Mean Green's not-so-secret weapon

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Herald Democrat

Mean Green's not-so-secret weapon

UNT's Quinn expects to thrive in run-heavy offense.

By Bill Spinks

Herald Democrat

DENTON - North Texas wide receiver Johnny Quinn is somewhat overshadowed by the presence of two top-notch Mean Green running backs.

But Quinn, of McKinney, is hardly jealous. He thinks the one-two punch of fifth-year senior Patrick Cobbs and true sophomore Jamario Thomas will cause defenses to commit more to stopping the run.

"We're real excited about getting Patrick back," Quinn said. "Jamario stepped in well last year. The fact that you have two guys on your team who led the nation in rushing, I couldn't be more thrilled."

Quinn, a preseason all-Sun Belt Conference selectee, was named one of five UNT captains last week by the coaching staff after a vote of team members.

Quinn last year was by far the top target for graduated quarterback Scott Hall, with 49 receptions for 773 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, Quinn added another TD on a punt runback, and averaged 9.1 yards per return.

He also has an impressive iron-man streak going, having caught a pass in every game he has played - a school-record 25 games.

But when it comes to the high-powered running game that's UNT's bread and butter, the mighty Quinn is keeping it real.

"What we do around here is run the ball first," Quinn said. "Everyone knows that. The reason we're successful in the pass is because we're able to run the ball. We set up a lot of our play action off our success at running back.

"With guys like that, I'm excited for the kind of coverages we're going to get because they're going to have to put guys up in the box to stop them."

Quinn won't be the only target for whoever wins the quarterback battle. Zach Muzzy, who like Quinn is a junior, returns after being the third-leading receiver and leading kickoff returner last fall. Senior Joel Nwigwe, who missed the entire 2004 season, is back in the lineup and gives the Mean Green another deep threat. Sophomore Brandon Jackson showed flashes as a backup, with a 43-yard catch last year.

Quinn has grown into the role of team leader. But he does it quietly, and largely by example.

"From a receiver standpoint, we've got a lot of younger guys," Quinn said. "They kind of know how we do it around here, how we block and how we run routes. We've got guys on this team who take care of their own business, and it's an honor to play with guys like that who can help this team be successful."