defeat from MTSU land

[mad dog]

from gomiddle.com:

"I still believe that the Sun Belt champion will be the team with one loss."

"I think you guys are cursed.

-No we SUCK!!!"

"Not a disaster? If starting out 0-2 and losing to the conference championship by 7 points and a -5 turnover margin isn't disaster, then what is?"

"Less than 10k next week, folks. I see that 1-A train pulling away, and MT aint' on it."

"I have to give it to North Texas, they are possibly the best coached team I may have ever seen."

"Mac can recruit. He has plenty of Jimmies and Joes. He's got no X's and O's. We're just not a sharp football team."

"Most painful game to watch. I am at a loss for words as an alumnus and fan. MT needs to start fresh. Things are as stale as it could ever be."

"I think it's safe to say the only way we'll ever beat North Texas is if they forfeit."

sky is definitely falling over MUTS-way

Edited September 11, 2005 by illuvius32

[ntmeangreen11]

I'm not even going to gloat and be happy. We didn't win this game. Clint Marks handed the ball to us, and I am under-whelmed with them.

and the leg of the WR was just gross looking. We better play better against Tulsa.

I just can't help but feel sorry for MTSU.

[ipEAGLE]

I agree... MTSU handed us this game. Tulsa will come to Denton ready to play... our dline better put on some pounds.

[GreenEyedMonster]

Gloom and Doom....."so sorry for them" blah blah.....this is crap

every year teams win and lose just like this....nobody "hands us the game" heads up play and good effort by young players won this game.

WE EARNED EVERY BIT OF THIS GAME...

The better team won....let's let it carry over to next week.

[Eagle-96]

Gloom and Doom....."so sorry for them" blah blah.....this is crap

every year teams win and lose just like this....nobody "hands us the game" heads up play and good effort by young players won this game.

WE EARNED EVERY BIT OF THIS GAME...

The better team won....let's let it carry over to next week.

←

Right on the money!

[mad dog]

Gloom and Doom....."so sorry for them" blah blah.....this is crap

every year teams win and lose just like this....nobody "hands us the game" heads up play and good effort by young players won this game.

WE EARNED EVERY BIT OF THIS GAME...

The better team won....let's let it carry over to next week.

←

Yep... all but one of those turnovers were forced. It wasn't as if Marks or Gross walked over and handed the ball to a linebacker. Pressure on the QB (when we got it), Phillip Graves' strip, Aaron Weathers' heads up recovery, and GREAT coverage plays contributed to a win. The loser always says that they beat themselves, and that it had nothing to do with the other team. To say that we didn't win this game is astounding. Yards, turnovers, talent, coaching... none of those things directly win or lose a game. Points on the board do, and, at the end of the game, we had more. Could have had seven more, were it not for classy behavior by a classy coach.

I'm not going to poke fun at them, either. But i'll be damned if i'm not going to laugh at them when they poke fun at themselves.

Edited September 11, 2005 by illuvius32

[MeanGreenBuzz]

What happened to their WR, all they said on the radio was that he left the game with a leg injury... I had to listen at work, it stank I wanted to watch it on TV.

[GreenBrigadeDebbie]

I don't think MTSU handed us the game. Just because they turned over the ball 5 times, that doesn't mean they handed us the game. We had to capitalize on that in order to win. And we did. We did what we had to do to pull out a win in TN. We are still a young team with a lot to learn but seeing how we won with so many young ones, this will definitely be a confidence booster that I hope spills into next week. Plus these guys played on the road for their first collegiate start (for some) in a hostile environment. If they can pull out the win there in the Boro, then having the home crowd next week should help. Things are looking good for us. I can't wait to see them in action next week.

Congratulations Mean Green. You perservered and triumphed. Now let's just build on our successes today, have an efficient week of practice, and pull out another victory next week against Tulsa!

GO MEAN GREEN!!!!!

[BlueRaiderPride]

I agree... MTSU handed us this game.  Tulsa will come to Denton ready to play... our dline better put on some pounds. 

←

Absolutely, correct with that comment!!

I talked to alot of North Texas fans who were actually at this game and they agreed with me 100%.

First off, the better team lost in this game. The team that wanted it more, however, wound up winning.

Middle Tennessee did in fact give you this game with five UNFORCED turnovers despite what ever beliefs alot of you other guys may have because not a single ball was passed into coverage resulting in an interception. Not a single ball was jolted from hit by a North Texas defender.

MTSU's five turnovers were a result of bad passes and poor ball-handling skills plain and simple. No one disagrees with me there except those of you who watched it on TV through green-colored glasses. Shocking as it may seem not even your own fans who were actually at the game instead of watching it on TV will disagree with me there.

