No front four

slugg · September 19, 2011

I don’t think the Dline or the rest of the defense played an exceptional game, but I think they played good enough against the # 2 ranked team. If the offense had half as much success as the defense, scores wouldn't have been that embarrassing. There is no equivalence between their performances. So far this season, the offense seems comatose.

untjim1995 · September 19, 2011

Here's the deal. Coach Mac told all of us during the ofseason just how woeful we were on the lines, both sides. We all knew that our QB situation of being inexperienced was completely true. We lost one of the very few playmakers on the whole team just before summer camp began. We also all knew that the Todd Dodge years had absolutely no physicality in practices at all. Throw in the lack of discipline in the classroom and weight room during those years, with a lot of new coaches, this should have been expected. None of us want to accept the reality that this year could just be a throw away year, that 0-12 is possible, but a lack of size and speed are killers to a team trying to compete in any league, but especially against southern teams with great athletes. This ain't the MAC, folks. We aren't dealing with Rust Belt teams here.

The silver lining is one that Tasty brought up the other day that was probably the best outlook we could look toward. Mario Cristobal lost his first 11 games at FIU, but he created a new mindset and attitude for their athletes. They beat Todd Dodge's UNT team in his first year, too. By the time the next few seasons rolled around, FIU's teams became tough in the SBC, then tough against OOC teams (even gave A&M a scare and made Bama work for a win), and now they are a legitimate threat to become the SBC's first ranked team and to go undefeated. In my mind, McCarney has an even better resume than Cristobal had when he got to FIU, since he already has proven to be able to rebuild against MUCH tougher competition at Iowa State. This team continues to get better, both attitude-wise and understanding their playbook. They just don't have enough experienced size and speed to make a difference this year. I said at the beginning of the year that we should win 3-4 games this year, but I realize now that even if we go winless or win one game, the future here is awfully bright. Both FIU and UCF (O'Leary went 0-12 in his first year there) are great examples of why we just need to attend the games and stay positive. Dodge literally lowered this place down to a level that I am not sure we could beat South Alabama this year, much less play with Alabama. But its gonna get better, it really will. I still think our year is 2013 to get back to a level that we can compete for the title.

KRAM1 · September 19, 2011

Put me in the camp with those who are seeing progress, and enough to give all of the Mean Green nation hope for the future. What I have seen in three games this season is a group of guys who will give you what they have for as long as they can. It is hard to play at peak level when you are playing against bigger, faster and stronger players at almost every position and when you really don't have the depth to give anyone any rest. By the 3rd and 4th quarters against teams like FIU, Houston and Alabama the Mean Green fronts on both offense and defense are getting a bit tired. So, I give them that, but what I have liked is the way this team has played in the first half of every game when players on both sides are "fresh" and ready to go. Seems to me that the Mean green in games 2 & 3 have found their stride early and it is only after going against the size and speed of the opposing team for so long that the Mean green begins to tire a bit. Understandable. But, if you look at that team during the 4th quarter Saturday, I dare anyone to find me one kid who gave up and wasn't pushing as hard as he could on every play. That is progress...give me that score against 'Bama heading into the third quarter, that score against Houston heading into the third quarter...and recall last year and the year before in this OC games.

Patience is the byword here for the Mean green. This is a three year process and we are in year one, and already looking better and playing harder....with mostly the same guys. That being said...how many true freshman were starting on the O and D lines for Alabama? How may freshmen out there overall? Please remember that Thompson is also pretty much a freshman by experience.

Look, it's even possible that the Mean green could be 0-5 after the Tulsa game, but I think not. I think both Indiana and Tulsa (given Tulsa's recent injury bug...and don't we all know how that works?) are winnable games for UNT. Does that mean UNT wins both? maybe...maybe not, but that big light at the end of the tunnel is no longer a freight train for the Mean Green.

I for one, hope to hear Coach McCarney praise a few players this evening during his radio show. I think there are some very deserving of some praise from the HC.