PHILLIPS STARTS FOR UNT!

[Travis]

Football: Phillips to start for UNT against Texas

Meager out with concussion

02:06 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 29, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Matt Phillips will finally get his chance to start at quarterback for North Texas this weekend.

UNT head coach Darrell Dickey announced on Tuesday that the sophomore will start for the Mean Green when they take on defending national champion Texas on Saturday in Austin.

Phillips played in a reserve role behind starter Daniel Meager last season and threw for 448 yards and four touchdowns.

Meager, Phillips and junior college transfer Woody Wilson competed for the starting job in spring practice and throughout fall camp.

Meager has been suffering from the lingering effects of a concussion and missed several practices the last few weeks. Dickey said Tuesday that Meager would not play against Texas.

While Wilson will not start, he will receive extensive playing time.

Dickey said that the competition between all three quarterbacks would continue into the season and Meager would have an opportunity to compete for the job once he returns to full strength.

For more on Phillips, please see Wednesday’s editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle and www.dentonrc.com .

[untgirl04]

Finally! If nothing else, he deserves a start after what he did last year. I still don't like quarterback by committee, so let's hope either Phillips or WW really shine down in Austin.

Go get 'em boys!!!

[H-towngreen]

Dickey said that the competition between all three quarterbacks would continue into the season

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Oh great. I've never seen a quarterback rotation with 2 people work. And were gonna do it with 3!!!

[Green Crazy]

At least we have a starting QB now. Then again, why not just wait until game day and keep UT on their toes?

[green_goblin]

Meager has been suffering from the lingering effects of a concussion and missed several practices the last few weeks. Dickey said Tuesday that Meager would not play against Texas.

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I hope this is not too serious...

[SilverEagle]

I hope this is not too serious...

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To me, any concussion is very serious. Especially if the effects linger for over a week. Because he is so competitive, this young man is going to want to return to action ASAP. I know that his parents are very concerned about him.

[untgirl04]

To me, any concussion is very serious. Especially if the effects linger for over a week.  Because he is so competitive, this young man is going to want to return to action ASAP.  I know that his parents are very concerned about him.

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I would be too. I seem to remember Meager having a concussion or two last year... I know he wants to play, but sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I'm glad to hear DD isn't playing him at all at Texas. Even if the nausea were gone, I'm pretty sure our offensive line can't hold the Texas D all game. One big hit and that could be it for Meager... he's going to need to be careful back there.

[BIG DAWG]

Phillips might be a great kid and all of that, but he is a statue, and statues don't last long behind a weal O-Line, and a Texas defense that is going to be one of, if not the best in the country.

Things are going to get ugly.

[EagleD]

I'm assuming the battle came down b/w Wilson and Phillips. Could WW outrun the Texas D?

Or does it matter? Afterall, we're just going to hand off to JaMo. Or do we REALLY change the gameplan...?

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!

BEAT THE HELL OUT OF TEXAS !!!!!!!!!!!

[BIG DAWG]

I say that we play J-Mo one series...treat it like an NFL pre-season game.

You people are insane if you think we can even stay competitive in this game. Stay healthy for the games that matter.

Sit the ONE horse you have. If he gets hurt I don't what I will be capable of.

[VideoEagle]

I'm assuming the battle came down b/w Wilson and Phillips.  Could WW outrun the Texas D? 

Or does it matter?  Afterall, we're just going to hand off to JaMo.  Or do we REALLY change the gameplan...?

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We have a dB of limited experience who is not the most mobile behind an untested line going against one of the highest rated pass defenses in the country. Or you have a RB who lead the nation a couple of years ago.

You have to mix things up some, but one of those two is going to be much more likely to be successful than the other!

[GreenBat]

Finally got mentioned on The DMN college blog/

[PlummMeanGreen]

Location: Texas

Year: 1836

Situation: Texicans versus the invading army south of the border, ie, the Mexican army

Some Key players: Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, William Barrett Travis, Stephen Fuller Austin, James Fannin, James Bonham, Jim Bowie, David Crockett, General Dickerson, Deaf Smith, the Twin Sisters (2 cannons given to the Texicans by the citizens of Cincinatti, Ohio. for the mission at hand), Santa "the Napoleon of the West" Anna, General Cos and, of course..............................Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of ours, especially at UNT of late.

Key Appointment With Dialogue Few Today Are Aware or Have Read: :

General Sam Houston: "After many sleepless nights and weeks of constant mental agony and anguish on the subject, it is you, Colonel Will Travis, that I choose to lead our boys at the Alamo!

...................................................................

As any close follower of college football would know, this game was decided on the Texas HS recruiting trails from the last 3 to 4 years. The entire 2006 season will be decided under the same criteria--lucky for us we are in the SBC, but anyone else think that even if we win a 2006 SBC championship that this football program needs to show marked improvement by finishing within the Top 50 football schools of NCAA D1-A?

FWIW, I think recent champions of the WAC and even the MAC have more than finished inside the Top 50. Hopefully, our elect will soon cease the acceptance of finishing high in the final SBC football rankings, but still finishing anywhere from #90 thru #117 AND then..............with more than a hardy handful of NCAA D1-AA schools finishing higher than the SBC football champion (whoever that would be in any year).

But for this game...........it doesn't help us at all that UT is the defending NCAA Football National Champions. Yet at UNT during the 2005 football season, we saw the results of our recent years on the recruiting trails with most defining or tell-tell "where is our program now" losses to Tulsa University and Louisiana Tech.

