Winning football is simple

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

(1) Run the ball: amazingly, with a veteran offensive line, we cannot do. Amazing.

(2) Stop the run: check, but Tulane is a terrible team, so shutting them down isn't earth-shattering news.

(3) Play effective and mistake-free special teams: Still screwing up placekicks. Awful.

I think Middle Tennessee stomps us if we continue to be unable to run the ball.

Way too many penalties as well. How does McCarney get through to this team. It seems to be the most talented group we've had in some time. Yet, this loss is awful. We absolutely gave it away.

[GOMG2013]

Running the ball is a problem, but the bigger issue is not realizing you can't run it. Trying to run the ball is causing us to fall behind. DT is not great, but the horrible play calling does not help. We can't run the ball. Period. We have shown we can pass a little. Time to adjust. This is not a smash mouth running team. Until the coaching staff realizes that, we are going to lose heartbreakers. And please do not put a certain db out there again. Learn from your mistakes please.

[GreenFlag]

You know what's worse than not being able to run the ball? Knowing you can't run the ball and still trying.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Well...20 rushes, 42 passes. I think we did stop trying. How many rushes in the second half? Two or three?

It doesn't matter. If you can't run, the opponent doesn't have to commit a safety to stop it.

I don't understand it. The offense line was supposed to be the strength; the defensive line, the weakness. If I hadn't been following UNT for so long, I wouldn't believe. But, there ya have it.

[GreenFlag]

Well...20 rushes, 42 passes. I think we did stop trying. How many rushes in the second half? Two or three?

It doesn't matter. If you can't run, the opponent doesn't have to commit a safety to stop it.

I don't understand it. The offense line was supposed to be the strength; the defensive line, the weakness. If I hadn't been following UNT for so long, I wouldn't believe. But, there ya have it.

Yes! But didn't you determine VERY early on we couldn't run on these guys? I know I did. There is a time limit in football so SCREW halftime adjustments, how about make adjustments when you need to. It is what it is, our team is above average in the passing game and below average in the running game. I don't know how the OL can be so damned good at pass protection and so bad at run blocking.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Yes! But didn't you determine VERY early on we couldn't run on these guys? I know I did. There is a time limit in football so SCREW halftime adjustments, how about make adjustments when you need to. It is what it is, our team is above average in the passing game and below average in the running game. I don't know how the OL can be so damned good at pass protection and so bad at run blocking.

Run blocking is more physical...and, that is probably what is driving McCarney crazy. As tough as the Little-Engines-That-Could are turning out to be on the defensive line, his much heralded offensive line can't open up holes for the run game.

Crazy.

[UNT90]

Run blocking is more physical...and, that is probably what is driving McCarney crazy. As tough as the Little-Engines-That-Could are turning out to be on the defensive line, his much heralded offensive line can't open up holes for the run game.

Crazy.

8 and 9 within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage is why we can't run.

Did you see the 21 points we scored in the second half? It's because we finally decided to take what the defense had been giving us all day.

And you know what? They kept giving it to us. That's why we were able to score 21 in the second half compared to 0 in the first half.

Go figure.

Maybe we will figure this out in some future road game and open it up from the jump. Nothing about Mac's history suggests this.

Edited October 6, 2013 by UNT90

[Harry]

I have no problem with the defensive line - they play their hearts out and have good quickness. The defensive line is the biggest pleasant surprise of this team.

[emmitt01]

Had the opportunity to sit next to Brandon Byrd's dad at the game. Three or four plays in he turns to me and says (as if reading my mind) "This is a fast defense. Why would you keep running the ball outside? You gotta run straight at a fast defense to negate that speed!" And he was spot on. And what did we do when we weren't running sideways? We threw lateral passes in the flats to backs and TE's.

Oh yeah, and the screen that every defensive coordinator has seen on last season's highlight reel. Wanna know why Derek threw a pick six. Because the ENTIRE Tulane defense knew it was coming, a defensive lineman got his paw on the pass and the corner who was squatting on the route plucked it out of the air. That's coaching/play calling...not the QB. We didn't try to get vertical in the first half and Tulane ate us up.

Then, in the second half, we apparently realized that Tulane awards scholarships too and that you can't be cute against 8 men in the box...and we scored 21.

[houstonmeangreen]

Had the opportunity to sit next to Brandon Byrd's dad at the game. Three or four plays in he turns to me and says (as if reading my mind) "This is a fast defense. Why would you keep running the ball outside? You gotta run straight at a fast defense to negate that speed!" And he was spot on. And what did we do when we weren't running sideways? We threw lateral passes in the flats to backs and TE's.

Oh yeah, and the screen that every defensive coordinator has seen on last season's highlight reel. Wanna know why Derek threw a pick six. Because the ENTIRE Tulane defense knew it was coming, a defensive lineman got his paw on the pass and the corner who was squatting on the route plucked it out of the air. That's coaching/play calling...not the QB. We didn't try to get vertical in the first half and Tulane ate us up.

Then, in the second half, we apparently realized that Tulane awards scholarships too and that you can't be cute against 8 men in the box...and we scored 21.

Well said....this is spot on.....the play calling was stupid in the first half...but on the pregame interviews Mac and chico said that was what they were going to do and I knew we were screwed. and why would you kick a field goal when we did....we are in a struggle and should play "all out"...this is Mac's conservative football that almost always results in a loss...I knew when he sent the field goal squad out, that this would be the turning point, like so many times last year...just wasn't expecting it to result in a TD for Tulane.....So much of this loss results for the coaching and play calling....the personal fouls killed us....Mac and Chico killed us....why is we can all see this , but they can't???

[ragpicker]

You know, Mac likes to compliment Hayden Fry as a great coach and he was a great coach who took CHANCES. He was not conservative when he took over losing programs at SMU, UNT and Iowa. He was innovative and usually had his teams playing over their heads. It was a Hayden Fry team at SMU that prompted Darrel Royal to say "Those guys come at you like spilled bb's." His teams did all kinds of crazy things with limited talent and won many games he had no business winning. To hell with conservatism - get creative.