3 Reasons Nt Will Be Significantly Better...

[BIG DAWG]

I am looking over my Dave Campbell's magazine for the 100th time, and as the season nears closer, I begin to get drunker from the Green Cool-Aid, I begin to think NT can really surprise people.

Here are my 3 reasons for NT putting a record the pundits and critics will be surprised from with...and I am talking from a positive standpoint...

1) The RUNNING GAME...Cam Montgomery and Lance Dunbar would be spectacular by themselves...then throw in Mosely (still a very capable back), Hamilton (talented athlete...may not stay at RB, but is there for the time being), and Mathis (power back that almost made the team as a true freshman). This stable of backs is very talented, and VERY versatile, and will be used more frequently than many outsiders to the program would think.

2) The OFFENSIVE LINE...This unit may be the biggest strength of our team that no one talks about...or at least not enough. This unit was pretty solid a year ago, starting 2 fresh. (Johnson & Feeley), 2 sophomores (Gill and Santiago), and 1 Junoir (Hollivay). Now you can throw in the return of a stud in Kelvin Drake, who will play somewhere, and the JUCO Jeremy Bean (6-5 310) who will get an opportunity to win a job. This unit, minus Hollivay, still has another year together in 2010 to look forward to.

3) The DEFENSIVE LINE...Last season 2 of our 3 top of the rotation DTs weighed in at 286lbs...this season we will be adding Shavod Atkinson 298lbs, Kelvin Jackson 6-2 320lbs, and the true freshman Kyle White 6-2 318lbs to our DT rotation...Also throw in John Weber at DE 6-3 265 and you have really beefed up the DL...When talking about the DL you have to talk about Coach Mike Nelson and some of things he is doing to take advantage of the talent we do have on the roster...Brandon Akpunku to DE (speed off the edge) and the move of Tevinn Cnatly to DE 6-4 310lbs...When playing as a mid-major, you have to think outside the box, and I am excited to see what Coach Nelson's outside the box thinking, coupled with DeLoach's second year back do for the overall defense, a unit that obviously has to get better, and I really think can be significantly better.

What are your reasons for hope of a turnaround at Fouts???

[drex]

I just have to think that Dodge has been just burning up inside to show the critics wrong and to produce a winner. He has made some good moves that should pay off for the program.

[NT03]

Reason #1 why UNT will be significantly better : It is impossible to be any worse than what we were last year

If CaM can get 20 touches a game , some WRs step up & Riley can keep some D's honest w/accurate passing & quick feet then I say we win 4....maybe 5 games !

GMG

[MeanGreenEagle]

I think we will be much improved in the secondary simply because of the experience gained last year by our freshman DBs. I also think we've finally found our return guys in Dwaylon Cook, Royce Hill, and Jamel Jackson. Knowing who is capable of returning kicks and punts before the season starts should allow us to hit the ground running on special teams.

[Harry]

There is no doubt that this is the strongest team that Dodge has fielded. Wildcard is Riley and how well he can compete as freshman. Yes he knows the offense but he is not used to the speed of the D-I game. Vizza leaving really hurt us in terms of the rebuilding process. If Vizza was back for his junior year I would suggest to you that a 5-6 win season would not be out of the question; history tells us that a freshman QB makes this type of improvement more uncertain. Vizza's unexpected departure makes year 4 of the Dodge era more realistically the "turnaround" year. Also, beware of the JUCO (especially those that aren't available in the Spring)...we all know that it typically takes them at minimum half a season to get in the swing of things if you are lucky.

My biggest ray of hope is the O-line, which is vastly improved - and of course, Riley. I really think this kid is something special, he knows this offense and he has shown an ability to excel in pressure situations. This is clearly the toughest job he has ever been given. His task is not only resurrecting a UNT program that has been miserable for 4-straight years, but also his Dad's future as a D-I head coach.

[gangrene]

What are your reasons for hope of a turnaround at Fouts???

Third time's the charm!??

[eulessismore]

I am looking over my Dave Campbell's magazine for the 100th time, and as the season nears closer, I begin to get drunker from the Green Cool-Aid, I begin to think NT can really surprise people.

Here are my 3 reasons for NT putting a record the pundits and critics will be surprised from with...and I am talking from a positive standpoint...

1) The RUNNING GAME...Cam Montgomery and Lance Dunbar would be spectacular by themselves...then throw in Mosely (still a very capable back), Hamilton (talented athlete...may not stay at RB, but is there for the time being), and Mathis (power back that almost made the team as a true freshman). This stable of backs is very talented, and VERY versatile, and will be used more frequently than many outsiders to the program would think.

