DRC- Two UNT players done for season

[Baby Arm!]

The news just keeps getting better and better...

Two UNT players done for season

Surgery cuts year short for Alexander, Brown

11:40 PM CDT on Thursday, August 3, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Fall practice has not even begun and North Texas has lost a pair of players who were expected to be key contributors to season-ending surgery.

Backup tight end Charlie Brown has already had surgery on his shoulder, while offensive lineman Josh Alexander decided Thursday morning, in conjunction with UNT’s training staff and doctors, to undergo surgery on his knee.

UNT is set to open two-a-day practices on Monday in preparation for its season opener against defending national champion Texas on Sept. 2 in Austin.

“At this point and time, it looks like Charlie and Josh aren’t going to be with us,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “Both were trying to rehab because that is what our trainers felt was the best thing to do. That didn’t work, so they are looking at surgery. … If we knew then what we know now, we would have gone ahead and had the surgery, but we didn’t so we will have to bear with it.”

Alexander was a key contributor last season when he started six consecutive games at left tackle, beginning in the fifth week of the season.

Brown caught three passes for 14 yards in a backup role as a freshman last season.

“[Losing both players] really puts us in a bind because both of them were guys we were depending on to be possible starters,” Dickey said.

Brown played as a true freshman and could redshirt during the upcoming season. Alexander spent the 2003 season as a redshirt.

Dickey said Alexander had secured the starting role at left tackle for UNT, which was scheduled to have all but one of its starting offensive linemen return.

Senior Joel Foster was UNT’s starting left tackle for the first four weeks of the 2005 campaign before a shakeup in the Mean Green’s lineup. Alexander became the starter at left tackle while Foster moved to right tackle to replace Jeremy Brown. Alexander remained in the starting lineup until an injury forced him to sit out the Mean Green’s finale against Arkansas State.

The junior also missed most of spring practice.

Dickey said UNT’s staff has yet to discuss how it might compensate for losing Alexander, but could consider returning Foster to left tackle and moving Brown back into the starting lineup at right tackle.

“We will do some double-teaching so that they can play both sides,” Dickey said.

UNT signed three offensive linemen in its 2006 recruiting class, but junior college transfer Trent Stanley has already left the program.

Redshirt freshman Ajani Banks, one of the Mean Green’s top offensive line recruits from 2005, is expected to backup All-Sun Belt Conference guard Dylan Lineberry.

Losing Brown could deplete the Mean Green’s depth at tight end. Seniors Robert Harmon and Beau Davidson enter the fall sharing a spot atop the depth chart. Brown was expected to serve as a backup.

UNT signed tight end Brian Carlson from Kilgore College and Bryant Seidle from Cy-Fair High School as part of its 2006 recruiting class.

“We have numbers at tight end,” Dickey said. “We just have to figure out who will lock down the position and if we will be able to play with two or three tight ends or if we will be better off with another wide receiver.”

The Mean Green have used multiple tight ends frequently in a run-based offense under Dickey.

Adding another wide receiver to the lineup could be an intriguing option. The Mean Green have perhaps their best group of wide receivers in the Dickey era returning, including preseason All-Sun Belt selection Johnny Quinn.

UNT has now lost three veteran players during the offseason who were expected to compete for starting jobs. Linebacker Eddrick Gilmore did not meet NCAA eligibility requirements and will not play for UNT in 2006.

[SilverEagle]

"Adding another wide receiver to the lineup could be an intriguing option."

It will be an intriguing option if only to see if the current coaching staff can demonstrate some originality and flexibility in their coaching style.

[mad dog]

“We have numbers at tight end,” Dickey said. “We just have to figure out who will lock down the position and if we will be able to play with two or three tight ends or if we will be better off with another wide receiver.”

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When the Charley Brown news broke, I remember remarking to Harry that this makes the spread set a little more attractive. Neither of us thought such a dramatic offensive change was a real possibility this close to the season starting, but maybe DD has other ideas...

We'll know this next week, and staff will keep you all as up to date as possible with new developments.

[Harry]

To make the spread work you need a quarterback that can throw the ball and make decisions quickly. We just haven't had that around here. I harken back to our last bowl game against Southern Miss where they put 8 on the line against us the entire game. Many of our passing plays were too slow to develop. We have been a methodical, grind it out running team for many years. It is hard to become a quick strike open/spread team overnight.

[pollock]

Seems like last year TE wasn't one of our strengths anyway, and now we have one fewer. I think the extra WR is a no-brainer.

A QB is going to have to step up, regardless. Even if Jamario 2004 is back, he'll need some kind of help.

[UNTLifer]

Would they consider having Carlson add some weight and moving him to Tackle?

[NT80]

I harken back to our last bowl game against Southern Miss where they put 8 on the line against us the entire game.  Many of our passing plays were too slow to develop. 

