Why ASU Kept Their Starters In

Mean Green 93-98 · November 2, 2011

I didn't hear it myself, but my wife was listening to Hugh Freeze's coaching show on the radio. In case you didn't notice, it really looked like ASU was trying to run up the score at the end--they kept their starters in the whole way, they were throwing on virtually every down (which ended up giving us time to score our last TD as well). Apparently Coach Freeze was asked on the show why he kept the starters in. The reason he gave? Because he did not want Lance Dunbar to hit 100 yards.

This post has been promoted to an article

John Redcorn · November 3, 2011

I didn't hear it myself, but my wife was listening to Hugh Freeze's coaching show on the radio. In case you didn't notice, it really looked like ASU was trying to run up the score at the end--they kept their starters in the whole way, they were throwing on virtually every down (which ended up giving us time to score our last TD as well). Apparently Coach Freeze was asked on the show why he kept the starters in. The reason he gave? Because he did not want Lance Dunbar to hit 100 yards.

This post has been promoted to an article

This is absolutely false. On the last TD drive by UNT the ASU defense consisted of two true freshman DBs who only play special teams, tw DEs who never get in the game despite ASU's heavy rotation on the DL and the rest of the defense was completely third and fourth teamers.

McCarney could have EASILY got Dunbar his 100 yards against that lineup but he kept throwing the ball. Also, UNT kicked onsides at thend when there was no chance of coming back. If Freeze wanted to run up the socre he wouldn't have taken a knee with over a minute left.

ASU handed the ball to their TEs twice in the 4th quarter for crying out loud. they haven't done that the entire year.

KRAM1 · November 3, 2011

I have absolutely no problem with the way Coach Freeze handled the 4th quarter. However, I do question his "cut blocking" schemes. While "legal" in the strict sense of the word, I question why a coach would allow his coaches to "teach and coach cut blocking" as is obviously the case at Arky State. Too big a risk of injury. I'd like to see the cut block completely eliminated from college football. I may be mistaken, but hasn't the NFL banned the cut block?

Mean Green 93-98 · November 3, 2011

This is absolutely false. On the last TD drive by UNT the ASU defense consisted of two true freshman DBs who only play special teams, tw DEs who never get in the game despite ASU's heavy rotation on the DL and the rest of the defense was completely third and fourth teamers.

McCarney could have EASILY got Dunbar his 100 yards against that lineup but he kept throwing the ball. Also, UNT kicked onsides at thend when there was no chance of coming back. If Freeze wanted to run up the socre he wouldn't have taken a knee with over a minute left.

ASU handed the ball to their TEs twice in the 4th quarter for crying out loud. they haven't done that the entire year.

So you are saying Hugh Freeze is a liar? Take it up with him.

RedWolfRunning · November 3, 2011

I didn't hear it myself, but my wife was listening to Hugh Freeze's coaching show on the radio. In case you didn't notice, it really looked like ASU was trying to run up the score at the end--they kept their starters in the whole way, they were throwing on virtually every down (which ended up giving us time to score our last TD as well). Apparently Coach Freeze was asked on the show why he kept the starters in. The reason he gave? Because he did not want Lance Dunbar to hit 100 yards.

This post has been promoted to an article

So just because your defense couldn't stop our offense you think Coach Freeze should have just brought in a local Jr High team to play the second half? Trust me, if he was trying to run the score up he would have. It was pretty obvious by the half that your D couldn't stop us. Sometimes a team does nothing but run their offense the way they normally would and they can't help but score because the opposing defense just can't stop them. This is D-1/FBS football...this is what happens. We have been on the bottom side of lopsided games plenty of times...because we simply couldn't handle our opponents. This new Red Wolves Football team is being coached to play a full game and that is exactly what they did.

As for keeping starters in...not entirely true. I didn't hear Coach Freeze make the comment that you claim, but even if he did what does it matter. This is an aggressive defense that is being coached to never let up. Play until the final second ticks off the clock. The fact that we took a knee with over a minute left on the clock actually kind of surprised me considering what Coach has been preaching. If UNT can't handle that then maybe they are in the wrong division. Don't be sore losers :notfair: ...ASU is a VERY good team this year. You lost...accept it and move on.

Green Mean · November 3, 2011

I don't think anybody is being sore losers here. Trust me we're good at accepting losses...we've been doing that going on 7 years now on a consistent basis. This is just a topic for randomoid discussion. I'd still hate to be in Jonesboro though.

