Football: Sprang a leak

Harry · November 6, 2012

North Texas was on quite a roll defensively earlier this season, when it held Troy and Florida Atlantic to 14 points each in back-to-back games.

Posting those types of performances has been a struggle for UNT over the last few weeks.

UNT gave up 20 second-quarter points in a 37-19 loss to Arkansas State on Saturday and has now given up at least 37 in three of its last four games.

The source of the Mean Green’s issues has stemmed largely from a single aspect of the game — defending opponents’ passing attacks.

UNT went nearly four full games without a sack before posting one late against ASU and has dropped from 31st nationally in passing defense after its first five games into a tie for 80th with Tulane heading into Saturday’s showdown with South Alabama in its final home game of the season.

UNT is allowing 250.6 passing yards a game on the season, up from the 198.4 yards it allowed in its first five games.

The trend is one head coach Dan McCarney believes the Mean Green (3-6, 2-3 Sun Belt) will have to reverse over the last three games of the season if it is to make a late run at the .500 mark, beginning Saturday against the Jaguars (2-7, 1-4).

“It’s very important,” McCarney said of getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. “A lot of times these days, everyone knows that the ball comes out of there very fast. It’s a little harder to get there unless there is the combination of good coverage and a good pass rush. You still have to collapse the pocket, disrupt quarterbacks and the timing of receivers. We have a lot of room to improve there.”

UNT believes it has too often left opposing quarterbacks standing and surveying the field late in the season and has seen them take advantage.

Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20121105-football-sprang-a-leak.ece

oldguystudent · November 6, 2012

If I'm an opposing coach, I do nothing but 40-yard pass attempts. Four downs to complete one. I'd say there has been a much better than 25% success rate.

We look like 2008 on defense right now.

As for offense, well, we just look offensive.

NorthTexan95 · November 6, 2012

We've got a bunch of young kids in the secondary ... maybe they've hit a wall where the game is faster than they can sometimes keep up with.

CurveItAround · November 6, 2012

A couple of DMAC quotes from the article regarding the secondary:

“We have some of the same issues we had in spring football,” McCarney said. “There are some personnel issues, and we have some guys who are not doing the things we know they can do or would like them to do. In the secondary, you have to play with your eyes. Of course it’s also about speed, quickness, technique and talent, but if you don’t play with your eyes back there and don’t play with good technique, you can look silly.”

“We are in November,” McCarney said. “There are no rookies this time of year and inexperience is a bad excuse. We have all been coaching since the first week of August. We have to do better, improve and be more consistent. One or two guys can make a unit look bad. That is where we are right now. We didn’t have any effort problems. We played hard against a fine football team.”

Me thinks DMAC is chewing some DB arse behind the scenes.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · November 6, 2012

Perhaps this is the result of a defensive line worn out by lack of depth...as some here predicted would happen at the end of the season.

Defensive line, defensive line, defensive line. Depth and quality. Without it, this ship will not sail.

Moving "up" a notch in coference next year. If a defensive line this thin can't handle the Belt, how will it handle the challenge one rung up the ladder?

Got to get defensive linemen.

CurveItAround · November 6, 2012

Perhaps this is the result of a defensive line worn out by lack of depth...as some here predicted would happen at the end of the season.

Defensive line, defensive line, defensive line. Depth and quality. Without it, this ship will not sail.

Moving "up" a notch in coference next year. If a defensive line this thin can't handle the Belt, how will it handle the challenge one rung up the ladder?

Got to get defensive linemen.

Can't agree more. Boutwell and Lincoln played hard this year in the rotation, but they are both trying to play the position at 40+ pounds under weight IMO. Hopefully McDorman and Wallace will be ready to compete for playing time next year along with a couple more new faces.

Greenhorn · November 6, 2012

Perhaps this is the result of a defensive line worn out by lack of depth...as some here predicted would happen at the end of the season.

Defensive line, defensive line, defensive line. Depth and quality. Without it, this ship will not sail.

Moving "up" a notch in coference next year. If a defensive line this thin can't handle the Belt, how will it handle the challenge one rung up the ladder?

Got to get defensive linemen.

4-5 defensive linemen redshirting.

CurveItAround · November 7, 2012

Really I think the DE position will be ok with some big boys redshirting. But we will have to replace Cantly next year and Boutwell in 2014. McDormand and Wallace are the only currently right-sized DTs on the roster. Everyone else listed as a DT or playing DT is either undersized or really a DE. (Although if they keep moving every DE with size to DT, we might have a problem there too.)

I just posted this in another thread, sorry for the repost. I wonder if Mac would consider moving Micah Thompson back to DT? He has the size to play the position and he was pretty dominant in HS. He has not gained much trust from Mac as an OL.