Mean Green Feeling Good About Defense

yyz28 · November 29, 2007

Mendoza has to have something good going for him otherwise Dodge wouldn't have brought him here. Maybe he, like say a rookeie QB in the NFL, needs to ride the pine for a bit before jumping into the starter, or DC, role? Mendoza probably has a good amount of talent and intelilgence in regards to defensive football, the problem is that I think he is over his head and it is really showing with our defense this year. Put him as a LB or D line coach and let him learn under someone who has played to college game before.

I agree. The guy may end up a great, but needs some experience and coaching from someone who has been there. ...but for the foreseeable future, we need a DC with experience - that dosen't mean we have to send Mendoza packing.

forevereagle · November 29, 2007

I don't have enough details to pass on. I just know that guy A told guy B, called guy B's sister who then told my cat, who in turn told me via a translator that some player's parents have said some unspecific things that might indicate Mendoza won't get fired but won't be the DC next year. You can take that for what it's worth... $.02

So what you're saying is according to a reliable source, through other sources whose reliability may be questionable, we have the whispers that something could be going on, but we aren't sure what is happening, if it's happening. That seems like Michael Moore logic to me, and I don't know how much I trust that.

No offense to your cat, of course.

Will to Win · November 29, 2007

I am just happy that we have some play makers on both sides of the ball waiting to make an impact. Now we just need a defensive coach to get those players playing to their potential just like Coach Dodge did with our offense.

Tailgating for 2008 season: This year was a bit stressful with new rules and not being to set up where we were used to setting up. NO UMBRELLA'S allowed for our last home game. That was a surprise, I see the logic, but was still surprised we had to leave them out. The few of us who went should of got a mulligan for the umbrellas for the last home game , Thanksgiving weekend, and the weather conditions involved.

I hope they change up the rules for tailgating next year because this year was not as fun when compared to years past. Most of all year the Blue parking Lot was never full and would of liked to see the "first come, first serve" approach we had in Orange Lot last year. Way more fun & Less stressful.

forevereagle · November 29, 2007

Tailgating for 2008 season: This year was a bit stressful with new rules and not being to set up where we were used to setting up. NO UMBRELLA'S allowed for our last home game. That was a surprise, I see the logic, but was still surprised we had to leave them out. The few of us who went should of got a mulligan for the umbrellas for the last home game , Thanksgiving weekend, and the weather conditions involved.
I hope they change up the rules for tailgating next year because this year was not as fun when compared to years past. Most of all year the Blue parking Lot was never full and would of liked to see the "first come, first serve" approach we had in Orange Lot last year. Way more fun & Less stressful.

Umbrellas haven't been allowed for awhile now, no suprise there. I doubt in that weather it would have made much difference.

Good luck getting the parking situation fixed. This has been a complaint for a few years now, and nothing has changed. In fact, it seems to have gotten worse as the problem seems to be expanding.

houstonmeangreen · November 29, 2007

Not panic button so much as it is cook-aid drinking. If you are right and he is not DC next year that is fantastic. but it seems to me that there has been no indication that he would not be here much less that he would change rolls on the the coaching staff. Honestly the way our defense has performed this year is laudable and almost embarrassing. The kids played their hearts out and that was obvious to anyone that wanted to watch, but the coaching did no justice to the effort they were putting out there.

amen brother, perhaps the most embarrassing defense I have seen at UNT since my graduation in 79. If RM is kept at DC, I think you would have to question TD decision making.

Cr1028 · November 29, 2007

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. She did not say why she swallowed a fly, nor did she say anything about Mendoza being or not being our DC next year.

The question is, "did the old lady stay at a holiday inn express last night?"

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 29, 2007

I've heard indications otherwise. Not first person, but from some reliable sources. Who knows, I could be wrong... ...but the lack of a public annoucnement before the season is over shouldn't be surprising even if a change is coming... ...IMHO.

This supports what I was told. Mendoza will more than likely not be back as DC.

greenminer · November 30, 2007

Mendoza could save a ton of money by switching to Geico.

MeanMag · November 30, 2007

Mendoza has to have something good going for him otherwise Dodge wouldn't have brought him here. Maybe he, like say a rookeie QB in the NFL, needs to ride the pine for a bit before jumping into the starter, or DC, role? Mendoza probably has a good amount of talent and intelilgence in regards to defensive football, the problem is that I think he is over his head and it is really showing with our defense this year. Put him as a LB or D line coach and let him learn under someone who has played to college game before.

