UNT QB battle in stretch run

[NT80]

UNT QB battle now in stretch run

Wilson, Meager, Phillips all in contention

11:34 PM CDT on Friday, August 25, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The battle for the right to start against Texas on Sept. 2 will enter its stretch run today with the same three North Texas quarterbacks still in the hunt.

Woody Wilson and Matt Phillips will both play when the Mean Green conduct their final scrimmage of fall practice at approximately 9:30 a.m. Returning starter Daniel Meager could also play depending on his health.

Meager has been battling nausea and headaches.

“If they are all healthy and well, we are going to put all three of them out there and continue the evaluation process,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “It’s a big opportunity for all of them, but so was this morning’s practice and every practice we have.”

Dickey said the Mean Green would begin preparing their top players for the chance to start against the Longhorns next week.

UNT’s coaches have yet to decide on when they will name a starting quarterback for their season opener.

Wilson missed the Mean Green’s first scrimmage of fall practice with a knee injury, but returned for the second last week. Dickey said after the scrimmage that Wilson helped his cause with a solid performance.

“I wasn’t 100 percent healthy last week, but it was good to be out there with the team,” Wilson said. “I felt like I did all right out there. I am 100 percent now. My knee feels pretty good.”

The opportunity to scrimmage just days before the Mean Green’s game against Texas will offer Wilson and UNT’s other quarterbacks perhaps their best chance to make a case to play against the Longhorns.

The workout will also give the Mean Green a chance to work out a few kinks both offensively and defensively.

“It’s important for us to play well,” Wilson said. “It’s more of a mental thing to go out there, correct mistakes and try to be as perfect as we can. We can build a little confidence and go out with a bang with that last scrimmage and get ready for next Saturday.”

UNT is hoping that Meager will be able to take advantage of the opportunity after missing several days of practice.

“We need Daniel back out there,” Dickey said. “Any practice you miss is important, but we also take into consideration what they have done over the long haul. We will have to see how healthy he is as we go along.”

UNT’s quarterback competition will be just one of a few tight position battles that will continue in the scrimmage.

The Mean Green are also sorting out their situations at cornerback and tight end.

UNT will have two new starters at cornerback this season. Sophomore Dominique Green, redshirt freshmen Antoine Bush and Desmon Chatman and junior college transfer Roy Loren are all competing for starting jobs.

“Every corner who is out there will be ready to step out there and play against Texas,” Green said. “We are solid and well-coached. Coach [Fred] Bleil has us ready to go.”

UNT also has questions at tight end, where freshmen Bryant Seidle and Victor Gill are competing for playing time with returning starter Beau Davidson.

Bomar released by OU, UNT has no contact

Oklahoma spokesman Kenny Mossman said Friday that the school has granted a release to former quarterback Rhett Bomar.

Bomar was dismissed from the team earlier this month for accepting improper benefits from a car dealership. Rhett Bomar’s father Jerry Bomar contacted UNT assistant head coach Kenny Evans to talk about his son’s future and the possibility of playing at UNT after his dismissal from OU.

OU can restrict where Rhett Bomar may transfer after releasing him. UNT is scheduled to open the season against the Sooners in 2007. Mossman declined to comment on where OU would allow Rhett Bomar to transfer.

Evans said he has not talked to Jerry Bomar since their initial conversation. Dickey also said he has not had any contact with the Bomars.

Key players to miss scrimmage

Wide receiver Johnny Quinn, linebacker Phillip Graves and tight end Robert Harmon will miss today’s scrimmage with injuries.

UNT still expects Quinn, who had surgery on his left hand after breaking it in practice last week, to be back to practice next week. Graves injured his knee and will miss the Mean Green’s season opener.

Quinn ran during the Mean Green’s afternoon workout on Monday for the first time since suffering his injury.

Replay to undergo dry run today

Sun Belt Conference officials will be at Fouts Field today to test the conference’s new replay system.

The league will use five cameras at each conference venue. The NCAA approved the use of instant replay earlier this year.

Dickey said UNT’s coaches would get a taste of how the replay process will work during the scrimmage.

UNT’s players will also meet with a group of college officials this morning for a question-and-answer session regarding rules changes for the upcoming season. Dickey said the session will allow players to get a better grasp on how games will be called this season.

[Bryan316]

Instead of the players getting a grasp on how the officials will call games, how about the officials get a grasp on how games should be called.