All About UNT · November 3, 2011

So just because your defense couldn't stop our offense you think Coach Freeze should have just brought in a local Jr High team to play the second half? Trust me, if he was trying to run the score up he would have. It was pretty obvious by the half that your D couldn't stop us. Sometimes a team does nothing but run their offense the way they normally would and they can't help but score because the opposing defense just can't stop them. This is D-1/FBS football...this is what happens. We have been on the bottom side of lopsided games plenty of times...because we simply couldn't handle our opponents. This new Red Wolves Football team is being coached to play a full game and that is exactly what they did.
As for keeping starters in...not entirely true. I didn't hear Coach Freeze make the comment that you claim, but even if he did what does it matter. This is an aggressive defense that is being coached to never let up. Play until the final second ticks off the clock. The fact that we took a knee with over a minute left on the clock actually kind of surprised me considering what Coach has been preaching. If UNT can't handle that then maybe they are in the wrong division. Don't be sore losers ...ASU is a VERY good team this year. You lost...accept it and move on.

Whatever....your VERY GOOD TEAM beat a young boy trying to drive a team that has little confidence in him. If you played a full game against Thompson then you have a right to talk. As of now....you beat a backup with little experience and nothing to show for what he has done. Oh but don't worry because last year you guys barely squeeked by our 4th string quarterback so maybe one of these days we shall see how you match against our 1st string QB.

Get your head out of the clouds. Or maybe we shall see after you play ULL.

MeanGreenDan · November 3, 2011

So just because your defense couldn't stop our offense you think Coach Freeze should have just brought in a local Jr High team to play the second half? Trust me, if he was trying to run the score up he would have. It was pretty obvious by the half that your D couldn't stop us. Sometimes a team does nothing but run their offense the way they normally would and they can't help but score because the opposing defense just can't stop them. This is D-1/FBS football...this is what happens. We have been on the bottom side of lopsided games plenty of times...because we simply couldn't handle our opponents. This new Red Wolves Football team is being coached to play a full game and that is exactly what they did.
As for keeping starters in...not entirely true. I didn't hear Coach Freeze make the comment that you claim, but even if he did what does it matter. This is an aggressive defense that is being coached to never let up. Play until the final second ticks off the clock. The fact that we took a knee with over a minute left on the clock actually kind of surprised me considering what Coach has been preaching. If UNT can't handle that then maybe they are in the wrong division. Don't be sore losers ...ASU is a VERY good team this year. You lost...accept it and move on.

Vomit.

Stop it or leave...

John Redcorn · November 3, 2011

So you are saying Hugh Freeze is a liar? Take it up with him.

I don't know that he said what you think he said and apparently you don't either. If he said ASU jept it's starters in the whole game to keep Dunbar from getting 100 then he is a liar. I was there. I know the roster. The ASU defenders in the game when Dunbar started a drive with 90 yards ruching were NOT starters. They weren't even second teamers. Still, UNT kept throwing the ball. I dno't blame them. The QB and WRs need game reps with the starter hurt.

Nobody was trying to run up the score. It was quite the opposite.

GrandGreen · November 3, 2011

Jeez, ASU put in their seconds for NT last drive. If it was a priority for McCarney; he probably could have ran Dunbar enough to get over 10 yards on that drive. To my recollection, NT did not run Dunbar one time in that drive.

ASU had the much better team and if Thompson had played I doubt it would have made a lot of difference. As far as ASU fans coming on here and bragging about their dominance, so what, I don't think it is going to last much longer. As far as running up the score, I am not sure why ASU didn't play more reserves; but if they want to risk injury to their starters including their QB in a game that was won in the first half, it is their decision.,

Mean Green 93-98 · November 3, 2011

I don't know that he said what you think he said and apparently you don't either.

Yes, I do. I may not know the exact wording of it, but I know the gist of what he said. But if you admit you don't know, why don't you quit acting like you know what you're talking about?

Voice of Reason · November 4, 2011

Aplin was in the whole game and was doing his best to score in the second half...There was no calling off the dogs by any means.

WinstonTheWolf · November 4, 2011

I didn't hear it myself, but my wife was listening to Hugh Freeze's coaching show on the radio. In case you didn't notice, it really looked like ASU was trying to run up the score at the end--they kept their starters in the whole way, they were throwing on virtually every down (which ended up giving us time to score our last TD as well). Apparently Coach Freeze was asked on the show why he kept the starters in. The reason he gave? Because he did not want Lance Dunbar to hit 100 yards.

This post has been promoted to an article

I've heard Freeze talk about this a couple times, and probably the time your wife heard. It is clearly very important to our defense to keep opposing RBs under 100. They take great pride in that streak and are greatly motivated by it.

But what I heard Freeze say was this: Demario Davis, starting LB, upon seeing that Dunbar was in the game late, begged Freeze to put him/starters back into the game to make sure that Dunbar didn't get the 100. Freeze said he told Davis that we weren't going to do that. I don't think there is much evidence that the defensive starters were put back in the game at the end.

I think it is likely that your wife misunderstood Freeze.

It bothered me to see Aplin in there late because I have great fear of an injury to him. But after the game I heard that his backup, Andre Smith, who has been converted back from TE to QB because of an injury to Phillip Butterfield in fall practice, has a slight injury and they did not want to play him at all if possible to let him heal up. 3rd team WR converted to QB Stephan Hogan is redshirting - so no point in screwing that up.

