Brett Vito UNT Interview With UH Writer

Harry · August 22, 2011

Dustin Rensink: From 2001 to 2004, UNT went 25-1 in Sun Belt play, earning four straight bowl bids. Since, the Mean Green have gone 9-35 in conference play, never winning more than three total games in a year. Simply put, what happened to lead to such a sudden, steep decline?

Brett Vito: There were several factors that led to UNT's decline. To me, none was bigger than the death of quarterback Andrew Smith in a car accident. Smith led UNT to the 2002 Sun Belt title when Scott Hall was injured. Hall came back and regained the job, but Smith looked like he would take over in 2005 after Hall graduated. UNT not only lost Smith, it also lost Joey Byerly, who looked he would be the starter, during the summer of 2005 when he failed to meet academic requirements. UNT was forced to go with Daniel Meager, who had never taken a snap in a college game that season. UNT also lost several key assistants during the bowl years and didn't replace them adequately in a lot of cases. The loss of those coaches hurt UNT in recruiting and the talent level dropped. To make matters even worse, Darrell Dickey suffered a heart attack in 2006, which also impacted the team. You add all of those factors up and it just became too much for UNT to overcome.

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SHOSS · August 22, 2011

Dustin Rensink: From 2001 to 2004, UNT went 25-1 in Sun Belt play, earning four straight bowl bids. Since, the Mean Green have gone 9-35 in conference play, never winning more than three total games in a year. Simply put, what happened to lead to such a sudden, steep decline?

Brett Vito: There were several factors that led to UNT's decline. To me, none was bigger than the death of quarterback Andrew Smith in a car accident. Smith led UNT to the 2002 Sun Belt title when Scott Hall was injured. Hall came back and regained the job, but Smith looked like he would take over in 2005 after Hall graduated. UNT not only lost Smith, it also lost Joey Byerly, who looked he would be the starter, during the summer of 2005 when he failed to meet academic requirements. UNT was forced to go with Daniel Meager, who had never taken a snap in a college game that season. UNT also lost several key assistants during the bowl years and didn't replace them adequately in a lot of cases. The loss of those coaches hurt UNT in recruiting and the talent level dropped. To make matters even worse, Darrell Dickey suffered a heart attack in 2006, which also impacted the team. You add all of those factors up and it just became too much for UNT to overcome.

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I've got to say... I think Vito truly is right on the money. I hope in my heart he is wrong, but my head says 42 24 sure does seem very realistic.

Man, would it be great to pull off the win in this game! I just don't see it, and I think Vito is right on the money with his prediction.

Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong...

JRock · August 22, 2011

I've got to say... I think Vito truly is right on the money. I hope in my heart he is wrong, but my head says 42 24 sure does seem very realistic.

Man, would it be great to pull off the win in this game! I just don't see it, and I think Vito is right on the money with his prediction.

Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong...

Stranger things have happened in college football. I like to think positive. I believe we can make it close and will even go as far to say we win by 3 points.

JRock

GrandGreen · August 22, 2011

I don't think Vito is right on the money, but he is right in line with most outside prognosticators. I certainly don't agree with his oft cited Andrew Smith and Beverly rationale for NT's decline. NT lacked much more than a good QB to be even an average team. The 'Great Dickey' lived on one recruiting class and after that his lackluster and almost non-existent recruiting sunk the team. It apparently never occurred to DD that openly and frequently badmouthing NT might have some dire effects on recruiting.

As far as the season's record, the new coaching staff was not paid to duplicate Dodge like results. The long rebuilding cycle that Vito and others think is necessary, is certainly not a given. The Belt is far from the SEC and the talent gap is not that great, see last years conference results with an awful injury and coaching situation.

DeepGreen · August 22, 2011

I don't think Vito is right on the money, but he is right in line with most outside prognosticators. I certainly don't agree with his oft cited Andrew Smith and Beverly rationale for NT's decline. NT lacked much more than a good QB to be even an average team. The 'Great Dickey' lived on one recruiting class and after that his lackluster and almost non-existent recruiting sunk the team. It apparently never occurred to DD that openly and frequently badmouthing NT might have some dire effects on recruiting.

