GMG Exclusive Interview With Former North Texas DC Phil Bennett

Meangreen Fight · September 15, 2023

1 hour ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

You think they might "squeak by" a FIU team? UNT under SL and PB destroyed FIU 52-14 last year. On what basis do you think the outcome would be significantly different this year?

You can't expect FIU to be stagnant. And our roster did not improve, especially on defense. And Seth trying a new QB?... As mediocre as Aune was, he knew the system better than anyone on the roster so a drop off was very likely seeing how all the other QB tranfers he brought in crap the bed when given a shot. I expected FIU game to be a dog fight.

Mean Green 93-98 · September 15, 2023

2 minutes ago, Meangreen Fight said:

You can't expect FIU to be stagnant. And our roster did not improve, especially on defense. And Seth trying a new QB?... As mediocre as Aune was, he knew the system better than anyone on the roster so a drop off was very likely seeing how all the other QB tranfers he brought in crap the bed when given a shot. I expected FIU game to be a dog fight.

Dude, if you think the roster didn't improve, that has nothing to do with the previous staff. It's pretty evident that the previous staff was not really allowed to recruit all last season. We have no idea what they would have brought in, but "you can't expect UNT to be stagnant" (see how that works?).

FIU lost to a LaTech team we smoked last year 47-27. FIU barely beat FCS Maine. They weren't a good team last year and they aren't a good team this year. What we put on the field last weekend just somehow managed to be even worse, because we had a pretty good team last year and I believe we would have had at least as good a team this year if we had kept the previous staff.

I'm personally not trying to argue that Seth should have been retained; but anyone who knows anything knows that the previous staff would have done far better in these first two games than we have done with the new staff. But the toothpaste is out of the tube, and I can only hope that what we're going through now are growing pains to something much better.

Meangreen Fight · September 15, 2023

58 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

staff would have done far better in these first two games than

I didn't expect Seth's best team to lose new to FBS 2014 ODU. I also did not expect Seth to lose to new to FBS 2015 Charlotte 49ers coming off their best season in 2018 and Seth's 4 year in 2019. We make too many assumptions with this program. We don't reload we do well just to maintain.

Seth's led offense was trending stagnant especially in the passing and going to lose their most experienced QB. I believe the Vegas line is exactly the same for the FIU game with "better looking" loss against Cal with Seth coaching.

Edited September 15, 2023 by Meangreen Fight

Cr1028 · September 15, 2023

15 minutes ago, Meangreen Fight said:

I didn't expect Seth's best team to lose new to FBS 2014 ODU. I also did not expect Seth to lose to new 2015 new to FBS Charlotte 49ers coming off their best season in 2018 and Seth's 4 year in 2019. We make too many assumptions with this program. We don't reload we do well just to maintain.

He made a bad hire to replace Harrell and it hit hard. 2019 was a disaster because of it. 2020 was a disaster because of uncontrollable circumstances. He improved every season after that. You probably didn’t predict us to beat the pants off of UTSA in ‘21 either but it happened.

15 minutes ago, Meangreen Fight said:

Seth's led offense was trending stagnant especially in the passing and going to lose their most experienced QB. I believe the Vegas line is exactly the same for the FIU game with "better looking" loss against Cal with Seth coaching.

You need a better argument.

2022: Third Team All-CUSA (Phil Steele) … Honorable Mention All-CUSA (Coaches, PFN) … Burlsworth Trophy Nominee … HM Tyler Rose Player of the Week (9/13, 10/31, 11/7) … Manning Award Star of the Week (11/7/22) … C-USA Offensive Player of the Week (8/29/22) … started all 14 games at quarterback for UNT … threw for 3547 yards and 33 touchdowns on the year … finished first in Division I with 15.29 passing yards per completion … set a single-season school record with 33 passing touchdowns

BigWillie · September 15, 2023

First of all, excellent interview JD and I have always been a big Phil Bennett fan. Always such a stand up guy.

Listening to this interview made me want to look into defensive schemes and I ran across something that actually Phil touched on in the interview. Since our guys are not big and they are faster, at least according to this site, the 3-3-5 is built for that. Now, I know it is one site and I am by no means a coach, just thought it was interesting.

https://throwdeeppublishing.com/blogs/football-glossary/the-3-3-5-defense-an-in-depth-guide?_pos=7&_sid=9ceaef7fa&_ss=r

Quote

The 3-3-5 relies on faster, more athletic players that may be considered smaller in a more traditional defense.

