Wow, Vizza's Departure....

[meangreenbob]

I wish him well, and I thank him for all he did while here but I think the Mean Green will be just fine. I guess I should be concerned but I'm not. I feel OK about Vizza leaving. Nothing any of us can do about it anyway, right?

[medpilot21]

I wish him well, and I thank him for all he did while here but I think the Mean Green will be just fine. I guess I should be concerned but I'm not. I feel OK about Vizza leaving. Nothing any of us can do about it anyway, right?

Wow? It bothers me. The kid is a natural leader and has tremendous talent. Imagine how many other records he could have broken if he just had a second or two in the pocket to scan the field? I am obviously no expert, but you dont lose kids like this and everything is okay. We will move forward with Riley, as we now have to... but yes, this bothers me.

GMG!!!

[untbowler]

I wish him well, and I thank him for all he did while here but I think the Mean Green will be just fine. I guess I should be concerned but I'm not. I feel OK about Vizza leaving. Nothing any of us can do about it anyway, right?

So will you be saying this when everyone's little savior comes in adn then gets KO'ed for a third straight season? I would be damn worried as a Mean Green Fan. At least now TD has no excuses since he has his "stud" QB.

As for those attacking Vizza, funny that you were the same ones praising him just 12 months ago.

[meangreenbob]

So will you be saying this when everyone's little savior comes in adn then gets KO'ed for a third straight season? I would be damn worried as a Mean Green Fan. At least now TD has no excuses since he has his "stud" QB.

As for those attacking Vizza, funny that you were the same ones praising him just 12 months ago.

For the record, my post was anything but an attack on Vizza. Just want to make that perfectly clear. But your post was certainly an attack on Coach Dodge and Riley.

[KRAM1]

I am getting very tired of the "attacks" on everyone on the forum....Meangreenbob was, in no way attacking Vizza....why come back with some attack on TD and Riley???? I just don't get it. If you are honest, you know Vizza did not have a great year last season...sophomore slump or what, i do not know. I expected him to come back in a big way in 2009 and have another great year. The kid is a very good...not great...QB, but kids who play in this type of system do rack up lots of passing yardage...it is to be expected....Vizza will go on to have a decent college career...no question about that, but he is now officially part of the past, and no longer part of the Mean Green nation...his choice...let's wish him well and see where 2009 takes the Mean Green.

Come on...let's stop the "nastiness" on this forum and get on with moving the Mean Green forward...I am looking forward to a much brighter 2009 for the football loving Mean Green nation.

GO MEAN GREEN!

[buff64]

After reading this board I'm surprised that all the players don't leave and that no recruits committ to UNT. No one is happy with recent results, but attacks on players and coaches will not yield any beneficial results.It should be cear to everyone that Coach Dickey left the cupboard nearly bare and Coach Dodge has basically been playing college teams with high school players.

[GreenMachine]

After reading this board I'm surprised that all the players don't leave and that no recruits committ to UNT. No one is happy with recent results, but attacks on players and coaches will not yield any beneficial results.It should be cear to everyone that Coach Dickey left the cupboard nearly bare and Coach Dodge has basically been playing college teams with high school players.

read some OU boards and it will make your head spin. They attack everyone and their momma.

Edited January 12, 2009 by GreenMachine

[UNT90]

I wish him well, and I thank him for all he did while here but I think the Mean Green will be just fine. I guess I should be concerned but I'm not. I feel OK about Vizza leaving. Nothing any of us can do about it anyway, right?

So your OK with 0-12?

[GoMeanGreen1999]

So your OK with 0-12?

Hope folks are, because that is very much a distinct possibility now.

[MeanGreenEagle]

I wish him well, and I thank him for all he did while here but I think the Mean Green will be just fine. I guess I should be concerned but I'm not. I feel OK about Vizza leaving. Nothing any of us can do about it anyway, right?

Our starting QB transfered away... who cares.

But seriously, I wish him well but this is far from "OK".

Edited January 12, 2009 by MeanGreenEagle

[yyz28]

Hope folks are, because that is very much a distinct possibility now.

I'm not attacking anyone, but 0-12 was a distinct possiblity with Gio on the roster, based on what our record was in 2008 (when it was a defensive play that won the single game we pulled off...).