As far as the season's record, the new coaching staff was not paid to duplicate Dodge like results. The long rebuilding cycle that Vito and others think is necessary, is certainly not a given. The Belt is far from the SEC and the talent gap is not that great, see last years conference results with an awful injury and coaching situation.

Agree.

Edited August 22, 2011 by DeepGreen

Mean Green 93-98 · August 22, 2011

Here's the interview going the other way . . . Vito interviewing the UH writer:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/archives/2011/08/qa-with-dustin-rensink-of-hous.html

JRock · August 22, 2011

Here's the interview going the other way . . . Vito interviewing the UH writer:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/archives/2011/08/qa-with-dustin-rensink-of-hous.html

I like that writers style. But I still say we win by 3.

GO MEAN GREEN!

JRock

Green Oracle · August 22, 2011

Agree.

For what it's worth, I agree with Vito. What troubles me are the comments McCarney has made regarding the size and strength of our football team and the lack of fundamentals in tackling. Add that to the losses up front and I wonder how we will get Dunbar and the running game going. I enjoyed my time at UNT and will be rooting for em with the rest of you come the 10th, but I'm concened, must say. First things first - let's see how we fare against FIU.

UNT90 · August 22, 2011

For what it's worth, I agree with Vito. What troubles me are the comments McCarney has made regarding the size and strength of our football team and the lack of fundamentals in tackling. Add that to the losses up front and I wonder how we will get Dunbar and the running game going. I enjoyed my time at UNT and will be rooting for em with the rest of you come the 10th, but I'm concened, must say. First things first - let's see how we fare against FIU.

Me thinks you will be far less concerned after the FIU game.

Green Oracle · August 22, 2011

Me thinks you will be far less concerned after the FIU game.

Here's to hoping you are right, my friend.

TIgreen01 · August 22, 2011

This game is all about Case Keenum, impo. If he's anywhere near as effective as he was before he was injured, we are in big trouble. That, and the blitzing style that DC Clint Bowen wants to play will play right into UH's hands if Keenum's as quick to get the ball out as he has been in the past.

As far as getting our running game going goes, I can't tell if all the Andrew Power talk leaking out is legit, or just a smoke screen....but it makes sense that we'd try to utilize a pass catching TE this season, of all seasons. We're down to very little in terms of experienced receivers, our o-line is a question mark, and our QB is coming off a season ending leg break and should be much less mobile than what we're used to seeing. I bet we're going to see Prior and Power on the field a lot together---both to open holes for Dunbar, and to try to soften up the middle of the defense with short passes to Power.

When you look at our personnel, it just makes sense.

All About UNT · August 22, 2011

Here's to hoping you are right, my friend.

Compare our roster with those of other SBC teams and you will see that our "size" is on par with most others. They have had significant strength and conditioning programs under Wintrich as well. Just looking at last year's roster pics vs this years.....you can see huge improvement on so many levels. Combine that with DMac being a "set the bar low and then shock them" mentality and we will not be nearly as bad as most will project.

MeanGreenTexan · August 22, 2011

Compare our roster with those of other SBC teams and you will see that our "size" is on par with most others. They have had significant strength and conditioning programs under Wintrich as well. Just looking at last year's roster pics vs this years.....you can see huge improvement on so many levels. Combine that with DMac being a "set the bar low and then shock them" mentality and we will not be nearly as bad as most will project.

I remember coach Char put a bunch of weight on our guys last offseason as well... then we had a terrible rash of injuries that caused many on here to question his program. Hopefully, coach Wintrich's program is better/safer for our guys.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 22, 2011

I remember coach Char put a bunch of weight on our guys last offseason as well... then we had a terrible rash of injuries that caused many on here to question his program. Hopefully, coach Wintrich's program is better/safer for our guys.

Unfairly so, IMO.

UNT90 · August 22, 2011

Unfairly so, IMO.

Playing half speed in pratice was directly related to injuries. A least that is what I choose to believe. :-)

forevereagle · August 22, 2011

What troubles me are the comments McCarney has made regarding the size and strength of our football team and the lack of fundamentals in tackling. Add that to the losses up front and I wonder how we will get Dunbar and the running game going.

Under promise and over deliver.