Football Ready For Baptism By Fire

PerryG2480 · August 29, 2007

http://media.www.ntdaily.com/media/storage...e-2941637.shtml

Football ready for baptism by fire

Richard White

Issue date: 8/29/07 Section: SPORTS

Win now. That is the message first-year NT head football coach Todd Dodge is sending to his players. That is also the promise he's sending to Mean Green fans before the 2007 football season opener against the University of Oklahoma at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

"Our expectations are to be in New Orleans in December," Dodge said. "I would never do a disgrace or dishonor to this football team or this university by going after anything less."

Three years ago, NT won the last of its four consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles of 2001-2004, which earned the Mean Green a perennial spot in the New Orleans Bowl. Coming off a poor 3-9 record in 2006, NT looks to usher in a new era of dominance under Dodge.

"We want to go undefeated at home and win the conference championship," said junior starting quarterback Daniel Meager.

Meager, who shared the starting job with Matt Philips and Woody Wilson last season, holds the key to the team's win-loss record in 2007. Meager has to prove he has the stability and consistency needed to best execute Dodge's prolific spread offense.

Dodge refuses to let NT fall back into the quarterback carousel that plagued the program the last two seasons.

"Right now where we are, Daniel Meager is the right guy for this football team," Dodge said. "This won't be a deal where we're playing quarterback by committee. I don't want my quarterback out there feeling he's only as good as his last pass. We got to let them go out there and free flow and do their deal."

With three of the first four games not only on the road but also against such prominent programs as OU, rival Southern Methodist University, and the University of Arkansas, Dodge knows his first few games as a head coach at the Division I-A level will be a baptism by fire.

"I'm prepared for that learning curve. I don't think you ever stay the same, as a player or a coach. You're either getting better or getting worse," he said.

One of the last prominent pieces remaining from the tail-end of the Mean Green's four-year SBC dominance is senior running back Jamario Thomas. In 2004, freshman Thomas became the nation's leading rusher.

"I'm so excited to have a guy with his experience, his explosiveness," Dodge said. "We're looking for a year back to his freshman year performance from Jamario."

Thomas knows how important his role is.

"I just want to go out here and have fun and show these new guys how good they got it now and end the season on a positive note," Thomas said.

When Thomas isn't running the ball, Dodge will employ his four-wide spread attack that he's known for. With a larger crop of receivers to choose from, Dodge intends to spread the offensive wealth as much as he can.

"At the end of our year we should have four guys in our program with over 50 catches," Dodge said. "We've got Brandon Jackson who had an outstanding camp. Brock Stickler has really stepped up and some of our freshmen like BJ Lewis are going to see a lot of playing time early and so is Breece Johnson."

On the other side of the ball, the defense will return to the 4-3 scheme after one year in the 3-4. Overall, NT is returning nine defensive starters. In the backfield, senior safety Aaron Weathers, who led the team in tackles the last two seasons, should continue his aggressive play.

Ultimately, in a season where the starting quarterback position is solidified and the offense and defense have been revamped, the players believe their greatest strength is Dodge's philosophy.

"Coach Dodge wants us to become a family, and it's not just a cliché team motto, he really wants us to be like a family and that has brought us together," Meager said.

Good article, let's play already!

MeanGreen61 · August 29, 2007

Attitude ! :thumbsup:

Edited August 29, 2007 by MeanGreen61

FireFightnJoey · August 29, 2007

"I just want to go out here and have fun and show these new guys how good they got it now and end the season on a positive note," Thomas said.

Interesting comment ... how good they got it NOW.

I love the attitude.

Bryan316 · August 29, 2007

An NTDaily article that's actually positive!

Dodge2007 · August 30, 2007

Bring on the family.......maybe the Italian freshman can bring Tony Soprano and crew to take out some OU studs in pregame warm-ups.

Dodge has an interesting wit to him. He is very catchy with his choice of words and in his delivery. He is very good at PR and motivation, without a doubt. He has a swagger to him that will get knocked down (early this season) some but he won't stay down long.