DRC: Emergence of Smith is great, but hints at deeper issues

[CurveItAround]

JUCO is a short-term fix to placate short-sighted fans. I support Coach Mac's approach of recruiting HS players who will be here 4-5 years. That's the way to build a program. UNT's problems have been around a long time & they won't be solved with band-aids. Be patient and watch the coaching staff buiild a team the way it should be built.

I don't disagree with the overall desire to recruit through HS and develop. However, it isn't always so short sighted to bring in some JUCO players especially at strength positions like DT. Sometimes teams find themselves in a situation where the HS recruits do not pan out and leave the program before their junior/senior years or players do no develop the size/strength that is needed.

We are not deep at DT. We need to add some immediate size/strength to this position. This issue is compounded with Cantly's impending departure. This year's recruiting class will be very interesting.

[CaliMeanGreen]

We need JUCO help at a few key positions. DLine, WR, Secondary help. JUCO help is a short time fix and recruiting HS kids is better long term. Without Wins HS Recruits dont come, and JUCO help will help us with getting W's. Then the HS TALENT come. JUCO help will help us get started. We need some JUCO Dlineman, and a Deep Threat WR, TE, and secondary help.

[meangreendork]

This is the best offensive team yardage-wise since 2009. Worst PPG since 2008. I could buy the line of thinking that playmakers = touchdown makers in the endzone but my eyes tell me it has been Thompson throwing bad passes once we get there.

I guess we could watch replays of our season so far and see how many passes went past the endzone or were overthrown or missed by a receiver who had a clean shot at a TD. I'd suspect that dropped or missed passes are THE reason for a low PPG average.

[CaliMeanGreen]

We need SPEED on both sides of the ball at a few key positions

[TheTastyGreek]

I knew that Bill Snyder was a fraud. What does he know?

High school classmates who voted for Calvin Coolidge?

[aztecskin]

We need SPEED on both sides of the ball at a few key positions

-- speed is great but i'd take tackling and blocking every time.

Example: if Hilbert Jackson and Zac Whitfield could make a reliable, tackle on the boundary? They wouldn't need to play so close to the line and Zac (in theory) would be protected from the deep ball. More recently, both safeties and the nearside LBs are flowing hard to the quick pass. That's great and all but has left us crazy vulnerable to the play fake.

[CurveItAround]

I wonder if now that DMAC has been able to bring in some depth on the OLine, that he would consider moving Micah Thompson back to DT next season. He seemed like a pretty capable DT coming out of HS that was moved to the OL due to depth issues. His size could certainly help and we are pretty thin there, assuming he is still capable.

[BillySee58]

I wonder if now that DMAC has been able to bring in some depth on the OLine, that he would consider moving Micah Thompson back to DT next season. He seemed like a pretty capable DT coming out of HS that was moved to the OL due to depth issues. His size could certainly help and we are pretty thin there, assuming he is still capable.

I've thought the same thing. Very possible, especially with 4 freshman offensive lineman redshirting (I'm including Kirby even though he isn't on scholly yet). We have developed some good depth and talent at O-Line, not to mention 4 commits all around 6'5" 290+. Offensive line and running back are the least of our concerns going forward.

[CurveItAround]

Of course I would like to see 4 more wins this season first, then a basketball season that ends in April, but I am also excited to see what develops in the spring with this team.

[CurveItAround]

That isn't why Mac said he moved Thompson. I said it was because that was his best position. I think he even said he wasn't going to ever be a D1 DT.

I trust Mac's assessment on that, but hopefully that was just coach speak because they were so thin at OL. Either way, he is a good looking player that I hope figures out a way to contribute.