DRC Full article..DD ready to scale back game plan

[OldTimer]

UNT Football: Going back to the drawing board

UNT head coach Dickey ready to scale back game plan

11:37 PM CDT on Monday, September 4, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

When North Texas coach Darrell Dickey looked back on Monday, he wondered if having so much in his game plan was one reason the Mean Green’s offense managed so little against Texas.

UNT finished with just eight rushing yards against the Longhorns in a season-opening loss on Saturday. It was the Mean Green’s lowest rushing total since finishing with negative 10 rushing yards in a loss to Texas A&M in 1996.

“We might have gone into it with more than we should have in our game plan,” Dickey said. “We will have to analyze what we are capable of. I would rather have one or two plays that we run well and have less in the game plan than try to do too much.”

UNT is hoping to find the right balance and eliminate what Dickey said was an unusually high number of alignment and assignment mistakes before taking on Dallas-area rival SMU on Saturday at Fouts Field. The first game in the series since 1992 is expected to attract one of the largest crowds in Fouts Field history.

“Getting our running game going is the most important thing for us to do,” tight end Beau Davidson said. “We are going to find a way to run it, even if we have to line up and run it non-stop until we figure it out. The mistakes we made are ones we can correct.”

Dickey said UNT tries to get its opponent out of position, especially when it plays a team loaded with athletes like Texas. Those plans went awry against the Longhorns, who finished with 10 tackles for losses of 67 yards.

UNT running back Jamario Thomas finished with 38 yards rushing on 14 carries, including four that resulted in 19 yards in losses.

“It was tough to find any room run to run,” Thomas said. “We watched film and knew [Texas] had speed, but you don’t know how fast they are until you get out on the field with them.”

Fortunately for UNT, Thomas has a history of bouncing back from tough outings.

Thomas lost a yard on two carries in his debut against Texas as a freshman in 2004 and didn’t have a carry against Florida Atlantic the next week. In week three, Thomas took over for an injured Patrick Cobbs against Colorado, scored on a 57-yard run on his first carry and finished with 247 yards.

Thomas had a similar turnaround later in the year after he rushed for 58 yards and left with an injury in the third quarter of a loss to Baylor.

UNT opened Sun Belt Conference play the next week with a win over Middle Tennessee behind 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Thomas, who went on to win the national rushing title

The Mean Green are hoping their game against SMU will mark the beginning of another Thomas turnaround.

Meager to return to practice today

Sophomore quarterback Daniel Meager has been cleared to return to practice and is expected to work out with the Mean Green today.

Meager missed several days of practice and UNT’s opener against Texas on Saturday with a concussion. The former Richardson Pearce standout started all 11 of UNT’s games last season and threw for 941 yards.

UNT coach Darrell Dickey said that as long as Meager is healthy he will be part of a three-man competition for the starting job in Saturday’s home opener against SMU with Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson. Phillips started for UNT in its loss to Texa, while Wilson came off the bench.

Wilson threw for 65 yards and led the Mean Green on an 80-yard touchdown drive for their only points of the day. Phillips finished with 22 yards passing.

Briefly …

Linebacker Phillip Graves, who injured his knee in preseason practice, is not expected to play against SMU. … Wide receiver Johnny Quinn will see a doctor Wednesday to see what type of protection he will have to wear on his broken left hand against SMU. Quinn caught three passes for 16 yards in UNT’s loss to Texas, despite wearing a cumbersome brace.

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

[Eagle Man]

What a big excuse! When will this willful foolishness stop?

[SilverEagle]

UNT Football: Going back to the drawing board

UNT head coach Dickey ready to scale back game plan

11:37 PM CDT on Monday, September 4, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

When North Texas coach Darrell Dickey looked back on Monday, he wondered if having so much in his game plan was one reason the Mean Green’s offense managed so little against Texas.

UNT finished with just eight rushing yards against the Longhorns in a season-opening loss on Saturday. It was the Mean Green’s lowest rushing total since finishing with negative 10 rushing yards in a loss to Texas A&M in 1996.