[untbowler]

Meager suffering from Nausea and Headaches?? Did he have a concussion? Also with this can we afford to RS Tune if Meager is a ???

[GMoney]

Also with this can we afford to RS Tune if Meager is a ???

I hope that Wilson and/or Phillips will be good enough to RS Tune. If Tune is as promising as we've heard, I would love to give him a year of learning and let him battle for the QB spot next year with a opportunity for a three or four year starter at QB (i.e. Mitch Maher, Jason Mills, Scott Davis, Scott Hall).

[tommyp]

Anyone but Meager. The ppor kid could not throw the ball 30 yards last year! It was embarrassing. I do not think one year experience will make that big of a change. I vote for the mobile kid!!! At least he poses a threat to the other defense to run. What is ya'lls take?

[BIG DAWG]

Meager's shoulder was injured last year, and this year his arm is fine. It is head we need ro now worry about, concussion

[stebo]

Meager has been battling nausea and headaches

It is ALWAYS something with DM, since High School this guy has been injury/sick prone. I know there are a lot of Meager fans on here but come on guys, you have to admit - he is always either hurt or sick. If Scott Hall, Andrew Smith, Mitch Maher, or Scott Davis had been suffering from "headaches and nausea" - the coach wouldn't know about it, the press definitely wouldn't know about it, and our OPPONENT wouldn't know about it a week before kickoff - those LEADERS would be out there fighting through their illnesses with their team. Suck it up Danny boy, you either got it or you don't. Johnny Quinn had major freaking surgery on his hand and is begging to play in the opener against UT (a no win situation)... you are in a 3 way battle for th QB spot that was YOURS to lose; and you are sitting out of practice because you have an upset stomach and a headache. Take some Pepto, pop a pain pill, and get out there - we have to be ready for the HORNS and more importantly - SMU. We need you to have the game day experience and we can't get that if you are crying about yet another ailment this year.

BTW - I read that these are "possibly" symptoms of yet ANOTHER mild concussion that DM got in practice last week. What is that, like 5 mild concussions for him now in the last 12 months? Some bodies were just not built for IA football.

[GreenBat]

Stebo,

Take it easy on DM. He's a tough kid. It's hard to see when the whole world is spinning (remember those nights from the NOB) and this was not alcohol induced. It was from a hit.

Danny will be fine and will be the starter at tU.

[stebo]

Stebo,

Take it easy on DM. He's a tough kid. It's hard to see when the whole world is spinning (remember those nights from the NOB) and this was not alcohol induced. It was from a hit.

Danny will be fine and will be the starter at tU.

←

I know, I know - it is just frustrating. I miss our field generals of the past. Suffering from "good old day" syndrome this morning. tU is looking like a slaughter to me now. If the world is spinning from him getting hit by our defense, he probably isn't built for IA football. A hit from the UT D will be twice as hard and possibly harm the guy for life. Some people just don't have the body strength to handle the game at this level. I would be one of those - I think that DM has shown that he is possibly one of those as well. This is not the first, second, or even third time with this guy - it is alwasy something with him. Do you not see that?

[untbowler]

Stebo,

Take it easy on DM. He's a tough kid. It's hard to see when the whole world is spinning (remember those nights from the NOB) and this was not alcohol induced. It was from a hit.

Danny will be fine and will be the starter at tU.

←

You mean he was not seeing stars in the 11 games he started last year? He was deer in the headlights all last year and it looks like nothing has changed, including DD annointing him starting QB come hell or high water.

[Got5onIt]

including DD annointing him starting QB come hell or high water.

←

My biggest problem with all of this.

Other than DD saying he's had a great camp, has anyone witnessed this? He seems to always be out.

[the green rokemi]

Danny will be fine and will be the starter at tU.

←

You have to be joking, MayDay has not been playing and he should start? That's not fair to the other QBs that have been playing and look just as good. They should see if they can medical redshirt Meager and give him a year to get compeletely healthy and then he will be ready to start...

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Considering the present QB situation you would think that there would some really good potential QB recruits out there that would perceive this to be an opportunity to get three years of playing in. Not likely to get one that would be worthwhile a Freshman (next year) though. After all how many division I programs are there plus programs that is likely to provide 2 or more years of playing time.

---Granted last year was not very good but the previous three were and we are exposed to many top programs such as Texas etc. which would really get people's attention if he did reasonably well.