All we heard all week was how North Texas was going to run us ragged. UNT only managed a paltry 152 nets yards total rushing on the game and many of those were losses. Cobbs got his 100 yards in BARELY and Thomas didn't even come close with only 58 yards on 10 carries. Ran us ragged? I don't think so.

North Texas didn't even have 300 yards of total offense. You only had one offensive touchdown and the defensive touchdown you scored was off an interception that was passed not into coverage, nor was our QB pressured to pass it.

This isn't sour grapes. This is simply how it is. If we play our remaining 9 games like we did tonight against North Texas we will go 0-11. If North Texas plays their remaining games like they did against us with no passing offense you won't win the conference 'cause you'll lose to FAU and Troy and Tulsa, Kansas State, La Tech, and LSU will be completely disastrous with blowout losses. You want a winning season? Then you'll have to establish a more balanced offense and you have to stop the run, because ya'll looked horrible tonight on offense and defense.

The better team lost, BUT the team that wanted it more did win. I congratulate you for that, and I hope you do do well in out-of-conference play. The Sun Belt has looked pathetic this season early on out side of Sun Belt play with Louisiana-Monroe's loss to 1-AA Northwestern State and 38-0 loss to Wyoming added to the 56-3 blowout loss handed to FIU by Texas Tech and the 31-10 loss handed to Louisiana-Lafayette by pathetic Eastern Michigan of the MAC.

Our conference as a whole has a crapload of work to do if we want respect because none of us our playing good right now.

By the way, seeing the eight football playing member conference flags flying in our stadium tonight looked pretty sweet. I like that touch. It reminds us that we are unified as a conference.

Best of luck on the rest of the season. Your fans and team are very classy and I admire Coach Dickey very much. He's a risktaker and very classy. That is something we need leading our team at MTSU right now. I wish you the best of luck on the rest of the season.

[BlueRaiderPride]

What happened to their WR, all they said on the radio was that he left the game with a leg injury...  I had to listen at work, it stank I wanted to watch it on TV.

←

After speaking to someone close on the matter, I'll say that it's simply not good for that WR. The injury was very serious.

[BlueRaiderPride]

Yep... all but one of those turnovers were forced.  It wasn't as if Marks or Gross walked over and handed the ball to a linebacker.  Pressure on the QB (when we got it), Phillip Graves' strip, Aaron Weathers' heads up recovery, and GREAT coverage plays contributed to a win.  The loser always says that they beat themselves, and that it had nothing to do with the other team.  To say that we didn't win this game is astounding.  Yards, turnovers, talent, coaching... none of those things directly win or lose a game.  Points on the board do, and, at the end of the game, we had more.  Could have had seven more, were it not for classy behavior by a classy coach.

I'm not going to poke fun at them, either.  But i'll be damned if i'm not going to laugh at them when they poke fun at themselves.

←

Illuvius, I admire your enthusiasm for your team, but you are out of your mind if you think those turnovers were forced. You weren't even there, so how would you even know. And if UNT plays Tulsa next weekend like you did against us, you'll lose by 30 or maybe even 40. You've got to find a passing game to balance your offense. You only need to face a team capable of stopping the run without committing turnovers on offense to lose really bad.

Edited September 11, 2005 by BlueRaiderPride

[CaribbeanGreen]

Whatever.

Just like the past five years, MTSU continues their cozy role as NT's bitch. Always has been, always will be.

Come January, after yet ANOTHER (yawn) undefeated season, we'll look forward to 6 in a row in Denton next year,

[BlueRaiderPride]

Whatever.

Just like the past five years, MTSU continues their cozy role as NT's bitch. Always has been, always will be.

Come January, after yet ANOTHER (yawn) undefeated season, we'll look forward to 6 in a row in Denton next year,

←

Yes, but the better team still lost. And no, you won't go undefeated playing like you did tonight. Take those green-colored glasses off, Carribean, 'cause you ain't viewing things as they are face value. FAU and Troy will kick your butts if you play them like you played us. Schnellenberger and Blakeney can actually coach.

[MeanMag]

Illuvius, I admire your enthusiasm for your team, but you are out of your mind if you think those turnovers were forced.  You weren't even there, so how would you even know.  And if UNT plays Tulsa next weekend like you did against us, you'll lose by 30 or maybe even 40.  You've got to find a passing game to balance your offense.  You only need to face a team capable of stopping the run without committing turnovers on offense to lose really bad.

←

You can't possibly tell me that all 5 were unforced. Coverage sacks were coming and Marks made the wrong decision in trying to get rid of it. We forced some bad throws. Our D played in position. very good job on D. Meager needs TONS more reps.

Mt's defense looked good, LBs were very well coached to counter out running game. Don't expect many more games where we get shut down on the run like that.