“We might have gone into it with more than we should have in our game plan,” Dickey said. “We will have to analyze what we are capable of. I would rather have one or two plays that we run well and have less in the game plan than try to do too much.”

UNT is hoping to find the right balance and eliminate what Dickey said was an unusually high number of alignment and assignment mistakes before taking on Dallas-area rival SMU on Saturday at Fouts Field. The first game in the series since 1992 is expected to attract one of the largest crowds in Fouts Field history.

“Getting our running game going is the most important thing for us to do,” tight end Beau Davidson said. “We are going to find a way to run it, even if we have to line up and run it non-stop until we figure it out. The mistakes we made are ones we can correct.”

Dickey said UNT tries to get its opponent out of position, especially when it plays a team loaded with athletes like Texas. Those plans went awry against the Longhorns, who finished with 10 tackles for losses of 67 yards.

UNT running back Jamario Thomas finished with 38 yards rushing on 14 carries, including four that resulted in 19 yards in losses.

“It was tough to find any room run to run,” Thomas said. “We watched film and knew [Texas] had speed, but you don’t know how fast they are until you get out on the field with them.”

Fortunately for UNT, Thomas has a history of bouncing back from tough outings.

Thomas lost a yard on two carries in his debut against Texas as a freshman in 2004 and didn’t have a carry against Florida Atlantic the next week. In week three, Thomas took over for an injured Patrick Cobbs against Colorado, scored on a 57-yard run on his first carry and finished with 247 yards.

Thomas had a similar turnaround later in the year after he rushed for 58 yards and left with an injury in the third quarter of a loss to Baylor.

UNT opened Sun Belt Conference play the next week with a win over Middle Tennessee behind 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Thomas, who went on to win the national rushing title

The Mean Green are hoping their game against SMU will mark the beginning of another Thomas turnaround.

Meager to return to practice today

Sophomore quarterback Daniel Meager has been cleared to return to practice and is expected to work out with the Mean Green today.

Meager missed several days of practice and UNT’s opener against Texas on Saturday with a concussion. The former Richardson Pearce standout started all 11 of UNT’s games last season and threw for 941 yards.

UNT coach Darrell Dickey said that as long as Meager is healthy he will be part of a three-man competition for the starting job in Saturday’s home opener against SMU with Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson. Phillips started for UNT in its loss to Texa, while Wilson came off the bench.

Wilson threw for 65 yards and led the Mean Green on an 80-yard touchdown drive for their only points of the day. Phillips finished with 22 yards passing.

Briefly …

Linebacker Phillip Graves, who injured his knee in preseason practice, is not expected to play against SMU. … Wide receiver Johnny Quinn will see a doctor Wednesday to see what type of protection he will have to wear on his broken left hand against SMU. Quinn caught three passes for 16 yards in UNT’s loss to Texas, despite wearing a cumbersome brace.

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

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I can't believe what I'm reading. He thinks that running non-stop against 8 and 9 man defensive fronts is going to be the answer to their running game problems?

Let me be the first to comment on this NEUROTIC NOTION..*.

NO AMOUNT OF TECHNIQUE AND/OR REPITITION IS GOING TO OVERCOME 8 OR 9 (OR POSSIBLY MORE) MEN IN THE BOX. IT'S BEEN TRIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND IT DOESN'T WORK

*(from the Wikipedia web-site)

Neurotic tendencies are common and may manifest themselves as depression, acute or chronic anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, phobias, and even personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. It has perhaps been most simply defined as a "poor ability to adapt to one's environment, an inability to change one's life patterns, and the inability to develop a richer, more complex, more satisfying personality."

Edited September 5, 2006 by SilverEagle

[bison]

Sounds just like the past 8 yeas -- or whatever -- up the middle for three downs and kick. What a way to play a game and insure a move back to Division II -- and I'll bet he stays.

I've had it with DD and his lack of ability -- it is not the team -- IT IS THE COACH!