I'm not sure what his departure really does for us in the W/L columns.

I guess I see this differently than some. I like Gio, he's a good talent and a great leader. ...but if he doesn't want to be here, it is best for everyone involved that he moves on. This may be a set-back, it may not. Only time will tell.

We can only thank him for the hard work and heart he put into this program and wish him the best for the future, and then get behind whoever replaces him for our program.

[NT80]

There is one week before the spring semester starts at most colleges, could there be others leaving?

Edited January 12, 2009 by NT80

[meanrob]

If Vizza wants to transfer, so be it and good luck to the kid.

This surely doesn't look good on Dodge.

However from a purely playing standpoint, i don't think it's that big of a hit. In my opinion Vizza is not a legitimate starting Div IA quarterback. Not saying that we have one in Riley, in fact i have serious doubts about his abilities at this level too but Vizza just made too many bad plays. And i'm not sure that toughness makes a great leader. Compare him to other sun belt qbs and id take just about every other sun belt qb over him. Would he have improved with time? Maybe but that's not a given.

Flame away!

[edcollopy]

Rob-

I strongly agree w/ you. While it doesn't look great to have another player leave, I always looked at Gio as a nice player that came around at the right time. I've posted before that I think you have to have a faster qb to play this offense or the DE's won't bite on the fake handoffs. After watching the Rice game down here...it was quite obvious to everyone that his arm is not on par w/ alot of other qbs. His balls often end up way high (ala Drew brees), and that leads to the picks and hurt receivers...maybe that is why we were so conservative this year. Brees doesn't throw alot of deep sideline routes and that is why the Chargers chose Rivers over him. Brees throws in the middle a ton because it's a shorter throw, but that is where alot of picks happen. I think Dodge may have made adjustments to what he likes to do based on Gio's arm strength.

[gangrene]

Rob-

I strongly agree w/ you. While it doesn't look great to have another player leave, I always looked at Gio as a nice player that came around at the right time. I've posted before that I think you have to have a faster qb to play this offense or the DE's won't bite on the fake handoffs. After watching the Rice game down here...it was quite obvious to everyone that his arm is not on par w/ alot of other qbs. His balls often end up way high (ala Drew brees), and that leads to the picks and hurt receivers...maybe that is why we were so conservative this year. Brees doesn't throw alot of deep sideline routes and that is why the Chargers chose Rivers over him. Brees throws in the middle a ton because it's a shorter throw, but that is where alot of picks happen. I think Dodge may have made adjustments to what he likes to do based on Gio's arm strength.

I'm not sure you're going to convince many people of Vizza's ineptitude by comparing him to Drew Brees.

[meanrob]

I'm not sure you're going to convince many people of Vizza's ineptitude by comparing him to Drew Brees.

I don't know about comparisons but i do know Vizza was not very good at the long ball. He put way too much air underneath it.

And just looking at the sunbelt stats, Vizza was next to last in efficiency and had by far the worst td/int ratio. Sure you can make stats look a variety of ways but in my opinion he just did not show any improvement from year one to two. In fact i thought he got worse.

How much of that is on Dodge's shoulders? At least some, after all he is the coach.

Not trying to drag Vizza through the mud, I have been saying this in our circle since about halfway thru the year. Sure he didn't have a whole lot to work with but too many times i saw him make bad throws/decisions even when he had the time.

If he proves me wrong, so be it.

Just saying what i saw and what i saw was not a good IA quarterback, even for the sun belt.

[greenjoe]

It seems to me that whenever a team loses it's starting (Position) , there should be cause for concern. Vizza was good enough to be given a scholarship, and good enough to displace another starter for appx 18 straight games. He's the best, or was, the best QB we had, of all I've seen.

Here's a guy that is the #5 all time passer at NT with, or so we thought, 2 more years to go. It's a big loss.

I had the same sick feeling this morning when I saw the newspaper that I had when I heard Hayden Fry was leaving.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---I think Vizza did the best he could do and I wish him well. ... It is also pretty difficult to stay inspired when you see the other side of the scoreboard is averaging 50 points a week. He had very little responsibility in that part. (maybe some fumbles or interceptions ran back)...

---The best thing I see about the 2008 season is... it is over.

