Riley Dodge - Redshirt No More

UNTSIG · September 7, 2008

maybe you guys aren't watching the same team that i am. we need help. we need it now. let me understand the logic of a lot you on here. just to make sure that i have it all straight. you want to yell and complain about the fact that we are not winning now. however, you don't want us to put one of our best athletes on the field because you want to make sure that we have a better shot of winning 5 years from now? and you actually thougt that Dodge's reasoning was stupid? Riley Dodge gives us a better chance at winning. Vizza is the qb of this team this year, next year and 2 years from now. you can not take one of our best players off the field because you want to look into a crystal ball. gentlemen don't talk out of both sides of your mouth. When Dodge came here, he said that he wanted to win and he wanted to win now and you ate it up. now he puts the players on the field that give us the best chance to win and you are concerned about 5 years from now.

woody82986 · September 7, 2008

maybe you guys aren't watching the same team that i am. we need help. we need it now. let me understand the logic of a lot you on here. just to make sure that i have it all straight. you want to yell and complain about the fact that we are not winning now. however, you don't want us to put one of our best athletes on the field because you want to make sure that we have a better shot of winning 5 years from now? and you actually thougt that Dodge's reasoning was stupid? Riley Dodge gives us a better chance at winning. Vizza is the qb of this team this year, next year and 2 years from now. you can not take one of our best players off the field because you want to look into a crystal ball. gentlemen don't talk out of both sides of your mouth. When Dodge came here, he said that he wanted to win and he wanted to win now and you ate it up. now he puts the players on the field that give us the best chance to win and you are concerned about 5 years from now.

I agree 100%.

KingDL1 · September 7, 2008

maybe you guys aren't watching the same team that i am. we need help. we need it now. let me understand the logic of a lot you on here. just to make sure that i have it all straight. you want to yell and complain about the fact that we are not winning now. however, you don't want us to put one of our best athletes on the field because you want to make sure that we have a better shot of winning 5 years from now? and you actually thougt that Dodge's reasoning was stupid? Riley Dodge gives us a better chance at winning. Vizza is the qb of this team this year, next year and 2 years from now. you can not take one of our best players off the field because you want to look into a crystal ball. gentlemen don't talk out of both sides of your mouth. When Dodge came here, he said that he wanted to win and he wanted to win now and you ate it up. now he puts the players on the field that give us the best chance to win and you are concerned about 5 years from now.

Do you really feel that our problems are at receiver? I kind figured that was the least of our problems.

Smitty · September 7, 2008

Do you really feel that our problems are at receiver? I kind figured that was the least of our problems.

Thank you.

Green Crazy · September 7, 2008

Do you really feel that our problems are at receiver? I kind figured that was the least of our problems.

our problems are plentyful, but one that he could address and make less of a problem is making our offense more potent and puting a playmaker with game changing ability out there. he didn't change the outcome of the game, but he did make an impact. i'm all for him playing now, he makes the team better.

JayDub · September 7, 2008

I think DallasGreen summed it up best...

GoMeanGreen1999 · September 7, 2008

our problems are plentyful, but one that he could address and make less of a problem is making our offense more potent and puting a playmaker with game changing ability out there. he didn't change the outcome of the game, but he did make an impact. i'm all for him playing now, he makes the team better.

Riley playing is like the Painting of Fouts - it is lipstick on a pig - yes he has great talent and he make it a little better, but in the end this team is just bad.

Green Crazy · September 8, 2008

Riley playing is like the Painting of Fouts - it is lipstick on a pig - yes he has great talent and he make it a little better, but in the end this team is just bad.

so, what we should do is leave one of the best recruits UNT has ever signed on the sidelines for three of the 5 years he is here? that's how to optimize the the talent on your team!

the shame is that i think having riley out there as a hybrid qb/wr (slash type of position) would be a better idea then him just being a wr, but i don't know if todge is creative enough in his offense to do something like this.

in short, rodge being out there will make this team better now. he was one of the best, if not the best player out there last night in his first collegiate game.

greenminer · September 8, 2008

so, what we should do is leave one of the best recruits UNT has ever signed on the sidelines for three of the 5 years he is here? that's how to optimize the the talent on your team!
the shame is that i think having riley out there as a hybrid qb/wr (slash type of position) would be a better idea then him just being a wr, but i don't know if todge is creative enough in his offense to do something like this.
in short, rodge being out there will make this team better now. he was one of the best, if not the best player out there last night in his first collegiate game.