[adman]

I can't believe what I'm reading. He thinks that running non-stop against 8 and 9 man defensive fronts is going to be the answer to their running game problems?

Let me be the first to comment on this NEUROTIC NOTION..*.

NO AMOUNT OF TECHNIQUE AND/OR REPITITION IS GOING TO OVERCOME 8 OR 9 (OR POSSIBLY MORE) MEN IN THE BOX. IT'S BEEN TRIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND IT DOESN'T WORK

*(from the Wikipedia web-site)

Neurotic tendencies are common and may manifest themselves as depression, acute or chronic anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, phobias, and even personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. It has perhaps been most simply defined as a "poor ability to adapt to one's environment, an inability to change one's life patterns, and the inability to develop a richer, more complex, more satisfying personality."

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I took that quote to mean they would run and run and run, ad nauseum, in practice to get it right.

(And was it DD they were quoting or Beau Davidson?)

[chrisfisher]

Simplify the game plan? What a slap in the face of our players. He thinks their stupid or something? He has that little confidence in his players ability to learn? He brought out the "complicated game plan" against UT?? I saw the same or similar damn running plays throughout the UT game. Sounds like DD is trying to blame the players now. I have only been at UNT for 1 year and have been a neutral DD fan, but that may be changing. He doesn't seem to talk like a winning Division 1-A coach - even against UT that was evident. Oh - and the QB competition continues - I'll hold my breath b/c I've already posted numerous times what that would mean against SMU and the rest of our schedule. I am so pissed!

[NCMeanGreen]

This is CRAZY TALK I am reading!?!? So, DD, you actually come up with a gameplan that includes NOT running the ball (against 8-9 man fronts, no less) 95% of the time, throw the ball some with a little success, and just because you lose to the DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS you blame it on not running more, throw in the towel, and go back to the run 95% of the time even though ALL defenses will now throw the ENTIRE defense at your line.

You've got your featured running back saying he could not do anything because he could not find holes, you basically admit that you cannot effectively throw the ball, and make an announcement to the world that you are going to run it 100% of the time!!!

Gee, now what would I do if I were a defense coordinator for all of our remaining opponents!?!? Something like this, "Well, son, I know you are a DB and are used to playing in the defensive backfield, but against NT you will now play 5 yards off the line..."

Don't forget, DD, that if not for the pass play we would NOT have scored that TD against Texas. The running play worked good, as well, I know but I do have a valid point there.

OK, I take it back...I was not worried about the SMU game until now...

[emmitt01]

Simplify the game plan? What a slap in the face of our players.  He thinks their stupid or something? He has that little confidence in his players ability to learn? He brought out the "complicated game plan" against UT?? I saw the same or similar damn running plays throughout the UT game. Sounds like DD is trying to blame the players now.  I have only been at UNT for 1 year and have been a neutral DD fan, but that may be changing.  He doesn't seem to talk like a winning Division 1-A coach - even against UT that was evident. Oh - and the QB competition continues - I'll hold my breath b/c I've already posted numerous times what that would mean against SMU and the rest of our schedule. I am so pissed!

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Jesus H. Christ, this may be the most pathetic attempt at twisting the man's words that I have ever seen. He said he wanted to simplify the gameplan so that the team could become rock solid running their bread and butter plays...not that he wanted to dumb it down for the mentally retarded. His statement was that he would rather the team run a limited amount of plays where everyone is comfortable with their assignments than to run a greater number of plays and not have the rock solid confidence in all of them. Or, let me put this is a way that may be easier to comprehend with a little analogy. I would rather you stick to reading the titles of articles which give you the gist of the story than to wade into the actual text and become so blatantly confused.

[emmitt01]

This is CRAZY TALK I am reading!?!?  So, DD, you actually come up with a gameplan that includes NOT running the ball (against 8-9 man fronts, no less) 95% of the time, throw the ball some with a little success, and just because you lose to the DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS you blame it on not running more, throw in the towel, and go back to the run 95% of the time even though ALL defenses will now throw the ENTIRE defense at your line.

