Big change - the giant awakes!

[mccox2]

Going to graduate school in Atlanta, Georgia a couple years ago sporting my UNT gear regularly raised a lot of brows... and curiosity. It was really interesting how many questions my classmates and strangers would ask me about UNT, their program, and my consistent support that I gave on a regular basis. It was also hilarious how consoling they were when they saw me on Mondays during the fall and surprising how they were keeping up with the Mean Green out of respect for me. It was really cool how they were rooting for UNT versus Georgia this year and texting me about the "The Mean Green Fighting Mark Cox" haha! My sense of pride has been the same now as it was during the down years of the football program. It does feel satisfying about the positive vibes that UNT football has been receiving. I can relate to everyone who is "that Mean Green guy". I am proud that we all weathered through the storms together since the Darrell Dickey years. Cheers to stability, respectability, and continued growth in UNT's football future!

[greenit]

I think the game against the donkeys next year will be plenty tough and probably a very even matchup, depending very heavily on how we are able to reload at key positions. If we somehow come away with a win, it will be glorious. A good showing against UT in front of a huge TV audience along with a win against the donks would have Apogee rocking like we haven't seen before.

[Hunter Green]

My experience too Steve. People are beginning to jump on the bandwagon. UNT and Coach McCarney have got to keep this thing going. I believe they will and a strong showing against Texas and a ass whippin of smu will do wonders for attendance at Apogee next year. The giant is waking up, rubbing his eyes and thinking, "what the hell just happened?"

Thank you administration for having the faith and providing the funding and support for finally putting athletics on the pedestal it deserves and allowing the AD to hire real college coaches with skins. Thank you Rick for orchestrating this whole thing; thank you students and alumni for turning out in droves yesterday and proving to Dallas/Ft. Worth that yes, UNT as a following. Thank you student-athletes for persevering through the lean years and finally, thank you God for the perfect weather yesterday. I was in hog-heaven!

GO MEAN GREEN!

[UNT86]

Gelding is the term you are looking for.

Gelding - a castrated horse. Castration is the elimination of hormonally driven behavior, causing the animal to be better behaved, calmer, and quieter.

Now, if that doesn't descibe Peruna perfectly, I don't know what does.

[mccox2]

I think the game against the donkeys next year will be plenty tough and probably a very even matchup, depending very heavily on how we are able to reload at key positions. If we somehow come away with a win, it will be glorious. A good showing against UT in front of a huge TV audience along with a win against the donks would have Apogee rocking like we haven't seen before.

I think the SMU game will be a great step up as a local DFW competition that will sell tickets and have Apogee rocking.

Sorry the comments below was kind of an irrelevant rant/opinion to your quote but too lazy to delete or edit it...

I firmly believe that the FIRST game can further dictate ticket sales next year for the better but won't hurt ticket sales. I know there will be an increase in sales due to this year's success but the euphoria will be as toxic as a spiked punch bowl at a frat party if UNT beats Texas and maybe still get by if they compete with Texas all four quarters. This is as low as UT may get which can play to UNT's advantage.

They are a huge question mark right now without an identity of a head coach and on offense at the quarterback position. Overall leadership is lacking also. Whoever the coach that inherits UT has to transition the program and the players into their schemes. Living in Austin and analyzing their football team this year (it is a circus down here) there is not a whole lot of chemistry right now with how they played this year. Translating that into next year's team they do have athletes and depth but are also losing key players. Depending on their coach, their players will have to start from scratch depending on the type of offense and defense they will run which will be a learning phase for UT and a set back. They will not experience live action of their system until they play UNT next year.

On the other hand, UNT's program has momentum, stability from a coaching standpoint who knows their players and system, and has a chip on their shoulders. I think coach Dan McCarney knows that this will be a HUGE game for recruits, for a milestone, and for national recognition. Our only disadvantage is not knowing what UT will be until their new head coach is hired. That will of course put more hours for coaches to have to watch film not only on UT's players but also the previous head coach's system of his last year's team. Our MAIN advantage is the time we have to prepare for this game.

I have total confidence that our defensive coordinator John Skladany will put a great game plan together to keep their quarterback from developing a rhythm in a potential new offense. We have played excellent TEAM defense this year. I know if we force turnovers EARLY deep in their territory and capitalize on it then that can potentially be a great recipe to keeping their offense out of sync and giving us excellent field position throughout the game. Our defense this year competed with Georgia who had a great offense with a power runner, an experienced quarterback, and an NFL talent pool on both sides of the ball. We were a couple of big plays away from taking the lead from Georgia on offense.

On the other side of the ball on offense (and special teams) we need to find our "breakout player" who can carry on the torch that Brelan Chancellor has done for the past couple years. I like our offense against Texas who may have to switch to another defensive scheme which Mike Canales can involve McNulty as a dual threat quarterback.

Honestly, I don't know where I was going with that but I think our shot at beating Texas next year is realistic and can set the tone to making 2014 a milestone year where Apogee can be a sold out mecca. I think it won't hurt ticket sales if we lose to UT but can only help.

Edited January 2, 2014 by mccox2

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--Being the ONLY metroplex team in a bowl helped get us more attention. (my opinion) .. Here is hoping more will think of UNT as THE metroplex or Dallas area team.... smu has turned so many people off that should not be too difficult if we can have a reasonable amount of success and play teams that they actually recognize and win or hold our own. I regularly mention to people when they mention someone that is a UNT alum that they are a UNT alum. [ Dr. Phil, Norah Jones, Pat Boone, Robocob, Roy Orbison, etc. ] We need to convince the Dallas area to be fans of UNT and even having a player or two on the Cowboy roster mentioned helps there as well. I think TCU may have shot themselves in the foot by becoming a Big-12 member .. and maybe becoming the league doormat. Most people out here (West Texas) have no idea that UNT is as large as it is... larger that TxTech and also about the same or larger than Baylor, smu and TCU combined.

Edited January 2, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Ben Gooding]

Then those people are extremely casual fans and apparently kind of dumb. GMG

[Zeke]

Most people out here (West Texas) have no idea that UNT is as large as it is... larger that TxTech and also about the same or larger than Baylor, smu and TCU combined.

This is true. During my time in pharmacy school at Tech, I would always get looks of disbelief when I informed them that North Texas was larger than Tech.

Anybody ever get the "I can't believe they are going to play Texas/LSU/Alabama/etc!!!!" Yeah, we play someone like that every year - it isn't that crazy.

[Green Dozer]

We need for our own alumni in DFW to adopt North Texas as their team.....then we can worry about everybody else. Of course, everybody is welcome right now.