UNT Buzz Fizzles With Big Blowout

[MeanGreen61]

Brett Vito: UNT buzz fizzles with big blowout

08:23 AM CDT on Monday, September 19, 2005

The look of disappointment on running back Patrick Cobbs’ face said it all on Saturday after Tulsa finished putting a whipping on North Texas in its home opener.

UNT came into the night with the stage seemingly set for a breakthrough win over the Golden Hurricane in a non-conference game. The Mean Green were playing at home, coming off of a win and had the third-largest crowd for a UNT game in Fouts Field history waiting for a memorable night.

None of those factors seemed to matter when Tulsa handed the Mean Green a 54-2 whipping that ranked among their most disappointing outings of the last few seasons.

“We just got beat,” Cobbs said. “I don’t know how to put it.”

But this wasn’t just any loss. This was a shellacking in a game that ate away at the positive momentum UNT built while setting the stage for its home opener.

UNT headed into the year with a buzz surrounding the return of Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, the last two national rushing champions who were playing together at home for the first time in 2005.

A total of 23,112 fans packed the stands to see if the Mean Green could move to 2-0 against one of the teams from the region UNT hopes will turn into a rival.

There couldn’t have been a better time for UNT to break through for a non-conference win – or a worse time for the Mean Green to lay an egg.

And that was just what UNT did.

The Mean Green failed to score a touchdown and saw an early 2-0 lead vanish under a hail of points from the Golden Hurricane.

The publicity the Mean Green received because of the return of Cobbs and Thomas has been replaced by questions of how UNT’s running game has gone from highly effective to just average in the span of just a few games.

The turnover free play UNT received at quarterback from Daniel Meager in its season opener was replaced by a shaky outing from the redshirt freshman who was replaced for a short time by freshman Matt Phillips.

Both quarterbacks spent the night on the run after the Mean Green’s offensive line struggled to keep Tulsa’s defense out of the backfield.

A defense that came up with stops at just the right times in a season-opening 14-7 win over Middle Tennessee fell apart after a solid first quarter.

The total collapse raised questions about where UNT is headed in its eighth season under head coach Darrell Dickey.

“In the past, when we’ve struggled early, we’ve had guys who have pulled together,” Dickey said. “I’m going to find out who’s going to pull together. I’m going to find out who might be doubting what we’re doing, and the ones who are doubters, I’m going to get rid of them.”

The situation the Mean Green face is not an unfamiliar one. UNT has stumbled early in non-conference games before rebounding in previous seasons.

Texas and Oklahoma beat the Mean Green handily in their home openers in the 2004 and 2003 seasons, respectively. UNT rallied each time to win the Sun Belt Conference title and play in the New Orleans Bowl.

UNT still has a non-conference game left with Louisiana Tech, another regional rival who could offer the Mean Green a chance to break through outside of the Sun Belt.

The team’s offensive line could come together and help Cobbs and Thomas get back on track in time for one standout season together. Cobbs has 203 yards in two games this year, but Thomas has just 17 carries for 71 yards.

That’s a far cry from the 180.1 yards Thomas averaged last year or the 152.7 Cobbs posted in 2003.

Even if UNT bounces back, there is little doubt the Mean Green let a golden opportunity pass on Saturday.

UNT will face a Kansas State team that drilled the Mean Green 55-10 in their last meeting in 2000 next week and then return home for a game against Troy on national television on Oct. 4.

The athletic department has been working to promote the game throughout the fall while hoping for a big turnout. UNT could have used a few positives to point to against Tulsa to build buzz for the game.

That opportunity vanished with a landslide loss to the Golden Hurricane.

The way the Mean Green respond to that loss will determine if UNT can recover some of the momentum it lost.

“Maybe this is what we needed,” Cobbs said. “Usually we start off playing big teams that bring us down to earth. Last week we were 1-0. … This might make guys get more focused and ready to play.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com