Drc Nt To Follow Troy's Style Of Play

OldTimer · October 23, 2007

Brett Vito

The plan was in motion on the turf at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium for all to see Saturday.

The mobile quarterback with a rifle arm. The cast of wide receivers who made plays seemingly all over the field. The running game that produced more than 100 yards.

It was just the type of offense North Texas head coach Todd Dodge wanted to develop in his first season with the Mean Green after leaving Southlake Carroll.

Only it wasn’t UNT that was running that spread offense to perfection, it was Troy — a team that is threatening to become the Sun Belt Conference’s next dynasty while providing a blueprint for what the Mean Green hopes to build.

“They are very balanced, and they have a tremendous quarterback,” Dodge said. “He is as good as I have seen in a while at anticipating throws. He gets the ball gone on time, spreads it around to a lot of different people and is a threat on the zone read. So yeah, they are an example. They are a really, really good team.”

When UNT set out on what Dodge likes to call “the journey” in his first season a few months ago, Troy provided hope for what the Mean Green could accomplish quickly after installing the spread. Troy put it in before last season and finished 8-5, including a win over Rice in the New Orleans Bowl.

UNT wanted to follow a similar path. At the beginning of the season, Dodge said he didn’t see any reason the Mean Green couldn’t be successful in his first campaign.

More and more, it has become obvious why UNT is headed for a third straight horrendous season. The Mean Green just doesn’t have the pieces in place to be successful that Troy did.

When the Trojans decided to put in the spread, they went out and landed quarterback Omar Haugabook from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, where he earned second-team JUCO All-America honors. Gary Banks, a former Chicago Cubs outfielder, was on hand to lead the wide receiving corps.

Larry Blakeney was still around as head coach with his proven track record in college and recruiting contacts.

That stability and talent helped Troy tie for the Sun Belt title, win the tiebreaker with Middle Tennessee for a berth in the New Orleans Bowl and hammer Rice in the Big Easy.

Anyone want to trade what Troy had for what Dodge is working with now?

Dodge appears to have found a gem in freshman Giovanni Vizza, but he has nowhere near the experience Haugabook had last season.

A young offensive line nearly got Vizza killed when Troy sacked him nine times and never gave him enough time to throw the ball to the few talented and experienced receivers UNT has on hand.

It’s tough to blame Dodge for failing to land the impact players similar to those Blakeney had to get his team’s offense rolling in the spread. Dodge only had a few days to fill out his first recruiting class and try to put together a team similar to the one he saw last year when he watched Troy beat Rice on television.

Dodge talked earlier in the week about what a comforting feeling it was to see that the team winning the Sun Belt uses an offense that is similar to what he has relied on throughout his career.

His point only became stronger after Troy hammered UNT.

The Trojans appear to be on their way back to New Orleans after winning their first four Sun Belt games by double-digit margins behind an offense that put up 45 points against UNT.

Dodge credited his defense for playing pretty well — good enough for the Mean Green to win. That says a lot about just how good Troy is considering the Mean Green gave up 493 yards.

If UNT hadn’t forced seven turnovers, Troy likely would have hung 60 points on the Mean Green.

That was the type of point total Dodge’s teams at Carroll put up on a regular basis. UNT still might get to the point where it is that potent while following in the path blazed by the Trojans. Considering what Dodge has to work with, it just won’t be in a quick turnaround he and UNT’s fans hoped was on the way.

That dose of reality and another loss was particularly hard for the Mean Green to take.

“It’s disappointing,” UNT wide receiver Brandon Jackson said of the Mean Green’s latest loss. “We had a good game plan.”

UNT just didn’t have enough firepower to make it work.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

akriesman · October 23, 2007

A very appropriate article for some of today's discussions here. Thanks.

hickoryhouse · October 23, 2007

UNT just didn’t have enough firepower to make it work.
BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

interesting

Charlie NT 73 · October 23, 2007

I did rag on Vitto at the begining of the year regarding some of

his observations on this years team. Now, I am realizing Vitto is

more right than wrong.

"Cosidering what he had to work with" as per Vitto, seems to be

making more and more sense.

island eagle · October 23, 2007

I did rag on Vitto at the begining of the year regarding some of
his observations on this years team. Now, I am realizing Vitto is
more right than wrong.
"Cosidering what he had to work with" as per Vitto, seems to be
making more and more sense.

Actually, TD is not following Troy's offense completely. Troy uses TE's on some occasions, some center snaps and even a two back set every once in awhile. I hope TD will copy Troy.

Green Lantern · October 23, 2007

Actually, TD is not following Troy's offense completely. Troy uses TE's on some occasions, some center snaps and even a two back set every once in awhile. I hope TD will copy Troy.

Me too. Especially under center snaps on short yardage situations on 3rd and 4th down.