Progress of Mean Green Football since 2000

mad dog · September 25, 2006

Just wanted to see what everyone thinks.

Green Crazy · September 25, 2006

The program as a whole has definitly made progress every year, although that progress has slowed the last couple of seasons.

pollock · September 25, 2006

Things are bad right now, but I don't see how you can say there's been no progress. That's just anger talking.

Should we be winning at least SOME games against the Tulsas and Akrons? Hell yes. Lately we can't even hang with them. It's a real problem, and we haven't seen anything from DD and company to make us think they have the answer.

Regardless of what we or anybody thinks of the Sun Belt, we have some recent success, a new athletic center, and a killer tailgating scene to point to.

In 2000 we had jack squat.

CaribbeanGreen · September 25, 2006

Okay, who is drunk at 11:30am and voted for heavy regression?? I mean, seriously.

Got5onIt · September 25, 2006

Okay, who is drunk at 11:30am and voted for heavy regression?? I mean, seriously.
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8Ball himself -> DD

chrisfisher · September 25, 2006

I'll have to abstain from a vote since I haven't been around long enough to truly evaluate the program. What I think and HOPE will happen: we are undoubtedly in a rebuilding period. I can only hope that once the rebuild is complete, it will take us further than the 2000-2004 years did. To define this hope more clearly: we win the SBC championship, we WIN the NO bowl, AND become competitive in all OOC games (we don't have to win EVERY game, but at least play well). I don't believe these are unreasonable expectations either since anything short of these means that we are regressing. I wouldn't mind a move to CUSA either, but I can live without that.

LongJim · September 25, 2006

Night and day.

GangGreen · September 25, 2006

In 2000, would we even be upset about losing to Tulsa and Akron?

Probably not, because no one watched and no one cared.

LongJim · September 25, 2006

Here's how it was in 1997:

LongJim walks through half-full parking lot with no tailgating, to the main ticket office and walks up to buy a ticket right before kickoff.

Ticket salesman with chin on hand: "Just go on in."

Edited September 25, 2006 by LongJim

meanrob · September 25, 2006

I'll have to abstain from a vote since I haven't been around long enough to truly evaluate the program. What I think and HOPE will happen: we are undoubtedly in a rebuilding period. I can only hope that once the rebuild is complete, it will take us further than the 2000-2004 years did. To define this hope more clearly: we win the SBC championship, we WIN the NO bowl, AND become competitive in all OOC games (we don't have to win EVERY game, but at least play well). I don't believe these are unreasonable expectations either since anything short of these means that we are regressing. I wouldn't mind a move to CUSA either, but I can live without that.
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For that to happen you have to believe that

1) The players to make that happen are on the team right now

2) This coaching staff we have now can recruit to make that happen

You think we will be better than the 2003 or 2004 team? You realise how good those defenses were? Sorry but this team isn't even close. The stars aligned for us to get some of those players and I just don't see that happening again. Add to that the FACT that we have never been even an average offensive team and i don't see how we get back to that level, much less rise above it.

Jones, Buckles, Hurd, Casey, Pruitt, Kennedy, Awasome, Daniels, McGee, Spencer and more that i'm forgetting.........

Sorry you missed 2003, because that's the best it's going to be for a while. And honestly it should've been better. A lot better.

Edited September 25, 2006 by meanrob

Talon90 · September 25, 2006

If you are asking about the football team, coaching, and players in terms of production (being competitive and winnning more games) - moderate regression.

If you are asking about game day experience, student and alumni attendance and facilities.....We are LIGHT YEARS ahead since 2000!

