Is this the best team UNT has ever had?

SilverEagle · September 29

Well, let me start my answer (or non-answer) with some perspective. Imagine how that game would have gone last night had we not had SO MANY STUPID FRIGGIN PENALTIES.

This is a question that really should be re-visited at the end of the season. Or between the last game and the bowl game. If there is no bowl game, then the question is moot.

What it looks like to me is that the coaching staff is still plugging-in new guys in to see how they perform in a game situation. My observation through the years has been that, by and large, people who practice well usually do well in a game. However, there are those players who come alive at game time and thrive in that environment.

On offense, the "plugging in the new guys" tends to be the receivers and RB's. I wasn't terribly impressed with Carnes (#7) in the beginning of the season, but I was last night. The same goes for "0" Mr. Conwright.

On defense, they seem to be mainly plugging in new DL players and looking at how the new guys do in different situations. Same for DB's. I noticed that they are giving 89 (Dawkins a senior transfer) more playing time, as well as 46 (Lamperi) who is a true freshman.

Our OL is still a works in progress. They pretty much kept Morris safe on passing downs, but they really got stuffed on running plays.....especially in the first half. We cannot have a repeat of that vs Tulane/Memphis/Army.

As to comparing this team to others. I would throw in the 1988 "flying wishbone" team to the mix. You know, the one that beat Texas....and Tech....and Rice.

Edited September 29 by SilverEagle

BillySee58 · September 29

10 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

As of now, I'd give a pretty clear edge to the 2018 team. They started the season 6-1, and their losses were close.

Until the bowl game, that is.

If this team wins a bowl game, then yes, they will be better than any team Seth ever had.

That team was just never the same after that La Tech loss. Maybe that could be chalked up to Seth rumor mill factors, but that team just wasn’t very good after that 4-0 start.

Only went 5-4 from there while struggling to beat a 1-11 UTEP team by 3, struggling to beat a 3-9 UTSA team by 3, playing neck and neck for 3 quarters at home against a 2-11 Rice team, and losing to a 4-8 ODU team after starting up 28-0 on them. Week in and week out in that second half of the season the execution was just really underwhelming given the expectation that team set early on.

Which speaks to the point of “it’s too early” with this team. If they play like they have the last two weeks (or even like they did against South Alabama), they probably go 8-4 or maybe even 9-3 against this schedule. But just glad we’re even having this type of conversation two years into Morris’ tenure.

El Paso Eagle · September 29

4 hours ago, jtm0097 said:

Selfless, tough, and discipline

#Lock the gate

#Hit 6

Why Not North Texas?

You forgot awaken the sleeping giant

EagleTech · September 29

2 hours ago, BigWillie said:

Do you think FAU is that much better than Tulsa? They lost to Rice. I think it could be a trap game though. Looking forward to Memphis. I think they play the way they have the last 2 weeks, FAU will be beat and 5-1 going to Memphis would be a great game to see if they have taken the next step.

FAU did not lose to Rice. Also, I'm not so sure that if the schedules between FAU and UNT were reversed that the records wouldn't be either. It's too early to say right now. I think UNT will be competing for the AAC title this year but I need to see more games before I can feel comfortable with that.

Rudy · September 29

57 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

You forgot awaken the sleeping giant

This place could be a monster.

wardly · September 29

52 minutes ago, EagleTech said:

FAU did not lose to Rice. Also, I'm not so sure that if the schedules between FAU and UNT were reversed that the records wouldn't be either. It's too early to say right now. I think UNT will be competing for the AAC title this year but I need to see more games before I can feel comfortable with that.

FAU is bad this year and I see this as a must win game. Our next 3 games are with Memphis, Tulane, and Army. All three run the ball very well, as does Navy, and I am doubtful our defense is up to the task at hand. Worst case is I don't want to go into the last 3 games of the season needing to win 2 in order to become bowl eligible.

rws69 · September 29

15 hours ago, meangreenfaninno said:

I am speaking of in the modern era of course.

The 1966-1967-1968 teams remain the best I have seen.

