UNT's O-Line Struggling

[MeanGreen61]

Russ Goodall: UNT’s o-line struggling in consistency

08:13 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 28, 2005

The North Texas football team has seen its share of problems this season in all aspects of the game, but most importantly on offense.

From the inability to sustain drives on offense, to the ability to stop drives on defense, the 2005 version of the Mean Green is struggling.

This season, while only three games old, is starting to carry that as a familiar theme.

There are a lot of holes from last year’s squad. There is no more Scott Hall. No more Adrian Awasom. Gone are Jonas Buckles, Markeith Knowlton and Walter Priestly.

And while all are key losses, the biggest loss from last year’s team is center Andy Blount.

Blount was the heart and soul of the UNT offense, and lockerroom, for the last four years.

This year’s Mean Green miss Blount’s 50 straight starts and the leadership that goes with that. They miss Blount’s ability to get the offensive line in the right blocking scheme while over the ball on every play — something that is lacking with redshirt freshman Chad Rose at the same position.

It’s not that Rose can’t be the same kind of player, it’s that he is not that kind of player right now.

During Blount’s tenure, the Mean Green gave up a total of 71 sacks — 21 in 2001, 17 in ’02, 18 in ’03 and 15 in ’04.

Rose and the offensive line have given up eight sacks for 70 yards already this season. That doesn’t even count the seven times quarterback Daniel Meager has carried the ball, all to the tune of minus-13 yards – including a 12-yard run against Kansas State.

The Mean Green are on pace to give up close to 28 sacks this season, and at times Meager hasn’t even been able to take a five-step drop, set his feet and throw.

“Offensively we have to get to where we understand and are in the right place a high percentage of the time, which we have been,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “[We then have to be] executing it correctly a high percentage of the time, which we haven’t been.”

Isn’t that the truth.

This team could very easily be 0-3, if not for the UNT defense against Middle Tennessee.

Moving the football and putting points on the board starts with the offensive line. With the play of the beef up front so far, it is no wonder the offense has only scored 14 of 23 total points this season.

The UNT offense has produced 18 three-and-out drives — nine against Kansas State — out of 40 drives, with the longest series being 10 plays for 46 yards that resulted in a missed field goal against Middle Tennessee.

“The offensive poise is 11 guys executing, and then one person that has a breakdown and it affects the whole play,” Dickey said. “Sometimes on defense, three or four guys can mess up, but if one guy makes a great play you don’t notice it. On offense if you have a breakdown it shows up more than maybe defensively.”

While all 18 ineffective drives certainly aren’t the offensive line’s fault, most of them can be attributed to their execution and play.

Rose, Dylan Lineberry, Jeremy Brown, Joel Foster, Josh Alexander, Jason May and Adam Venegas have to find away to mesh together, and in a hurry.

“One of these days I would like to get to the point where we can play 10 linemen,” Dickey said. “Right now, we are playing about seven.

“Hopefully those guys [offensive line] will continue working with each other, and understanding each other. It just takes a little while.”

The Mean Green are now in the heart of the season. The little while it takes has now come and gone.

If Rose and the rest of the offensive line can’t protect Meager better than they have, the conference win streak will probably go by the wayside against Troy on Tuesday night on national TV.

And that could very well be the beginning of the end to four straight Sun Belt titles and trips to the Big Easy in December.

RUSS GOODALL can be reached at 940-566-6871. His e-mail address is rgoodall@dentonrc.com.

[risinggreen]

So Blount played both center and tight end for four years. Imagine that.

[mad dog]

that's just embarassing.

[Zeke]

Embarassing indeed. You would figure someone would catch that.

[Travis]

But he is right... i have never seen such bad play coming from our O-line than i have this season. There is absolutely no time for meager to do anything back there.

[OldTimer]

First time I have ever heard DD say he would like to get to the point he could play 10 OL..that we can play 7 now. He's been here 8 years and still doesn't have 10 OL he can play and depend upon?

Many of those years he played the same 5 OL the entire game, the entire season unless an injury occurred. You don't develop reserves if they don't play and they can't help if they are undersized in weight.

[H-towngreen]

How about that Banks kid? What are the chances of seeing him out there?

