Dodge inherits team with question marks

[jperg2]

SOURCE: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...er.2b9c8d6.html

Dodge inherits team with question marks

09:20 PM CST on Tuesday, December 12, 2006

By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON – Todd Dodge is leaving the highest-scoring dynasty in Class 5A history to take over one of Division I-A's worst offenses.

His spread offense rewrote the Class 5A record books while Southlake Carroll won 77 of the last 78 games. Drew Brees' Austin Westlake team and Vince Young's Houston Madison team had the only 700-point seasons in 5A before Carroll's recent run. The Dragons have done it with three different quarterbacks – and junior coach's son Riley Dodge is on pace to add his name to the list if Carroll advances to its fifth consecutive state final.

North Texas, Dodge's new employer, ranked near the bottom of I-A in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense in former coach Darrell Dickey's grind-it-out scheme the last two seasons.

"I feel like we can come in and be successful," said Dodge, the offensive coordinator for UNT in 1992-93. "It has really to do with selling the players about what can be done and teaching. There's good football players here."

Perhaps Dodge's two biggest immediate challenges will be figuring out how to best utilize UNT's current players and recruiting players who fit his offense. He said he hasn't determined whether he would target junior college skill players in his first recruiting class.

Dodge inherits a team with a major question mark at quarterback. Daniel Meager, Woody Wilson and Matt Phillips combined to pass for 1,382 yards and nine touchdowns with 19 interceptions last season.

Johnny Quinn, the Mean Green's all-time leading receiver, will graduate. That leaves junior Brandon Jackson, who had 17 catches for 188 yards this season, as the go-to receiver. Zach Muzzy, a senior applying for a medical redshirt, might give UNT another wideout with a double-digit career reception total.

Running back Jamario Thomas is the Mean Green's only proven returning offensive playmaker. But he's been hampered by injuries during two ineffective seasons since leading the nation in rushing as a freshman, when UNT won the last of four consecutive Sun Belt titles.

"[Dodge] is going to adjust to what we have," Jackson said. "A lot of people here are going to make plays for this team."

E-mail tmacmahon@dallasnews.com

[UNTFan23]

Johnny Quinn, the Mean Green's all-time leading receiver, will graduate. That leaves junior Brandon Jackson, who had 17 catches for 188 yards this season, as the go-to receiver. Zach Muzzy, a senior applying for a medical redshirt, might give UNT another wideout with a double-digit career reception total.

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There you go Rick.

[Eagle91Gator95]

Daniel Meager, Woody Wilson and Matt Phillips combined to pass for 1,382 yards and nine touchdowns with 19 interceptions last season.

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Am I the only one who's stomach turned just a bit at that stat?

[NT03]

Am I the only one who's stomach turned just a bit at that stat?

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Imagine how it would of reacted if the stats inculded fumbles lost, delay of games , wasted timeouts , etc. etc. etc.

[FirefightnRick]

Am I the only one who's stomach turned just a bit at that stat?

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It didn't stand out to me. When you average 106th overall in total offense for 9 years you become numb to it.

Rick

[Cr1028]

Imagine how it would of reacted if the stats inculded fumbles lost, delay of games , wasted timeouts , etc. etc. etc.

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Don't forget the countless holding penalties.

[MeanGreengdub]

Am I the only one who's stomach turned just a bit at that stat?

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No, I actually threw up a little bit in my mouth. After seeing each of them play this season, I have little to no faith in any one of those guys. Maybe TD can help them.