DMN Dodge inherits team with question marks

OldTimer · December 13, 2006

Dodge inherits team with question marks

01:21 AM CST on Wednesday, December 13, 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

SilverEagle · December 13, 2006

Dodge inherits team with question marks
01:21 AM CST on Wednesday, December 13, 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
←

Uhhh, I think that Even Robertson proved that he could make a play or two this last season.

DeepGreen · December 13, 2006

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

OK, this guy is already working on the minds of the current team. Already thinking positive, as one might expect a new coach to do. Looks like Jackson has bought into Dodge already.