DRC NT looks to Rose for right calls, long article

[OldTimer]

Football: UNT looks to Rose for right calls

Mean Green center key to success for offense

05:37 PM CDT on Friday, September 29, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

There couldn’t have been a much tougher way for Chad Rose to be introduced to the world of college football a little more than a year ago.

The former Round Rock Westwood standout made his first start at center on the road against Middle Tennessee, which happened to feature Jeff Littlejohn, an inappropriately named 318-pound senior defensive tackle.

To say Littlejohn had a slight edge in experience over Rose in his first start as a redshirt freshman might be a bit of an understatement.

“I was really nervous for that first game,” Rose said. “I didn’t know what to expect. Now I have 15 starts and am not happy to just be playing anymore.”

UNT is hoping the experience Rose has gained since its opener last season will pay off tonight when the Mean Green face MTSU again at 6 p.m. at Fouts Field. UNT has won all five games in its series with the Blue Raiders but expect to see a different MTSU team this season under Rick Stockstill.

Stockstill took over at MTSU after last season following a 15-year stint as an assistant coach at South Carolina and other SEC schools.

“We have never coached against each other, but I have seen where he has coached and he has always been very innovative,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said of Stockstill. “They have changed their [defensive] scheme and are doing a lot of stunting and twisting that creates problems for your offensive line. They have done a nice job and have not had a lot of points scored against them.”

The Blue Raiders’ new scheme will put pressure on Rose to make the right calls at the line of scrimmage to help the Mean Green get their running game going.

No one was better at that task than Andy Brewster, who tutored Rose in his final season with the Mean Green in 2004 and resumed the task this year in his first season as a graduate assistant.

“Chad is a very smart kid and has picked up the mental aspect of the game,” said Brewster, a former All-Sun Belt center. “I haven’t seen him bust an assignment this year. What he is learning is to become a more physical player and the tempo of the game. He has made big strides just this season.”

Rose’s playing weight has remained at 274 pounds throughout his career, but he has become stronger by spending extra time in the weight room.

The rest of UNT’s offensive linemen can see the difference that work has made.

“Chad has come a long way since last season,” UNT all-conference guard Dylan Lineberry said. “He knew the offense, but he didn’t really know what it takes to play at a high level. He has learned that in the last year and a half and grown a lot.”

Rose knew just how much progress he needed to make after facing Littlejohn as a redshirt freshman.

Littlejohn tormented the Mean Green while racking up six tackles, including two for losses, a sack and a blocked field goal.

“Doing the little things is where I have improved the most, but I still have a long way to go,” Rose said. “I want to take that next step and become a better player.”

UNT will need Rose to make that step against an MTSU defense that has been dominant at times this season. The Blue Raiders held FIU to a touchdown in a 7-6 win to open the season and shut out Tennessee Tech 44-0 two weeks ago.

MTSU is allowing only 108 rushing yards per game, a total the Mean Green will likely have to exceed to win their sixth-straight game against the Blue Raiders.

UNT has struggled to run the ball at times, but seemed to get on track last week when junior Jamario Thomas rushed for 120 yards in his biggest game since his freshman season.

The Mean Green will look to Rose to open a few more holes for Thomas and help UNT end an extended slide in Sun Belt play. UNT went 2-5 in league play last season and lost four straight league games to end the 2005 season.

Ending that streak could be tough against an MTSU team that is looking for its first win over the Mean Green.

“It’s my fourth year in the program and having not beaten North Texas, it gives you added incentive,” MTSU tight end Clint Corder said. “Not only is it a big conference game but it’s a rival game; however, we are not putting any more emphasis on it than we do any other. This is a different team but the fact remains that no one in our locker room has beaten them.”

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

Key player

There is something about playing North Texas that brings out the best in Eugene Gross.

The Middle Tennessee running back has rushed for 1,871 yards in his career -- a large chunk of which has come in a pair of losses to the Mean Green.

Gross rushed for 113 yards on a season-high 20 carries and added a career-high six receptions for 45 yards against UNT at Fouts Field in 2004. The former Statesboro, Ga., standout followed that performance with a 129-yard outing against the Mean Green last year in both teams’ season opener.

If the Mean Green are to extend their five-game winning streak over the Blue Raiders in their Sun Belt Conference opener, they will have to slow down Gross, a player who is a big part of MTSU’s offense again this season.

“We all know Eugene Gross is a fine running back and is having a good year,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “He has had two 100-yard games against us. We know of his ability and he is playing well right now.”

MTSU has adjusted its offense under new head coach Rick Stockstill this season to use more two-back sets and take advantage of Gross’ ability both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. Gross enters today’s game leading the Blue Raiders with 165 rushing yards to go along with 28 receiving yards.

Both totals are deceptive because of a game against Oklahoma last week. Gross had at least 70 yards in two of the Blue Raiders first three games of the season before a Sooners team on a mission after a controversial defeat at Oregon tossed him for a loss of eight yards last week.

MTSU has depended on Gross more this season after relying mainly on its passing attack and quarterback Clint Marks in previous seasons.

Fortunately for the Mean Green, stopping the run has been one of its defense’s strong points early in the season. UNT is allowing 138.5 rushing yards per game, despite playing with a corps of linebackers devastated by injury.

Phillip Graves, a candidate for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation’s top linebacker, has not played for the Mean Green this year because of a knee injury but could return today. Juniors Brandon Monroe and Derek Mendoza have also battled toe and knee injuries, respectively.

