Mean Green Preview, Part 3

[mad dog]

Mean Green Preview, Part 3

Cornerbacks

Summary

The Mean Green cornerback crew is something of an enigma; a case of risk reward with almost every player on the roster. There are potentially six different guys who could be offered up as starters on opening day. UNT is hoping that the right combination at cornerback will lead to a better season defending the pass in 2006.

Departed cornerbacks T.J. Covington and Ja’Mel Branch lack of discipline last year was a major reason why North Texas struggled. Both Covington and Branch would often break their coverage responsibility, only to bite on a double move and give up the big pass. Both were also talented athletes which emphasizes how important the mental aspects of the game are at this position.

Now logic might tell you that since the closest thing to Division I experience at corner in a North Texas uniform is Dominique Green, (whose only significant playing time was during the last half of the season finale against Arkansas State), the team might very well expect it to be the weak point of the defense. However, to do that, you’d need to ignore one very telling fact.

In that game against ASU, when Green stepped in for starter T.J. Covington in the second half, the play at the cornerback position did not suffer much, at all. A true freshman, coming cold off the bench, matched the play (an argument could even be made that he EXCEEDED the play) of a senior starter who was, at the beginning of the season, being looked over by NFL scouts. If this guy performed as well in his freshman debut season as a senior two year starter, the question must be asked: who else do we really have waiting in the wings?

The talent level is so close among the top six guys that there is even disagreement among the GMG.com staff among who the starters will be, and we usually see eye-to-eye on most personnel issues. But the consensus is that it will most likely be Dominique Green and either Senior Tyrone Carter, Redshirt Freshman Antoine Bush, Redshirt Freshman Desmon Chatman, Junior JUCO Transfer Roy Loren, or even true freshman newcomer Robbie Gordon.

This is a wide-open position race for the fall. While there is a lack of experience across the board, this might very well be the most talented group of corners that North Texas has ever fielded. What other time in North Texas history when there has been a group of guys this athletic?

Though Dom Green will begin with a small head start, it is by no means insurmountable, and could fluctuate wildly between now and the end of August. Tyrone Carter has experience in the system and good recovery speed. Antoine Bush has been pegged as “the best cover corner on the team” by wide receivers. Desmon Chatman has a terrific combination of size, speed, and general athletic ability. Roy Loren has the body of a physical corner that can run with receivers downfield and hold the corner on the run. Robbie Gordon, though very young, has been praised by coaches and insiders alike as a guy who can come in right away and contribute.

The battle at corner might well be the biggest battle on the defensive side of the ball and second only to the QB battle in terms of what the Mean Green are looking at this season.

Players to Watch

Dominique Green

Does he approach this season with a driven determination, or suffer a sophomore slump?

Roy Loren

Is he anywhere as good as advertised, and if so, how do you keep him off the field?

Desmon Chatman

Will his physical gifts line up with a mental understanding of the game?

*Projected Starters (Matt)

CB – Tyrone Carter

The senior has been patiently waiting his turn, and provides veteran leadership at a position were the average age is somewhere between freshman and sophomore.

CB – Dominique Green

Got a small amount of playing time last year, but showed that he had something in the bag. Has tremendous physical skills and seems to make good reads for a young guy.

*Projected Starters (Harry)

CB – Dom Green

One of the best pure athletes on the team.

CB – Roy Loren

If he shows up ready to play he could be something special. Physically gifted, they will look to keep it as simple as possible for him coverage-wise.

Impact Newcomers

Roy Loren

Has a prototypical NFL cornerback body. Iif he has the wheels, could he be an immediate starter?

Antoine Bush

Flashed terrific recognition and closing speed. Will a year’s worth of maturity give him the confidence to lock down the corner?

Sleeper

Robbie Gordon

Spoken very highly of among those “in the know.” Is he as good as advertised?

*Projected starters are who we think should start based on what a player has shown to us in practice and in games. We are not trying to guess the coaches’ picks, but rather who we’d pick if we were making out the depth chart.

[mad dog]

Some interesting stats on our pass defense for the past few years:

2005

Ranked 54th at 216 yards/game

(Leader Miami (Fla) at 152 yards/game)

2004

Ranked 92nd at 241 yards/game

(Leader Alabama at 113 yards/game)

2003

Ranked 57th at 220 yards/game

(Leader Miami (Fla) at 144 yards/game)

This is a really perplexing stat line for a few reasons. First off, you start with experienced corners in Jeremy Pearl and Walter Priestly in 2003, combined with an All-Conference Safety duo of Jonas Buckles and Craig Jones, so the top half pass defense isn't really all that surprising. However, the next season, with T.J. Covington replacing Jeremy Pearl and Markeith Knowlton replacing Craig Jones, you give up 21 more yards a game, and drop down to the bottom quarter. Then, graduating everyone but T.J. Covington (including a true freshman, a juco transfer, and a guy who'd been away from football for a year playing corner for the first time in college), you bouce back up to your lowest yards allowed total since the 9th ranked defense of 2002.

