Football: False Start

[NT80]

Football: False start

Dodge's first year ends in disappointment

10:32 PM CST on Sunday, December 2, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

There was something familiar about the way North Texas’ game against Florida International unfolded Saturday night at the Orange Bowl.

UNT suffered a host of defensive lapses, made several key special teams mistakes and couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities its spread offense created.

“It was a microcosm of our season,” UNT head coach Todd Dodge said.

That might have been the most shocking aspect of UNT’s first campaign under the former Southlake Carroll head coach, who took over the Mean Green's program in December. UNT had high expectations for its first season under Dodge, but struggled from the opening kickoff against Oklahoma in Norman to the final gun of its loss to FIU.

Dodge spoke of competing for the Sun Belt Conference title and turning the Mean Green into a team fans in Dallas-Fort Worth get behind from the moment he arrived on campus. UNT took some small steps toward that goal only to see a host of problems leave the Mean Green with a 2-10 record.

Dodge’s winning percentage of .167 is the worst for a first-year UNT head football coach since J.W. Pender finished 0-1 in 1913.

“It was disappointing from the standpoint that we had a lot higher expectations for ourselves,” Dodge said. “Tonight wasn’t one of them, but there were several games during the year we let slip away that could have been victories. I am proud of this football team for staying together with good attitudes and practice habits.”

In some ways, UNT made progress in its first season under Dodge.

The Mean Green used a run-first system under former head coach Darrell Dickey, who led UNT to four straight Sun Belt titles from 2001-04 before his program hit the skids.

Dodge completely changed the Mean Green’s approach, installing a spread offense and returning UNT’s defense to a 4-3 alignment after a season in the 3-4.

The Mean Green didn’t have the personnel Dodge wanted to run his offensive system, switched quarterbacks in midseason and played a true freshman in Giovanni Vizza most of the year. Despite those obstacles, UNT still managed to set a school record for passing yards in a season with 3,476. Vizza threw for 2,388.

“Offensively, we have been able to teach the system,” Dodge said. “We have shown our players that the ball needs to be spread around to different players.”

UNT didn't make near as much progress defensively.

The Mean Green came into the season believing it had the makings of a dominant defense. UNT returned nine starters from a unit that finished 79th nationally with an average of 25.3 points allowed per game, but struggled to stop anyone in one of the mind-boggling aspects of its season.

UNT set a dubious school record for points allowed in a game in a 79-10 loss to Oklahoma to open the season and never recovered.

The Mean Green finished last out of 119 teams nationally with an average of 45.1 points allowed per game, despite featuring several players who had earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors during their careers, including linebacker Maurice Holman, defensive end Jeremiah Chapman and safety Aaron Weathers. The 541 points UNT allowed blew away the old school record of 424 points set in 1995.

“We didn’t make plays,” Holman said. “We needed to get on the same page and make plays. We didn’t do that this year.”

UNT also struggled on special teams. The Mean Green didn’t have a scholarship kicker when Dodge arrived and lost one of the best special teams players in recent Mean Green history in Johnny Quinn the previous season.

Those losses proved to problematic for UNT, which finished last in the Sun Belt in kickoffs with an average of 18.4 yards a return and seventh out of eight teams in field goal accuracy at 53.3 percent and kickoff coverage with an average of 35.8 yards gained per kick.

UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal expressed confidence in Dodge, despite those struggles.

"Things didn't go on the field like we wanted, but at times they went like we thought they would," Villarreal said. "It's an adjustment period. Coach Dodge came in with players that are new to the system and he is new to them. I look back at the Navy, Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic games. Those are games we easily could have won."

ASU beat UNT on a touchdown pass with two seconds left, while FAU and Navy pulled out close games at Fouts Field.

"We let too many opportunities slip away and didn't finish," Vizza said in the days leading up to UNT's season finale. "I wish we had five more games left. We are playing so much better now than at the beginning of the season."

Vizza is one of several young players who will be back next season when Dodge will have his second recruiting class in place to go along with several young players who saw significant playing time this season.

UNT is hoping those players will help it turn the corner after a tough start under Dodge.

"I definitely think we have laid the foundation," Dodge said before UNT's loss to FIU. "It will be disappointing for my staff and our players that when we finish this season, we won’t have reached our potential. I think we are better. That is something that eats at me."