I saw MIzzou run a play this year in which the slot took a sweep, paused at the outside (don't know if that's the correct nomenclature) and threw a bomb to a wideout streaking into the endzone. Seems like a good Riley play to me.

Green Crazy · September 8, 2008

ut is doing the something similar with john chiles and colt mccoy. they think they need to get their best players on the field to be where they want to be, so they're doing it.

GoMeanGreen1999 · September 8, 2008

so, what we should do is leave one of the best recruits UNT has ever signed on the sidelines for three of the 5 years he is here? that's how to optimize the the talent on your team!
the shame is that i think having riley out there as a hybrid qb/wr (slash type of position) would be a better idea then him just being a wr, but i don't know if todge is creative enough in his offense to do something like this.
in short, rodge being out there will make this team better now. he was one of the best, if not the best player out there last night in his first collegiate game.

I thought he looked out there, minus the drop at the goal line. I thought he added a spark to the team that we needed at that time. I saw him on the sidelines constantly trying to encourage our players. Yes, he is one of the better players on the field, I just wish we could have redshirted him for a season.

UNTflyer · September 8, 2008

And in case anyone has forgotten, Riley played as a slot receiver for his first year in high school before leading his dad's offense.

The kid can run. He almost scored on a reverse after lining up behind Vizza (who threw a great block!). What can this offense do with both Vizza and Dodge in the backfield? I imagine once we get into Belt play, we'll see some razzle dazzle with these guys.

nautique · September 8, 2008

Dodge feels the pressure to win now. Several WR's just have not panned out. For some reason, BJ Lewis has been moved to the other side of the ball?

Hey moffat, since your close to the team and know many players, which players are not hitting the field that should be, in your opinion?

Your comments suggest you have the pulse and opinion of the team. So what gives? Who is TD not playing?

Edited September 8, 2008 by nautique

ntsumck · September 8, 2008

I hated see him playing as well, but the kid can play receiver. He was suited up last week as a receiver, warmed up with them and was in all of the receiver sideline meetings. I thought he might play last week. It would have been great for him to get a redshirt. We are not at the level that we can redshirt everyone. That is why we are playing so many freshmen. If we were playing at a higher level, we would have the luxury of redshirting a kid, unless he was a stud. If TD had his preference he would redshirt all freshmen, but at this point in our journey we have to play our best players. You know he would not like to have 2 freshmen starting in the secondary, but they are the best that we have.

I believe 52 of our 80 are sophs or freshmen. In a couple of years we might have the luxury to redshirt some of our best recruits. Not at this point. Until we are a top 50 program, expect to play our top recruits.

Also, he can still redshirt next year. I do not believe he will, but you have 5 years to play 4.

It is bad now, but wait a couple of years. We will be very competitive. We are getting more speed and we now have to start recruiting some big boys.

Smitty · September 8, 2008

so, what we should do is leave one of the best recruits UNT has ever signed on the sidelines for three of the 5 years he is here? that's how to optimize the the talent on your team!
the shame is that i think having riley out there as a hybrid qb/wr (slash type of position) would be a better idea then him just being a wr, but i don't know if todge is creative enough in his offense to do something like this.
in short, rodge being out there will make this team better now. he was one of the best, if not the best player out there last night in his first collegiate game.

No, redshirt him this year, then he can play WR next year. You still get four full years out of him, but two of those - his last two - should have been as the quarterback after Vizza is done. At least, I had hoped that was the plan.

Edited September 8, 2008 by Smitty

greenminer · September 8, 2008

Some of you have missed the suggestion that he may be saving his redshirt for somewhere else.

We need to win.

jjpfootball · September 8, 2008

Once Riley stepped on the field Saturday his reshirt for this year was gone.

UNTflyer · September 8, 2008

Some of you have missed the suggestion that he may be saving his redshirt for somewhere else.
We need to win.

I don't believe that for a second. He wants to play for his Dad. If Dodge went 7-5 or 8-4 last year, then this year beat KSU and Tulsa and had us all licking our chops to play LSU, then I might be concerned that Dodge would bolt. But who is going to hire him right now, or over the next year or two?

eulessismore · September 8, 2008

I don't believe that for a second. He wants to play for his Dad. If Dodge went 7-5 or 8-4 last year, then this year beat KSU and Tulsa and had us all licking our chops to play LSU, then I might be concerned that Dodge would bolt. But who is going to hire him right now, or over the next year or two?

Exactly what I've been saying, in so many words. If Dodge leaves UNT for a better opportunity, it will only be after he proves himself a winner at UNT, which would be good for UNT as well.