Cr1028 · September 15, 2023

1 hour ago, Meangreen Fight said:

34

Makes sense striving for mediocrity, your projections aren't trending up. And that is with projecting games against UTSA and Memphis as toss ups? Aune is 34 according to what metric? It kind of irrelevant anyway because I don't think anyone was expecting him to come back and play better in Seth's system. Also without context like only ranking apples to apples; ie FBS quarterbacks averaging 25 attempts a game versus FBS oppoments (9 complete games) his ranking is probably not in the top 30% of quarterbacks. I think you are confusing his age with his ranking. They easily could have lost to the FIU game with Seth's staff and no QB playing as well as Rogers did.

Sorry about that. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2022-passing.html

1 hour ago, Meangreen Fight said:

And UAB practice time omg 🙄 the execuses

Wow. You missed the point. Their players essentially got two free redshirts but more than that, they were allowed to sign nonqualifiers which means they they were the only FBS program allowed to sign players that would’ve otherwise been forced to go to Juco due to academics.

1 hour ago, Meangreen Fight said:

I don't have expectations of Morris. I would not have hired Morris. But I do know it would be silly to believe there wasn't going to be an upgrade in talent with Seth & company recruiting. Recruits want to go to programs that are trending up, good already up or doing something new to get better (scheme change, new facilities, new charismatic coach. The opening game attendance with all the new stuff going on should be interpreted as a lack of interest of what happening before.

That is absurd. This is just trolling. So the attendance was up for Seth’s first home game because they were still excited about McCarney and Chico?

1 hour ago, Meangreen Fight said:

Even by the midpoint of your projections they let Seth go sometime during the season or at the end.

And actually the only reason I mentioned Cobbs is because the leadership seems to think highly of them and retained him.

El Paso Eagle · September 15, 2023

57 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

Wow. You missed the point. Their players essentially got two free redshirts but more than that, they were allowed to sign nonqualifiers which means they they were the only FBS program allowed to sign players that would’ve otherwise been forced to go to Juco due to academics.

I don't think I will ever be convinced that the entire thing at UAB was not a calculated reset and allowed them to clean up their house and get a restart. My main clue was when they canceled the program but kept their coach. They took a calculated risk, almost similar to a company going into bankruptcy, and came out much better than when they went in.

Meangreen Fight · September 16, 2023

1 hour ago, Cr1028 said:

2022: Third Team All-CUSA (Phil Steele) … Honorable Mention All-CUSA (Coaches, PFN) … Burlsworth Trophy Nominee … HM Tyler Rose Player of the Week (9/13, 10/31, 11/7) … Manning Award Star of the Week (11/7/22) … C-USA Offensive Player of the Week (8/29/22) … started all 14 games at quarterback for UNT … threw for 3547 yards and 33 touchdowns on the year … finished first in Division I with 15.29 passing yards per completion … set a single-season school record with 33 passing touchdowns

56.4% completions AND you missed part were he isn't on this 2023 team most likely even if Seth stays.

8/29/2022 Good game but it isn't like that was a full CUSA schedule that week of FBS vs FBS to choose a player of the week from

9/13 - you really putting a lot of value in beating up FCS Texas Southern; a BAD FCS program? 🤦🏽‍♂️

Again even with all that it is irrelevant to argue about a QB that wouldn't be on the roster.

1 hour ago, Cr1028 said:

That is absurd. This is just trolling. So the attendance was up for Seth’s first home game because they were still excited about McCarney and Chico?

Nope not in the slightest. They were excited for the new coach. Attendance was down this opener because the program looked stagnantly mediocre under Seth AND Morris wasn't an inspiring hire nor are his primary coordinators.

greenminer · September 16, 2023

10 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

Graph SL’s win/loss margin over time so year 1 was 5-8 so that would be a minus 3. Year 2 was 8-5 so that would be plus 4 and so on. You will see there is improvement throughout the entire graph except for a one year tremendous drop. Then you have to try to explain that drop and why it is contrary to the trend of the rest of the graph.

The blowout losses overshadowed the overall record. They were consistent. I don't think they were going away. And, even if the first season past his tenure looks worse, moving on was the right call.

Edited September 16, 2023 by greenminer

UNTLifer · September 16, 2023

Where’s Matt Passwaters when you need him?

Cr1028 · September 16, 2023

14 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Where’s Matt Passwaters when you need him?

He was better than most give him credit for.

wardly · September 16, 2023

On 9/15/2023 at 2:46 PM, Mean Green 93-98 said:

You think they might "squeak by" a FIU team? UNT under SL and PB destroyed FIU 52-14 last year. On what basis do you think the outcome would be significantly different this year?

Different players. Hard to believe but our defense this year is worse than last year, and QB play not even close to being on same level.