Mean Green Team Report

[MeanGreen61]

Latest Mean Green Report from CBS Sportsline.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/teams/page/NTX

[gangrene]

I'm just curious who made the comments that are quoted at the end of the Eagles Report: Strategy and Personnel section:

Despite the early struggles, North Texas still has a road win at Middle Tennessee, and it hasn't lost confidence.

"Confidence comes from knowing what you're doing and right now we're making a lot of mistakes," he said. "We've got to move on and bounce back because we're playing Florida International this week.

"In Florida you can start a program and start it up quickly and succeed, and we know we've got another good opponent on our hands this week."

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It appears to be Dickey and, if that's the case, is he saying that it's MUCH easier to succeed at FIU???

[MeanGreen61]

I'm just curious who made the comments that are quoted at the end of the Eagles Report: Strategy and Personnel section:

It appears to be Dickey and, if that's the case, is he saying that it's MUCH easier to succeed at FIU???    

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Florida is second only to Texas in # of players who get 1A scholarships. Until the past few years, there were only 3 1A schools in Florida and many players were recruited to out of state schools. UCF and USF are both fairly new to 1A and with FAU and FIU going 1A there are still only 7 major in state schools competing for talent. Texas has 10.

Edited October 12, 2005 by MeanGreen61

[untbowler]

There may only be 7 major schools in Florida compared to 10 in TX but also look at the Population difference so that evens everything out in the end.

[gangrene]

There may only be 7 major schools in Florida compared to 10 in TX but also look at the Population difference so that evens everything out in the end.

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Not to mention that Florida routinely has 3 D1 schools ranked in the Top 10 at any given time. Texas generally only has one.

Add in the other Florida distractions like the beach and weekend trips to the Bahamas and I imagine their attendance challenges are every bit as difficult as ours.

I know we don't have recruits lining up and down I-35 to play football at UNT, but I think someone is trying to make his job sound more difficult than it is. As a coach, sure...the grass is definitely greener in Miami, but I'm not buying this crap about how it's easier to start from scratch and succeed at FIU than it is at UNT. I hope this is not a pre-game excuse to why we lost to FIU.

[Arkstfan]

Add in the other Florida distractions like the beach and weekend trips to the Bahamas and I imagine their attendance challenges are every bit as difficult as ours.

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Hey they only have something like 8 or 9 MAJOR amusement parks.

A lot of the population is transplants with no ties to any of the colleges and they have a bunch of senior citizens with no ties to the state in that population.

It is a good recruiting market but I'd hate to be trying to develop a crowd. The schools get a lot of out-of-state students who go back home soon as they graduate.

[Coffee and TV]

Not to mention that Florida routinely has 3 D1 schools ranked in the Top 10 at any given time.  Texas generally only has one.

i'm with you on everything else, but I'll call bluff on this statement.

[FirefightnRick]

UCF and USF are both fairly new to 1A

UCF is in their 9th season as a 1-A program.

USF is in their 4th.

UCF plays in the Citrus Bowl, USF plays in Raymond James.

South Florida is currently averaging around 38,000 for their home attendance, including 43K against 1-AA Florida A&M and 45K against Central Florida.

Central Florida is currently averaging around 21K at home right now, but they have had very large attendences in the past as well, as an example in only their second year in 1-A:

1997

A record crowd of 41,827 turns out to see UCF's home-opener against Idaho and the Golden Knights send the crowd home happy with a 41-10 victory. UCF treats its fans to a perfect 4-0 mark in the Citrus Bowl, including a 34-17 win against Toledo which comes to Orlando with a 9-1 record.

You may ask, how in hell were they able to attract so many in only their second year in 1-A?

1997.  UCF finishes its second season at the I-A level with a 5-6 record and garners a lot of national media attention while making great strides toward establishing itself on the sport's highest level.

UCF earns the reputation of the underdog that refuses to back down, battling four teams from the Southeastern Conference as well as national champion Nebraska.

Although winless in its first three games (a one-point overtime loss at Ole Miss, a two-point loss at South Carolina and a two-touchdown loss at Nebraska, after leading 17-14 at the half) UCF has the national media touting it as the best 0-3 team in the country. It even earns UCF a vote in the AP poll.

UCF finishes the year ranked number 44 in the country in the Sagarin Computer Rankings

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper has a great season and sets 15 school records. Most notably are his records for single-season passing and single-season total offense. He passes for 3,086 yards on the year with 25 touchdowns and finishes fourth in the nation in total offense with an average of 320 yards per game.

Culpepper is the recipient of numerous honors, including being named the People's Choice Award winner as the male amateur athlete of the year in the state of Florida. He is a finalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, a semifinalist for the Football News Offensive Player of the Year, and is named to the American Football Coaches Association 1997 Good Works Team for balancing academics and athletics and going above and beyond in the area of volunteerism and community service. He is also voted the United States Postal Service College Football Player of the Week after a win at Kent.

It's not that difficult to start a program anywhere when you give alumni and fans what they want: An entertaining, competitive product on the field and a winning attitude for the university.

Rick

Edited October 14, 2005 by FirefightnRick