You've got your featured running back saying he could not do anything because he could not find holes, you basically admit that you cannot effectively throw the ball, and make an announcement to the world that you are going to run it 100% of the time!!!

Gee, now what would I do if I were a defense coordinator for all of our remaining opponents!?!?  Something like this, "Well, son, I know you are a DB and are used to playing in the defensive backfield, but against NT you will now play 5 yards off the line..."

Don't forget, DD, that if not for the pass play we would NOT have scored that TD against Texas.  The running play worked good, as well, I know but I do have a valid point there.

OK, I take it back...I was not worried about the SMU game until now...

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Has ANYBODY noticed that it was Beau Davidson that made it a point to emphasize the importance of running the ball and not Dickey? Or, has ANYBODY noticed that Dickey's quotes along with Davidson's might have been patched together to make for a cohesive story and might be just a little out of context when read together? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[chrisfisher]

Jesus H. Christ, this may be the most pathetic attempt at twisting the man's words that I have ever seen.  He said he wanted to simplify the gameplan so that the team could become rock solid running their bread and butter plays...not that he wanted to dumb it down for the mentally retarded.  His statement was that he would rather the team run a limited amount of plays where everyone is comfortable with their assignments than to run a greater number of plays and not have the rock solid confidence in all of them.  Or, let me put this is a way that may be easier to comprehend with a little analogy.  I would rather you stick to reading the titles of articles which give you the gist of the story than to wade into the actual text and become so blatantly confused.

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How is that twisting words? DD is saying I have too many plays that I don't think they learn in time or that they are too complex. What else does it mean? Why do WE have to have a limited playbook? What is special about our team, when other teams can have "complex playbooks"? Believe or not I am actually POSITIVE about our team. But this doesn't sound winner talk to me. Granted it was a news article so you have to approach with caution. However, best I can read from this forums' posts, DD is making alot of statements that alot of people here hoped he wouldn't. Time will tell.

Edited September 5, 2006 by chrisfisher

[pollock]

I don't think it's time to jump off a bridge just yet.

On one hand, I hate to hear any hints of running into the pile all day after we actually TRIED to toss the ball around in Austin.

On the other hand, some of us may be overreacting. It may be that Dickey is just trying to shoulder some blame instead of saying, "Texas has better players than we do." I can't fault him for that.

If we come out on Saturday and run into the pile 3 times and punt for the whole first half, I'm gonna have an aneurism.

[FirefightnRick]

“We might have gone into it with more than we should have in our game plan,” Dickey said.

??????????????????????????????????????????????

Rick

[UNTLifer]

This is ridiculous. Let's take Texas Tech for example. They've broken in a new QB the last three years, their offensive output is the same year after year, and their system is much more complex than DD's run it up the middle and/or play action pass throw long or throw the short out. How much simplier does it have to be?

[calvin]

I am with Emmitt on this one, from reading the article I didnt take away from it that we were way too complicated and that our players were too stupid to run it. I simply think they had a lot more formations and motions and different things they were trying to do than they normally do and our kids were misaligned or missed assignment b/c they were out of position. I think he wants to get better at their plays instead of putting a ton of things on and not being good at any of them.....

As far as complex offenses go, I dont think that Tech's offense is very complex at all......from what I have heard what they do is very simple actually....

[chrisfisher]

I don't think our players are too stupid either. That's why I was complaining that DD wants to simplify things. The funny thing is that many people in this forum saw alot of good things in the UT game, despite our loss. For example, Woody Wilson, our defense, etc. DD saw the opposite: go back to the drawing board, start over, and resume the quarterback competition. Instead of going back to the drawing board, why don't we do more of what we did right, and continue to have the players work harder to memorize/practice the playbook? I know they are a capable, competent group. I wish DD exuded this confidence in them. As I said before, I say these things knowing the article came from a newspaper, but since that is all we have to go on right now, then that's all we can talk about. I'll revise my statement if I hear DD speak otherwise in the upcoming coaches show.

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

No one caught this?

