Football: Unt Looks For First Victory Against Ull

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Football: UNT looks for first victory against ULL

12:42 AM CDT on Saturday, October 6, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

At times, it seems like everything that could go wrong for North Texas has in the first four games of the season.

UNT had two punts blocked in a game against Florida Atlantic, gave up a touchdown just two plays after being flagged for having too many men on the field for a punt against Arkansas, and gave up a school record 79 points in a loss to powerhouse Oklahoma.

At this point, UNT head coach Todd Dodge believes there is only one way to get over that string of disappointments – find a way to finally break through for a win. The Mean Green’s next – and possibly best -- opportunity yet will come today at Louisiana-Lafayette in a battle of two winless teams.

UNT comes into the game at 0-4, while ULL has gotten off to an even worse start at 0-5.

"A win would help from the standpoint that your meetings seem a little better, your food seems to taste a little better, your life seems to be a little better," Dodge said. "It's a little bit easier to motivate a football team. That first win is very important to get rolling and to validate some of the things that we are talking to our players about and validate the improvement that needs to happen, because we are not going to win until the improvement happens. I am very confident that it can and will."

UNT has enjoyed flashes of solid play at times only to see opportunities for wins slip away.

Junior quarterback Daniel Meager threw for a school record 601 yards in a loss to SMU, while running back Jamario Thomas posted 117 yards in a loss to Florida Atlantic. The Mean Green's defense also had its best day of the season against the Owls, limiting FAU to 406 yards.

UNT's spread offense, which is still in its infancy, ranks ninth nationally with an average of 330.8 yards a game despite shuffling Meager and freshman Giovanni Vizza in and out of the lineup. Meager will start for the fifth straight game this week, while Vizza is expected to play.

All too often, those bright moments have been shoved into the background by a series of mistakes and a defense that has struggled throughout the season. UNT missed out on a shot at a win against FAU when the Owls converted their two blocked punts into touchdowns, while a bad outing defensively proved costly in a 45-31 loss to SMU.

UNT's veteran defensive players are aiming to help the Mean Green turn the corner this weekend.

"We have to bring this team back together and be leaders," UNT linebacker Brandon Monroe said.

UNT could have a chance to pick up that win against ULL, which will be missing its best player on a banged up offensive line. Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference tackle Jesse Newman is out with a sprained ankle, while three other full or part-time starters are nursing knee injuries -- centers Chris Fisher and Junior Ramos and guard Brad Bustle. Sophomore tackle Kyle Pirtle could also be out after suffering a knee injury in practice this week.

While ULL will be without several of its key offensive linemen, it will have its top running back on the field again in Tyrell Fenroy. The junior missed last week's game against Central Florida with a sprained ankle and had only one carry the previous week against Troy.

Fenroy has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons at ULL.

ULL will turn to Fenroy in a game that shapes up to be a critical one for a pair of struggling teams.

"It's a key game for both sides," ULL head coach Rickey Bustle said. "When you haven't won a game, it gets big for both sides."

What’s at stake

North Texas and Louisiana-Lafayette will both be fighting to stay in the race for the Sun Belt Conference title when the teams face off in Louisiana today.

ULL lost its first Sun Belt game to Troy, while UNT dropped its first league game to Florida Atlantic. Only once in the history of the Sun Belt has a team with two losses won at least a share of the conference title. That scenario doesn’t appear likely to repeat itself this season.

Both UNT and ULL could also use a boost. A loss would send UNT back to Fouts Field for its second home game with an 0-5 record, while ULL can’t afford to drop to 0-6 in its stadium.

ESPN.com named the UNT-ULL tilt its "Pillow Fight of the Week." Losing the game isn't an inviting prospect for either team.

UNT’s offense vs. ULL’s defense

UNT is coming off one of its worst weeks offensively this season in a 66-7 loss to Arkansas, but is still putting put respectable numbers, especially in the passing game. UNT ranks ninth in the NCAA’s Bowl Subdivision with an average of 330.8 passing yards a game.

Junior starter Daniel Meager has thrown for 1,081 yards and is completing 63.5 percent of his passes, while freshman Giovanni Vizza has thrown for 242 yards. UNT has several weapons among its wide receivers, including Casey Fitzgerald and Brandon Jackson, who have 596 and 389 receiving yards, respectively.

ULL is allowing 36.4 points a game to rank 104th nationally in scoring defense.

Advantage: UNT

ULL’s offense vs. UNT’s defense

ULL has one of the more potent running games in the country behind quarterback Michael Desormeaux and running back Tyrell Fenroy. Desormeaux ranks 33rd nationally with an average of 102.8 rushing yards a game and is averaging 5.1 yards a carry. What makes ULL even more dangerous is the presence of Fenroy, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Fenroy had just one carry two weeks ago against Troy and didn’t not play last week against Central Florida. He is expected to be back today to face a UNT defense that has struggled throughout the season.

The Mean Green enters its game against ULL ranked last nationally in scoring defense (55.0 points allowed per game) and total defense (580.2 yards allowed a game).

