It's All About The Injuries

[glick1980]

I am hoping that Dodge can end this season with 5 wins and he will get a chance to open the new stadium. The man hasn't even had 85 scholarships to use yet until this season. This team is playing much better than anyone could have anticipated with all of the injuries. There is no doubt that if Tune didn't get hurt, we would at least be .500 right now and most likely undeafeated in conference play. Where the ultimatum was once 7 wins, I think now it has to be 4 or 5. He has to win this week and next week and then he has a chance to make it. I think if he makes it to next season he will have a chance to do great things with this program.

[UNT90]

I know exactly which play or set of plays you are talking about and believe me there was no wrong in the coaching during that situation. Again, we had the ball on the 29 yard line and had a play set up to win the game on and a penalty cost us a shot at it. The right call was made but the play never came about due to penalty. I will hopefully get a chance to talk to RV and let him hear my opinion. Everyone wants a change because of the new stadium, fresh start you call it, I say grow a set and hang with the man who has stood tall through all this adversity and you grow a program with a leader and strong foundation. The wins will come the rest is here now.

The problem from the administrative point of view is what if the wins don't come next year? What if you retain Coach Dodge and suffer through another 2-10 or 3-9 season during the first season in the new stadium? Particularly, this university can not afford for that to happen. If you hire a new coach and still have this kind of year, at least there is hope for improvement in the minds of the students, alumni, and donors. If Coach Dodge is at the helm and this happens, it is just more of the same losing for 5 straight years. That would completely demoralize the students, alumni, and donors.

Another issue is Coach Dodge's coaching contract. Do you extend it heading into next season? Surely not. Therefore, you would have a coach with an expiring contract in the living room of high school recruits trying to sell them into coming to UNT with 0 promise that he would be there past their true freshmen year. We have already seen very few early commits this year, which can mainly be attributed to Coach Dodge's dicey status. Just imagine recruiting this time next year when there will be zero promise of Coach Dodge continuing on as head coach.

This just simply isn't a chance UNT can afford to take at this point in it's athletic history.

[TheTastyGreek]

3 days.

[EagleGreen]

The problem from the administrative point of view is what if the wins don't come next year? What if you retain Coach Dodge and suffer through another 2-10 or 3-9 season during the first season in the new stadium? Particularly, this university can not afford for that to happen. If you hire a new coach and still have this kind of year, at least there is hope for improvement in the minds of the students, alumni, and donors. If Coach Dodge is at the helm and this happens, it is just more of the same losing for 5 straight years. That would completely demoralize the students, alumni, and donors.

Another issue is Coach Dodge's coaching contract. Do you extend it heading into next season? Surely not. Therefore, you would have a coach with an expiring contract in the living room of high school recruits trying to sell them into coming to UNT with 0 promise that he would be there past their true freshmen year. We have already seen very few early commits this year, which can mainly be attributed to Coach Dodge's dicey status. Just imagine recruiting this time next year when there will be zero promise of Coach Dodge continuing on as head coach.

This just simply isn't a chance UNT can afford to take at this point in it's athletic history.

You are right on here. He IS a good guy and MAY have the ship turned around. However, we have no reason to believe that given the chance he could win games next year at this level. Maybe he'll win out this year and save himself, but it is unlikely that it will happen. It will be interesting to see how the next couple of weeks play out.

[NCMeanGreen]

I was going to wait until there was a, "without a doubt", chance of North Texas winning the conference to write this but thought, what the heck, write it now. This team without a doubt would be sitting undefeated in conference play right now and probably would have beaten Rice and Army if not for the freaking injuries. With that being said all those who think Dodge has not turned this program around are simply just Dodge haters and will always be Dodge haters. The man has turned the program around. The football program is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was four years ago. Injuries have cost this team a chance of proving all naysayers wrong. Look at the bandaid team which plays each week. Not one player has given up on their coach or school. If the players played like they wanted the coach gone you wouldn't see the attitude and effort on the field you are seeing right now. You can look at it as WIN 7 or else if you chose but to me the program has arrived. The deck is stacked against North Texas winning those 7 games this year but it's not because this team was not prepared. Coach Dodge and his staff are the right combination for the future of this football program. The AD is put in a hard spot but hopefully it is one he can figure out by looking at the program itself and not the wins. The wins were there this year but so were the injuries! Name one team in the nation who could have survived this. Heck, University of Texas loses one QB and a few defensive guys and now they struggle. No I'm not comparing us to them.....just saying.....

