My thoughts

[cl_1_2008]

I know y'all probably don't care, but here are my thought on the game. I know we only won by 3, but we flat out dominated this game. One of their TDs came after a BS interference call on Royce. If they don't call that, we have 1st and Goal from the 5 to go up 31-14. Our defense can flat out play. Orr is awesome. Stojkovic has solidified his spot on this defense. When Phillips gets healthy, he and stock will start. Offensively, we looked great in the first half. We went ultra conservative in the second half on both sides of the ball. This is the best defense we've fielded in quite a while. DT made several nice throws. For the first time all year, we threw the ball downfield, and I'll be damned if good things didn't happen. I love that they're figuring out more ways to get the ball in James Hamilton's hands. He is the second best player on our offense, but he just happens to play the same position as the best player on our offense. I love that they're figuring out more ways to get the ball in Dunbar's hands. Every defense we play will be keying on 5. We lined him up in different spots all night and they couldn't stop him. Also, that may have been the quietest 280 yards I've ever seen. Our offensive line is improving every game. Our defensive line played their butts off too. Sarge and AK can flat out get after QBs. For the first time since I can remember, our defense was flying around and bringing the wood. Several impressive hits tonight. I know we probably won't win out, but I will be upset if we don't make every game competitive. I know everyone says Dodge left the cupboard bare, but this team has more than enough talent to beat the rest of the teams in our conference. Even though I expected to win, I can't explain how good it feels for it to come to fruition. This was by far the best night I have had as a fan of the Mean Green. Here's to another win next week.

Go Mean Green!!

[NorthTexan95]

Great post!

[cl_1_2008]

Thank you sir. Like I said before the game, the only reason Indiana was favored was because Vegas knew money would flood in on IU simply because they were playing UNT. We were bigger than them. We were much faster than them. We were just flat out better. Conservative play calling cost us a blowout. Idk if y'all noticed this, but we did not punt the ball in the first half. We had 3 turnovers, and our defense held up every single time. I know the second half wasn't ideal, but if you're going to judge this team on this game, then you should judge it on the first half and not the second. It was very apparent that we were just trying to run the clock out the entire second half. And on defense, I felt like we quit blitzing, for the most part. If they would have kept their foot on the pedal the final score would have been more like 38-7. I tried to tell y'all not to overreact to the first 3 games. Those 3 teams are all very damn good. Houston would beat every team that's left on our schedule. FIU would still be undefeated if their QB didn't get hurt. Indiana is not a good team at all, but they're more comparable to the rest of the sun belt teams than any of our first 3 opponents. The hard parts behind us. A bright future lies ahead, and I don't mean next year. This team will win games this year.

[golfingomez]

my thoughts were this...

last year we lose that game in the fourth quarter... this year the ball bounced our way and we won... i don't care what the final score was... we won...

now let's go beat tulsa

[H-towngreen]

I like seeing Hamilton on the field more as well. Stojo is a beast.

[greenminer]

We did a good job getting to 3rd and shorts.

Defense (and crowd) forced IU offense into many many 3rd and longs, including a 3rd and 30.

[UNT90]

Let me start by saying this was a great win for UNT and should do wonders for the confidence of the team.

UNT was clearly the better football team, which is why it pains me to watch a blow out become a close game. Beat Indiana 24-21, and it's simply one bad team barley beating a worse team in a lot of peoples' eyes. Beat Indian 37-14, and you open a lot of eyes around the area and the country about your football team. A little bit of an opportunity lost. And we were clearly the better team for 3 plus quarters, with the defense playing like it was 2002. After DT''s boneheaded interception for a TD, it seemed this team kind of felt like "Here we go again." I know I did.

Terrible briain fart on the onsides kick. A muffed punt that we were VERY lucky to get back deep in our own territory. A 2nd string QB walking in cold off the bench and completely torching your secondary. Almost not recovering a second onside kick. Lots of things that we are all used to in the 4th quarter.

The game changed for the UNT offense after 2 quarters. A UNT offense that was only stopped by themselves in the 1st half did absolutely nothing in the 2nd half, with Thompson missing wide open receivers on 2 long throws that should have been touchdowns. This offense did not go conservative until after DT's interception, which was one play too late.

I hope Coach Mac kept the mood from being celebratory in the locker room, as I think this was a great teaching opportunity.

Still a lot of inconsistency from this team.

Edited September 25, 2011 by UNT90

[golfingomez]

actually, i do have one more thought... we have a brand new awesome stadium and we can't get the dang ref's microphone working... seriously? how hard is it?

[shaft]

1. That was the smallest team we've seen this season

2. We controlled 3 quarters of the game + 2 key minutes in the 4th

3. I like actual winning more than moral victories

[untbowler]

Let me start by saying this was a great win for UNT and should do wonders for the confidence of the team.