Your argument for us not being there is absurd. I saw on replay 5 times how the interceptions were forced.

We dodged 3 bullets, everytime Meager tried to throw over 20 yards the ball was underthrown and had bad placement. MT defenders need to get way better on their catching skills.

Dickey and flanigan i think will do a good job giving Meager the confidence he needs.

Biggest loss will be against LSU.

[BlueRaiderPride]

You can't possibly tell me that all 5 were unforced.  Coverage sacks were coming and Marks made the wrong decision in trying to get rid of it.  We forced some bad throws.  Our D played in position. very good job on D.  Meager needs TONS more reps.

Mt's defense looked good, LBs were very well coached to counter out running game.  Don't expect many more games where we get shut down on the run like that.

Your argument for us not being there is absurd.  I saw on replay 5 times how the interceptions were forced.

We dodged 3 bullets, everytime Meager tried to throw over 20 yards the ball was underthrown and had bad placement.  MT defenders need to get way better on their catching skills.

Dickey and flanigan i think will do a good job giving Meager the confidence he needs.

Biggest loss will be against LSU.

←

Well, all five were unforced because Marks wasn't pressured like you think he may have been. He made bad choices not because he was pressured, but because he was anxious to get the score. Don't forget WHERE those interceptions took place--DEEP in YOUR territory. There was no such pressure from your young and inexperienced defense. You weren't even at the game, so how would you know.

I'm not arguing, I'm making a FACTUAL point.

[MeanMag]

Well, all five were unforced because Marks wasn't pressured like you think he may have been.  He made bad choices not because he was pressured, but because he was anxious to get the score.  Don't forget WHERE those interceptions took place--DEEP in YOUR territory.  There was no such pressure from your young and inexperienced defense.  You weren't even at the game, so how would you know.

I'm not arguing, I'm making a FACTUAL point.

←

I'm not saying all of them were, and in the redzone you look to force turnovers anyway, even if they weren't.

Do you have a photographic memory? Or did they actually choose to show 5 replays of an NT interception in the Buro so that you could actually see what happened through beer goggles?

[mad dog]

Actually, blueraider, T.V. is an advantage because I had the benefit of replay, as well as multiple angles and really close camera zooms.

There was only one unforced turnover. That being a muffed exchange between Marks and Gross that Jeremiah Chapman fell on. ALL the other ones were forced.

Jeremiah Chapman hit Marks as he threw the ball. Aaron Weathers took advantage of the pressure on Marks and picked off a hastily thrown pass. That is considered a "forced" turnover.

Phillip Graves punched out the ball from a carrier's hand. Aaron Weathers recovered. That is forced.

I can see why you might think that Maurice Holman's interception (the one for a touchdown) might not have been forced, but it was. Not only did Marks get rid of the ball too early (footsteps?), but Holman came WAAAAY out of his zone to make that play. He also had to jump to get it. Just about any interception is going to be forced, due to coverage, baiting, pressure, or pure defensive speed. This one, to me, is no different. It was forced.

Eli Hutchinson had his hand on Mark's arm on the last pick. The ball came out wobbly and Derek Mendoza picked it off. That is forced.

Pure and simple, man. It is not like Marks was just walking over to a defender and handing them the ball. "We beat ourselves" is always the cry of the losing team. Heck, I said that last year against CU and FAU. Unless you have five turnovers on guys just losing their grasp on the ball, you're not beating yourselves.

I agree you have perhaps the more talented, experienced team. But our team beat your team. That's all there is to it. You'd be saying the same thing if you had won.

[untbowler]

After speaking to someone close on the matter, I'll say that it's simply not good for that WR.  The injury was very serious.

←

Watched the replay last night and it was horrible, brings back memories of the Troy receiver 2 years ago.

Just not good and hope everything turns out ok for him.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Yes, but the better team still lost.  And no, you won't go undefeated playing like you did tonight.  Take those green-colored glasses off, Carribean, 'cause you ain't viewing things as they are face value.  FAU and Troy will kick your butts if you play them like you played us.  Schnellenberger and Blakeney can actually coach.

←

BlueRaiderPride, I empathize....Some of us have been around this program when we didn't think we would continue football at NT at any level. We spent 12 years in 1-AA which was a form of college football purgatory for those of who were around when we beat a school just down the road from yall in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was tough going to some of heights and expectations of the Hayden Fry era to one when very little good was happening in Mean Green Country.

BRP, NT did tackle your RB and knocked the ball loose as I watch the replay as I post.

I asked you in another thread, but do you think had yall had different turf that your player may not have had that injury? Reason I ask, is we had a Troy U player have a similar injury on our (former) piece of crap turf we just replaced this last summer.

Edited September 11, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

[BIG DAWG]

"I have to give it to North Texas, they are possibly the best coached team I may have ever seen."