OK...I cannot take this anymore...and please forgive me here (PLEASE do not ding me...my rating cannot take it )...but...

LOOK AT HIS FREAKIN' RECORD HERE!!!! IN 4 SEASONS NO LESS!!!

[NCMeanGreen]

I am in 100% agreement with what Mr. Mosley has said regarding injuries and where this team would be this season if not for the injuries. I have seen no "give up" in this team and I do not expect to see any to the bitter end.

Were you at the Army game?? I was...this team FLAT OUT gave up!!!

[NCMeanGreen]

[GrandGreen]

The facts are Dodge has made far too many mistakes to be retained with his record unless NT has some kind of miracle finish to this season. It is imperative that NT have some type of momentum going into the new stadium next year. Injuries have been devastating but it was Dodge's fault that NT went into the season with only two true scholarship QBs. You can make a strong case that NT would have been around the top of the Belt without the abnormal amount of injuries but I still can't see NT as anything but the ninth or tenth best team in Texas; a more meaningful comparison for the program. I think character is paramount but you must also win. I wanted DD gone even when he was winning because with his approach and attitude I didn't see him doing anything but harming NT in the long run. Dodge the opposite to Dickey in character, however has dug himself a deep hole and long lost almost of the positive benefits of being a great high school coach. Any magic the Dodge name once had in recruiting has been turned around by his college coaching record. The sad truth is that in 3 and a half years, Dodge has not shown that he can win and it is too big a risk to go forward with him. This was the year that NT should have won, the experience and talent level both will be down substantially next year and the likelihood that Dodge can turn it around is remote not to mention that the AD will lose all creditability if he retains Dodge if the aforementioned miracle finish does not occur.

[James Mosley]

You are right on here. He IS a good guy and MAY have the ship turned around. However, we have no reason to believe that given the chance he could win games next year at this level. Maybe he'll win out this year and save himself, but it is unlikely that it will happen. It will be interesting to see how the next couple of weeks play out.

Let me help you with the next couple of weeks. Middle Tenn and Troy would have been tough with all starters, so how do you really think we will fair against them now? If we win this Saturday it would be one of the all time greatest wins at UNT due to injuries. Kansas St. even if healthy would have been real tough to hang with them. Once again I will break it down, Dodge has made all the changes asked of him and other changes not asked of him to turn this program around. You have all the reason to believe he can win games at this level I mean heck look at what he brings to the table. Proven college OC, proven college DC, proven college position coaches, Experienced Head Coach, proven recruiting record, can stand up to adversity without making an as* of himself, not many coaches could handle the things he has gone through without trying to throw blame everywhere else. Measure success by wins and wins only and this university will continue to struggle. This man can win, this man has won at every level except head coaching at UNT. Not many have had a success story of winning at UNT so ride the storm and let him finish what he started. Better than that let RV and TD finish what they envisioned three years ago.

[KRAM1]

Were you at the Army game?? I was...this team FLAT OUT gave up!!!

Nope, was out of the country. I have been told the team gave up in that game. If so, that is too bad, but they did witness their second QB go down with a season ending injury, right? So, did they give up, or were they simply "shell shocked"? Don't know...wasn't there, but have been to several homes games. All losses, of course. Watched them play Clemson on TV, etc.

And, I have seen a team that has not quit, and I do not expect them to quit this Saturday or the next or the next. The only people I see quitting or some "fans" who have stated they have given up and won't be attending any more games this season or until UNT has a new head coach, etc.

[TIgreen01]

Let me help you with the next couple of weeks. Middle Tenn and Troy would have been tough with all starters, so how do you really think we will fair against them now? If we win this Saturday it would be one of the all time greatest wins at UNT due to injuries. Kansas St. even if healthy would have been real tough to hang with them. Once again I will break it down, Dodge has made all the changes asked of him and other changes not asked of him to turn this program around. You have all the reason to believe he can win games at this level I mean heck look at what he brings to the table. Proven college OC, proven college DC, proven college position coaches, Experienced Head Coach, proven recruiting record, can stand up to adversity without making an as* of himself, not many coaches could handle the things he has gone through without trying to throw blame everywhere else. Measure success by wins and wins only and this university will continue to struggle. This man can win, this man has won at every level except head coaching at UNT. Not many have had a success story of winning at UNT so ride the storm and let him finish what he started. Better than that let RV and TD finish what they envisioned three years ago.