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

Where does UNT go from here?

The following is a look at three of the pressing issues North Texas will face this offseason:

1. Fix a broken defense:

There might not be a more important challenge for UNT than finding a way to get its defense on track, and it's not going to be easy. The Mean Green finished last nationally in scoring defense with an average of 45.1 points allowed per game and lost all five of its top tacklers to graduation. UNT only recruited nine defensive players in its 2007 recruiting class and has three defensive players committed so far for 2008. Dodge said he doesn't plan to change his coaching staff, which will put pressure on defensive coordinator Ron Mendoza to turn UNT's defense around.

2. Tap into Texas recruiting ties:

Todd Dodge's ties to Texas high school coaches were one of the reasons UNT hired him in the first place. UNT needs talent across the board and is trying to carve out a niche in the Dallas-Fort Worth area recruiting market. It will be tougher to sell top players on playing for the Mean Green after a 2-10 season. UNT landed some highly regarded players in 2007 and has a good start on 2008. UNT can't afford to let its momentum die.

3. Figure out if Vizza is the guy:

Freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza had a remarkable freshman season, throwing for 2,388 yards with 17 touchdowns, but did toss 20 interceptions. Todd Dodge's son Riley will arrive at UNT before next season, but is coming off a shoulder injury he suffered in a playoff loss to Abilene on Saturday. Todd Dodge will have to decide if Vizza is UNT's quarterback of the immediate future and find a way to handle what could be a quarterback controversy involving his son.

................................................................

Yes, I highlighted some key areas of concern.

Edited December 3, 2007 by NT80

[KBJ]

Football: False start

3. Figure out if Vizza is the guy:

Freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza had a remarkable freshman season, throwing for 2,388 yards with 17 touchdowns, but did toss 20 interceptions. Todd Dodge's son Riley will arrive at UNT before next season, but is coming off a shoulder injury he suffered in a playoff loss to Abilene on Saturday. Todd Dodge will have to decide if Vizza is UNT's quarterback of the immediate future and find a way to handle what could be a quarterback controversy involving his son.

Look Vizza was 78 of 129 with 7 picks the last 3 SBC games and avg. 236 yards a game. Not close to what TD said he was looking for in his QB. But then again he could have been lying about this also

[nautique]

In defense of Vizza, he had some just plain bad luck on several crazy interceptions this season. I still go back to a post where Stafford had 8 td's to 16 int's his true freshman season. Qb's with no running game are all in trouble, especially a true freshman.

KBJ still wants Meager to be starting and maybe he should have. What would Meager have done differently? I am not sure, you'll have to answer that KBJ. I would have liked to have seen Meager in the Troy game, I would have liked to have seen whether he would have made it through the game. I believe that is where we saw the depth of Giovanni and what he brings to this team.

We must have dropped 7 balls against FIU and had several key receptions called back for holding. We got behind the chains a lot of the season with penalties and no running game.

This was just a bad season all the way around. There were a few bright spots but the FIU game summed up the season.

Maybe Meager makes a run at it again, or maybe Riley makes a run, but based on what I saw, Vizza is not going to back down from anyone. Vizza will grow leaps and bounds from one season to the next. TD will call better games next season and will adjust. Todd, as much as our defense, will need to adjust. Mosely will be bigger and stronger, WR competition will be unreal, QB competition will be unreal as will the OL. Lots of positives.

Honestly, I think TD will adjust and come out swinging. Whether its Meager, Vizza or Dodge, the offense will be better.

Defensively, specialty teams and just overall athletes, scare me. If I see us play Cover 1 all next season again, I will throw up.

FIU hit the wheel route with the back out of the backfield all night, yet we never adjusted. I would like to know how many times we ran cover 2 or 3? How many times, we went with a nickel or dime package? How often we would use bracket coverage schemes?

We need a kicker, we need a punt returner, we need speed on specialty teams.

Not sure how we replace Montey and Weathers? No offense to Holman, Chapman, Mendoza and the list goes on, but Montey and Weathers, to me, you guys were unbelievable and will be sorely missed.

To Adam Vinegas, you gave it your all and always did your best. UNT will miss your heart and what you did for the younger OL members.