[Eagle-96]

It's one thing to print the incorrect name but he did it FIVE times. It's like the Denton Wreckord Chronicle isn't even trying anymore.

[GreenBrigadeDebbie]

Wow, glad someone else noticed that our O-line is pretty much nonexistent......

[eagle60]

Who specifically is our Offensive Line Coach?

[GMoney]

BLOUNT? OOPPSS

[untStein]

"Strug-uh-ling."

-Drunk Joe Namath

[UNTFan23]

It's one thing to print the incorrect name but he did it FIVE times. It's like the Denton Wreckord Chronicle isn't even trying anymore.

←

I call it the Broken Record Chronicle. Cool nickname though.

[Guest JohnDenver]

And we are the idiot board!?

[NT80]

And while all are key losses, the biggest loss from last year’s team is center Andy Blount.

←

"Goodall, you're benched!"

We need some new local writers that have a clue as well as offensive linemen.

Edited September 28, 2005 by NT80

[ADLER]

It's one thing to print the incorrect name but he did it FIVE times. It's like the Denton Wreckord Chronicle isn't even trying anymore.

←

Please, at least get the name right.

They prefer to be called Denton's Wretched Chronic-Ill.

[FirefightnRick]

Still with the inexperience excuse again?

BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED OUR OFFENSIVE EXPERIENCE WAS:

Jeremy Brown, OL: Started 4 games last year, played 9.

Joel Foster OL: Started in all 12 games last year.

Dylan Linebarry OL: Started in all 12 games last year.

Jason MayOL: Started in 9 games in '03 and played in 12.

Beau Davidson, TE: Started all 12 games last year. Known as the best blocking TE on the team.

That's five O linemen with 49 starts combined. Every one of them has paved the way for a national rushing champion.

If we cannot replenish the cupboard after only losing one TE(Blount), one O Lineman(Brewster) and the QB(Hall) after winning 4 conference championships and not do any better than average 188 yards a game, including 129 against Tulsa, then the problem goes much further than the O line.

By the way, the rest of this youthfull bunch includes:

Johnny Quinn, WR: Started 25 games. Led team in yards and receptions two years running, 4th leading WR in the conference last year

Zach Muzzy, WR: Started 16 in games going back to '03 and played in 25.

Joel Niwigwe, WR: Has 13 starts and has played in 26 games total.

James Mitchell, FB: has 12 starts and has played in 25 total.

Patrick Cobbs, RB: Has 18 starts and has played in 42 games total including a national rushing title.

Jamario Thomas, RB: Has 10 starts and a national rushing title to go with it.

Combined, this offensive team has players with 143 starts and well over 150 games of playing experience under their belts against some of the best teams in the nation.

Other than we are just not playing well at all, there are no other excuses as far as I'm concerned. I do think we will see a different team against Troy. We always do.

Rick

Edited September 28, 2005 by FirefightnRick

[TJMean]

thats Denton Wreched Comical to me.

[slop64]

Where's Tim MacMahon when you need him...

[IslandEagle]

Still with the inexperience excuse again? 

BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED OUR OFFENSIVE EXPERIENCE WAS:

Jeremy Brown, OL:  Started 4 games last year, played 9.

Joel Foster OL:        Started in all 12 games last year.

Dylan Linebarry OL: Started in all 12 games last year.

Jason MayOL:          Started in 9 games in '03 and played in 12.

Beau Davidson, TE: Started all 12 games last year.  Known as the best blocking TE on the team.

That's five O linemen with 49 starts combined.  Every one of them has paved the way for a national rushing champion. 

If we cannot replenish the cupboard after only losing one TE(Blount), one O Lineman(Brewster) and the QB(Hall) after winning 4 conference championships and not do any better than average 188 yards a game, including 129 against Tulsa, then the problem goes much further than the O line.

By the way, the rest of this youthfull bunch includes:

Johnny Quinn, WR:  Started 25 games.  Led team in yards and receptions two years running, 4th leading WR in the conference last year

Zach Muzzy, WR:  Started 16 in games going back to '03 and played in 25.

Joel Niwigwe, WR:  Has 13 starts and has played in 26 games total.

