DRC: Lean Green, NT offense dead last in 1A

OldTimer · October 5, 2006

Football: Lean Green

UNT offense sits dead last ion Division I-A

09:04 AM CDT on Thursday, October 5, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The 2006 season was supposed to be North Texas’ opportunity to leave its offensive struggles of a year ago behind.

DRC/Gary Payne

North Texas quarterback Wood Wilson (8) scrambles as Middle Tennessee defender J. K. Sabb (25) tries to tackle him and Mean Green wide receiver Brandon Jackson looks on during UNT’s 35-0 loss at Fouts Field on Saturday.

Former national rushing champion Jamario Thomas is healthy for the first time since his freshman season two years ago, wide receiver Johnny Quinn is within striking distance of every major UNT career receiving record and the Mean Green have three quarterbacks with college experience.

So far that combination hasn’t paid off for UNT, which enters its homecoming game against Florida International on Saturday ranked last in Division I-A with an average of 177.4 yards of offense per game.

UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan and head coach Darrell Dickey said the Mean Green’s problems are due to a lack of chemistry and repeated mistakes they can correct, not a dearth of talent.

“We are not hitting the panic button yet,” Flanigan said. “Once we start executing, the points will come, the turnovers will decrease and we will win football games, which is our biggest concern.”

UNT (1-4) beat SMU 24-6 in the second week of the season but has struggled since, despite featuring several all-conference-caliber players.

Thomas has recovered from a hamstring injury that hampered him all of last season and has shown flashes of the skills that helped him win the national rushing title in 2004. Quinn has 2,292 career receiving yards and is among eight returning offensive starters.

UNT struggled last season with a pair of quarterbacks who hadn’t taken a snap in a college game in Daniel Meager and Matt Phillips but brought both back this season and added junior college transfer Woody Wilson in the hope that he could spark an offense that averaged 14.3 points per game in 2005.

Wilson led UNT to its win over SMU but has struggled as the starter in three weeks since, as the Mean Green have scored just 16 points.

“We have the players we need to be good offensively, but we need to get on the same page,” tight end Beau Davidson said. “I don’t know what it is that is preventing us from getting to that point.”

Dickey said UNT has made too many mistakes and has not jelled offensively. The Mean Green are averaging just 2.7 yards per carry behind a floundering offensive line and have committed 12 turnovers.

A missed assignment by UNT’s line gave Middle Tennessee linebacker J.K. Sabb a free shot at Wilson’s blind side on a blitz last week, resulting in a fumble and critical turnover on the fourth play of the game.

UNT picked up first downs on two of its first three plays prior to the turnover but never recovered in a 35-0 loss. The turn of events was a microcosm of the season for UNT’s offense, which has struggled to bounce back from mistakes that seem to be popping up at the worst possible times to kill drives.

The Mean Green set a dubious school record when they ran just 42 offensive plays against Tulsa earlier this season and then sunk even lower last week when they ran just 40 plays.

UNT averaged 63.7 plays per game last season, despite struggling offensively throughout the year. The number of plays is especially critical for the Mean Green, who depend on a grinding running game to control the clock and wear a defense down.

UNT’s longest drive against MTSU was six plays and ended with an interception. The Mean Green had the ball against the Blue Raiders for just 19:19 and ran one play in MTSU territory all night.

“After the game, I was concerned that we went out there and made a ton of mistakes,” Dickey said. “We ran 40 plays and had seven missed assignments. That is still a lot, but I thought we might have had two and three every play while watching the game.”

While UNT’s coaches saw several reasons for concern, they also saw a few reasons for hope. Dickey said the Mean Green were one block or a missed throw away from a 10-12 yard gain at least 10 times against the Blue Raiders.

“We are not executing the way we are supposed to,” UNT wide receiver Zach Muzzy said. “We should be there already, but it’s taking us longer than we expected.”

Despite a slow start, UNT’s players and coaches believe they will find their form in the next few weeks.

“It’s simple, we just need to make more plays,” Flanigan said. “There are plays there to be made and as coaches we need to give our players more chances to make plays.”

