Head Count

[MGW]

How many fall under the umbrella of "I still support Dickey"? In other words, who doesn't think he should be let go? If you're some kind of pragmatist, and you think we can't fire Dickey because of the $, then you fall under the "I still support Dickey" umbrella.

From a recent poll, (before the Troy game) the percentage of people who thought DD should be let go was right at 90% here on GMG.

Who the hell are the rest of you 10%?

[GabeGMG]

I do think he should go, but I have a feeling we won't let him go since his contract is good until 2009 (I think)

SIGH

[eeally]

I wish it was 2009.

[Stan R]

I wish it was 2009.

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Yep, me too. That would mean we'd have our new stadium construction well under way.

[ntsumgspe]

I wish it was 2002, and here's why ...

New Orleans Bowl recap

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Texas made a big statement for the Sun Belt Conference in the New Orleans Bowl. (Related item: Game report)

North Texas hadn't beaten a single Division I-A team outside the Sun Belt in two years before Tuesday night's game against Cincinnati. And in the inaugural New Orleans Bowl last year, the Mean Green got pounded 45-20 by Colorado State.

But with a defensive scheme that yielded five interceptions and held Cincinnati to 85 yards rushing, North Texas gave the Sun Belt its first bowl triumph with a 24-19 victory over the Bearcats.

The conference is playing football for only the second year.

"We've got a lot of good teams in our league, and this win shows we're capable of being a Division I-A league," North Texas coach Darrell Dickey said.

Kevin Galbreath ran for 130 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown, and Jeremy Pearl scored on a 20-yard interception return for North Texas (8-5), which finished the season on a seven-game winning streak.

"It means a lot, because people don't have respect for us," Pearl said. "If we can't get our respect now, I don't know when we can."

Cincinnati (7-7) came in having won five of six to tie Texas Christian for the Conference USA title.

Andrew Smith completed 9 of 22 passes for 126 yards for North Texas while the Mean Green gained 192 yards on the ground to control the game.

Galbreath also had a 19-yard first-down run in the last two minutes that allowed North Texas to run out the clock without giving explosive Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli another shot.

"Our offense made enough plays for us to win the game," Dickey said. "We were able to run the ball, even when they had the middle stacked."

North Texas' defense forced Cincinnati to settle for field goals twice after crossing the Mean Green 20.

Guidugli, who came in averaging 255 yards passing, was 19-of-34 for 224 yards and a touchdown. He had been intercepted 16 times in 13 games before throwing five Tuesday night.

"They had a good scheme, and I messed up a lot," Guidugli said. "They rushed three and got good pressure while dropping eight, and I forced too many balls."

Jon Olinger caught four passes for 107 yards to set a Cincinnati single-season receiving mark with 1,114 yards. Jim O'Brien set the old record of 1,107 in 1968. Olinger's 27-yard catch over the middle set up Cincinnati's first touchdown, and his 55-yard grab set up a field goal in the third quarter.

After Guidugli's fifth interception, North Texas moved into Cincinnati territory and appeared primed to open the game up. But Zach Norton intercepted a sideline pass and ran it back for what would have been a touchdown had not Willis Edwards been called for an illegal block 20 yards behind the play.

North Texas held Cincinnati to a 29-yard field goal by Jonathan Ruffin, and Cincinnati's next drive also stalled inside the 20, forcing the Bearcats to settle for a 33-yard field goal that left the score 24-13 with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter.

The North Texas defense stopped Cincinnati on its next two drives, but the Bearcats scored when Franklin Callicott stripped Patrick Cobbs of the ball at the North Texas 43 and ran it all the way back with 5:15 left in the game.

Guidugli was intercepted four times in the first half, and North Texas converted three of them into 17 points.

"I don't put any blame on Gino. He was just trying to make plays," defensive end Antwan Peak said. "Just because we turn it over doesn't mean we should let them score."

The second and third interceptions, both in North Texas territory, started North Texas drives that ended with a 30-yard field goal by Nick Bazaldua and a 27-yard scoring run off tackle by Cobbs.

Guidugli's fourth interception came as he was pressured while throwing from the end zone. It went straight to Pearl, who easily ran it back to give North Texas a 17-7 lead at halftime.

Cincinnati's only offensive touchdown came on a 6-yard pass from Guidugli to Tye Keith, giving the Bearcats a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

GOOD TIMES

[MGW]

nm

Edited October 30, 2006 by MGW

[MGW]

I do think he should go, but I have a feeling we won't let him go since his contract is good until 2009 (I think)

SIGH

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  I wish it was 2009.

For the sake of clarification, are either of you putting forward some argument that the economics of the situation requires us to keep DD? Or are you just saying that the decision will be made to keep him because we can't afford a new coach? It appears to me that the longer we keep DD, the worse off we'll be - thus, I think the economics of the situation demands we eat his buy out clause.

I think Stebo will eat DD's buy out clause - literally, not figuratively.