UNT coach Darrell Dickey said that as long as Meager is healthy he will be part of a three-man competition for the starting job in Saturday’s home opener against SMU with Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson.

I don't even know what to say about that.

[Tramp96]

1. 2-man rotations at QB do not work. I shudder to think what kind of trainwreck a 3-man rotation will be.

2. Scale back the Dickey offense? SCALE BACK? I mean, come on, it's already 90% run, 10% PA pass. By the way, I wonder if Dickey noticed how they scored their only TD of the game? It was a pass....to a wide open receiver running across the endzone to the corner...against the defending national champions in their house....a team who many consider has the #1 defense in the land.

Edited September 5, 2006 by Tramp96

[chrisfisher]

No one caught this?

I don't even know what to say about that.

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Check my response from a few responses back. I caught it. I also took some heat from at least one person that didn't like my analysis. Bottom line to me: DD's scaling down.. silliness, loser mentality. More QB competition... pointless. He's worked with Matt and Daniel for 1.5 years. He knows what they can do. And these negative comments come from a DD neutral-to-slightly positive supporter. I thought for sure he'd say something different than was reported in that article.

[NT80]

Bottom line to me: DD's scaling down.. silliness, loser mentality. More QB competition... pointless. He's worked with Matt and Daniel for 1.5 years. He knows what they can do.  And these negative comments come from a DD neutral-to-slightly positive supporter. I thought for sure he'd say something different than was reported in that article.

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Good points. How can you scale down a vanilla offense? And I hate to watch a coach attempt to rotate QBs during series of a game. Obviously WW earned the right to start; so play him until it's +/- 17 points then switch if you want to try Meager.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

First of all, who has to know the most about any football offense? My vote goes to the quarterback since he should know not only his own assignment but that of the other ten as well. Now, who has the least experience under Dickey's system, thus having the most to learn in a complex offensive game plan? Answer: Woody Wilson. Who seemed to have fewer problems with executing the game plan? Again, Woody Wilson. Am I missing something here?

Now, if Dickey wants to say that Texas is too big, fast, talented, or whatever for us can't he just say that? Or maybe, if he wants to shoulder more of the blame, that he didn't have his team prepared. But, the way it came out is that I, in my brilliance, just threw more at them than they can handle. Woody seemed to understand what he needed to do. If you're going to rotate, at least leave the quarterback in who is moving the team and not screwing up. OK, if he cramps give him fluids and put him out there again, at least until he's not moving the team or gets hurt. Quarterbacks get in a rhythm, and if it's a good one, keep it going.

If he's really intent on using a three quarterback rotation, I think that we've given the game to SMU. For god's sake, put Wilson in there and leave him until he's stinking up the place. Personally, I don't think that he will.

I don't expect a high-scoring game. A Dickey-coached team has only scored more than 34 points in an OOC game twice in eight years and one of those was against 1-AA Samford. Reality: We have averaged just over 11 points against 1A non-BCS opponents under Coach Dickey. I don't expect us to be an offensive juggernaut for this game. The high-water mark for 1A non-BCS OOC has been 24 points against Cincinnati in the NO Bowl. I'm hoping for 14-17 this time and hope that our defense can hold them.

[chrisfisher]

But, the way it came out is that I, in my brilliance, just threw more at them than they can handle. 

Now, who has the least experience under Dickey's system, thus having the most to learn in a complex offensive game plan? Answer: Woody Wilson. Who seemed to have fewer problems with executing the game plan? Again, Woody Wilson. Am I missing something here?

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I am glad to see your post. Emmitt01 really laid into me earlier in this post for a similar view. I also found DD remarks to be condescending and full of himself. Players not knowing formations or understanding the game plan is a COACHING problem. I can hardly see how the entire team had problems understanding DD's plays - so much so he has to go "back to drawing boards"... hmmmnnn.... but, as you pointed out Wilson seemed to get it, and he is the new guy. I am certainly no football expert, but I thought we already used the simple offensive scheme (against UT). I hate to see what the new super simple offense plan will look like....