IMHO, we have a few outstanding players on this Mean Green football team (just as we did last Fall), but this group (unfortunately) will not have enough talent surrounding them in Austin this Saturday beginning with the 11:00 AM kick-off. Closer to this kick-off, more of you are now beginning to post your own concerns of our being able to keep this game respectable.

The gap between schools such as most of the ones in the Big 12 versus the rest of us in the non-BCS (which still exists whether one calls it non-BCS or not); anyway, the gap is becoming dramatically larger and, in fact, so large that I wonder if UNT will ever be able to get close (again) to Top 25 football schools as far as being respectable on the gridiron against such in the future; especially as we look at our recent past, the trends of what our leadership seems to be most comfortable and content and toward the top of our recent history, UNT's non-success against BCS schools.

..............................................

We can all hope for a Lake Placid style miracle in this game versus the Texas Longhorns and don't we all like those David versus Goliath endings, but most of the time I think most would agree (even on GMG.com) that football games at the NCAA D1-A level are decided on who has the most and best talent and most of the time all that is decided on the recruiting trails each Winter starting with our Friday Night Heroes at Texas UIL 1A schools all the way up to 5A schools.

Just for fun, wonder how our 1968 Mean Green football team led by Mean Joe Greene and a bunch of future NFL'ers would have fared versus this 2006 UT football team but.................there I go again, bringing up our higher profile past.

Edited August 30, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[Got5onIt]

Finally a starter is named!

Phillips & Wilson will get a chance to step up Saturday.

If there ever was a time to do so, one of you guys, please show us something in Austin.

I have a feeling the QB topic will be a never ending discussion this year.

[GreenBat]

How long will it take for everybody to jump on the WW or DM bandwagon. I say 1/2time of the tU game.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

To me Phillips has always been the best candidate between him and Meager. I havn't seen WW play other than in the spring which was not a fair analysis of him. I hope one of them really takes over the show saturday and shows us whats up.

[stebo]

I am sad that he "backed into" the spot - but I am happy that he is starting. I think that Johnny Quinn will be catching a lot of passes with one arm tied behnid his back (literally)... In my opinion, Phillips is very much like Scott Hall - maybe not the fastest player on the field, maybe not the best QB for every IA program; but a great fit for the Dickey system. I bet that we do well with him behind center - granted the Center can actually hike hi the ball by Saturday without dropping it on the turf.

[NCMeanGreen]

Phillips might be a great kid and all of that, but he is a statue, and statues don't last long behind a weal O-Line, and a Texas defense that is going to be one of, if not the best in the country.

Things are going to get ugly.

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If this is true (and this is something I keep hearing about Phillips), why would the coaches play someome that is not all that mobile? Is this the logical choice.

Texas has made a name for itself with mobile QB's, as of late. Maybe the "non-mobile" QB will throw them for a loop???!??

[Cr1028]

I believe that Phillips has a much better arm than Meager but isn't very mobile. I saw him sack on 2 or 3 (I can't remember) consecutive downs at home last year. To me it seems that Meager only completes passes to the other team but he is pretty mobile. I wish we could put Phillips upper body on Meager's legs and have a Scott Hall superstar. I was kinda hoping that Woody would be a good mix of the too plus having juco experience but I guess we'll see.

[NT80]

While Wilson will not start, he will receive extensive playing time.

Dickey said that the competition between all three quarterbacks would continue into the season

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Not a very positive intro for Phillips when the coach is already lining up your replacements. Why not name a starter, then "if" it goes south put in another guy later, without announcing it before hand to the world? That way it would surprise the defense in the change and if there is not a need to make a change you'd look better as a coach. This to me just says he expects the worst from the start.

Edited August 30, 2006 by NT80

[Got5onIt]

How long will it take for everybody to jump on the WW or DM bandwagon. I say 1/2time of the tU game.

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Hey, I'm already on the WW bandwagon and I've yet to see him play!!!

As for the DD quote regarding competition between the 3 QB's....

His comment makes me think that his guy has been and always will be Meager. Phillips and Wilson never had a shot. As soon as Meager is capable of playing, he will be the starter. Book it.

Edited August 30, 2006 by Got5onIt

[UNT_92_Fan]

First off....people that know me on here KNOW I support this team and program in all the different sports,

BUT....

This is a BADDDDD call....Phillips is going to get his ass beat on saturday....If the kid shows glimpses of last season or better in preseason WHY the hell let his first major action be against a team that will just eat his lunch....if he remembers his name after this game I applaud the guy....and he is so immobile that its just gonna be like hitting a tackling dummy once theyt come thru the line....

[Harry]

If I'm Phillips - I look at this as a MAJOR opportunity to take the reigns and keep them. Talk about a Cinderella story, this kid didn't have any I-A offers on signing day.

We know he has an arm and is tough as a boot. I wish him the best.

UT is very very good but they are human beings. We have some good athletes, and who knows maybe for once lady luck may be on our side. If we limit mistakes and play within our system it could be fun.

I see this as a pure opportunity game. Noone, even our own diehard fans expect us to do very well. A gritty performance could do wonders for the perception of our our athletic program and ultimately the school.

[FirefightnRick]

I believe that Phillips has a much better arm than Meager but isn't very mobile.

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It tickles me to see so many folks here who think we are going to throw the ball enough to amount to anything? By going with past experiences at DKR he won't be asked to do too much other than hand off, play within his abilities, minimize mistakes and manage the game into the 4th and get out of there without any major injuries.

Rick

[UNT_playmaker]

Good Luck to Phillips, I really enjoy watching him play and throw the ball. I hope we have only one QB this year and I hope that he develops into what we need on offense....

Go get TEXAS