Mean Green Holds Final Scrimmage On New Turf

MeanGreen61 · August 27, 2005

Mean Green Football Holds Final Scrimmage On New Turf

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 08/27/2005

user posted image

Courtesy: Stephen Howard

The Mean Green opens the 2005 season at Louisiana State on Sept. 3.

DENTON (8/27/05) – The Mean Green defense and special teams took advantage of the new Fouts Field surface during Saturday morning’s football scrimmage.

It was the team’s first chance to play on the state-of-the-art Sportexe Omnigrass surface, which was completed just in time for the final preseason scrimmage.

Linebacker Phillip Graves was just one of many Mean Green defenders to pull in an interception in the scrimmage. Fellow linebacker Derek Mendoza and TJ Raymond also looked impressive against the first team offense, each registering a sack.

2003 national rushing champion Patrick Cobbs was a hit on his return to special teams. The senior returned a kick off 82 yards for a touchdown without getting touched.

The Mean Green will have a full week of practice before next Saturday's game at Louisiana State.

DeepGreen · August 27, 2005

Hey! Someone's sitting in my seat.

Edited August 27, 2005 by DeepGreen

stebo · August 27, 2005

I think that giving Cobbs some time on special teams will greatly improve his draft chances. Most of the NFL teams want young players that can contribute both at their position as well as special teams right out of college. Up until this point, we really couldn't risk our stud RB's getting slobberknocked around on Special Teams - but now that we have some serious depth at RB, we can afford to let those guys play on special teams- and this will really hep them in their chances of getting drafted or picked up in free agency.

Two quick hits: I still think it is wierd that we are playing with white pants - I know that Harry posted that we would stick with black ones for games; but I didn't think that they would be playing their final scrimmage in the white pants if that was true. They have to break in the black pants eventually. And secondly, Fouts sure looks great with the new field. I read that the new schedule shirt has it named as Fouts Stadium... does anyone know if this was a misprint... or are we planning on changing the name this year?

Edited August 27, 2005 by stebo

ipEAGLE · August 27, 2005

I don't really think pants need to be broke in.... It's best too keep the wear and tear down.

I sure wish the first homegame was this coming Saturday.

Danish42 · August 27, 2005

I'm just glad to hear that TJ "Big Cat" was playing this morning?

the green rokemi · August 27, 2005

It looked like he was playing on the scout team though

GreenN'walinsVet · August 27, 2005

I think that giving Cobbs some time on special teams will greatly improve his draft chances. Most of the NFL teams want young players that can contribute both at their position as well as special teams right out of college. Up until this point, we really couldn't risk our stud RB's getting slobberknocked around on Special Teams - but now that we have some serious depth at RB, we can afford to let those guys play on special teams- and this will really hep them in their chances of getting drafted or picked up in free agency.
Two quick hits: I still think it is wierd that we are playing with white pants - I know that Harry posted that we would stick with black ones for games; but I didn't think that they would be playing their final scrimmage in the white pants if that was true. They have to break in the black pants eventually. And secondly, Fouts sure looks great with the new field. I read that the new schedule shirt has it named as Fouts Stadium... does anyone know if this was a misprint... or are we planning on changing the name this year?
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Any possiblitliy that their going to change the name to Fouts Stadium so they can then come in and sell the right to the field so it would become "coporate sponser Field at Fouts Stadium"???

Eagle91Gator95 · August 27, 2005

I still think it is wierd that we are playing with white pants - I know that Harry posted that we would stick with black ones for games; but I didn't think that they would be playing their final scrimmage in the white pants if that was true. They have to break in the black pants eventually.
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Black pants would be sooooo much hotter, even at 8:30 AM. Also, white pants are much easier to keep white than black pants are to keep black over time. Besides, I am sure they would not have worn game pants unless they were wearing full game uni's, which they obviously were not.

ADLER · August 27, 2005

Hey, I'm really shocked that we're wearing red jerseys this season.