2) The OFFENSIVE LINE...This unit may be the biggest strength of our team that no one talks about...or at least not enough. This unit was pretty solid a year ago, starting 2 fresh. (Johnson & Feeley), 2 sophomores (Gill and Santiago), and 1 Junoir (Hollivay). Now you can throw in the return of a stud in Kelvin Drake, who will play somewhere, and the JUCO Jeremy Bean (6-5 310) who will get an opportunity to win a job. This unit, minus Hollivay, still has another year together in 2010 to look forward to.

3) The DEFENSIVE LINE...Last season 2 of our 3 top of the rotation DTs weighed in at 286lbs...this season we will be adding Shavod Atkinson 298lbs, Kelvin Jackson 6-2 320lbs, and the true freshman Kyle White 6-2 318lbs to our DT rotation...Also throw in John Weber at DE 6-3 265 and you have really beefed up the DL...When talking about the DL you have to talk about Coach Mike Nelson and some of things he is doing to take advantage of the talent we do have on the roster...Brandon Akpunku to DE (speed off the edge) and the move of Tevinn Cnatly to DE 6-4 310lbs...When playing as a mid-major, you have to think outside the box, and I am excited to see what Coach Nelson's outside the box thinking, coupled with DeLoach's second year back do for the overall defense, a unit that obviously has to get better, and I really think can be significantly better.

What are your reasons for hope of a turnaround at Fouts???

Three things, all having some impact on the defensive line (we've GOT to pressure the QB, folks):

Conditioning: The hires for strenth and conditioning coach has already produced good results.

Coaching: Deloach has a year under his belt in this return to DC; Mike Nelson truly knows college football and will prepare the DL much better than whodat.

Cantly: Nelson has already expressed his belief in Tevinn Cantly's talent; we'll learn this year what a steal he was.

[emmitt01]

What are your reasons for hope of a turnaround at Fouts???

1)Blind luck has to play in our favor at some point...no?

2)WKU and Army both come to our house...winning either pillow fight ensures more home wins than last season.

3)We plan to add a generator to our tailgate setup...there's at least one area of improvement.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Except for punting, all areas should be improved. The talent is improving and some wins and the new sadium will eventually raise that level. I don't know about the order but here are ways that I see improvement.

Coaching.

The addition of Mike Nelson and the "reassignment" of Shelton Gandy should do wonders for this team. The defensive line and special teams were killers last year and the glaring needs have been addressed with two capable coaches. Anyone that quarterbacked a program the caliber of UT and compiled a 79-1 coaching record (at most any level) knows what he is doing and Todd Dodge's abilities will continue to emerge. The Dodge, Ford, George tandem has produced some pretty decent offensive figures and, even without Vizza and Fitzgerald should continue to improve. Gary DeLoach is proven and the secondary coaches have played and coached at a high level. And, since their jobs may be in jeopardy, I think that they will coach their asses off this coming year.

Pride/Desire.

Nearly all of these players came from winning programs and have a lot of personal pride. With most of the pitfalls (drugs, APR, racial charges, inadequate coaching) behind them there seems to be a lot of desire for improvement emerging. A winning attitude can carry a team a long way on their road to success. I see and hear signs that this esprit is happening.

Depth.

Except for quarterback, the talent level is more even than I can ever recall. There are some players that will be on the third unit that are almost equal in ability to the starters. I have little fear that an injury can derail the season.

Special Teams.

I expect this to be our greatest area of improvement but then again, when you start from dead least it's hard to get worse. Coach Gandy will recruit the best talent for these units and devote the necessary time to make the return and coverage units top notch. He can do that because his other duty, running backs, is the deepest and most talented of all of the positions. Knott is a very capable kicker and the return of Christian Davidson should mean that he will have good snaps, enabling him to get field goals and extra points off quickly. Atterberry is an unknown but does come with good credentials.

Strength/Conditioning.

Having a full-time coach dedicated to football only should do wonders for the program. I hated to lose Ausmus but I think that Bahagan will do a good job, especially where it comes to strength.

Sometime this month we should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each unit and the players involved. It''s easier on thenerves than talking about the (supposed) lack of progress on the new stadium.

Edited July 11, 2009 by GrayEagleOne

[GrandGreen]

I won't really believe improvement till I've seen it. I way overestimated TD and his teams the first two years. However, there are many reasons for hope. It starts with Dodge, he is definitely on the hot seat. I have never seen a coach so ill prepared to be a FB division coach, but he must get a lot better to remain. Hopefully, with his job definitely on the line he can really step it up. Some of the structural things he has done by adding more experience to the staff can't do anything but help.