James Mitchell, FB:  has 12 starts and has played in 25 total.

Patrick Cobbs, RB:  Has 18 starts and has played in 42 games total including a national rushing title. 

Jamario Thomas, RB:  Has 10 starts and a national rushing title to go with it.

Combined, this offensive team has players with 143 starts and well over 150 games of playing experience under their belts against some of the best teams in the nation. 

Other than we are just not playing well at all, there are no other excuses as far as I'm concerned.  I do think we will see a different team against Troy.  We always do.

Rick

←

Good analysis, FFR. Maybe Brewster and Blount were so good that the line is falling apart without them, but I find that hard to believe. As you say, if you cannot perform with that much experience returning, what will you do when you have less. I would be willing to bet that we have more returning experience along the OL as any team we have faced.

Now, QB and the DL, I can see where we can and maybe, should, be having problems. But, the OL...no way. I say put in freshmen if the ones with experience aren't doing the job. At least we'd be building for next year.

[OldTimer]

Who specifically is our Offensive Line Coach?

Harold Etheridge is in his second year as OL coach. he was the OL coach at Army since 1999. He has 23 years experience as an OL coach spending time and Kentucky and Illinois State before Army.

He has coached 4 all americans, nine all conference performers and two players currently on NFL roster.

He is the author of the book "Coaching Front Liners, in 2001 and has published articles on coaching the OL in American Monthly FB and Gridiron Strategy magazines. He was a 4 year starter at OG at Western New Mexico.

[UNTLifer]

I don't know Coach Etheridge and have never heard a player make any type of comment about him, but 4 All-Americans, 9 All-Conference Players and 2 NFLer's in 23 years of coaching is much to brag about, especially 9 All-Conference players.

[Travis]

Still with the inexperience excuse again? 

BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED OUR OFFENSIVE EXPERIENCE WAS:

Jeremy Brown, OL:  Started 4 games last year, played 9.

Joel Foster OL:        Started in all 12 games last year.

Dylan Linebarry OL: Started in all 12 games last year.

Jason MayOL:          Started in 9 games in '03 and played in 12.

Beau Davidson, TE: Started all 12 games last year.  Known as the best blocking TE on the team.

That's five O linemen with 49 starts combined.  Every one of them has paved the way for a national rushing champion. 

If we cannot replenish the cupboard after only losing one TE(Blount), one O Lineman(Brewster) and the QB(Hall) after winning 4 conference championships and not do any better than average 188 yards a game, including 129 against Tulsa, then the problem goes much further than the O line.

By the way, the rest of this youthfull bunch includes:

Johnny Quinn, WR:  Started 25 games.  Led team in yards and receptions two years running, 4th leading WR in the conference last year

Zach Muzzy, WR:  Started 16 in games going back to '03 and played in 25.

Joel Niwigwe, WR:  Has 13 starts and has played in 26 games total.

James Mitchell, FB:  has 12 starts and has played in 25 total.

Patrick Cobbs, RB:  Has 18 starts and has played in 42 games total including a national rushing title. 

Jamario Thomas, RB:  Has 10 starts and a national rushing title to go with it.

Combined, this offensive team has players with 143 starts and well over 150 games of playing experience under their belts against some of the best teams in the nation. 

Other than we are just not playing well at all, there are no other excuses as far as I'm concerned.  I do think we will see a different team against Troy.  We always do.

Rick

←

Exactly.. it isn't youth. It is our coaching style/philosophy. We need to change this. People have us figured out. We will only beat those that are worse than us... never on par.

We must change up our style...

[GreenBat]

I don't know Coach Etheridge and have never heard a player make any type of comment about him, but 4 All-Americans, 9 All-Conference Players and 2 NFLer's in 23 years of coaching is much to brag about, especially 9 All-Conference players.

←

Wasn't he also the OL coach at Army, when it had the 0-11 record and the worst offense in the nation? Is he trying to get a repeat performance from this year's NT line?

[meangreendork]

Everyone and their mother has a tape of the NO Bowl last year. They now know that the thing to do is speed rush with 7-9 and overload the OL before it can really do anything. Now it's compounded with a rookie QB.

Time to change the play philosophy.