I think you need to differentiate the two.

chrisfisher · September 25, 2006

For that to happen you have to believe that
1) The players to make that happen are on the team right now
2) This coaching staff we have now can recruit to make that happen
You think we will be better than the 2003 or 2004 team? You realise how good those defenses were? Sorry but this team isn't even close. The stars aligned for us to get some of those players and I just don't see that happening again. Add to that the FACT that we have never been even an average offensive team and i don't see how we get back to that level, much less rise above it.
Jones, Buckles, Hurd, Casey, Pruitt, Kennedy, Awasome, Daniels, McGee, Spencer and more that i'm forgetting.........
Sorry you missed 2003, because that's the best it's going to be for a while. And honestly it should've been better. A lot better.
←

Notice I said "when the rebuild is complete." I didn't mean to insinuate that it was this year. In regards to defense, don't we have a totally new look since 2003? A smaller, faster 3-4. Is it a little early to judge this defense? I don't know what to think about the current offense, time will tell. But if Woody turns out to be as good as everyone thinks, we may just be surprised....the stars may have to align again for us to surpass our previous glory days - maybe we should hire a Mean Green astrologist.

Green Jackal · September 25, 2006

We are light years ahead as a team compared to the days in the Big West. We never even had a real shot at winning our conference back then. We would lose games 55 - 0 against teams in our own conference. Attendance was terrible at games. Progress has slowed since 2003 and 2005 was more like 2000 than any of the other years. Expectations are just so much higher now. But some people are just to unrealistic and emotional to deal with a team that doesn't meet their own expectations.

Got5onIt · September 25, 2006

Add to that the FACT that we have never been even an average offensive team and i don't see how we get back to that level, much less rise above it.
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And this is the reason for the dissension regarding DD.

North Texas has never been anything other than a mediocre offensive team during 8Ball's tenure. With 4 Bowl games, 4 conference championships, & 1 New Orleans Bowl victory, you would think better offensive recruits would come here.

Here's the catch, I THINK BETTER OFFENSIVE RECRUITS ARE HERE PRESENTLY.

Are they good enough to beat the middle of pack mid major's? I certainly think the group is talented enough.

Edited September 25, 2006 by Got5onIt

bigrobdsp · September 25, 2006

our progress has been amazing. thats not to say that it couldnt have been better, but I am satisfied with what has happened in that time. We, as a program, are now ready to take the next step. weather DD and friends can help us with that step is up in the air, but no one should be able to argue the progress since 2000 has been excellent.

UNTFan23 · September 25, 2006

I wasn't following the team in 2000, so I'm not voting. In terms of how we've played since 2001, I'd say we've regressed some since 2003. Why we haven't been able to maintain growth considering we had gone to (at the time) 3 bowl games and had steadily increased attendence and most everything else?

If we continue on the path we seem to be heading towards like in 2005, we might see a flat year in attendence growth because people don't want to see us lose like we've been losing. People can only suck on a sour egg for so long.

In terms of the season, to me, these next two games will determine the tempo for the rest of the season. Do we bounce back from two very hard to swallow road losses or do we continue to misfire and never recover?

If we win both, we more are likely (but not a given) to post a winning record. If we split, we might come out with a .500 season, but it won't be easy by any means. If we lose both ... well ... I don't think it will be very pretty and you'll see attendence drop much like it did last year as the home games move further into the season.

Needless to say and regardless of the SMU win, we must, I repeat, MUST post at the very least a winning (6-6) record if we want to try and get this train back on the tracks. If we don't we risk undoing several years of progress and it will be increasingly difficult to recover what ground is lost by the setback of 2 years of bad football.

meangreanmick · September 25, 2006

Are we voting on the program or the football team? Program much further ahead. Football teams are up and down and right now, we aren't exactly up as compared to say 2003.

Monkeypox · September 25, 2006

we're slightly better, but not much. it's pretty much the same-ol, same-ol on field. we manage to put together a defense okay, offense can't move the ball even moderately against mid-majors, D gets tired, score gets out of hand, stupid penalties, major breakdowns. the team underachieves. roll in the excuse train.

oh, we used to run a more option-oriented offense. we were so happy to abandon it, it took us a while to realize the new one was even less creative.

GreenFlag · September 26, 2006

The program is much improved and the credit goes to RV. I rate the management as excellent.

The team is the same as when DD arrived. I give DD this-he's VERY consistent. The team has an opportunity to be progessing from an administrative/facilities standpoint but I think the current staff holds us back.

There is a big difference between program and team.