Keys To The MUTS/North Texas Game

[MeanGreen61]

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2005/Co...oTexas_MTSU.htm

Keys to the Big Games

Week One, Sept. 10 - North Texas at MTSU

a. One, Two, Buckle my Shoe – Although the Mean Green didn’t have the opportunity to open the season at LSU last week, they’ll still have an advantage somewhat coming into the game from this perspective. They’ve got two of the best backs in the nation – Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs – who were the nation’s leading rushers respectively the last two years. Quite frankly, they’re the two most talented offensive players on this team and in this conference. But, how is the game plan going to change having both of them healthy? Is it going to change at all? Can they play together? At this point, only the North Texas staff knows for sure, but OC Ramon Flanigan is too good and too smart to not find a creative way to get his two best threats on the field at the same time. Sure, they’re not going to be a power I team with one of them at fullback blocking for the other as Marcus Allen did years ago at USC for Charles White. But, Auburn put a ton of pressure on teams last year by having Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown in the backfield together. If they can’t co-exist on the field at the same time, then each of them needs 20 to 25 carries each to put maximum pressure on the Blue Raider defense. But, when they’re alone in the backfield, they’re individually wearing a bullseye. When they’re together, you don’t know what to do or who to focus upon. What’s it going to be, status quo or double jeopardy? We’ll find out when MTSU finds out.

b. A Marks-man – Middle Tennessee QB Clint Marks doesn’t wow you with his left arm. He doesn’t have a howitzer for a throwing arm, but the man does know where to throw the ball. Last week, he had the unfortunate opportunity to face an Alabama defense that is as athletic as any in the nation. Marks and the Blue Raiders only registered 123 yards passing, but he did complete 65% of his throws and the running game was virtually eliminated by Alabama’s deep front seven. But, that Alabama game could be the best thing that happened to Marks and this passing game. Facing Alabama one week, then a North Texas secondary that still has some issues to work out, isn’t the worst situation in the world. Marks stands to have more time to throw and more room in the secondary to find open receivers. In other words, his margin for error is a little larger this week than last, and if he can keep that margin down, the Blue Raiders have a great chance to move the ball through the air and keep the UNT offense off the field.

c. The streak…Can it live? – They (whoever they are) say that all good things must come to an end. Streaks end on a daily basis. Florida State beat Miami, finally. Cal Ripken sat out a game after 100 years of playing every day. Well, maybe the streak of Sean Puff P Daddy Diddy Combs changing names still stands true, but we’ll digress. But, as it stands now, every Sun Belt team in the conference is looking for the streak to end, that being the reign of the Champs - North Texas. Some day it’s going to end, but to whom and where? Can it be this week against Middle Tennessee State? Middle Tennessee seems to have everything going for it – experience on offense, including QB, tough, physical defenders, UNT didn’t play last week and the game is on MTSU’s turf. The conditions are ripe for a streak breaker, but is UNT just that much better than the rest of the teams in the Sun Belt? Troy, MTSU and others will vehemently deny that sentiment, but if that’s the case, why the four year long streak of championships and Sun Belt victories? If MTSU doesn’t take care of the streak this week, it’s very difficult to see any team stopping the streak this year. So, as Eminem said, “you get one shot”, what are you going to do with it, MTSU?

Conclusion – MTSU had a tremendous showing last week on defense against Alabama, in particular, in the first half, but there are some that might argue that stopping Alabama this year and UNT’s dynamic duo of backs are two different things altogether. In the end, they’re the two best players on the field and one, if not both, will gash MTSU’s run defense enough to open things up for the UNT’s rookie QB Daniel Meager and the UNT WRs. The streak goes to 26, barely. North Texas – 31 vs. MTSU – 30

[Mad Hatter]

Good Grief! I hope he's wrong on the final score - that close of a game will give me ulcers.

I love this time of year!

GO MEAN GREEN!!!!

[MeanGreenBuzz]

31-30 would leave me bald at 22. I have to work during the game and I think I might scare some customers with all my yelling and screaming at a game that close...

[PlummMeanGreen]

31-30 would leave me bald at 22.  I have to work during the game and I think I might scare some customers with all my yelling and screaming at a game that close...

←

I'd take 31-30 with a quick plane out of the Boro' before all the serious gnashing of teeth and the tar and featherin begins!

A win is a win is a win.

GMG!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---I'll take 31-30. I am old and can take the excitment..... part of the fun of winning is seeing disappointment in the opponents face and one point losses creates a lot of dissappointment...

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

No man I want to see NT beat the devil out of them.

[meangreendork]

NT by 14!

I don't know why, but every year, the staff finds a way to beat MTSU. Every year for the last 4 years, MTSU is supposed to win. Every year, they lose. It's always a close game, but it always falls in NT's favor. The year of the first NT trip to the NO Bowl, NT was supposed to be smashed at home. They won. The next year, they went without the starting QB...they won. Next year, the team had to reload the secondary and RB positions and they won. Last year, the D was the weakest I've seen it, had a new RB...and still won.