Green Crazy · September 8, 2008

I don't believe that for a second. He wants to play for his Dad. If Dodge went 7-5 or 8-4 last year, then this year beat KSU and Tulsa and had us all licking our chops to play LSU, then I might be concerned that Dodge would bolt. But who is going to hire him right now, or over the next year or two?

i think what they're hinting at is that dad will be gone after his 5 year contract due to either fall out with the university or a better job.

Dodge2007 · September 8, 2008

The fallout will be based on the fact that Dodge was told a stadium deal would be done. (only making a guess)

UNTLifer · September 8, 2008

My thoughts/opinion (not that they matter):

1. Burning Riley's redshirt: Poor decision, period. There are roughly 18 receivers on the roster. Then again, maybe T. Dodge doesn't forsee his son being a QB in college, but I have a hard time believing this.

2. The problem with the offense is the line play. Drake is out, Gill is undersized and the JUCO's obviously have an issue with hard work if they are coming in as out of shape as they were/are. Address this issue and see how much the skill positions improve. I'm still baffled as to why we never offered Stefan Huber. I would load up on as much beef as possible and weed out those that don't appear to care (see the JUCO reference above).

3. Special Teams: No excuse for the poor play. I thought the JUCO kicker, Knott, was an all-american? Where's his leg strength? Why is it that when we play the UT's, KSU's, LSU's, etc... of the college football world that we start our drives inside the 20 on a consistent basis? We never have field position and it is usually the results of poor coaching, poor decision making, poor coverage and poor tackling.

4. Holding TDodge Accountable: Let's look at the facts. Dodge was a successful college coordinator at NT prior to going the high school route. He is a good coach, but is getting a big dose of reality right now. Also, he really has only had time to recruit one class. I would consider his first class impressive considering he didn't start recruiting until January and this year's class was also highly ranked as one of the best in the history of North Texas. Does he get a pass for this year? I say yes, but there should also be improvement over last year. He is trying to change the entire system and the majority of the roster is comprised of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophmores.

5. The team is extremely young: As noted above and in other posts, this roster is comprised mainly of underclassmen. Next year expectations should begin to go up as these young men mature and get another season in the system under their belt. If marked improvement is not realized next year, then Dodge should be held accountable and questions should be raised.

6. Fan Expecations: We have two types of fan. The first type is the long time fan that has endured more disappointment than one could ever imagine. We, yes I fall in to this group, are tired of the brief glimpses of success and the annual thougths that this is finally our year to move up the food chain. The second type is the "young fan" that jumped on board during the SBC championship years. That was all they knew, and that is what they expect on a yearly basis. Their patience is short and expectation are high, too high sometimes. Type one is tired of being patient and Type 2 has no patience.

7. Comments about TDodge leaving and RDodge transferring: Todd, where's he going to go? Back to high school? Doubt it, too much pride. To another university? Who's going to hire him at this point. He took on this challenge knowing that he must succeed, and I believe he will do everything possible to succeed and we will all enjoy his diligence. I just hope that he is not so tired of all of the negativety from the fans that he bolts once this success is realized.

This is probably one of the most exciting times in the history of North Texas football. We have a coach that has been highly successful, instituting a system that is foreign to many of us that grew accustomed to DD's run based offense. The athletic department is finally pushing for the construction of a long overdue new stadium, and has improved facilities across the board while working with a limited budget. They haven't been perfect, but they have also done much more than any administration I can ever recall. Patience is needed at this time, but will be hard to come by. It will be fun growing with this team through the frustrating times of today, because I belief the rewards in a year or two will make today seem like a distant memory.