Seeing that Cobbs is now returning kickoffs, I now miss Kevin Moore more than I thought I would. Somebody please go down to Houston and drag him off his mother's sofa.

The stadium is named Eagle Stadium. They only started referring to it as Fouts Field in the early 1970s. Even in the 1980s, much of the university literature still referred to it as Eagle Stadium. Maybe some of our more senior board members can elaborate as to when/if there was ever an official name change, and if it was for the entire complex, the track facilities, or just the football playing surface.

NT80 · August 27, 2005

It looked like he was playing on the scout team though
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Yes.

NT80 · August 27, 2005

The stadium is named Eagle Stadium. They only started referring to it as Fouts Field in the early 1970s. Even in the 1980s, much of the university literature still referred to it as Eagle Stadium. Maybe some of our more senior board members can elaborate as to when/if there was ever an official name change, and if it was for the entire complex, the track facilities, or just the football playing surface.
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I believe the Eagle Stadium name was only used for the facility that was over by the Library Mall.

In 1913 J. W. Pender, the new AD, along with some men students interested in athletics, and helped by the janitors, cleared and plowed the first athletic field to make it useable (library mall area). A small grandstand was built. NT played one football game that year, a 13-0 loss to TCU.

In 1927 steel stands were built to seat 2,200 fans on the west side of the athletic field and the playing area lengthened to correspond to new rules of that year. In 1937, NT opened a new $10,000 seat grandstand, doubling the existing capacity of Eagle Stadium. This put seating facilities on the east side of the playing field, bringing capacity to about 7,000.

Other references include a stadium funded and built in 1952; referred to as Fouts Field. Fouts was a former coach and AD and the architectual drawings were pictured in a yearbook with him in either 1951 or 52 and I think they said Fouts Field on them.

Edited August 28, 2005 by NT80

MeanGreen61 · August 27, 2005

Hey, I'm really shocked that we're wearing red jerseys this season.
Seeing that Cobbs is now returning kickoffs, I now miss Kevin Moore more than I thought I would. Somebody please go down to Houston and drag him off his mother's sofa.
The stadium is named Eagle Stadium. They only started referring to it as Fouts Field in the early 1970s. Even in the 1980s, much of the university literature still referred to it as Eagle Stadium. Maybe some of our more senior board members can elaborate as to when/if there was ever an official name change, and if it was for the entire complex, the track facilities, or just the football playing surface.
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There was a big to-do when the new and modern Fouts Field opened replacing the old Eagle Stadium.

twodogs · August 28, 2005

Hey, I'm really shocked that we're wearing red jerseys this season.
Seeing that Cobbs is now returning kickoffs, I now miss Kevin Moore more than I thought I would. Somebody please go down to Houston and drag him off his mother's sofa.
The stadium is named Eagle Stadium. They only started referring to it as Fouts Field in the early 1970s. Even in the 1980s, much of the university literature still referred to it as Eagle Stadium. Maybe some of our more senior board members can elaborate as to when/if there was ever an official name change, and if it was for the entire complex, the track facilities, or just the football playing surface.
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Just an FYI on KM, Zach tells me that he transfered to Sam Houston and will be playing there this season.

untbowler · August 28, 2005

Just an FYI on KM, Zach tells me that he transfered to Sam Houston and will be playing there this season.
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Just looked at the SHSU site and they made no mention of him, they talked of 3 transfer and KM was not one of them. He would be an excellent fit for them though.

FirefightnRick · August 28, 2005

It was definitely one of several mistakes, to replace Eagle Stadium with Fouts instead of having some vision and building it up with improvements. Today the campus would have surrounded it much like Nebraska's stadium allowing for more campus wide support of the program. That would have been pretty cool.

By the way, check out the field level view in the above photo and where everyone is having to sit in the stands in order to see practice. Distance and crappy sitelines kills any chance to build a home field advantage for the fans.

We need to replace that place....yesterday!

Rick