Mendoza, from what I am hearing knows how to work out his kids. Former players said he came straight from the marines and acted like a drill sgt. during practices. If anything Mendoza will definitely work our players hard and life weights with them in the weight room. He will make our guys big.

MeanMag · November 30, 2007

Yawn. SLCoutsider - you are just that... an outsider. A troll. Same crap, different thread.
...I'm not sure how you figure your last statement however. If somehow he turns it around overnight, I'll be on here saying I was wrong just like everyone else. Because I've been vocal, because I have expected improvement, because I have been VERY critical of his actions towards a respected member of this community, that means I can't say I was wrong if I am proven to be? ...how do you figure that? Do you actually think I want the guy to fail? His failure (especially if I'm wrong about his not being the DC) means the failure of UNT. Do you actually think I want that? I was one of 2000 in that stadium last weekend cheering for the team. Get friggin' real.
See, you live in a fantasy world, apparently. Because you are an SLC guy and not a NT guy, you have a loyalty to SLC alums, not to NT. I could give a crap less where he comes from or what he did in the past. As a paid member of the UNT staff, I DO care VERY MUCH how he handles himself and performs here. If Mendoza suddenly becomes an effective DC and is a big part of this program moving to the next level, I'll be the first one in line demanding Dickey Field be renamed Mendoza Field, but I honestly don't see it happening. If I turn out to be wrong, I'll be happy to say so.
...speaking of people who single out and attack leaving yourself little room for wiggle, perhaps you should look in the mirror. You and Dodge2007 are the ones calling FFR a liar, correct? You are the ones nutriding SLC staff because of their past, correct? C'mon, troll elsewhere.
Finally, I registered the domain name "firemendoza.com" and had it aimed at the site you found (via google, I'm sure) at a quick page I put together. That was two games before many more jumped on the "Mendoza ain't getting it done" bandwagon and I was nailed by many of the members of this board who are long time UNT fans who petitioned me to back down. I did so and removed the link to the site from my signature and broke the link between the domain name I registered and the site you found. I said at the time I was wrong and over reacted. Do your research next time before you "paint yourself into a corner".
Or, here's an idea. If you have a problem with me, why not PM me and not hijack someone else's thread? Just a thought.

You know, I'm not a fan of Mendoza. But if you think SLCoutsiders posts are crap, then my opinion is you should take your opinions to your own website. You really don't have to pick a interweb word fight with someone who doesn't think like you.

To corroborate your claims, I have also heard a rumor of the same thing from various sources that may be close or far away from the truth. I wouldn't mind seeing that guy become a strength and conditioning coach, he is ripped. My problem has been ever since the OU game and ARK game, when the coaches were carrying on and laughing about schemes.

November 30, 2007

I've compared this year's defense with last year's and in most of the categories there's not a lot of difference. What is huge is the number of yards and points given up. We have been eaten alive by big plays. That tells me that we just don't have the speed to make the stop once the receiver or runner gets a step on our defense.

It's hard to compare last year vs. this year due to the change in alignments. For instance, our top four defensive linemen have about forty more tackles this year than last but only three were considered starters. Our stops from the linebacker are way down this year except for Holman and Mendoza (but he got a lot more pt this year). Mahan and Dawson were light years behind their 2006 production.

I haven't really been a party to canning Mendoza but I would like to see him reassigned. However, I trust Dodge and if he believes that the deserves a second chance then I'll stand by that. But, if we get off to another bottom of the heap start then I'll believe that Todd is more about loyalty than what's best for team. To me, telling my coaching friends that we are going to have to find someone who can do the job better would be the toughest part.

Please spare me from the headline "Feeling Good About Defense". Maybe, just maybe, I could understand "Feeling Better About Defense" but we still gave up a lot of yards to a team still primarily playing a 1-AA schedule and with only one win against 1-A. Thank heavens for Gilmore's two timely plays to force the field goal attempt or we'd be bemoaning letting another one get away.

Edited November 30, 2007 by GrayEagleOne

SLCoutsider · November 30, 2007

YYZ28, my post was harsh and shouldn't have been directed at you. You're right about the website. I shouldn't have brought that up since it had already been taken down. Anyway, I've removed my post and the reference to the website.