Remembe this, you guys will want to think otherwise at some point in this season. It is widely thought as we all will agree in VICTORY we have one of the brightests coaches in the game. In DEFEAT we tend to think he is an idiot.

[Guest JohnDenver]

You are full of blue raider Sh&T to say the turnovers were unforced .

I am sitting in Murfreesboro right now. I was not only at the game, but I was on the side lines. The pictures aren't posted yet (being that we are still out of town), but until they are, you will either have to take my word of take the time to go watch the game again.

1st interception -- Chris Miller had great pressure up the middle and Marks was on his way down when he overthrew the ball to the WIDE open WR and it was picked off by Weathers.

2nd interception -- I didn't really watch Marks on this play, but Holman was in the perfect place to pick off that pass and went the distance.

3rd interveption -- Eli Hutchison was pulling on Mark's jersey and pulling him backwards. Mark ended up flat on his butt and the pass came up way short and in Mendoza's hands.

1st fumble -- Graves came up and SMACKED your WR hard. The ball popped out and the good guys ended up with it .

2nd fumble -- I didn't see this happen, but I heard it was a bad exchanged between Marks and Gross.

It is pretty frustrating to have you over here flying the morale victory crap again.

*You lost to Bama and you find a way to spin it to sound like you won.

*You lost to North Texas and you are over here sayin the best team lost. (not that you are a homer by any means) You have lost FIVE times in a row. You are 0-5 agains the good guys. You can out that morale victory in your pipe and smoke it.

Edited September 11, 2005 by JohnDenver

[rcade]

I asked you in another thread, but do you think had yall had different turf that your player may not have had that injury?  Reason I ask, is we had a Troy U player have a similar injury on our (former) piece of crap turf we just replaced this last summer.

On TV, it looked like Chris Henry's leg was broken because of how the tackler landed on it, not because his ankle became stuck in the turf. I don't think turf played a factor, unless it prevented him from swinging his legs away from the tackler.

[BleedGreen64]

Viewed the game on TV.

Just as in the Texas-OSU game I sw it as two evevly matched teams with one able to take advantage of the breaks and win.

Going in I would have been happy with any kind of win, gwtting no one hurt, and getting the "first game" jitters? behind us. Done.

Did anyone else note the way the Ocoach appeared to chew out Marks after the interception? He never looked as confident or into the game after that.

[greensteve]

The better team lost tonight????

This is such a ridiculous statement...not just pertaining to this game, but pertaining to any game...the better teams always wins, all be it luck, skill whatever. The better team won tonight...There is no doubt about it. I know we looked sluggish on Offense..I know Meager should have had some picked off, i know our D-line could use some help...blah blah blah. The fact of the matter is we overcame all the issue...that makes NT the better team. MUTS can spin this anyway they want...they can piss and moan...hell they may even win the Belt (not likely-that team is on the verge of quitting on that coach)...but on Sept 10, 2005--North Texas was the better team. We overcame our shortfalls and made plays when we had to.

In my opinion that is the definition of a BETTER TEAM!

So, we can put this WIN behind us and focus on an 0-2 Tulsa team...that played OU well. We can work on our issues this week...Meager will be more confident...JT and PC have the first game out of the way...cant wait for Sat. I'll be in the parking lot by 2p.

See ya there

[Mean'n'Green07]

Absolutely, correct with that comment!!

I talked to alot of North Texas fans who were actually at this game and they agreed with me 100%.

First off, the better team lost in this game.  The team that wanted it more, however, wound up winning.

Middle Tennessee did in fact give you this game with five UNFORCED turnovers despite what ever beliefs alot of you other guys may have because not a single ball was passed into coverage resulting in an interception.  Not a single ball was jolted from hit by a North Texas defender.

MTSU's five turnovers were a result of bad passes and poor ball-handling skills plain and simple.  No one disagrees with me there except those of you who watched it on TV through green-colored glasses.  Shocking as it may seem not even your own fans who were actually at the game instead of watching it on TV will disagree with me there.

All we heard all week was how North Texas was going to run us ragged.  UNT only managed a paltry 152 nets yards total rushing on the game and many of those were losses.  Cobbs got his 100 yards in BARELY and Thomas didn't even come close with only 58 yards on 10 carries.  Ran us ragged?  I don't think so.

North Texas didn't even have 300 yards of total offense.  You only had one offensive touchdown and the defensive touchdown you scored was off an interception that was passed not into coverage, nor was our QB pressured to pass it.

←

you can win by an inch or you can win by a mile but winning is winning and thats something you guys don't know how to do. For a team who starts off slow (last years lost to FAU and Baylor) I was expecting a slow start from us also but we still managed to win like we always do in the belt.