---Which is better for the recruit a program with multiple years of starting time or a program that is QB rich and may not ever provide an opportunity to play much if at all.

______________________

--This is not good, one Week from now we meet Texas and we don't seem to have a clue who the starting QB is.....ability-wise or health-wise.

Edited August 27, 2006 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[good_ken]

-This is not good, one Week from now we meet Texas and we don't seem to have a clue who the starting QB is.....ability-wise or health-wise.

No, its one week from Texas, and we the fans don't know who the quarterback will be. That doesn't mean that DD or the staff haven't made a decision yet.

[FirefightnRick]

I have to revert back to 2000 on this QB situation. The Buick knew back then who our next choice was to lead this team and I'm confident that he knows now too.

None of this matters if we don't have improved O line play and if our defense cannot get a stop at critical situations. These two factors concern me more than who plays QB.

Rick

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I have to revert back to 2000 on this QB situation.  The Buick knew back then who our next choice was to lead this team and I'm confident that he knows now too. 

None of this matters if we don't have improved O line play and if our defense cannot get a stop at critical situations.  These two factors concern me more than who plays QB.

Rick

←

You probably are correct... they likely know.... but there still some concern.. whoever it is, is not so obvious to everyone else who is best choice.

[GreenBlooded1]

The mobile choice may or may not be a good idea. Scrambling to by time to make a pass downfield is a good trait if used in moderation, when needed. However, when scrambling occurs due to poor reads of the defense or instead of read progression then it is not good. Understandibly, our O line needs time to develop and gel into a cohesive unit.... Give Rose credit for doing as well as he did as a freshman. We can be confident that this year it WILL be better.

DM might be injured/sick or whatever but when you have no protection it is REALLY hard to have a successful team if your QB is always on his backside!

Meager has strengths that the others don't and visa versa. If he struggles due to his own shortcomings, hopefully DD will pull him. If he struggles and the fault is with the O Line or coverages he will probably be left in.

If (and I am sure we all hope) Jamario has a good year and the running game (DD's bread and butter) is working... this will open up the passing game and hopefully whoever is in there at QB can take advantage. Personally, if the running game is working, I would like to see more play action passing, rather than turning to the huge downfield plays. The bombs are fun... but when they don't work - well I don't like 3rd and long... That's we have problems.

Let me know what you guys think.

[NT80]

Well, the first QB to see action at today's scrimmage was Phillips. Whether it was by coin flip or coach's choice we don't know. I overheard DD answering a question from Vito after the scrimmage something about Meager still being in the mix and he said he was. We won't know until next Saturday I guess unless DD announces something this week. But I see no clear starter out of the bunch yet. It may have to be proved in live game action. I look for multiple QBs at least the first couple games; whomever moves the team and scores as they say.

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

Maybe DD should play them all three at the same time. Sort of a triumvirate of power.

[Got5onIt]

The mobile choice may or may not be a good idea. Scrambling to by time to make a pass downfield is a good trait if used in moderation, when needed. However, when scrambling occurs due to poor reads of the defense or instead of read progression then it is not good. Understandibly, our O line needs time to develop and gel into a cohesive unit.... Give Rose credit for doing as well as he did as a freshman. We can be confident that this year it WILL be better.

DM might be injured/sick or whatever but when you have no protection it is REALLY hard to have a successful team if your QB is always on his backside!

Meager has strengths that the others don't and visa versa. If he struggles due to his own shortcomings, hopefully DD will pull him. If he struggles and the fault is with the O Line or coverages he will probably be left in.

If (and I am sure we all hope) Jamario has a good year and the running game (DD's bread and butter) is working... this will open up the passing game and hopefully whoever is in there at QB can take advantage. Personally, if the running game is working, I would like to see more play action passing, rather than turning to the huge downfield plays. The bombs are fun... but when they don't work - well I don't like 3rd and long... That's we have problems.

Let me know what you guys think.

←

I think the talent level in the Belt has finally evened out across the board. The days of running 10 times in a row before throwing 1 pass are gone. NT will have to mix it up and throw more than playaction passes to win. The power running game is effective, but can only be accomplished with superior talent. Something NT doesn't have anymore. Don't just think it's a Belt thing, recruting across the country is not as concentrated as years past. Traditional power running teams have moved away from that philosophy.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Got5onIt