[El Paso Eagle]

MGW -

Do you buy your Kool-Aid by the glass or the gallon

[MGW]

    MGW -

Do you buy your Kool-Aid by the glass or the gallon   

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I stopped drinking the Kool Aid after a bad experience in or around Bourbon Street.

[TIgreen01]

I stopped drinking the Kool Aid after a bad experience in or around Bourbon Street.

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Yep, same thing happened to me in 2004. When I found myself wishing that some other team from the belt would win the conference in 2005 to excuse us from our inaugural drubbing on national tv. That's not the way any sane NT alumnus should feel.

Have I missed a single home game since this realization? No. Will I ever post an 'I'm done' message on the board? No.

[Cr1028]

I'll get booed off the stage for this but I think Dickey should stay if he has the fortitude to get rid of Etheridge.

[TheTastyGreek]

I don't buy into any of the crap about Dickey not caring, or not trying, or just mailing it in for a paycheck.

I also disagree with the "Dickey sucks" crowd, where anything and everything Dickey does is obviously wrong just because it's Dickey doing or saying it.

I think Dickey is a good coach who hasn't done a very good job of coaching for us the past two years. I'm not screaming for him to be fired, but it's pretty hard to argue with anyone who does.

I don't know why we've been so terrible the past two years. I don't think you can put it all on coaching, or at least not all on the head coach. But even if it isn't his fault, it is his responsibility. And after two years of futility, with no real hope of improvement on the horizon, I won't argue that Dickey should be kept.

If Dickey gets fired, I'll be sad to see him go. I'm not saying it wouldn't be the right decision, but I still would hate to see him be fired. I think he's done a lot more for this program than anyone is giving him credit for (especially lately) and I hope we'll look on his tenure with a better sense of perspective a few years down the line.

[bigrobdsp]

I'll get booed off the stage for this but I think Dickey should stay if he has the fortitude to get rid of Etheridge.

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you think he should get rid of a lesbian with cancer?

seems a little heartless to me, but I am with you.

[Quoner]

you think he should get rid of a lesbian with cancer?

seems a little heartless to me, but I am with you.

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So confusing - but funny.

I'll save you a seat in hell.

[El Paso Eagle]

I don't buy into any of the crap about Dickey not caring, or not trying, or just mailing it in for a paycheck.

I also disagree with the "Dickey sucks" crowd, where anything and everything Dickey does is obviously wrong just because it's Dickey doing or saying it.

I think Dickey is a good coach who hasn't done a very good job of coaching for us the past two years. I'm not screaming for him to be fired, but it's pretty hard to argue with anyone who does.

I don't know why we've been so terrible the past two years. I don't think you can put it all on coaching, or at least not all on the head coach. But even if it isn't his fault, it is his responsibility. And after two years of futility, with no real hope of improvement on the horizon, I won't argue that Dickey should be kept.

If Dickey gets fired, I'll be sad to see him go. I'm not saying it wouldn't be the right decision, but I still would hate to see him be fired. I think he's done a lot more for this program than anyone is giving him credit for (especially lately) and I hope we'll look on his tenure with a better sense of perspective a few years down the line.

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This is the hard part for many -

DD - The Man versus DD - The Coach

Regardless of how nice or good a person he is the decision needs to be based on the quality of the product place on the field.

My beef is with DD the Coach - He had a window of opportunity and he let it shut!

[CorinthEagle]

North Texas hadn't beaten a single Division I-A team outside the Sun Belt in two years before Tuesday night's game against Cincinnati. And in the inaugural New Orleans Bowl last year, the Mean Green got pounded 45-20 by Colorado State.

That right there speaks louder than anything else. In the 3 years since they've beaten....maybe 3?

[DeepGreen]

I'll get booed off the stage for this but I think Dickey should stay if he has the fortitude to get rid of Etheridge.

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Boooooooo!

[Got5onIt]

Boooooooo!

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Love your avatar!

I'm stealing it!!

[BIG DAWG]

I'll get booed off the stage for this but I think Dickey should stay if he has the fortitude to get rid of Etheridge.

Firing Etheridge really doesn't doa a whole lot for this program...he coaches the OL, but the offensive system has to go.

Running a zone blocking with our OL is going to be hard to do whoever the OL coach is.

A new OFFENSIVE SYSTEM is needed, not necessarily a new OL caoch.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I don't buy into any of the crap about Dickey not caring, or not trying, or just mailing it in for a paycheck.

I also disagree with the "Dickey sucks" crowd, where anything and everything Dickey does is obviously wrong just because it's Dickey doing or saying it.

I think Dickey is a good coach who hasn't done a very good job of coaching for us the past two years. I'm not screaming for him to be fired, but it's pretty hard to argue with anyone who does.

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Rest assured, IF DD was a "good" coach, he would have by now had another team hire him away, or at least make a good stab at hiring him away. The fact that this man is in his 9th year of coaching this team and the numbers are this bad this year, is a very good indication that he is not a very good coach.