Picking The Sun Belt

[MeanGreen61]

8. North Texas -- Things have not gone well for Todd Dodge in his first two seasons since coming from Southlake Carroll High School. Three victories in 24 games have Dodge on the hot seat.

Offense hasn't been a problem. North Texas scored at least 26 points five times last season. Todd's son Riley takes over at quarterback. The pair were deadly in high school. Riley originally committed to Texas but signed with the Mean Green. Now both have to produce.

The defense has to get better. Try to figure out this dichotomy: The D was the worst in I-A last season but is one of the more experienced groups in the Sun Belt this season.

Picking the Sun Belt

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/15096888

[H-towngreen]

The defense has to get better. Try to figure out this dichotomy: The D was the worst in I-A last season but is one of the more experienced groups in the Sun Belt this season.

Picking the Sun Belt

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/15096888

Ummmm: answer- maybe last year this was a young group? How many Sr's on D did we lose? not to many

[NT80]

Ummmm: answer- maybe last year this was a young group? How many Sr's on D did we lose? not to many

The first year it was the defensive scheme...a high school scheme not complex enough to be a college defense, as OU coaches said. Last year was a huge learning curve, player movements, and the offense changed from stretching the field in 2007 to short dink passes in 2008 which were not effective. This short passing game X's and O's continued this spring and will be the downfall of TD if he doesn't add some longer-range passing to the mix.

[UNT90]

Ummmm: answer- maybe last year this was a young group? How many Sr's on D did we lose? not to many

So thats a good thing? I hope we replace many of last seasons starters with more talented players, otherwise hello 0-12.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--Here is hoping that we don't do something UNT has never done before..... zero wins. Dodge owns the UNT record for the worse season ever. 1-11 and also the NCAA record for most points allowed in a season-- 10,000 ----or at least it seemed like that. .

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

The first year it was the defensive scheme...a high school scheme not complex enough to be a college defense, as OU coaches said. Last year was a huge learning curve, player movements, and the offense changed from stretching the field in 2007 to short dink passes in 2008 which were not effective. This short passing game X's and O's continued this spring and will be the downfall of TD if he doesn't add some longer-range passing to the mix.

Not just the scheme, but the ability to recognize what the other team is doing and adjust, not just at halftime, but in-game. This goes not just for the defense, but the offense.

That's the trouble this year, we are a passing offense that is still relying on a core of high school coaches trying to react to what veteran college defensive coordinators are throwing at them. They haven't proven they can do it. And, schools really throttled us good last year despite the experience of our skill players.

And, more of a running game early in the games. People can harp on the old-fashionedness of it all they want. But, if you don't have a run game capable of picking up a yard or two when you need it, at any point in the game, you don't have jack.

Edited May 20, 2009 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[greenminer]

And, more of a running game early in the games. People can harp on the old-fashionedness of it all they want. But, if you don't have a run game capable of picking up a yard or two when you need it, at any point in the game, you don't have jack.

To add to that, it's not a question of if we have a running game. We have a proven RB stable in CAM and Micah running behind a solid solid line. Great ypc last year! They just need to get more carries.

If Dodge doesn't use our full arsenal available and sticks with those passes to the flat, it might just add in insult to whatever 30-6 2nd quarter thrashing we might be in the midst of.

[KRAM1]

I doubt UNT will see many predictions above 8th in the 'Belt. If all they knew was what they have read or seen (maybe even here on GMG.Com, who knows????) then 8th it is until UNT proves them wrong. Seems fair to me. What I will/do find interesting are the "whys" given for the various predictions. One guess, most, if not all will mention Riley and the success he and TD had at Southlake. You think some of these folks might just think they will be able to recapture some of that old Southlake-Carroll magic?

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I agree that the biggest factor was the defensive line. I also think that poor coaching was as much a factor as lack of talent and size. That was especially true of the interior line. I'm hoping that you'll see a renaissance with the experience Mike Nelso coaching both the tackles and the ends. He is the absolute key to this year's success, if there is any. Without pressure on the quarterback our defensive backs, as good as they are, will be picked apart.

The next largest factor is the learning curve. I think that most of our fans, myself included, thought that Gary DeLoach would come in and have instant success because he had done it before. but, look back to 2002. He had become defensive coordinator in 2001 after having been on the staff a couple of years. We gave up roughly 27-28 points per game in those years. In 2002, his second year as coordinator, that average dropped about ten points. I expect a rather large reduction in points allowed this coming season.

[DallasGreen]

--Here is hoping that we don't do something UNT has never done before..... zero wins. Dodge owns the UNT record for the worse season ever. 1-11 and also the NCAA record for most points allowed in a season-- 10,000 ----or at least it seemed like that. .

MOST LOP SIDED DEFEAT IN 50+ YEARS OF FOUTS FIELD=TULSA 2007

[SUMG]

MOST LOP SIDED DEFEAT IN 50+ YEARS OF FOUTS FIELD=TULSA 2007

We didn't play Tulsa in Fouts in 2007.

We played them in Fouts in 2008...and lost 26-56.

That's 30 points.

I seem to remember Dickey losing to Tulsa by 52....back in 2005.

[MeanGreen61]

We didn't play Tulsa in Fouts in 2007.

We played them in Fouts in 2008...and lost 26-56.

That's 30 points.

I seem to remember Dickey losing to Tulsa by 52....back in 2005.

54-2

[GoMeanGreen1999]

54-2

So depressing was that game.

[UNT90]

Reading some of these coaching comments, you would think it was May, 2008.