FW*Telegram MG can't afford another loss

OldTimer · November 2, 2005

Posted on Wed, Nov. 02, 2005

NORTH TEXAS FOOTBALL NOTES

Mean Green can't afford another loss

By JEFF WILSON

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DENTON - Fact: North Texas, despite having the nation's worst offense and allowing 452.5 yards per game on defense, is a legitimate contender to win its fifth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title.

Fact: The Mean Green will clinch the title and go to the New Orleans Bowl if it closes the season with four consecutive victories.

UNT (2-5, 2-1) vies for the first of those victories at 6 p.m. Saturday at Fouts Field against Louisiana-Lafayette (3-5, 2-2). Mean Green coach Darrell Dickey said his team is aware that one loss will dash any bowl hopes.

"They know none of that stuff matters unless we take care of our job Saturday," Dickey said. "If we don't win that game, it's pretty much done for us."

The Mean Green closes with games at Florida Atlantic and at home against Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State, the two clubs ahead of UNT in the standings.

No game switch

North Texas officials held discussions Tuesday with their counterparts at Florida Atlantic about moving the programs' Nov. 12 game from hurricane-ravaged Boca Raton, Fla., to Fouts Field.

But UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said that Florida Atlantic is unwilling to move the game and will consider moving the kickoff to earlier in the afternoon or playing at Dolphins Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.

Classes have been canceled and the Florida Atlantic campus was without power 10 days after southern Florida was struck by Hurricane Wilma. The Owls postponed their home game last weekend against Middle Tennessee and are scheduled to play Saturday at Troy.

Safety plan

Free safety Roderick Cotton is questionable to start Saturday, so freshman Steve Warren is expected to log considerable time against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Darrell Dickey said Cotton has knee and ankle injuries and will play if he shows improvement. Warren, a Burleson graduate, sat out against LSU because of a concussion he suffered Oct. 22 against Louisiana Tech.

"We have every indication that he will be [back] and get a full week of practice," Dickey said of Warren. "He's become an excellent football player for us, and we need him out there."

No running it up

Darrell Dickey said he was not upset by LSU's final touchdown, on a 6-yard pass from backup QB Matt Flynn to starting wideout Early Doucet with 3:32 remaining, in the Tigers' 56-3 victory.

"Our job is to try to stop them," Dickey said. "It wasn't like they just had their starters out there the whole game trying to massacre us. Those type of things, I don't worry about."

ONLINE: meangreensports.com

IN THE KNOW

LA.-LAFAYETTE AT NORTH TEXAS

6 p.m. Saturday,

Fouts Field, Denton

TV: KFWD/Ch. 52

Radio: KWRD/100.7 FM, KNTU/88.1 FM

Records: La.-Lafayette 3-5, 2-2 Sun Belt; UNT 2-5, 2-1

NORTH TEXAS KEYS TO THE GAME

Ground gains: The running game has improved and must show it against a Ragin' Cajuns defense that has allowed 199.1 rushing yards per game (104th among the 117 Division I-A teams).

Protect Meager: Louisiana-Lafayette has 22 sacks, so protecting quarterback Daniel Meager is a priority for the offensive line.

Heady linebackers: This unit, UNT's best, needs to make the right reads and hold its assignments to stop Lafayette's zone-option runs.

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

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

FirefightnRick · November 2, 2005

Free safety Roderick Cotton is questionable to start Saturday, so freshman Steve Warren is expected to log considerable time against Louisiana-Lafayette.

I'm very proud of our hometown Burleson Elk, Steve Warren. Before the season started I thought he had a chance at QB. But as it turned out, like so many from Burleson, and Harry and others said, he's a fast athlete who could end up on the defensive side and he's done just that. I asked him how his head was saturday and he stated he was good to go. I look forward to seeing him play this saturday.

Rick