untgirl04 · September 8, 2008

My thoughts/opinion (not that they matter):
1. Burning Riley's redshirt: Poor decision, period. There are roughly 18 receivers on the roster. Then again, maybe T. Dodge doesn't forsee his son being a QB in college, but I have a hard time believing this.
2. The problem with the offense is the line play. Drake is out, Gill is undersized and the JUCO's obviously have an issue with hard work if they are coming in as out of shape as they were/are. Address this issue and see how much the skill positions improve. I'm still baffled as to why we never offered Stefan Huber. I would load up on as much beef as possible and weed out those that don't appear to care (see the JUCO reference above).
3. Special Teams: No excuse for the poor play. I thought the JUCO kicker, Knott, was an all-american? Where's his leg strength? Why is it that when we play the UT's, KSU's, LSU's, etc... of the college football world that we start our drives inside the 20 on a consistent basis? We never have field position and it is usually the results of poor coaching, poor decision making, poor coverage and poor tackling.
4. Holding TDodge Accountable: Let's look at the facts. Dodge was a successful college coordinator at NT prior to going the high school route. He is a good coach, but is getting a big dose of reality right now. Also, he really has only had time to recruit one class. I would consider his first class impressive considering he didn't start recruiting until January and this year's class was also highly ranked as one of the best in the history of North Texas. Does he get a pass for this year? I say yes, but there should also be improvement over last year. He is trying to change the entire system and the majority of the roster is comprised of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophmores.
5. The team is extremely young: As noted above and in other posts, this roster is comprised mainly of underclassmen. Next year expectations should begin to go up as these young men mature and get another season in the system under their belt. If marked improvement is not realized next year, then Dodge should be held accountable and questions should be raised.
6. Fan Expecations: We have two types of fan. The first type is the long time fan that has endured more disappointment than one could ever imagine. We, yes I fall in to this group, are tired of the brief glimpses of success and the annual thougths that this is finally our year to move up the food chain. The second type is the "young fan" that jumped on board during the SBC championship years. That was all they knew, and that is what they expect on a yearly basis. Their patience is short and expectation are high, too high sometimes. Type one is tired of being patient and Type 2 has no patience.
7. Comments about TDodge leaving and RDodge transferring: Todd, where's he going to go? Back to high school? Doubt it, too much pride. To another university? Who's going to hire him at this point. He took on this challenge knowing that he must succeed, and I believe he will do everything possible to succeed and we will all enjoy his diligence. I just hope that he is not so tired of all of the negativety from the fans that he bolts once this success is realized.
This is probably one of the most exciting times in the history of North Texas football. We have a coach that has been highly successful, instituting a system that is foreign to many of us that grew accustomed to DD's run based offense. The athletic department is finally pushing for the construction of a long overdue new stadium, and has improved facilities across the board while working with a limited budget. They haven't been perfect, but they have also done much more than any administration I can ever recall. Patience is needed at this time, but will be hard to come by. It will be fun growing with this team through the frustrating times of today, because I belief the rewards in a year or two will make today seem like a distant memory.

1. Right now, I agree with you. I don't like burning Riley's shirt, but I also saw that the team had a bit more life when he was in the game. You can't deny that Riley is a great threat: He could run with the ball, catch the ball, or throw the ball to someone else. And Vizza is one heck of a blocker when he needs to be. While I'm not overjoyed with the decision to play Riley, I'm adopting a semi-wait-and-see attitude about it. I'll give it 2 games into conference until I make my decision.

2. Completely agree about the O-Line play. I didn't get to see the KSU game, but it seems we gave up more sacks/hurries to Tulsa than to KSU. If someone wants to do the research to confirm/disprove that, feel free. Either way, the Tulsa D got through our line all night, and while Vizza held the ball too long in several situations, that's still unacceptable. I have a feeling Lefty will have them better by the end of the season, but as SilverEagle pointed out, and what seems to be the main concern for me, is the lack of conditioning. I don't lay that at Lefty's feet, since I see that everywhere on the field. We have a lot of players out there huffing and puffing. Is our strength and conditioning up to par, and if not, why hasn't that been addressed? I think (aside from dropped balls) this could also improve our special teams play. I have yet to see a good, solid hit on special teams, and it seems the players take forever just to get down the field. By the time we're in position to stop them, the returner has already made it past the 40-yard line.

greenjoe · September 8, 2008

I was surprised to see Riley play Saturday night. I had hoped he would red shirt.

However, Shaft made a point I'd never considered--Maybe Riley and his family want him to be out of college in 4 years, not 5.

I don't think he has a pro career ahead of him, and if so, this makes sense.

And by the way, check to see--I recall Riley was committed to Texas as an ATHLETE, not a WR.

He's obviously got a ton of talent. And perhaps Todd sees Vizza as the better quaterbacvk and this is a way to get Riley on the field.

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houstonmeangreen · September 8, 2008

Redshirt Riley - good...there is alot more playing here than just one year of play. We have stadium issues and fund raising issues and Fan support issues at play. Once we get a new stadium built...Riley will be happy, TD and RV will be happy, you and I will be happy and we will be able to recruit a much higher caliber of player. We will then be able to play at a much higher level of football. We don't have the talent levels to be redshirting people, not now.

And if you think for one moment that Riley will not get a shot at QB you are wrong...it will happen one way or another...probably this year, if not the next year.