Also, Lawson our SR. Tailback was in at the end too, but Frankie Jackson limped off in the first half, and SirGregory Thornton didn't play. I think Jermaine Robertson is hurt at RB as well. So we didn't have much to choose from at Tailback either.

Freeze also stated that we changed our offense to let the clock run more in the second half. This isn't really consistent with running up the score.

Edited November 4, 2011 by WinstonTheWolf

Voice of Reason · November 4, 2011

I give the UNT D credit for not folding in the second half... Could that not be the reason ASU didn't score but once?

Green P1 · November 4, 2011

Who cares about any of this? College football is a game of blowouts, those who can...... do.

I can't wait for the day some battered little runt complains about our efforts to run the score up.

Mean Green 93-98 · November 4, 2011

Who cares about any of this? College football is a game of blowouts, those who can...... do.

I can't wait for the day some battered little runt complains about our efforts to run the score up.

Reading is hard.

Green P1 · November 4, 2011

Reading is hard.

It must be.

WinstonTheWolf · November 4, 2011

I just don't care; we used to win the Sun Belt; now it appears y'all may have a run. I just don't know anything about your school or town, and look forward to playing people that other people in Texas know or care about. I mean, tell me or anyone else why we would want to come to your place or have y'all come to our place, and I'll at least listen. Do you have a world class music school, famous writers, folks who can carry on an interesting conversation, anything that makes anyone think something other than "let's get out of the same conference with them"?

No worries. All you need to know about Arkansas State University is that our enrollment/alumni base is slightly over 1/3 that of North Texas, and that we've beaten you in football 7 years in a row.

Green P1 · November 4, 2011

No worries. All you need to know about Arkansas State University is that our enrollment/alumni base is slightly over 1/3 that of North Texas, and that we've beaten you in football 7 years in a row.

Who hasn't? That's a pretty solid meh for a bullet point.

EdwardRRooney · November 4, 2011

No worries. All you need to know about Arkansas State University is that our enrollment/alumni base is slightly over 1/3 that of North Texas, and that we've beaten you in football 7 years in a row.

Soooo, you are saying that because we are a larger school that we should be favored? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense......or any at all for that matter. This thread is pointless. Asu won, that is all.

EdwardRRooney · November 4, 2011

Winston the wolf sounds like an educated fellow. He reminds me of the MG fans that make comments like that on Smu boards that make me cringe when I see them because I see how stupid it makes us look.

Green Mean · November 4, 2011

No worries. All you need to know about Arkansas State University is that our enrollment/alumni base is slightly over 1/3 that of North Texas, and that we've beaten you in football 7 years in a row.

Every dog has their day so what's your point?

You've got Jonesboro, we've got Denton, I'll take Denton.

dahbeed · November 4, 2011

Who hasn't? That's a pretty solid meh for a bullet point.

wku.

John Redcorn · November 4, 2011

I've heard Freeze talk about this a couple times, and probably the time your wife heard. It is clearly very important to our defense to keep opposing RBs under 100. They take great pride in that streak and are greatly motivated by it.

But what I heard Freeze say was this: Demario Davis, starting LB, upon seeing that Dunbar was in the game late, begged Freeze to put him/starters back into the game to make sure that Dunbar didn't get the 100. Freeze said he told Davis that we weren't going to do that. I don't think there is much evidence that the defensive starters were put back in the game at the end.

I think it is likely that your wife misunderstood Freeze.

It bothered me to see Aplin in there late because I have great fear of an injury to him. But after the game I heard that his backup, Andre Smith, who has been converted back from TE to QB because of an injury to Phillip Butterfield in fall practice, has a slight injury and they did not want to play him at all if possible to let him heal up. 3rd team WR converted to QB Stephan Hogan is redshirting - so no point in screwing that up.

Also, Lawson our SR. Tailback was in at the end too, but Frankie Jackson limped off in the first half, and SirGregory Thornton didn't play. I think Jermaine Robertson is hurt at RB as well. So we didn't have much to choose from at Tailback either.

Freeze also stated that we changed our offense to let the clock run more in the second half. This isn't really consistent with running up the score.

I knew there wasn't any way Freeze said what he is being blamed for saying because I saw it with my own eyes.

You are correct about Aplin. Second teamers played on offense but the QB situation is not ideal.

John Redcorn · November 4, 2011

I just don't care; we used to win the Sun Belt; now it appears y'all may have a run. I just don't know anything about your school or town, and look forward to playing people that other people in Texas know or care about. I mean, tell me or anyone else why we would want to come to your place or have y'all come to our place, and I'll at least listen. Do you have a world class music school, famous writers, folks who can carry on an interesting conversation, anything that makes anyone think something other than "let's get out of the same conference with them"?

Why the hell do you guys keep bringing the towns into this discussion? As for not being a big draw, you think people in this state get any more excited when they see UNT? Putting down another team's state, town and citizens is low class.