UNT was clearly the better football team, which is why it pains me to watch a blow out become a close game. Beat Indiana 24-21, and it's simply one bad team barley beating a worse team in a lot of peoples' eyes. Beat Indian 37-14, and you open a lot of eyes around the area and the country about your football team. A little bit of an opportunity lost. And we were clearly the better team for 3 plus quarters, with the defense playing like it was 2002. After DT''s boneheaded interception for a TD, it seemed this team kind of felt like "Here we go again." I know I did.

Terrible briain fart on the onsides kick. A muffed punt that we were VERY lucky to get back deep in our own territory. A 2nd string QB walking in cold off the bench and completely torching your secondary. Almost not recovering a second onside kick. Lots of things that we are all used to in the 4th quarter.

The game changed for the UNT offense after 2 quarters. A UNT offense that was only stopped by themselves in the 1st half did absolutely nothing in the 2nd half, with Thompson missing wide open receivers on 2 long throws that should have been touchdowns. This offense did not go conservative until after DT's interception, which was one play too late.

I hope Coach Mac kept the mood from being celebratory in the locker room, as I think this was a great teaching opportunity.

Still a lot of inconsistency from this team.

I put the 2nd half comeback on the coaches for going ultra-conservative, we should have torched IU for 40+ pts but instead we go back to Dickey Ball.

[UNT90]

I put the 2nd half comeback on the coaches for going ultra-conservative, we should have torched IU for 40+ pts but instead we go back to Dickey Ball.

2 long passes that should have gone for TDs is hardly conservative. Didn't go conservative until after DT's pick

Edited September 25, 2011 by UNT90

[untbowler]

2 long passes that should have gone for TDs is hardly conservative. Didn't go conservative until after DT's pick

ok then maybe the 4Q just clouded my judgement, but also in late 4Q allowing 2 WR to be open by 15+ yards is ridiculous. Who was the player down tying his shoe on the last TD pass?

[Matt]

ok then maybe the 4Q just clouded my judgement, but also in late 4Q allowing 2 WR to be open by 15+ yards is ridiculous. Who was the player down tying his shoe on the last TD pass?

I don't remember his name but he wasn't trying to tie his shoe, he was trying to put his shoe back on.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

2 long passes that should have gone for TDs is hardly conservative. Didn't go conservative until after DT's pick

Great win and I agree on the score deal, but it's hard to say that your coaching didn't go ultra conservative when you go from like 375 yards in first half to less than 100 in the second half. Our offense was dominating them in the first half and it seemed like a completely different team in second half.

[greenminer]

I put the 2nd half comeback on the coaches for going ultra-conservative, we should have torched IU for 40+ pts but instead we go back to Dickey Ball.

Our run-ratio was follows:

Q1: 18/24 for 75%

Q2: 12/19 63.16%

Q3: 10/17 58.82%

Q4: 8/9 88.89%

I can only suspect that if we had converted even one 1st down in the fourth, we would have seen more pass. But that's a chicken-egg argument, I suppose.

I kind of like the idea of Dickey Ball in the 4th here: we were sitting on a 4 possession lead, D was playing stout and - except for two blown coverages - had a shutout in hand.

I also saw DT over throw Brelan on a couple of deep attempts that could have gone all the way. I wonder if Chico is hoping to see that connection click before relying on it too much. That deep ball is what you need when you are in Dickey Ball mode, and we haven't established it yet.

[greenminer]

ok then maybe the 4Q just clouded my judgement, but also in late 4Q allowing 2 WR to be open by 15+ yards is ridiculous. Who was the player down tying his shoe on the last TD pass?

Dwaylan (sp?) lost his shoe on the previous play. He fetched it quick, bent over to put it on and looked up to see IU taking advantage.

I don't even know how you address that as a coach. Smart play by IU, or dumb move by Cook?

Edited September 25, 2011 by greenminer

[UNTLifer]

Dwaylan (sp?) lost his shoe on the previous play. He fetched it quick, bent over to put it on and looked up to see IU taking advantage.

I don't even know how you address that as a coach. Smart play by IU, or dumb move by Cook?

The player in question was Royce Hill, and we should have called a TO when we say IU rushing to the line of scrimmage to take advantage. Other than that play, Hill had an outstanding game with one pick, almost another that hit him in the hands and some excellent tackles on the WR screen/quick out.

Cook left the team earlier this year.

[greenminer]

I stand corrected. After reviewing the replay, it was D'Leon McCord.

Edited September 25, 2011 by greenminer

[UNTLifer]

Guess we were both off. I thought it was Hill, but didn't have the stomach to watch the replay.

[UNT90]

Great win and I agree on the score deal, but it's hard to say that your coaching didn't go ultra conservative when you go from like 375 yards in first half to less than 100 in the second half. Our offense was dominating them in the first half and it seemed like a completely different team in second half.

Much more to do with Indiana adjustments than UNT going conservative. If we hit 2 wide open deep passes for TD's, you can throw another 110 yards on our total.

Young teams aren't consistent. Something I need to keep telling myself.

Edited September 26, 2011 by UNT90