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

WHERE UNT RANKS

North Texas ranks near the bottom of just about every NCAA statistical category in offense out of 119 Division 1-A teams

Category

Stat

Ranking

Total offense

17704

119

Passing offense

93.8

116

Scoring offense

9.4

115

Third-down con.

28.3%

107

Rushing offense

83.6

105

WHERE UNT’S PROBLEMS ARE

North Texashas several problem areas that have prevented it from getting on track offensively. The following is a look at a few:

Running the ball

The Mean Green are averaging 2.7 yards a carry. UNT averaged 4.6 yards a carry in its last Sun Belt Championship season in 2004.

Turnovers

UNT has six lost six fumbles and thrown six interceptions in just five games.

Slow starts

UNT has been outscored 48-7 in the first quarter this season.

Eagle1855 · October 5, 2006

I think we should have 2-3 QBs on the field at all time. We could easily run a quadruple option attack that would have pretty much everyone on the defense guessing, and would basically be unstoppable. Trust me.

GreenTiger_OriginalAcct · October 5, 2006

“We are not hitting the panic button yet,” Flanigan said. “Once we start executing, the points will come, the turnovers will decrease and we will win football games, which is our biggest concern.”
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We are going to start executing? Who do we start with?

GoMeanGreen1999 · October 5, 2006

I think we should have 2-3 QBs on the field at all time. We could easily run a quadruple option attack that would have pretty much everyone on the defense guessing, and would basically be unstoppable. Trust me.
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Great Idea, and it would allow D "k8mitb" D to keep most of the plays running plays.

pollock · October 5, 2006

We are going to start executing? Who do we start with?
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Eagle1855 · October 5, 2006

Great Idea, and it would allow D "k8mitb" D to keep most of the plays running plays.
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precisely. hell, you could have 2 or 3 pitches, 2 pitches and a pass , or any number of combinations on almost every play! Then, Dickey could throw them a curveball on 3rd and 15 (not that I anticipate ever having a 3rd and long situation in my new-fangled offensive scheme) and run the beloved draw play up the middle for most likely a touchdown. They wouldnt even know what hit em.

UNTLifer · October 5, 2006

“We are not hitting the panic button yet,” Flanigan said. “Once we start executing, the points will come, the turnovers will decrease and we will win football games, which is our biggest concern.”

Gee Ramon, I would guess after Spring ball, Fall practice and five weeks into the season would be enough time to execute. I see other programs on television every week, that have new QB's, etc... that aren't having this problem. Maybe a look in the mirror would provide the answer.

foutsrouts · October 5, 2006

Despite a slow start, UNT’s players and coaches believe they will find their form in the next few weeks.
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I hope they realize that the season will be half over in two days. Does this mean that we will finally reach our potential by the last game? Gee, I can't wait! What a well prepared and ingenious coaching staff we have here at North Texas!

FirefightnRick · October 5, 2006

I took some others advice and finally popped the tape in of te MTSU game. A lot of people saw this game on TV by the way. But if you want a great example of just how bad things are with regards to missed assignments watch the very first series of the second half. It's astonishing. One person allows the only guy across from him just trot right on by and hit Woody from the blind side? MTSU stayed in their base 4-3 and often times rushed only the 4 front linemen. Other times they would blitz. But regardless, 3 out of 4 plays it seems there was someone coming through untouched. Where does this come from with a veteran O line? It's so "wheels off"?

I'm wondering if we should go back to the two tightend set and forego the zone read option. Whatever change that has been put in place is confusing this group and for whatever reason they are not grasping what the coaches are teaching them. People are not blocking, not picking up blocks after reads and Woody missed his checks all night. I've never seen such a train wreck during an NT season. Can the mistakes be corrected in time? No idea!

From my take with the NT Exes in concerning those that I have spoken to who were planning on attending Homecoming I'm very concerned whether or not we have much of a crowd at all show up?

We may very well be in for the longest NT season in recent memory? But I'll be there regardless.