The running game as noted should be much improved with a bevy of good to very good running backs and an offensive line returning 8 players who have started at least one year. Add to that line, Jenkins who was a four star rated lineman and Bean who obvious must be good are they wouldn't have added him to this mix of offensive linemen and the competition should be great.

The concern on the offensive side is oddly the passing game with no experienced receivers and a rookie QB. I think the fate of this team is going to rest with how good Riley really is. If you have to depend on a freshman QB, Riley's potential is as good as any NT has had.

On the defensive side, the line is the major concern with only Gilmore a proven first line player. With Nelson as the new defensive line coach, who preaches speed vs size; I just wonder how NT's bunch of 300 lb recruits are going to do. The facts are the coaching staff is obviously concerned with the ability of the returning lettermen and the newcomers are unproven. Cantly, Franklin, and Akpunka may turn into players, but to believe they are going to turn the defensive line around is IMO premature. Atkinson, Jackson, Weber, and White all bring size to the line but are they quick enough to play in Nelson's defense. I would not be surprised to see smaller players like Stewart, Brown, and Washington getting more time.

I believe the rest of the defense is going to be much better. Linebacker is weak in numbers, but with all three starters returning plus converted safety Hill, veteran Warren and maybe something special Phillips; the linebacker squad should be one of the best in the Belt. The defensive secondary is very deep and hopefully good. The corner back position were NT was definitely abused last year should be very strong with a three year starter returning in Bush who may not even be in the starting lineup. With Bush, Adams, Hill, Smith and Chatman; NT should have a great rotation. Safety is not as strong but returning Shorter and Williams plus Cook who at 6'2 210 grew into a safety should be at least adequate.

The schedule this year is the easiest on paper for NT since returning from 1aa. TD has definitely improved the talent level of both the coaching staff and the players. Again, Riley is the key if he can be at least as good as Vizza in his first year and Dodge can coach well, this team could really surprise.

[adman]

Except for punting, all areas should be improved. The talent is improving and some wins and the new sadium will eventually raise that level. I don't know about the order but here are ways that I see improvement.

Coaching.

Atterberry is an unknown but does come with good credentials.

Atterberry is going to impress.

[Mean Green 93-98]

There are definitely good reasons for improvement, all of which are noted above. I agree that our OL situation puts us in place for an additional couple wins to last year's dismal total. Experience in the defensive backfield could add a couple more. I'm just reluctant to say it will happen, because I have really been let down the past two seasons.

[BIG DAWG]

Atkinson, Jackson, Weber, and White all bring size to the line but are they quick enough to play in Nelson's defense. I would not be surprised to see smaller players like Stewart, Brown, and Washington getting more time.

After getting pushed around up front like we did last year, I find it VERY hard to believe that Coach Nelson is not going to be able to take advantage of our newly found size.

I think when Coach Nelson talks about using smaller quicker players, i.e. Akpunku @ DE, is more about using what we have on our roster to our advantage. He understands that as a mid-major school, you aren't always going to be able to bring in prototypical players on the DL, so you have to think outside the box...I think that when he has prototypical players at his disposal, he will most definitely use them.

I guess my point is that I think that what makes him a good coach is that he is flexible with his plan, he is going to make what he has work...you can count on the fact that Atkinson and the other new big guys we are getting are going to play...and play ALOT!

Edited July 11, 2009 by BIG DAWG

[greenminer]

Deloach year 2 >= Deloach year 1

[Green Guy Bass]

Except for punting, all areas should be improved. The talent is improving and some wins and the new sadium will eventually raise that level. I don't know about the order but here are ways that I see improvement.

Coaching.

Atterberry is an unknown but does come with good credentials.

Atterberry is going to impress.

I interviewed Atterberry before last year's Lewisville / Marcus game at TX stadium. I was impressed with him as an 18 year old. He seems sharp and has a good leg. I did my best to gush about NT and Denton. Glad he signed on, hope he falls in line with a decent tradition of kickers and punters.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Reason #1 why UNT will be significantly better : It is impossible to be any worse than what we were last year

GMG

That is what I thought after the 2007 season...... then we got worse in 2008...

---The defense was terrible but the special teams was worse ---and we gave up a lot cheap TDs. If that area improves we should be better. Every good coach spends a lot of times on special teams because almost one-third of the game involves some type of special team.. punt, punt return, kickoff, kick-off return, goal-line/short yard situation and field goal/extra point teams on both offense and defense... ie. a lot of plays are special team situations.

---Let us hope we do a lot better on both defense and special teams. The offense should be ok if the other two groups hold up ---the offense would be inspired to play well because the opponent's score is not out of control. Dodge's offense isn't the big problem... the other two areas are.