Nobody else really sticks up for Mendoza around here so sometimes I feel obligated to present the other perspective. I don't know the guy, but I really feel sorry for him. I think this season has been more about bad luck for him rather than being in over his head. I've met some SLC players that he coached and you would think that he's Vince Lombardi the way they talk. They absolutely loved playing for this guy and had total confidence in him. UNT has landed the top defensive players from Carroll's '07 and '08 classes (Padron, Russo, and Tomlin) in large part because they want to play for Mendoza. These kids were recruited by the likes of Standford, Vanderbuilt, Rice, SMU, A&M, Iowa State, Baylor, West Point, Annapolis, etc... yet they signed with UNT to play for Mendoza. Say all you want about the quality of those football programs, but for a kid who will likely end his football career after graduation, turning down a full ride at those schools is a big deal.

I'm not saying that Mendoza deserves special treatment because of his past success and rapport with players, but you've got to take it into consideration when trying to make sense of this season's meltdown. Was he in over his head? Did he try to implement new schemes too quickly? Did he overestimate the ability of some players, putting them into positions to fail? Were there unpublicized attitude/discipline problems that forced him to change lineups? Was he trying to keep the defensive schemes simple for a good reason? There's a bunch of possible factors that the statistics don't capture.

As for the incident, I've never called anyone a liar or expressed doubt that something happened. The problem is that nobody really knows exactly what happened or how bad it was. Obviously it was enough to insult somebody that is a good friend to many on this board. But that person seems content to forget about it, at least in this public forum. My problem is with folks that weren't there (and no, 50+ yards away in the stands doesn't count) yet they still bring it up as a reason to vilify the guy.

This whole thing is probably getting old for most folks around here. I apologize and I'll try to lay off on jumping to Mendoza's rescue all the time. I think in another life I was a defense attorney representing rapist and serial killers because they had nobody else to speak out for them.

And, not to further hijack this thread, but I'd like to clarify something about myself. I'm not from Southlake and didn't go to school there. SLCoutsider is a name I chose on the Texas 5A Football forums because, I consider myself a Southlake outsider who follows their program. Now, I'm just as much a UNT fan. I've attended more UNT games this year than Southlake games. I probably should have picked a better name when registering on GMG. Maybe UNToutsider.

yyz28 · November 30, 2007

YYZ28, my post was harsh and shouldn't have been directed at you. You're right about the website. I shouldn't have brought that up since it had already been taken down. Anyway, I've removed my post and the reference to the website.

Thank you for doing that. I too have deleted my post to you. Thank you for the respect you have shown, and I'm sorry for getting as fired up as I did.

And, not to further hijack this thread, but I'd like to clarify something about myself. I'm not from Southlake and didn't go to school there. SLCoutsider is a name I chose on the Texas 5A Football forums because, I consider myself a Southlake outsider who follows their program. Now, I'm just as much a UNT fan. I've attended more UNT games this year than Southlake games. I probably should have picked a better name when registering on GMG. Maybe UNToutsider.

...that's great to hear, and I'm sorry for taking your UN so literally. It isn't fair of me to question anybody's loyalty to this program, even if you're a recent convert, no matter what their username. I hope we get to meet sometime so I can shake your hand and apologize in person.

Thank you for how you handled this matter. ...I'll try to check my temper at the door more often.

GO MEAN GREEN!

Edited November 30, 2007 by yyz28

NT80 · November 30, 2007

I don't know the guy, but I really feel sorry for him.

You sound like his mom the way you defend him. The same basic group of players from last season and we're twice as bad? What changed except for coaching?

Edited November 30, 2007 by NT80

EagleD · November 30, 2007

You know, I'm not a fan of Mendoza. But if you think SLCoutsiders posts are crap, then my opinion is you should take your opinions to your own website. You really don't have to pick a interweb word fight with someone who doesn't think like you.
To corroborate your claims, I have also heard a rumor of the same thing from various sources that may be close or far away from the truth. I wouldn't mind seeing that guy become a strength and conditioning coach, he is ripped. My problem has been ever since the OU game and ARK game, when the coaches were carrying on and laughing about schemes.

Or do what I do, and use the "ignore user" option. There are a few people I use this with and a few people I'm sure use it with me. It's quite handy, and saves me the stress of writing a thesis on why someone's opinion is stupid. And if you want to read one of their posts w/o having to undo the setting you have the option of just reading that particular post.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!!