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[GangGreen]

Umm we need a little cut and paste here buddy...

[UNTFan23]

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Posted on Wed, Sep. 14, 2005

RB could see more carries

By JEFF WILSON

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A sentence overheard during lunch Sunday at the Bar-B-Cutie in Nashville, Tenn., was something many North Texas fans might have been wondering Saturday night.

"Jamario Thomas," said an unidentified Middle Tennessee fan, "I think he was hurt."

The fan seemed stunned the defending NCAA rushing champion had a mere 10 carries for 58 yards, while 2003 national rushing champion Patrick Cobbs had 28 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown in the Mean Green's 14-7 victory over Middle Tennessee.

Thomas wasn't hurt. But a hamstring injury during two-a-day practices, and the missed conditioning time, contributed to Cobbs' busy game and Thomas' quiet one on the sidelines.

"He didn't get the number of carries Patrick got for a combination of reasons, but we feel like that's going to balance out throughout the course of the season," coach Darrell Dickey said. "We didn't know how long Jamario could technically go during this game. That's the luxury of us having two of them."

UNT plays host to Tulsa at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Golden Hurricane is allowing 264 yards this season and has been victimized by a 200-yard rusher in its two losses this season. There will be room to run at Fouts Field, and Thomas wants to find it if called upon.

"I really don't care about the 10 carries. We got a 'W,' so I was real happy about that," he said. "The coaches just told me, 'You never know when we're going to call on you.' So, I'm there if they need me."

Nonconference woes

Tulsa presents the Mean Green another opportunity to improve upon a less-than-stellar record against nonconference foes. UNT's Sun Belt dominance over the past four years is well-chronicled, but a 3-19 mark outside the conference has had a negative effect on the program's image.

"There aren't too many people who have beat Texas and Oklahoma the last couple years," Darrell Dickey said. "I think we get beat up a little on, 'Well, all they do is win Sun Belt games.'"

UNT has played Texas and Oklahoma twice, Texas Tech, Alabama, Arkansas and Colorado since 2001. There were also two losses each to South Florida and TCU and a 1-1 split with Baylor.

Victories against Tech in 1999 and Baylor in 2003 gave UNT players a boost.

"It made our players feel better about what we were trying to do and showed them that if things went correctly, on a given day we could possibly play with the BCS people," Dickey said. "That's something we want to try to continue to do. But it's tough."

Briefly

Patrick Cobbs and linebacker Maurice Holman are the Sun Belt's offensive and defensive players of the week. Holman had a 99-yard interception return for a TD.

Darrell Dickey said he intends to find playing time for backup quarterbacks Matt Phillips and Kellen Haynes. Starter Daniel Meager took every snap against Middle Tennessee.

ONLINE: meangreansports.com

IN THE KNOW

Tulsa at UNT

6 p.m. Saturday,

Fouts Field, Denton

Radio: KWRD/100.7 FM; KNTU/88.1 FM

Tickets: $8-$16 at (800) 868-2366 and, beginning Thursday, at ticketmaster

.com

Records: Tulsa 0-2; North Texas 1-0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeff Wilson, (817) 390-7953 jwilson@star-telegram.com

[greenminer]

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Registration? I think not!

[UNTFan23]

Just saying it wants a username/password to view the article. I have registered for all the DFW news sites, but for everyone else, I don't see the point. If I can't read it, guess it's not that important to me.