What Has Happened to Chico's Offense

Green P1 · October 16, 2011

Um...you guys do realize that Riley hasn't played the last three games at McNeese because he is - surprise - injured, right? Even against FCS-level competition he couldn't hold up physically.

How many games do you really think he'd have played this year? Would he have even survived the opening game massacre at FUI?

Also, how did he "make the offense work?" Our offense wasn't that great when he was here. He didn't win many games of the ones he was healthy enough to play.

okay bro

LongJim · October 16, 2011

who called the plays?

The play calling is fine. It's not the reason the offense is struggling.

LongJim · October 16, 2011

I like coach Mac but we have to keep everyone accountable if the program doesn't get better next year. Look at UL and what they have done with a new coach this year...

The way you "hold Mac accountable" is by seeing who he hauls in in February. Mac and Chico have not suddenly forgotten how to coach. Bowen has done a pretty damn good job this year--and coming from me, that's saying something. He's working with smoke and mirrors in some positions, but others have really started to pan out. You have two young linebackers that are nasty, run through a wall headhunters. That's a start. Cornerback is another story and is Jekyll and Hyde. Real disappointed in their play Saturday. I'm a defensive line critic from way back, and they still struggle, but they are much better than last year, and they are playing hard, there's just no depth there, and they are still undermanned at the point of attack.

Bringing in guys like that with a bit more ability on offense and defense and this thing will change quick. This team lost half it's zone running threat when Dodge left. Spin it however you want, but teams know they don't have to worry about Thompson running, and that shuts down half the offense from the start. WR's are a bag of nothing at this point. No one has stepped up to make plays at that position since Carey's ouster. The offense has exactly one playmaker. That's it. That's not enough.

BTW, the offensive line got destroyed on the FG attempt that was blocked. How does that happen consistently? Really really strange.

This team will do well to finish 4-8 this year. It is what it is, and it is what it was at the start of the year. The pieces are in place to continue building, but the SBC title is not an option this year.

Now back to the "Not put in position to succeed. It's coaching" crowd.

CaliMeanGreen · October 16, 2011

Fact: we lost a lot at receivers since last year, we currently are starting a receiver that played 2 games last year (Bynes) and a walk on Delgado. Brelan is good, and fast. He just struggles knowing how to read and run the right routes, not to mention he is undesized and doesn't have the best of hands. We have had a lot of dropped balls, and a lot of rushed stupid decisions and throws due to defensive pressure. The O Line is really young and unexperienced. If and when we play a team that defensively their strength is their D line (FIU, Houston, Alabama and LL) we are most likely going to be stuffed offensively. I have DVR'd every game on game plan and have watched every game at least twice. If any of you have this capability I encourage you to do so. We are so are so over matched up front it is scary. Most teams only rush 3 in passing scenarios and drop 8 and still get sacks. Lance Dunbar has zero room to run the ball, the is the weakest O line we have had in his time at UNT and it shows. No time to pass, no holes for runs, and the depth we have at WR is scary and the perfect storm to what we are seeing now. Unfortunately we don't have the horses to run in the Kentucky Derby.

We need to play with the cards the coaches have been dealt, that is why recruiting EVERY season is Priority One.

Season is not over, let's just look for improvements. Hats off to the defense, they are improving weekly. And we all know Offense puts people in the seats and defense wins championships!

Go Mean Green!

The Fake Lonnie Finch · October 16, 2011

I agree with a lot of what you say, Cali. At this point, I'm thinking 4 or 5 wins is a miracle season. The defense has gone balls to the wall in almost every game we've played.

I hope the problem really is personnel because we've invested more in this coaching staff than any in the history of the program. Dodge wasn't much of a head coach, and what he was supposed to be an expert in - pass game - he left very little of here.

SIDENOTE: It's no shock to me that Pitt, with their senior QB, is struggling offensively this year. The Panthers are 3-4 with Todd Graham and Todd Dodge. I think both of those guys are in over their heads even in the Big East. They are very lucky the Big East is falling apart and adopting C-USA level teams to fill the gaps.

JRock · October 17, 2011

Um...you guys do realize that Riley hasn't played the last three games at McNeese because he is - surprise - injured, right? Even against FCS-level competition he couldn't hold up physically.

How many games do you really think he'd have played this year? Would he have even survived the opening game massacre at FUI?