[edcollopy]

Obviously Drew Brees is on another level than Vizza...I'm making the analogy that sometimes it's not such a bad thing to have a switch to another QB w/ less experience if that person has a different/better skill set. It' w/o argument that Riley is faster...from what I've seen of him on TV in high school...looks like he can really rifle a ball. That is all I'm saying....my bad for not explaining the argument enough.

[Got5onIt]

Todd Dodge's offense needs a true dual threat QB. Dodge could use this offense all day in high school, but at this level he needs the talent & speed kicked up a notch at this position. I seriously have my doubts about Riley being fast enough & durable enough to make it work. Look at what the high school team from Miami(or wherever the hell they were from) did to TD & RD when they beat them. SLC wasn't the fastest team on the field. You can't win when you're game is based on your best athlete being the QB and he's the 10th best player on the field.

[UNT90]

I don't know about comparisons but i do know Vizza was not very good at the long ball. He put way too much air underneath it.

And just looking at the sunbelt stats, Vizza was next to last in efficiency and had by far the worst td/int ratio. Sure you can make stats look a variety of ways but in my opinion he just did not show any improvement from year one to two. In fact i thought he got worse.

How much of that is on Dodge's shoulders? At least some, after all he is the coach.

Not trying to drag Vizza through the mud, I have been saying this in our circle since about halfway thru the year. Sure he didn't have a whole lot to work with but too many times i saw him make bad throws/decisions even when he had the time.

If he proves me wrong, so be it.

Just saying what i saw and what i saw was not a good IA quarterback, even for the sun belt.

Problem with Rodge is that he is 5' 9" and 180 lbs. He doesn't have the frame to take the pounding that is required of a college QB, much less UNT's QB.

As far as the long ball, I was personally present to witness the only pass thrown by Rodge last season, which occurred directly in front of my 10th row seat during the LSU game (they give their opponent's fans REALLY good seats), was not impressed with the floater that was thrown. I also saw several of his high school games, and the long ball was definitely not his strength.

That said, he appears to be a lock as the starter next year, so I'm behind him.

[Charlie NT 73]

I am sorry to see Vizza has decided to transfer. I was looking forward

to his junior year, and maybe some offensive fromations that would use

both Vizza and Riley at the same time. Ah, what coulda been!

Well, that concept is gone. I wish the very best for Giovanni, and his

continued success. Thanks for playing at NT! The Navy game will

always be a favorite game to remember!

Now, the door is open for Riley Dodge to make his own history.

I think Riley will trive in the program, and certainly be a leader.

The question is, will the OL be able to protect the QB better?

Opponents DE's just ate our lunch almost every play last year.

I do think Riley will be able to escape the DE rush more because

Riley's assets are his quickness and his speed. If the OL can

give alittle more protection, Riley will make the offense go.

Now that the QB battle is over, spring ball will certainly seal

the deal for Riley. It is his team now.

[UNTLifer]

Problem with Rodge is that he is 5' 9" and 180 lbs. He doesn't have the frame to take the pounding that is required of a college QB, much less UNT's QB.

Kind of like Reesing at KU?

[GrandGreen]

Vizza's departure certainly bothers me. Not because I think Vizza was irreplaceable or even a particularly good QB, but it is just another sign of how far down the NT program is down right now. When you give a player the opportunity to start two years at QB, and then he leaves apparently without even giving the coach the courtesy of a discussion, it certainly points to a program in chaos.

I wish Vizza well, he did play with a lot of desire, but I do wonder what is wrong with a player and a coaching staff that interacts everyday and yet seems to have so little communication. I don't understand why Vizza would announce his departure without first talking to the coaching staff or why the coaching staff would be so unaware of the situation that they claim surprise.

[Green Lantern]

Vizza's departure certainly bothers me. Not because I think Vizza was irreplaceable or even a particularly good QB, but it is just another sign of how far down the NT program is down right now. When you give a player the opportunity to start two years at QB, and then he leaves apparently without even giving the coach the courtesy of a discussion, it certainly points to a program in chaos.

I echo this thought. Just depressing that talented players are leaving the program for various reasons. Vizza is just the most prominent one to date. The cumulitive effect is what has become very worrisome.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Green Lantern