My best guess as to why this happened is part of a larger theory concerning the football team at the University of North Texas. During "The Steak," there was a ton of experience and ethic, working in combination with a little talent here and there. Since then, the slider has gone back the other way, with a ton of talent, but not a lot of experience. My hot sports opinion on the future of this team is that, once all this talent comes of age, you are going to see a better team than even the bowl winning team of 2002. I think we often forget just how large a factor bringing guys in as freshman and keeping them here until their senior year is. Look at our last senior class. We had two guys of impact with Nick Bazaldua and Patrick Cobbs, and another, Jason May, who had was solid, though not great. A senior class needs to be the leadership, the heart, and the soul of a team. It is difficult to do that when players flame out, fail their classes, or otherwise leave the team.

When you guys stop by practices in August, I think you'll see what I'm talking about. Not just at cornerback, but across both lines, in the backfield and out wide. Seniors provide the biggest bodies, the most veteran leadership, and the knowledge and understanding of the game that they pass on to the newer players. I am all for the younger guys taking leadership roles, but when it is done out of necessity, because there are no older players available to be role models, that is hardly an ideal situation.

This year, we will graduate 17 seniors, and 14 of them have had solid contributions to the team. Behind them is a class of 28 juniors, and 17 sophomores behind them. When you are able to keep those guys the full four or five years to develop, you maximizing the talent you bring in. If this keeps up, there could be some very good things in the next few years for North Texas.

[adman]

Some interesting stats on our pass defense for the past few years:

2005

Ranked 54th at 216 yards/game

(Leader Miami (Fla) at 152 yards/game)

2004

Ranked 92nd at 241 yards/game

(Leader Alabama at 113 yards/game)

2003

Ranked 57th at 220 yards/game

(Leader Miami (Fla) at 144 yards/game)

What does our rush defense look like at the same time? I'd wager in 2005 our pass D may have "improved" due to rush D being rather sloppy. Why pass if you can run efectively?

[mad dog]

What does our rush defense look like at the same time?  I'd wager in 2005 our pass D may have "improved" due to rush D being rather sloppy.  Why pass if you can run efectively?

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Great question. I actually looked at that, too, and you are exactly right. I'd totally agree with you that running has a lot to do with it, and there is certainly a correlation there. My main point is purely with the secondary, and how many yards they gave up from year to year. It might be a good study if you want to see if there is a large difference in the other team's run/pass ratio year to year. I just assumed that the proportionality remained the same over the course of an entire season.

2005

Rush defense ranked 114 at 221 yards/game

(Leader Ohio State at 73 yards/game)

2004

Rush defense ranked 74 at 173 yards/game

(Leader USC at 79 yards/game)

2003

Rush defense ranked 15 at 105 yards/game

(Leader USC at 60 yards/game)

[Green92]

We gave up fewer passing yards last year because no one really had to pass.

[mad dog]

We gave up fewer passing yards last year because no one really had to pass. 

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Possibly... if you can prove the correlation, I'll certainly believe it.

The pass efficiency stat definitely speaks in your favor...

2005 - 109

2004 - 71

2003 - 73

[Norwester]

This is a really perplexing stat line for a few reasons.

←

That boggled my mind too when I saw it in the Athlon preview.

While it's true that teams didn't need to pass as much because of the inexperienced, injury-plagued D-line, another factor is that the Sun Belt is becoming more of a run-first conference. The most drastic example is ULL, going from a perenially weak running stable to something like No. 9 in the nation in rushing. Even Middle Tennessee says they're going to run more this year.

Hopefully, improvement in one platoon will help the other.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Here are some statistics to help support what 92 said:

Opponents:

PA Agnst Yds Gained

Ark St 339 2300

Fla Atl 280 1943

Fla Intl 283 2330

La-Lft 293 2092

La-Mon 310 2313

Mid Tenn 329 2176

N Tex 275 2373

Troy 325 2022

As you can see we were thrown against less than any other SBC (not the pinnacle of stout defenses) team and gave up more total yardage. For an outside team, I randomly chose Fresno State. Fresno State gave up 2579 yards against the pass but there were 405 attempts against them.

This position concerns me more than any other. It's not that we don't have some potential there; we do. Green, is a good athlete but I'm not sure that corner is his best position. I seem to recall that he was rated higher as a receiver than as a defensive back. Roy Loren has only played safety so, although he does have some experience beyond the high school level, I still think that he will wind up at free safety. Tyrone Carter, who has two letters, has played very little at the corner. He has been a good role player on special teams and that's where he should remain, in my opinion, with maybe some spot duty at corner. As to Robbie Gordon, I've been trying to find out anything that I can about him, to no avail. His speed is listed as 4.6, which is a little slow for a really good corner. That leaves me with Bush and Chatman, who I think has the most talent of the sextet. They both must be pretty smart and coachable since both changed positions their senior year and excelled. I know that's it's scary to have two inexperienced corners at the same time but I believe that each has the talent to excel. The only 'experience' that we have at corner are Green and Carter and that's only a few plays apiece.

My greatest consolation is that I believe that Coach Bleil will put the two best players that he has out there.

I'm also assuming by this preview that Special K will either be a candidate at one of the safeties or return to wide receiver.