Advantage: ULL

Coaching

UNT head coach Todd Dodge brought a high-powered offense to Denton that has energized the Mean Green, but so far it has failed to produce wins. UNT has lost the first four games in his tenure.

Bustle has not fared any better this season while getting off to an 0-5 start, but has the edge when it comes to experience on the college level with six seasons at ULL.

Advantage: ULL

Key matchups

ULL OL Brad Bryant vs. UNT DE Jeremiah Chapman

UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman comes into the Mean Green's game against ULL leading the team with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

He could have a chance to add to both totals against a beat up Ragin' Cajuns offensive front. Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference tackle Jesse Newman is out with a sprained ankle while ULL's other starting tackle, Kyle Pirtle, suffered an apparent knee injury during practice Wednesday night and had to be carted off the field.

The Ragin' Cajuns depended heavily on both players to make its run-based attack effective. ULL ranks ninth among Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing offense with an average of 238.0 yards a game.

Equaling that total could be tough for ULL on a night when both of its tackles could be out, despite the return of running back Tyrell Fenroy. The junior has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns and is looking to get back on track after suffering a sprained ankle that kept him out of a loss to Central Florida last week and limited him to a single carry in a loss to Troy.

UNT limited Fenroy to 60 yards last season in a 16-7 win over ULL. Chapman played a key role in the win by posting three tackles, including two for losses of 12 yards.

Chapman has 11 tackles this season. The senior gives UNT a lineman with speed on the perimeter of its defense.

If Chapman can keep Fenroy and quarterback Michael Desormeaux from getting to the outside, UNT will have a chance to post its first win of the season.

UNT WR Brandon Jackson vs. ULL CB Orkeys Auriene

Brandon Jackson has been the Mean Green’s most consistent wide receiver in head coach Todd Dodge’s new passing offense.

The senior has caught at least six passes in each of UNT’s games and enters the Mean Green’s game against ULL averaging 97.2 yards a game. Fellow receiver Casey Fitzgerald has a higher per-game average at 149 yards a game and could attract more attention the rest of the year, opening up opportunities for Jackson to shine.

In the Mean Green’s game against Arkansas last week, Jackson led UNT with six catches for 84 yards.

Jackson could end up working against redshirt freshman Orkeys Auriene, who has started the last two weeks in place of injured starter Jarrett Jones.

Despite changing out players in its defensive backfield, ULL’s pass defense has been one of the most effective aspects of its team this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns rank 60th nationally with an average of 223.2 yards allowed a game. ULL is not nearly as effective against the run, allowing 238.8 yards a game to rank 113th nationally.

Auriene has been one of the reasons ULL has been solid against the pass this season. He is tied for the team lead with two passes broken up.

No matter who Jackson is working against, he will have a chance to help get the Mean Green’s offense going again after an off week against the Razorbacks, who limited UNT to seven points. Another big game from the senior could put the Mean Green on course for a breakthrough win.

Key player: Michael Desormeaux, quarterback

Michael Desormeaux is unlike any player North Texas will face this season.

The junior can run like a running back and still looks perfectly comfortable throwing the ball. Those attributes make him an ideal fit as a quarterback for the Ragin’ Cajuns, whose run-based attack ranks as one of the most potent in the country.

ULL comes into its game against UNT ranked ninth nationally with an average of 238.0 rushing yards a game.

Desormeaux has been a big reason for ULL’s success running the ball and is averaging 102.8 rushing yards a game.

“Michael is a very good runner,” UNT head coach Todd Dodge said. “Any time you are running for 102 yards a game at the quarterback position, or the running back position for that matter, that is a nice chunk of change. He is very much a dual-threat player.”

Desormeaux ranks 33rd among players in the NCAA’s Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards per game and is the only quarterback rated in the top 50.

Desormeaux’s talents have helped ULL develop a running game that Dodge compared to West Virginia's. The Ragin’ Cajuns line up in the shotgun and attack a defense with a variety of plays designed to get Desormeaux or one of their running backs into open space.

What makes Desormeaux an even bigger threat is that he is expected to line up alongside perhaps one of the best running backs in the Sun Belt Conference over the last few years in Tyrell Fenroy. The junior has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns and will be looking to recover from a slow start this week.

Fenroy sprained his ankle earlier in the year and has been limited in ULL’s last two games. He sat out last week’s loss to Central Florida and had just one carry in a loss to Troy in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ Sun Belt opener.

Fenroy returned to practice this week and is expected to play against the Mean Green, which will have to deal with both Fenroy and Desormeaux, a player who has played a variety of rolls for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Desormeaux was recruited as a quarterback, but has also seen time as a wide receiver and defensive back, not to mention playing on special teams. The Louisiana native was a backup to starter Jerry Babb during his first two seasons and started four games as a redshirt freshman while Babb was hurt.

“[uLL] recruited him as a quarterback and played him at wide receiver last year,” Dodge said. “They obviously saw him as an athlete. There are not a whole lot of quarterbacks in the country who can play different positions like that.”

That versatility will make Desormeaux a challenge for UNT.