You beat me to it. MTSU and Troy are the measuring sticks. We have been completely embarrassed by these teams over the course of the last 4 years. I'm inclined to agree with everything you're saying in this post, but we've GOT to be competitive with these 2 teams. Regardless of injuries. Come up with a plan to keep us in the game. Up to this point in the season, we've had better talent (on offense and defense, at least) than all but one team we've played. We've lost games to special teams miscues and offensive turnovers. The Rice game was lost not on the last drive, but the first 8 due to ST gaffes and offensive turnovers.

In the end, I agree with what Harry and UNT90 already said: The timing is terrible. Ultimatum or not, Dodge needs to win some games down the stretch to give the UNT administration reason to extend his contract...not just let him stay for the final year of it. As UNT90 already said, that would be recruiting suicide.

[Green Mean]

What only matters here is the beautiful and glorious record of 6-36.

All of that is courtesy of Todd Dodge.

[TIgreen01]

Answer one question:

What has the man not done over the last 3 - 4 years to make this program better? Please show your football intelligance and come up with something other than win football games as your answer. Winning was coming until they slipped down to #4 QB, #3 center, etc.... I can say this team would have won with confidence simply because of how they are hanging with each team they are playing. This is how I measure where the program is NOW and not where or why it was 2 - 3 years ago. Bring in Leach next year and he wins and you give him all the credit. STUPID! freaking stupid. I'm done with this, I just felt I needed to blow off some steam. Coach Dodge and staff is right for this school.

Two words: Special. Teams.

2 losses lay directly at the feet of this unit. Even with the rash of injuries we've seen, this is a .500 team if the STs aren't breaking our backs.

[James Mosley]

Two words: Special. Teams.

2 losses lay directly at the feet of this unit. Even with the rash of injuries we've seen, this is a .500 team if the STs aren't breaking our backs.

So how does he correct the special teams problems he goes out and recruits a highly nationally ranked kicker/punter to take care of the kicking. problem is it took all year for the kid to learn to kick off the ground. Look at the last game and you can see where the special team problem has taken care of itself. #4 punter in the nation I'm told also. Funny how many of the starters who are hurt also played on the special teams and they are not on the field now..... I say special team play is better today, I mean today not two weeks ago but today.....

[TheTastyGreek]

After next year this argument will be over one way or the other for all sides. Either the wins come or they don't, when they do, end of argument. If they don't, end of argument.

Stick to what you said last season. If the wins don't come, END OF ARGUMENT.

Your impassioned plea for patience might carry more weight if you weren't working from a script that seems to roll out every year around this time.

[Censored by Laurie]

Stick to what you said last season. If the wins don't come, END OF ARGUMENT.

Your impassioned plea for patience might carry more weight if you weren't working from a script that seems to roll out every year around this time.

How long again?

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

Stick to what you said last season. If the wins don't come, END OF ARGUMENT.

Your impassioned plea for patience might carry more weight if you weren't working from a script that seems to roll out every year around this time.

Wow. Harsh. I don't think I know this TTG personality.

[forevereagle]

Let me help you with the next couple of weeks. Middle Tenn and Troy would have been tough with all starters, so how do you really think we will fair against them now? If we win this Saturday it would be one of the all time greatest wins at UNT due to injuries. Kansas St. even if healthy would have been real tough to hang with them. Once again I will break it down, Dodge has made all the changes asked of him and other changes not asked of him to turn this program around. You have all the reason to believe he can win games at this level I mean heck look at what he brings to the table. Proven college OC, proven college DC, proven college position coaches, Experienced Head Coach, proven recruiting record, can stand up to adversity without making an as* of himself, not many coaches could handle the things he has gone through without trying to throw blame everywhere else. Measure success by wins and wins only and this university will continue to struggle. This man can win, this man has won at every level except head coaching at UNT. Not many have had a success story of winning at UNT so ride the storm and let him finish what he started. Better than that let RV and TD finish what they envisioned three years ago.