UNT has gotten by, thanks to the emergence of Germaine Dawson and Colt Mahan, a pair of career backups who have developed into solid starters.

The Mean Green will need both players to continue their late-season surge and slow down Gross, who always seems to be at his best against the Mean Green.

Key matchups

UNT OL DYLAN LINEBERRY VS. MTSU DL TREVOR JENKINS

Dylan Lineberry is North Texas’ top offensive lineman and the leader of a unit coming off its best performance of the season last week in a loss to Akron.

The Mean Green’s offensive line has struggled early in the year but seemed to get on track against the Zips when running back Jamario Thomas rushed for 120 yards in his best performance since his freshman season. UNT will need Thomas to have another big day if the Mean Green are to knock off the Blue Raiders.

Lineberry could be the key. The senior is a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi Award that goes to the nation’s top lineman each season.

The Mean Green’s linemen look to Lineberry to set the tone. If he can manage that task against the Blue Raiders and Jenkins, UNT could be in for a good night.

Jenkins is the best of MTSU’s two interior linemen in its 4-3 alignment. The 280-pound sophomore posted two tackles for losses against both Oklahoma and Tennessee Tech.

UNT will run right at Jenkins behind Lineberry with its zone running play between the tackles. MTSU will depend on Jenkins to hold his ground at the point of attack and keep Lineberry and the Mean Green’s other linemen from clearing the way for Thomas to break into the secondary.

UNT DB ANTOINE BUSH VS. MTSU WR BOBBY WILLIAMS

While Middle Tennessee has become a more balanced team offensively this season, the Blue Raiders still rely heavily on the passing game and wide receiver Bobby Williams.

The 6-3 sophomore enters the weekend leading the Blue Raiders with 15 catches for 189 yards. Williams posted a career-high seven catches in a loss to Maryland in the second week of the season.

Bush will be among three freshmen and a sophomore who will rotate at cornerback and be in charge of shutting down Williams. Bush and sophomore Dominique Green are scheduled to start and will split time with Korey Washington and Desmon Chatman.

Bush ranks fifth among UNT players with 15 tackles and might also be the Mean Green’s best cornerback in coverage.

To have a chance to beat MTSU, UNT will need Bush and the rest of its defensive backs to improve on their performance in the first four games of the season when the Mean Green have allowed an average of 201.2 passing yards per game.

UNT had its toughest game since season-opening loss to Texas when Tulsa’s Paul Smith threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns against the Mean Green, who improved slightly last week against Akron and Luke Getsy.

Getsy threw for 173 yards against UNT but did torch the Mean Green for three touchdown passes.

Bush and the rest of UNT’s defensive backs will have to improve for UNT to have a chance.

What’s at stake

Today’s game will be critical in both North Texas’ and Middle Tennessee’s seasons.

The Mean Green come into their Sun Belt Conference opener looking to recover from a tough non-conference slate and a 1-3 start in their second home game of the season. UNT struggled last season and finished last in the Sun Belt standings. A win would put the Mean Green back on track in league play and build confidence. UNT is also aiming to regain its form at home. The Mean Green didn’t win a home game last season but took their home opener over SMU. A win over MTSU would extend the Mean Green’s winning streak over the Blue Raiders to six games and would help rebuild UNT’s home field advantage.

MTSU’s game against UNT will be new coach Rick Stockstill’s second in Sun Belt play, following a season opening win over Florida International. One of the reasons Stockstill is at MTSU is former coach Any McCollum could never beat the Mean Green, failing in five tries before being dismissed in the offseason.

A win over the Mean Green would be a big boost for Stockstill early in his tenure at MTSU.

Mean Green offense vs. Blue Raider defense

UNT comes into its game against MTSU ranked No. 117 nationally in total offense with an average of 196.0 yards per game.

The Mean Green struggled to get their running game going during four non-conference games to open the season but showed signs of breaking out last week when junior Jamario Thomas posted 120 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Akron. Quarterback Woody Wilson has also improved after taking over as the Mean Green’s starter.

Middle Tennessee ranks 36th nationally in total defense with an average of 279.5 yards allowed per game, despite facing nationally ranked Oklahoma last week.

Edge: Middle Tennessee

Mean Green defense vs. Blue Raider defense

UNT’s defense has shown signs of being a solid unit this season but has been inconsistent. The Mean Green held SMU to six points and shut out Akron in the second half last week but gave up 28 points to Tulsa and 33 to the Zips.

The Mean Green could receive a boost with the return of linebacker Phillip Graves, who has been out with a knee injury all season but could return to UNT’s lineup this week.

MTSU has struggled offensively early on. The Blue Raiders scored seven points in a win over Florida International to open the season, posted 10 points against Maryland and were shut out last week by Oklahoma.

Edge: UNT

Coaching

UNT head coach Darrell Dickey enters the Sun Belt Conference season looking to help the Mean Green regain their dominance of the league.

UNT won four straight league titles from 2001-04 but struggled last season when the Mean Green finished last in the league standings at 2-5. Until last season, Dickey always seemed to find a way to have the Mean Green ready when league play rolled around.

Rick Stockstill is in his first season as the head coach at MTSU and is 2-2 on the year. Stockstill spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach in the SEC.

Dickey gets the nod based on experience.

Edge: UNT