's proved he can do better that's on the bench.  

[MeanGreen_MBA]

1 minute ago, p_phelps said:

Why should we take 55% completion.  We have a dude that's proved he can do better that's on the bench.  

3 TD’s no INT’s. Just stop!!

[NorthTexasWeLove]

1 hour ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

55% 250 yds. 3 TD’s. Zero INT’s

 

i will take that with our running game all day

I can get behind 250 yards and 0 turnovers. 

[SilverEagle]

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

No, that was not "shines", that was "managed".   Aune seemed nervous in the first half, with several poor throws (again) and indecision to run himself or pass.  Second half was better, crisper passes.   I was disappointed SL left him in at end of game instead of getting Gunnell some reps.   SL overuses QBs.

Right there with you 80. In Texas Football video interview with Aune, he mentioned that getting hit was the thing he most needed to get settled down and "into the game". Well, he's not the only QB that needs to (to quote George C. Scott in "Patton") "feel the sting of battle".  If the other QB's don't get hit in practice, then use your cushion at the end of a big win to give them the opportunity to get "up close and personal" with the opposition.

What I found somewhat cringeworthy while watching the highlight video was the TD throw to #87. Aune could have/should have thrown the ball about three or four steps before he actually threw it. Hesitating only gave the defender more time to close the gap and get his hand on the pass. It was sheer luck that the ball glanced off the defender's hand and #87 had enough concentration to catch a wobbly pass that had glanced off the (aforementioned) defender's hand.

The other cringeworthy incident was when Aune was trying to run out the clock and tossed a dump pass to Ragsdale who fubbed the catch after the ball hit his hands. Even my wife, who I thought wasn't paying attention barked out "hey! what does the QB have to do...walk over there and hand it to you?"

Which brings me to my other complaint/concern. Many of you lament the lack of a Mason Fine-like QB. What I lament more than that is the lack of Lawrence, Bussy, Darden-like receivers on the team. Without them, would Fine have been so......well......Fine?

 

 

[wardly]

2 hours ago, emmitt01 said:

I give credit to Aune; he didn’t do anything to lose us the game (though that fumble in our red zone is 6 points for the opposition if he does it next week).   
 

It seemed clear that the offense was tailored to do what he is capable of…short throws, roll outs with a receiver coming across the field to take a short lob, no real deep shots.  Against the majority of CUSA this will be just fine because the threat of the run keeps defenses from dropping 6-8 defenders into coverage.  Where I am concerned is the games where you have to get vertical (beyond 15-20 yards) to have success.  
 

Also, he still threw several at people’s feet.  Likely because he never got his feet settled, he appeared to be constantly throwing off his back foot trying to avoid any pressure of being hit.  What made Mason special was the ability to stand in there and deliver.  

The t.v. announcer hit the nail on the head. With 36 seconds left in half why call a passing play? Take a knee and go into half time with a 4 point lead. We were lucky in the first half. UTEP missed a field goal, their center made bad snap on about our 10 yard line, and their receiver missed dropped a touchdown pass. I thought for the 1st game of the season Aune played well with 5 receivers out of the game. Three touchdowns with no interceptions with 250 yards passing is a good road win where were were the dogs. Also the Miners had 43,000 in attendance regardless of the cost of a ticket.

[p_phelps]

1 hour ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

3 TD’s no INT’s. Just stop!!

Aune for Heisman, got it

[Mean Green 93-98]

3 hours ago, emmitt01 said:

(though that fumble in our red zone is 6 points for the opposition if he does it next week)  

I'm not sure exactly how much blame for that lies with Aune.  He handed it off to the RB (Ragsdale?  I forget), but the RB never took the ball, evidently thinking Aune was keeping.  IMO, at least some of the blame for that goes on trying to go with this 4-headed RB monster.  That means fewer reps for any potential #1 with Aune, so it's harder to be on the same page.

[emmitt01]

42 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

I'm not sure exactly how much blame for that lies with Aune.  He handed it off to the RB (Ragsdale?  I forget), but the RB never took the ball, evidently thinking Aune was keeping.  IMO, at least some of the blame for that goes on trying to go with this 4-headed RB monster.  That means fewer reps for any potential #1 with Aune, so it's harder to be on the same page.

Aune tried to pull the ball (it looked like a zone read) and never got a grip on it.  That was what it looked like from the stands, and was confirmed on the in-stadium replay board.  

[Mean Green 93-98]

16 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

Aune tried to pull the ball (it looked like a zone read) and never got a grip on it.  That was what it looked like from the stands, and was confirmed on the in-stadium replay board.  

I just watched it again, and it's tough to tell.  Definitely a zone read, so either Johnson was supposed to take it and didn't, or he just knocked it out of Aune's hands.

[emmitt01]

1 hour ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

I just watched it again, and it's tough to tell.  Definitely a zone read, so either Johnson was supposed to take it and didn't, or he just knocked it out of Aune's hands.

So, either way you’re not putting it on Aune?  It is the quarterback’s job to hand off or pull it.  He pulled it…and then fumbled.

Edited August 28, 2022 by emmitt01