DRC QB battle highlights 1st scrimmage

OldTimer · August 16, 2006

QB battle highlights first scrimmage

Injured Wilson could fall behind Meager, Phillips

11:26 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 15, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The three-way battle for the starting quarterback job at North Texas will reach a key point today in the Mean Green’s first scrimmage of fall practice, and one of the contenders might not be able to take part.

Woody Wilson, a transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, sat out Tuesday morning’s practice with a minor knee injury and might not be ready in time for the 8 a.m. workout at Fouts Field.

The scrimmage will come on the 10th day of fall practices and represents an important point in the quarterback race that includes returning starter Daniel Meager and Matt Phillips, a pair of sophomores, in addition to Wilson.

“I want to see who moves the sticks when they are in there,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “I am not worried about how it’s done. It’s just who is in the huddle with the ball moving the most efficiently.”

Meager and Phillips will both work with first team offense. If Wilson is healthy, he will also play with the first team. Freshmen Nathan Tune and Zack McLaurin will play with the Mean Green’s second and third teams.

UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said that all three of the Mean Green’s top quarterbacks have been playing well and that none has pulled away at this point in practice.

“They have all done a lot of good things,” Flanigan said. “That’s good. I want to have three starting quarterbacks, where we could pick one for a week, for the season or for a half who could lead our team.”

Wilson might miss out on a chance to get an early jump on the competition for the starting job after injuring his knee in practice.

“My knee is a little sore and a little strained,” Wilson, who was wearing a small knee brace on Tuesday, said. “I am not sure if I will be able to play. It’s important to get out there and I hate missing practice, but I don’t want to rush it because we have Sept. 2 [uNT’s season opener at Texas] coming up and I want to be 100 percent whenever I go in.”

Even if Wilson misses the scrimmage, he thinks he will be able to learn from it.

“The way missing practice set me back was in conditioning,” Wilson said. “I am still watching film, watching Matt and Daniel and learning from their mistakes.”

The Mean Green’s coaches want to be particularly careful with Wilson’s knee because using his speed and quickness is an integral part of his repertoire as a quarterback.

No matter who starts against Texas, the Mean Green will be ahead of where they were last season in terms of experience at quarterback to open the season. Meager started each game of his redshirt freshman season while Phillips came off of the bench as a freshman.

Wilson also gained experience at Coffeyville.

UNT didn’t have a quarterback who had played in a college game on its roster to open the 2005 season.

“I feel more comfortable and understand the offense more,” Phillips said. “I have a lot more confidence.”

UNT is hoping that confidence spreads to the rest of the team in a scrimmage Dickey will use to gauge where his team is after a little more than a week of practice.

“I want to see great effort by every individual the entire time we are out there,” Dickey said. “I also want to see competition.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .

SilverEagle · August 16, 2006

We all seem to be too stunned to respond to this. I've never seen the Mean Green nation this quiet.

untbowler · August 16, 2006

Please tell me RF in his infinite wisdom is not going to be doing a QB by committee. Put the best QB in for the whole game so the players can get some continuity. Please!!!!

Green92 · August 16, 2006

Please tell me RF in his infinite wisdom is not going to be doing a QB by committee. Put the best QB in for the whole game so the players can get some continuity. Please!!!!
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I think it's too early to declare that the case.

pollock · August 16, 2006

“I feel more comfortable and understand the offense more,” Phillips said. “I have a lot more confidence.”
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While no player in competition for a starting job is going to downplay his abilities, this statement is what I like to hear. He seemed pretty damn confident when he took the field last year.

GangGreen · August 16, 2006

QB battle highlights first scrimmage
"...but I don’t want to rush it because we have Sept. 2 [uNT’s season opener at Texas] coming up and I want to be 100 percent whenever I go in.”
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He sounds pretty confident as well. Or he is expecting a rotation.

MeanGreen61 · August 16, 2006

“I want to see who moves the sticks when they are in there,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “I am not worried about how it’s done. It’s just who is in the huddle with the ball moving the most efficiently.”
“I want to see great effort by every individual the entire time we are out there,” Dickey said. “I also want to see competition.”
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Now them's fightin' words

untbowler · August 16, 2006

Now them's fightin' words
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Now why did DD not use that philosophy last year when Meager could not move the ball at all, yet Phillips came in and scored TD's only to be thrown back to the bench for his comebacks. Just like playing OOC to win, I'll believe it when I see it from DD and Comp.

MeanGreen61 · August 16, 2006

Now why did DD not use that philosophy last year when Meager could not move the ball at all, yet Phillips came in and scored TD's only to be thrown back to the bench for his comebacks. Just like playing OOC to win, I'll believe it when I see it from DD and Comp.
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Maybe DD's recovery from medical problems & better health = a positive, revitalized outlook