Also, how did he "make the offense work?" Our offense wasn't that great when he was here. He didn't win many games of the ones he was healthy enough to play.

I'm so sick of the Riley Dodge argument. He was never going to be the future of UNT football. EVER.

JRock

Got5onIt · October 17, 2011

Defense has been the lone bright spot, if you really look hard for a bright spot. There is noticeable improvement on that side of the ball.

I predicted 5 wins at the beginning of the year....it's doable...

Edited October 17, 2011 by Got5onIt

KRAM1 · October 17, 2011

If you are going to play your 3rd team QB...well, in reality your 2nd team QB, why do you run Dunbar right into the line when you are trying to catch up and the kid has less than 50 yards rushing at that point in the game? Looked like a "give up" move to me, and I thought there was still a chance to get some points on the board. Yep, almost did when the clock ran out, but that was not when McNulty first trotted onto the field.

I thought Royce Hill had a pretty bad game (even looked like he gave up on one LaLa TD), the O-Line did little/nothing to open holes for Lance, Lance "danced around" too much before trying to hitt the holes, the poceket kept collapsing on Thompson and he had a good case of "happy feet" all day, etc., etc. The D-Line did a darn good job in my opinion and is a bright spot developing, and special teams is far and away better than last season (OK, forget that one blocked FG attempt. The was some excellent downfield covergae on the many punting opportunities UNT had during the game.

LaLa was bigger, faster, stronger and "older" than our guys. The game planned to stop Dunbar and they did, and when they did, it was pretty much over for UNT.

All that being said, UNT was in the game late in the 3rd quarter and had its opportunities to win. I am still waiting for some creativity from the offense (other than the questionable wildcat experiments) and wonder if Chico has pared it down due to the inexperience of the offense or if Coach mac has "suggested" it be pared daown?

Hey, Delgado had a decent game as well...

UNTLifer · October 17, 2011

The play calling is fine. It's not the reason the offense is struggling.

We must be watching different games.

keith · October 17, 2011

I don't think anything happened to Chico's offense. This is it. It is the same one from the first 3/4 of last season.

Keith

greenminer · October 17, 2011

I've never seen a perfectly called football game. Even in wins, playcalling can almost always be criticized. Our problems are mostly about execution. Whether that is a talent thing, a coaching thing...or both.

No one had a problem with Solich's offense when Nebraska was running it up the middle and tossing 5 passes a game on their way through a decade of dominance. Defenses knew exactly what was coming and still couldn't do a dang thing about it. I still think no matter what offense you run, it is about getting your lines to win the blocking battle, and having a few playmakers that can stretch the field and take advantage. Win those battles, and the x-and-os don't really matter to me.

I can't wait until the Feldts can suit up, and we get this QB situation figured out.

Edited October 17, 2011 by greenminer

Big Green · October 17, 2011

Most of the offense's problems are a result of having an inexperienced OL, WRs that have trouble remembering plays and easily get confused and a QB that telegraphs his passes. Throw in some suspect play calling and experiments with the Wildcat and there you have it.

TIgreen01 · October 17, 2011

I don't think anything happened to Chico's offense. This is it. It is the same one from the first 3/4 of last season.

Keith

This.

Most of the offense's problems are a result of having an inexperienced OL, WRs that have trouble remembering plays and easily get confused and a QB that telegraphs his passes. Throw in some suspect play calling and experiments with the Wildcat and there you have it.

...and this.

Close the book on this topic already. We're going to struggle all year. Hopefully the young guys gel at some point, but we're a few playmakers away from being able to dictate terms to the better defenses on the schedule.

Edited October 17, 2011 by TIgreen01

UNTLifer · October 17, 2011

I don't think anything happened to Chico's offense. This is it. It is the same one from the first 3/4 of last season.

Keith

So based off of the lack of results the firt 3/4 of last season and our lack of success offensively this year, was it Conroy Hines taking over the play calling last year that made the difference at the end of the year?

UNTnewbie · October 17, 2011

So based off of the lack of results the firt 3/4 of last season and our lack of success offensively this year, was it Conroy Hines taking over the play calling last year that made the difference at the end of the year?

No, not just Hines. The offensive play calling was a factor along with Riley and other injuried players getting back, change in defensive play calling by a DC long gone, ALL players playing with passion either in support of Chico or in support of ex-Coach Dodge, along with many other reasons.