Rick

GMoney · October 5, 2006

took some others advice and finally popped the tape in of te MTSU game. A lot of people saw this game on TV by the way. But if you want a great example of just how bad things are with regards to missed assignments watch the very first series of the second half. It's astonishing. One person allows the only guy across from him just trot right on by and hit Woody from the blind side? MTSU stayed in their base 4-3 and often times rushed only the 4 front linemen. Other times they would blitz. But regardless, 3 out of 4 plays it seems there was someone coming through untouched. Where does this come from with a veteran O line? It's so "wheels off"?
I'm wondering if we should go back to the two tightend set and forego the zone read option. Whatever change that has been put in place is confusing this group and for whatever reason they are not grasping what the coaches are teaching them. People are not blocking, not picking up blocks after reads and Woody missed his checks all night. I've never seen such a train wreck during an NT season. Can the mistakes be corrected in time? No idea!
From my take with the NT Exes in concerning those that I have spoken to who were planning on attending Homecoming I'm very concerned whether or not we have much of a crowd at all show up?
We may very well be in for the longest NT season in recent memory? But I'll be there regardless.
Rick

Here's another thought, if we are this bad passing, and are having trouble holding blocks and with assigments AND we like to run the ball nearly every down - why not become an option team? AF and Navy know they'll have trouble recruiting big physical linemen who can blow you off the ball and wear you down. Therefore, they run the option. It slows down the blitz, it causes the defense to wait and be reactionary and linemen don't have to hold blocks for long periods of time. Finally, people don't prepare for it anymore. It may be one team on the schedule a year that runs the option, everything else is now the spread.

This is the only solution I see. If you are this far in the season and haven't picked up the current offense any better than what we've seen the past 3 weeks, then it's probably gonna be a problem all year! If not, it's going to be too late. Run a veer, run a flex bone, run a wish bone, run a double wing, I don't care, but maybe something will work to salvage what is going on right now.

BTW, I'm not promoting this long-term unless of course it works, then it was all my idea .

Edited October 5, 2006 by GMoney

foutsrouts · October 5, 2006

Here's another thought, if we are this bad passing, and are having trouble holding blocks and with assigments AND we like to run the ball nearly every down - why not become an option team? AF and Navy know they'll have trouble recruiting big physical linemen who can blow you off the ball and wear you down. Therefore, they run the option. It slows down the blitz, it causes the defense to wait and be reactionary and linemen don't have to hold blocks for long periods of time. Finally, people don't prepare for it anymore. It may be one team on the schedule a year that runs the option, everything else is now the spread.
This is the only solution I see. If you are this far in the season and haven't picked up the current offense any better than what we've seen the past 3 weeks, then it's probably gonna be a problem all year! If not, it's going to be too late. Run a veer, run a flex bone, run a wish bone, run a double wing, I don't care, but maybe something will work to salvage what is going on right now.
BTW, I'm not promoting this long-term unless of course it works, then it was all my idea .
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You hit the nail right on the head. With our talent level we should be running the option or some kind of a spread offense. I'm really starting to wonder where these guys went to coaching school.

Cr1028 · October 5, 2006

You hit the nail right on the head. With our talent level we should be running the option or some kind of a spread offense. I'm really starting to wonder where these guys went to coaching school.
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Bring back the wishbone. Haha

LoveMG · October 5, 2006

I'm really starting to wonder where these guys went to coaching school.
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first time for both in their coaching positions, it shows.

e-bone ver2.awesome · October 5, 2006

Here's another thought, if we are this bad passing, and are having trouble holding blocks and with assigments AND we like to run the ball nearly every down - why not become an option team? AF and Navy know they'll have trouble recruiting big physical linemen who can blow you off the ball and wear you down. Therefore, they run the option. It slows down the blitz, it causes the defense to wait and be reactionary and linemen don't have to hold blocks for long periods of time. Finally, people don't prepare for it anymore. It may be one team on the schedule a year that runs the option, everything else is now the spread.
This is the only solution I see. If you are this far in the season and haven't picked up the current offense any better than what we've seen the past 3 weeks, then it's probably gonna be a problem all year! If not, it's going to be too late. Run a veer, run a flex bone, run a wish bone, run a double wing, I don't care, but maybe something will work to salvage what is going on right now.
BTW, I'm not promoting this long-term unless of course it works, then it was all my idea .
←

That would involve evaluating the talent on the team and gameplanning to the players' strengths and minimizing their weaknesses, which is something that DD has shown he will not do. Well, he actually did a little of that against SMU, but has reverted back to his inexplicable playcalling since.