Edited July 12, 2009 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[EagleGreen]

I don't think we have any major reason to believe they will be better this year. With a new quarterback starting it doesn't really seem like its going to be all roses. BUT (I'm a butt man), I only need to drink the green kool-aid and don my UNT gear to start believing... It's gonna be good. Good times.

[meangreanmick]

I think we will be "better", no question. The question is, will we be improved enough for it to make a real difference in the Wins/Losses, or at the very least, more competitive in more games. We aren't aiming at a fixed target, other teams will also have improved or weaker teams, so being "better" may or may not make enough of a difference.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I definately believe our defense will be better, but I still think they will give up between 30-35 points per game, so the main question in my mind is how good with the offense be. If they are any better than what we saw in the Spring game, then this team might just win 4 or 5 games, but if they are not any better than that game, I think this team will be a 2 or 3 game win season.

[akriesman]

I really think that we will see some significant improvement in the defense this season, when it comes to reducing the number of big plays against us.

Losing our 1 big weapon (Fitz) is a big concern for me, even though the new receiving core looks good on paper (especially if Stratford can play). Can Riley build a quick chemistry with the new receivers ? To me, that chemistry will be the difference between an OK season and another possible klunker.

I do think the team will improve. But, it may not show up until late in the season.

[KRAM1]

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING WITH UNT FOOTBALL...and except for some of the "usual suspects" this thread is pretty darn positve in its belief that things will be improved in '09. O-Line, D-Line, Special Teams, Running back and secondary ... all should be improved from last season. That, in itself means some "w's" that were losses last season...I believe DeLoach will have the defense ready and I think Dodge is certainly set to "prove a few things" on offense this year. If you heard RV talk about "rebuilding" the team and getting the chemistry right in the locker room at the recent Mixer, you certainly do have reason to believe that '09 will eb a much better season for the Mean Green.

I, for one, am ready for the season to begin...it has been way too long between football games! GO MEAN GREEN!

[meangreen-mba]

For those concerned about how good Riley is/can be, remember that he was recruitred to play at Texas. I think they have put a few goodQB's on the field in the past few years!!!! Mack would not have recruited him if he didn't see something. I think Riley has that special talant that can pull a team together and take it to the next level. I see a conference championship by his Soph year.

[KRAM1]

For those concerned about how good Riley is/can be, remember that he was recruitred to play at Texas. I think they have put a few goodQB's on the field in the past few years!!!! Mack would not have recruited him if he didn't see something. I think Riley has that special talant that can pull a team together and take it to the next level. I see a conference championship by his Soph year.

Good point, however, Riley was not recruited to Texas to play QB. He was recruited as an "athlete". That being said, Mack would not "waste" a scholarship on a player he did not feel could contribute to the team's success. That, to me, says a lot about Riley's abilities to play D1 football and to saty as healthy as any other player. It's football...things happen. You can play "washers" in the parking lot before the game and be "injured" by a crazed bystander or drunk friend... Riley could play QB at Texas and might have seen a few snaps in certain sets, but would not see full time at QB...at UNT, he gets to play QB...and he will be a darn good one for the MEAN GREEN. I think he might even show Mack that maybe he should have recruited him as a QB.

We'll all see sooon enough. GO MEAN GREEN!

[TIgreen01]

I think it's going to be another tough year mainly b/c our dline isn't going to be gangbusters to start the year. Nelson is going to help, but (like Harry said) it's going to take until mid-way through the season to really get some consistent play out of this group. By that point, in the season, another bad record could be enough to completely derail us.

Also, unless Gandy can improve the mindset and aggressiveness of our special teams players, schemes aren't going to be enough to fix the situation. Special teams were terrible last year, and much of that had to do with attitude. I like the comments of several on here that the players are starting to come around, attitude wise....b/c without that, we have no chance to improve.

I agree that the offense has a chance to be very special if Riley can get up to speed quickly. Short of that, I think our running game SHOULD carry this offense based on the talent there, but who knows if we'll be able to take advantage of it in this pass-first spread.

FFR posted a couple of days back that he just genuinely likes the Dodge family, and I agree. I am rooting for them to turn this around. I think the team should be better by mid-season, but without stealing a few wins in September we may never get to see it on the field. I think the psyche of this team, and this fanbase, is teetering on the edge right now. We need some good luck, early in the season, or this thing is going down.

[meangreendork]

We need some good luck, early in the season, or this thing is going down.

I'm pretty concerned with what happens if this year goes the same as last. I would assume that Dodge would be shown the door as well as at least a portion of his staff. In that event, who's on the short list of replacement coaches?