Zeleny' Orel · September 29

1 hour ago, rws69 said:

The 1966-1967-1968 teams remain the best I have seen.

Agree. These are the first teams I saw as a North Texas fan and are still the best IMO. Lots of pro players came out of that group! I can only hope to live long enough to see us get back to that level of play.

Graddean · September 30

If I counted right, the 1968 team had 11 players eventually drafted by the pros. Of the 11, three players were drafted in the first round. I don’t know if this is considered part of the Paleolithic era or not.

billyboy85 · September 30

Let’s see what record we end up with. Give the boys a chance!

greenminer · September 30

The drop in 2018 after 4 games was a story we should keep revisiting. Even if sad, it's still amazing.

Maybe in 10 years a 2018 player will emerge and tell us some locker-room tale that gives us some insight into the falloff.

Edited September 30 by greenminer

Got5onIt · September 30

On 9/28/2024 at 11:37 PM, MeanGreen22 said:

Might be the most electric team I’ve seen in a while. It has to feel suffocating as an opponent when we’re on our A game.

Mean Green fans are Bipolar. Or maybe just Bi in some cases? 😄

NTSU52 · September 30

Haha no not even close. Other than Texas Tech, who absolutely throttled us, none of the teams we have played so far are very challenging opponents. When we get to conference play and have to face the top teams in the AAC I think the reality that this team is OK but nothing special will become apparent.

NT80 · September 30

10 hours ago, Rudy said:

This place could be a monster.

At the end of the day...

Meangreen Fight · September 30

On 9/28/2024 at 11:49 PM, Billy Clyde said:

Better than any team Seth ever had.

Slow down. I think I am probably one of Seth's most consistent and toughest critics but this question is being asked far too soon. I will say Chandler Morris is likely the best QB of the modern era. You could grade on a curve and say Fine had less talent around him. He definitely is more physically talented. Morris should end up with 4000 yards passing with +32 TD. And he might flirt with 70% completions for the season. Reach those numbers Morris should get drafted in the bottom 1/3 of the NFL draft. And maybe even higher if we get into the playoff and the offense makes the game interesting against a big brand school. If we end up in the conference title game or in the last game if the regular season with a greater than 30% chance of getting in the title game, I would take this team over any of Seth's teams.

This team is poised to be in the conversation as best team since Dickey's best team. (Landscape is so different now you can't call Dickey's team, modern especially the offense. Just way too early to make that assessment.

Rudy · September 30

9 hours ago, NT80 said:

At the end of the day...

All 3 phases.

Udomann · September 30

1 hour ago, Rudy said:

All 3 phases.

/Spits tobacco

KingDL1 · September 30

This is the best team we have had this year!

What I like best is that there seems to be a lot of potential. The 77 new players are doing well playing together (but I think it is part of the penalty issues), and that should get better each week. The two weeks off should also help them heal up some and get more reps together.

2020 Sucks · September 30

We had less than 10 rushing yards at halftime vs Tulsa. This team has potential…but 75+\- new players on the team and the inconsistency from the OL makes me say no at this point.

97and03 · September 30

14 hours ago, Got5onIt said:

Mean Green fans are Bipolar. Or maybe just Bi in some cases? 😄

a/s/l?

BillySee58 · September 30

On 9/29/2024 at 1:51 PM, rws69 said:

The 1966-1967-1968 teams remain the best I have seen.

According to the SRS (simple rating system) on sports reference, the 2024 team’s current rating is +3.67 which is good for 6th best in program history as it stands, behind ‘77, ‘78, ‘67, ‘66, and ‘59.

I like the SRS because it gives a good approximation of where a team stands relative to the field in college football that season, with strength of schedule and margin of victory playing roles. For example, SRS does not rate the early 2000s team very favorably among the entire field of FBS teams those years, despite winning the relatively weak Sun Belt. 2017 is a similar story. Meanwhile those late 50s-70s teams were performing well against legit competition.

According to SRS, this is our best team since returning to the FBS and one of only four teams with a positive SRS in that time frame.

2024 - +3.67

2013 - +3.05

2002 - +0.61

2018 - +0.58