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That is a failure of coaching to make during-game adjustments and take advantage of what a defense is giving you. You know teams will defense us for run first, it's obvious (to some anyway) that you need a counter for a stacked line. Doh!

[TIgreen01]

To make the spread work you need a quarterback that can throw the ball and make decisions quickly.  We just haven't had that around here.  I harken back to our last bowl game against Southern Miss where they put 8 on the line against us the entire game.  Many of our passing plays were too slow to develop.  We have been a methodical, grind it out running team for many years.  It is hard to become a quick strike open/spread team overnight.

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I tend to agree with this....however, last year we definitely opened the passing playbook up. I have to wonder if this was because of our poor play at TE? Maybe this just makes the decision that much quicker for DD and RF to really stop focusing on the 2 TE sets during fall practice so that we can get more work in with 3 wideouts---or heaven forbid, we actually use Keronna Henderson to knock some heads around. Do you guys remember what we were running at the end of last season?...as in how much of the 2 TE offense did we run and how successful were we with it vs. using just 1 TE and adding either a FB or WR?

[H-towngreen]

My biggest concern is who is going to step up at tackle.

[TIgreen01]

That is a failure of coaching to make during-game adjustments and take advantage of what a defense is giving you.  You know teams will defense us for run first, it's obvious (to some anyway) that you need a counter for a stacked line.  Doh! 

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I don't know how much blame DD should take for that game. I remember being at the game and thinking that we weren't making adjustments (or meaningful ones, anyways), but we did try screens and quick slants. I think alot of that game just came down to SMiss' massive Dline and their superstar LBs. We were overmatched in that game and I'm not really sure we could have done anything to counter, in game.

[MeanGreen61]

My biggest concern is who is going to step up at tackle.

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The new media guide has Jeremy Brown at LT with Robert Peachey as #2. Looks like the spotlight will be on them.

[VideoEagle]

I don't know how much blame DD should take for that game.  I remember being at the game and thinking that we weren't making adjustments (or meaningful ones, anyways), but we did try screens and quick slants.  I think alot of that game just came down to SMiss' massive Dline and their superstar LBs.  We were overmatched in that game and I'm not really sure we could have done anything to counter, in game.

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We tried several quick slants and screens and they didn’t work. We didn’t have the personnel then to run those plays under pressure.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I don't know how much blame DD should take for that game.  I remember being at the game and thinking that we weren't making adjustments (or meaningful ones, anyways), but we did try screens and quick slants.  I think alot of that game just came down to SMiss' massive Dline and their superstar LBs.  We were overmatched in that game and I'm not really sure we could have done anything to counter, in game.

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--I disagree--- a lot of blame goes to the coaching staff. A team does not have to be a pass-happy team BUT they need to have the CAPABILITY to change and pass when necessary. I have seen a jillion Brownwood, Permian, and Midland Lee games (17 state championships combined) and the best of those teams looked very different at times. Some weeks they passed little and some times they passed a lot. Teams that are one dimensional rarely make it though the playoffs because there are teams that can stop one or the other but rarely both. A good team exploits what the other team is weak at or what what their defensive system isn't covering well. Southern Miss had the line stacked so the running game had little chance.. Screens are plays that won't work either unless there is a deep game to pull the defense away from the line of scrimmage. They are completed close to the line of scrimmage and then the yards are gained by running. Screens are about the same as a running game with a really short pass involved. When several WRs go somewhat deep the defense has to cover them or get burned which backs DB and LB off the line of scrimmage. You always rather see a 7-7 or 8-8 game near the line of scimmage when running than have 11-11 because more space exists.

---This is the thing I loved about Fry, the team looked different every week which drove the other team's defense crazy trying to prepare for them. I doubt he really knew exactly what plays he was going to run... just run the style the other team is not defending well. The key item is the line which must give the QB and RB some time to do something....that was not happening at UT a couple of years ago. They were being eaten alive before anything had a chance to succeed.

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Edited August 4, 2006 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[NT80]

---This is the thing I loved about Fry, the team looked different every week which drove the other team's defense crazy trying to prepare for them.  I doubt he really knew exactly what plays he was going to run... just run the style the other team is not defending well.  The key item is the line which must give the QB and RB some time to do something....that was not happening at UT a couple of years ago.  They were being eaten alive before anything had a chance to succeed.

.

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Yes, if you can't beat a team because they have better athletes then you have to out-guess their strategy, or change yours. Fry's team had many different looks. DD has had to slowly admit we're not a run-only team and open it up some. His staff used to make good halftime adjustments until that USM game and last season. USM was very athletic but we gave them some by not using the shotgun enough for the QB and trying too many gut runs. You saw the result.

[UNTLifer]

....however, last year we definitely opened the passing playbook up.

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If last year is any indication of opening up the playbook, then we need to either close it or go to the library and check out another copy.