It would be easy for one to look at this team and realize it would be good to run options and bootlegs and such, but instead the coaches keep trying to get Jamario and Woody killed.

Got5onIt · October 5, 2006

If DD wants to run so much, why not run out of the I-formation? Run the lead or dive, both quick hitting plays. These plays are base blocking plays with easy assignments.

Run the Lead out of I-form single tight:

1. Put in Keronna Henderson

2. Make the offensive lineman take Texas Tech like splits. Minimum 2yd splits to space the defensive line out.

3. Audible to which side the lead will take place based on defensive line & LB position.

a) 3-4: Playside Guard doubledown/combo block with center to backside ILB. Playside Tackle is the key here, usually a man up, single block on the end. Backside guard to backside ILB. Backside tackle cutoff block.

4-3: Doubleteam/combo block DT with Playside guard & center to MLB. Playside tackle man up single block on the DE. Backside side Guard cutoff block to DT, backside tackle cutoff block to LB.

4. Jamario puts his head down and gets on Keronnas hip pocket. Hit the line hard! This is a very fast quick hitting play, how could he not get at least 3yds per carry here??

5. If the defense is stacked up front, guess what it's usually man coverage on the outside. AUDIBLE TO THE SLANT!! JQ can win a one on one easily on a slant pattern.

6. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I saw Army do something VERY similar against aTm a few weeks ago. aTm was playing the run most of the night and Army was eating them up with teh 5-7yd slant. They were 3yds from beating the Ags.

Edited October 5, 2006 by Got5onIt

e-bone ver2.awesome · October 5, 2006

Remember the moto "5 in 05" from last season when we were trying for our 5th consecutive conference title in 5 years? I think I figured out our new moto for this season... 2006(total yards) in 2006! The total is currently at 887 total offensive yards through 5 games, and we are ahead of the pace we need to get 2006! That's right, to get 2006 yards the team would have to average 167.2 YPG, and we are at 177.4! There will be high drama as the season unfolds to see if we can get... 2006 in 2006!!!

UNTBill · October 6, 2006

If DD wants to run so much, why not run out of the I-formation? Run the lead or dive, both quick hitting plays. These plays are base blocking plays with easy assignments.
Run the Lead out of I-form single tight:
1. Put in Keronna Henderson
2. Make the offensive lineman take Texas Tech like splits. Minimum 2yd splits to space the defensive line out.
3. Audible to which side the lead will take place based on defensive line & LB position.
a) 3-4: Playside Guard doubledown/combo block with center to backside ILB. Playside Tackle is the key here, usually a man up, single block on the end. Backside guard to backside ILB. Backside tackle cutoff block.
4-3: Doubleteam/combo block DT with Playside guard & center to MLB. Playside tackle man up single block on the DE. Backside side Guard cutoff block to DT, backside tackle cutoff block to LB.

4. Jamario puts his head down and gets on Keronnas hip pocket. Hit the line hard! This is a very fast quick hitting play, how could he not get at least 3yds per carry here??
5. If the defense is stacked up front, guess what it's usually man coverage on the outside. AUDIBLE TO THE SLANT!! JQ can win a one on one easily on a slant pattern.
6. Wash, rinse, repeat.
I saw Army do something VERY similar against aTm a few weeks ago. aTm was playing the run most of the night and Army was eating them up with teh 5-7yd slant. They were 3yds from beating the Ags.

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I hope RF is reading your post! I've been thinking the same thing all season. It makes no sense, whatsoever, to have a slow developing play with JT as the only back. That's just plain dumb. Kerona is big enough to block DL and would probally demolish any LB. Maybe you should apply for the HC job.

Edited October 6, 2006 by UNTBill