[FirefightnRick]

When Green came into that ASU game I heard someone who knew him shout "It's about damn time!". I didn't realize what had happened so I asked and they told me he had just replaced "Leon" Covington. So I started to watch and DG completely shut down that side from that point on and gave us a chance to be in position to win late.

He's a lock on his side in my oppinion.

Rick

[Norwester]

So I started to watch and DG completely shut down that side from that point on and gave us a chance to be in position to win late.

←

That's good to hear. Power to him.

I know it's wishful thinking to think Roy Loren will have an impact like Aaron Weathers did, but hey, another 3-star DB from Coffeyville.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

When Green came into that ASU game I heard someone who knew him shout "It's about damn time!".  I didn't realize what had happened so I asked and they told me he had just replaced "Leon" Covington.  So I started to watch and DG completely shut down that side from that point on and gave us a chance to be in position to win late.

He's a lock on his side in my oppinion.

Rick

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He may be the answer, I don't know. All I remember is that the first or second play after he went in they completed a pass right over him. After that I quit watching him specifically. I do remember that he did break up a pass a short time later when they tried it again. Last year, he appeared in 9 games with 7 tackles. I don't know how many were his cornerback play in the ASU game. I can't recall if he was still in the game when ASU made their drive late in the game to clinch the win.

The other part of the equation is that he was an all-state wide receiver. This iwill be Quinn's and Nwigwe's last season. Other than Brandon Jackson, I don't see a touted receiver in the wings.

[SilverEagle]

He may be the answer, I don't know.  All I remember is that the first or second play after he went in they completed a pass right over him.  After that I quit watching him specifically.  I do remember that he did break up a pass a short time later when they tried it again.  Last year, he appeared in 9 games with 7 tackles.  I don't know how many were his cornerback play in the ASU game.  I can't recall if he was still in the game when ASU made their drive late in the game to clinch the win.

The other part of the equation is that he was an all-state wide receiver.  This iwill be Quinn's and Nwigwe's last season.  Other than Brandon Jackson, I don't see a touted receiver in the wings.

←

Maybe not "touted", but Isiah Smith, Casey Fitzgerald, and Guy Fernandez looked pretty good in the sping.

Edited July 13, 2006 by SilverEagle

[pollock]

Maybe not "touted", but Isiah Smith, Casey Fitzgerald, and Guy Fernandez looked pretty good in the sping.

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I seem to remember that Fernandez went off in the spring game.

[mad dog]

We'll get there in a few weeks, but everyone (myself included) forgets about Brock Stickler. Counting him out would probably be a mistake.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I seem to remember that Fernandez went off in the spring game.

←

C'mon, Bill, this is a Division 1-A program. I don't mean to slam any of those three but they were walk-ons here. I'm not aware that any received any scholarship offers. I hate to see the second wide receiver entrusted to walkons.

By "touted" I mean that more than one person believes that they have the talent to be considered among the best in the state or that they have the talent to play at the highest (college) level.

Having said that, Isaiah Smith did turn my head with a few circus catches and I would hope that he is able to earn a scholarship and some playing time.

[SilverEagle]

C'mon, Bill, this is a Division 1-A program.  I don't mean to slam any of those three but they were walk-ons here.  I'm not aware that any received any scholarship offers.  I hate to see the second wide receiver entrusted to walkons. 

By "touted" I mean that more than one person believes that they have the talent to be considered among the best in the state or that they have the talent to play at the highest (college) level.

Having said that, Isaiah Smith did turn my head with a few circus catches and I would hope that he is able to earn a scholarship and some playing time.

←

I'm not the one who made the "going off" comment about Fernandez, Pollock did. I thought Fernandez did very well, but I wouldn't use the phrase "going off".

C'mon Jack, we might be a D-1 program, but our WR recruiting has basically been, to put it politely, lacking. We're damn lucky to have Johnny Quinn on our team, considering that it really wasn't DD's idea.....it was K-Mart's. I don't know how we talked Mr. Jackson into coming here, and I don't know how we talked Zac Muzzy into coming here either. (Now, there's someone who could be back next year.)

IMHO, until our offense changes a lot, AND everyone on the coaching staff is in the recruiting harness, we are going to have to rely on our luck with walk-ons in this area.

Edited July 13, 2006 by SilverEagle

[meangreendork]

Never doubt the walk-ons. We've had our share of walk-ons at this school, and some of them have been great players.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

IMHO, until our offense changes a lot, AND everyone on the coaching staff is in the recruit harness, we are going to have to rely on our luck with walk-ons in this area.

←

Touche, and you are right about recruiting wide receivers to our offense. In fact, wasn't Brandon Jackson recruited as a defensive back? Even though he had perhaps better credentials as a WR?

I don't hold out much hope for spreading the field. We had Blount and Quinn on the same team and had some of our lowest pass totals. Both were at or near the very top in number of receptions while in high school. If we don't change our offense for those two, what chance is there now?

My superlative about Fernandez is...I like his height.

[SilverEagle]

My superlative about Fernandez is...I like his height.

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