In reading the bolded statement, I don't see the reasons. Six wins in 3.5 seasons just doesn't make a very good argument. I want Dodge to succeed here, but it is just not happening. He didn't fill up the win column in past years with a healthy team. I just don't have much evidence to suggest that it would have happened this year under the same circumstances.

[James Mosley]

In reading the bolded statement, I don't see the reasons. Six wins in 3.5 seasons just doesn't make a very good argument. I want Dodge to succeed here, but it is just not happening. He didn't fill up the win column in past years with a healthy team. I just don't have much evidence to suggest that it would have happened this year under the same circumstances.

I told you the reasons, proven college OC, proven college DC, etc... did you not read it or did you not agree with it? Heck Coach Dodge to me is also a proven OC, so throw that in there too as a reason. Edited October 15, 2010 by James Mosley

[All About UNT]

Mosley...it is unfortunate but the way things are is that "perception is reality". A guy who I had met right after the Clemson game...goes to school at UNT but cheers pretty much only for TAMU. When I saw him earlier this week he made the statement "what happened to those predictions you gave me?" and all I could answer with is "do you know how many starters we have out or what QB we are on?". He couldn't answer that question. When I explained why we were where we are at and even then how two games were 1 pt defeats and the others (minus Army) all within our grasp he then better understood the situation. The point is that he....and many others just have the perception that we hit the field and we lose under TD...they don't login to GMG and educate themselves on the schematics...they just presume. It is those presumptions that we have to destroy but lets be real....unless we sit down one on one with those that presume...it ain't gonna happen

Edited October 15, 2010 by All About UNT

[KRAM1]

I told you the reasons, proven college OC, proven college DC, etc... did you not read it or did you not agree with it? Heck Coach Dodge to me is also a proven OC, so throw that in there too as a reason.

We do have a reading comprehension problem on this board.

[TIgreen01]

So how does he correct the special teams problems he goes out and recruits a highly nationally ranked kicker/punter to take care of the kicking. problem is it took all year for the kid to learn to kick off the ground. Look at the last game and you can see where the special team problem has taken care of itself. #4 punter in the nation I'm told also. Funny how many of the starters who are hurt also played on the special teams and they are not on the field now..... I say special team play is better today, I mean today not two weeks ago but today.....

Olen looked great last week, but fielding a good player at kicker and punter is not nearly enough. Prior to Dodge taking over, our special teams were used to attack and/or take field position and turn momentum in our favor. Now, we all hold our breath and hope that the opposition doesn't do that to us.

We NEVER rush a punt. Why? If we know we're undermanned (which being down to our #4 QB qualifies), why are we not trying to make plays in the ST? Also, our coverage is better now than it has been in the past 3 years, but it's basically improved from embarrassing to adequate.

[Green P1]

No.

[James Mosley]

Olen looked great last week, but fielding a good player at kicker and punter is not nearly enough. Prior to Dodge taking over, our special teams were used to attack and/or take field position and turn momentum in our favor. Now, we all hold our breath and hope that the opposition doesn't do that to us.

We NEVER rush a punt. Why? If we know we're undermanned (which being down to our #4 QB qualifies), why are we not trying to make plays in the ST? Also, our coverage is better now than it has been in the past 3 years, but it's basically improved from embarrassing to adequate.

Special Teams - today we have better starting field position each game than we did three years ago.

Punter - I'm told is currently #4 in nation

Kicker - Nationally ranked kicker knows how to kick off of turf now so much much improved today and better than three years ago.

Kick off coverage - teams are not having starting field position as they did three years ago.

Punt coverage - read note above - #4 ranked punter, less punt return yardage as three years ago.

Have I missed something about special teams that is not better now than three years ago.

Again, changes have been made throughout the three years to set this program in the right direction. Injuries and injuries alone are the only thing keeping this team down right now. Say what you want, but it is turned around.

[Green Mean]

Stick to what you said last season. If the wins don't come, END OF ARGUMENT.

Your impassioned plea for patience might carry more weight if you weren't working from a script that seems to roll out every year around this time.