Brandon, it was fun watching you catch the ball this season, thank you. Jamario, you left Fouts witht the team on your back, all the best to you.

[FirefightnRick]

I'm not sure how we replace Jeremiah Chapman since he endedup leading the team in tackles, including Weathers who was second. Losing all of our leading tacklers is going to hurt. At least Robertson and Dawson return.

Rick

[Dodge2007]

Meager, Vizza and Dodge shore up our QB situation. The ultimate competitor will come out and we'll ride the particular horse who comes out on top. The QB position is wide open.

WR's, we have a lot of depth, not sure about how much speed. Other than Fitz, no one is safe at starting at WR. Speed rules. In the spread, you must get seperation when you get press coverage. Not sure we really have the speed to be a Hawaii, Tech, etc. (throw first mentality) UNT must be able to run the ball giving Dodge that opportunity to get open receivers. Missouri runs the ball so effectively that Chase Daniel has so many easy completion opportunites and is not sitting on his back most of the game. Dodge will use his "Jumbo" package more and more for balance and for maximum blitz protection against the teams with more team speed on defense.

OL is coming back, Red shirt and others will compete. We must be more physical up front. We have to be smarter and be able to pound the ball when needed.

We need another RB, someone who can take it to the house and hits the hole. Micah is a great possession back. Now we need the speed back who can go the distance but who will also get up in the hole, imo.

Defense and specialty teams would take all day to cover. And my opinions suck, so I'll punt it to the experts. (and hopefully, not get it blocked)

Edited December 3, 2007 by Dodge2007

[Got5onIt]

I'm not sure how we replace Jeremiah Chapman since he endedup leading the team in tackles, including Weathers who was second. Losing all of our leading tacklers is going to hurt. At least Robertson and Dawson return.

Rick

Hmm, the defensive staff has these guys buried on the depth chart. Dawson was one hell of player at OLB, but is now a backup DB. The wit & wisdom just flows with confidence on the defensive staff....

[Charlie NT 73]

North Texas was very close to a 7-5 season. Had the football gods

been on our side, we would all be happy. The games against SMU,

FAU, LaLa Fayette, Navy, and Ark State were in ourhands but got

away. We all saw the beginning of Dodgeball, and I for one, was

very impressed. Considering that Coach Dodge and his staff did

not have alot of time to develop a run team into a spread offense,

change the defensive system from 3-4 back to a 4-3, then make

changes with personell/positions, (like Santiago at OG, and Koery

Washington to WR), and to play almost half of the 2007 class, does

reflect one hell of a coaching job.

The key to winning is recruiting the kids to play your system.

The number one reason a kid picks his college of choice, is the

HFC and his staff. North Texas has 13 top commitments for the

2008 class right now. Wow! The future of North Texas is in very

good hands. Yes, the season looks like in went into the craper, but

there are many positives that developed this year. Remeber this,

it is just a short walk from the outhouse to the penthouse. I say

North Texas will be in the penthouse in the next year or two!

[GoMeanGreen1999]

This offseason will be fun and funny at the same time. Will be good to see whom we bring in for recruiting purposes, but at the same time we will all try and convince ourselves that this defense will make huge advances during the offseason.

[Stan R]

but at the same time we will all try and convince ourselves that this defense will make huge advances during the offseason.

Boy you are so right on that one. By the time August rolls around again, we'll be hearing about how Mendoza is the second coming of Mike Ditka and our new 2 star recruits on defense were WAAAYYY underrated and could start for anyone in the nation. Oh and that 4.6 speed was really a 4.3 because rivals is always biased against non BCS schools and always works the numbers. And I'll be guilty of doing it as well.

[MCMLXXX]

It's all Green and it's all good.

[MeanGreen61]

North Texas was very close to a 7-5 season. Had the football gods

been on our side, we would all be happy.

Close counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. A loss is a loss.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Some of you that are the statics gurus may want to run the numbers on it, but just take a look at what some of the defensive guys that were on the staff from last year where able to do with the defense of La Tech from last year to this year. Not bad.

[MeanGreen61]

Some of you that are the statics gurus may want to run the numbers on it, but just take a look at what some of the defensive guys that were on the staff from last year where able to do with the defense of La Tech from last year to this year. Not bad.

Who woulda thunk.