Football's measure of success based on SBC play

MeanGreen61 · September 30, 2005

Football team’s measure of success based on Sun Belt play

Rian Johnson / Staff Writer

September 29, 2005

It has been a tough three weeks for the Mean Green football team. That time span has included two games decided by 47 points or more and a Middle Tennessee game NT won on a gift from Blue Raiders quarterback Clint Marks.

As for the former, the losses do not take away from the Mean Green’s annual goal, a Sun Belt championship. As for the latter, it does not matter how you get the win, as long as you get it. Technically, the Mean Green is right where it needs to be to continue its run as conference champions. But is this year’s Mean Green capable of achieving that feat?

What the Mean Green must do to conquer another Sun Belt title

NT has to realize what is done is done, a realization that is two-fold for the Mean Green.

First, the Mean Green cannot afford to enter Tuesday’s game against conference foe Troy State hung over from its two previous losses. NT has to reflect on its win over Middle Tennessee and realize that this team has the ability to win.

Second, the Mean Green cannot enter conference play with the swagger that often accompanies reigning champions. NT is no longer the favorites to win the Sun Belt, for proof just look at the latest NCAA college football ratings.

The Mean Green will enter Tuesday’s game with the worst rated total offense of all 117 Division 1A football teams, and two provisional teams. NT was in the bottom five of four additional offensive categories: third down conversion (22.7%), pass offense, scoring offense and pass efficiency.

Granted, NT has faced two of the top defenses in the nation. Entering this weekend, Kansas State was the ninth rated defense in the nation. Tulsa is at 53, but it has faced two of the nation’s top offenses in Minnesota (5) and Memphis (22), the Golden Hurricane also squared off with Oklahoma and its featured running back Adrian Peterson.

The level of competition will definitely decrease as the Mean Green enters conference play, but NT must improve if it is to have any chance. NT has the best backfield in its history, and the best group of wide receivers during coach Darrell Dickey’s tenure, but the Mean Green offensive line and quarterback must raise its performance to exploit those advantages.

Defensively, the Mean Green is also rated at the bottom of the NCAA in nearly every category. NT is in the bottom ten of the following categories: rush defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and score defense.

The ability of the offense to move the ball and control the clock better will lift some of the pressure off the Mean Green defense.

If the Mean Green will realize that it is not the dominating team of the past, and realize that it must work harder than other teams in the Sun Belt, it has the talent on both sides of the ball to get the job done. Tuesday night, NT will return to a level of competition it has competed with in the past, and that should provide a good measuring stick for how the Mean Green will fare the rest of conference play.

If the Mean Green wins, look for NT to take another Sun Belt title.