Reasons to believe we MIGHT open the offense up

GOMG2013 · August 27, 2014

Last year we had hopes that the offense may be "opened up" but it seems like that was not the case. It was better than 2012, but there were times where we started predictable and were too conservative.

I find myself falling into the trap again and hoping for at least a balanced attack for the following reasons...

1. They actually went with Greer. They chose the better passer and player with upside over the vet that knows the offense more. The reason they said they went with Greer was due to making better passing plays. Not this coach speak about knowing the offense and leadership.

2. They moved kidsy to the outside so they can stretch the field and be a dangerous deep threat.

3. They did not redshirt some of our playmaking 2014 players.

4. Our recruiting has been concentrating on getting playmakers and guys with 4.4 speed.

5. Chicos updates seem to concentrate on the qbs and wrs. Seems like the passing game was getting a lot of work.

6. Greer is chicos guy and there may be more trust.

I might get let down again, but those are some reasons for hope.

chrisfisher · August 27, 2014

Great stable of tight ends too, which can help the running game, but also open up the passing game.

oldguystudent · August 27, 2014

Three yards and a cloud of dust.

Those three yards being:

Darrel K Royal Stadium

Indiana Memorial Stadium

Apogee Stadium

The cloud of dust being created by the mass exodus of opposing fans leaving in disgust midway through the third quarter.

NorthTexan95 · August 27, 2014

It depends on what you mean by opening up the offense. Mac wants a balanced offense so we're not going to be throwing the ball 50 times a game. With better receivers and better quarterback play maybe we can open up the offense by simply taking more shots down field (vertical) instead of so many shorter routes (horizontal). Last year we did spread out the defense with 3, 4, and even 5 receivers at times. We did open up the offense when we could (such as Ball State or the bowl game). I really don't see much changing this year in terms of run/pass ratio or use of formations. What will hopefully change is that we'll have more speed on the field leading to more big plays. Better quarterback should also allow our offense to stay on the field longer, convert more first downs, and have more opportunities to produce big plays and scores.

Last year DT won us some games and lost us some games. Chancellor was really our only threat at receiver. If Greer can give us better, more consistent quarterback play ... if we can have multiple receives step up to threaten the defense ... if Jimmerson and/or one of these freshmen back can provide us big plays ... I think we'll see much better offensive production and consistency even though the play calling and formations will be basically the same.

adman · August 27, 2014

I'm not sure about "opening up" the offense but you will see some greater tempo at times.

aztecskin · August 27, 2014

Opening up the offense means (to me) allowing all options on a given play. There are 5 eligible pass-catchers on a pass, and a closed offense only looks at one or two (maybe three!). An open offense puts the entire thing in play and lets the QB check out of bad plays into good ones/not bad ones.

They also have more plays at their disposal -- the more risky stuff. The more difficult throws, the more challenging reads, the ones with deeper drops.

We likely will be able to run the ball even more effectively if we can open up the offense. But we'll need an effective pass game that keeps Texas from pinning ears and pigtails back and attacking our run game.

Eagle1855 · August 27, 2014

Last year DT won us some games and lost us some games. Chancellor was really our only threat at receiver. If Greer can give us better, more consistent quarterback play ... if we can have multiple receives step up to threaten the defense ... if Jimmerson and/or one of these freshmen back can provide us big plays ... I think we'll see much better offensive production and consistency even though the play calling and formations will be basically the same.

Agreed.

DT was fantastic against Idaho and had a nice game against Ball State in the air and on the ground. But he had awful performances in 2 of our 3 "winnable" losses (UTSA and Tulane) and costly turnovers in the other "winnable" loss vs Ohio. So his performance was directly related to 3 of our 4 losses (I'm calling Georgia a team loss), last season. He also wasn't particularly "good" in the wins against MTSU and Rice -- but he did as much as we needed to do to win those games. Anyway, my point is not to bag on Thompson -- we had an historic season -- but rather to say, we've not had consistent QB play in a good while at NT and I am hopeful that Greer represents a turning point to that end, building on what this 2013 team accomplished.

untjim1995 · August 27, 2014

If we win this game, it will be because we run for over 200 yards and win the turnover battle by a +3 or more...we will need to throw th eball or setup designed QB scrambles, but we have to keep the clock moving to have a chance here.

Still think we will win if we knock Ash out of the game, too...

Eagle1855 · August 27, 2014

If we win this game, it will be because we run for over 200 yards and win the turnover battle by a +3 or more...we will need to throw th eball or setup designed QB scrambles, but we have to keep the clock moving to have a chance here.

Still think we will win if we knock Ash out of the game, too...

If we run for over 200 yards against Texas, I'll get a tattoo of the flying worm on my ass, next to the final score of our victory.

MeanGreenTexan · August 27, 2014

If we run for over 200 yards against Texas, I'll get a tattoo of the flying worm on my ass, next to the final score of our victory.

bookmarked.

Eagle1855 · August 27, 2014

bookmarked.

Bring it! We managed 7 yards against Georgia, last season. 7.

We averaged somewhere close to 250 yards per game in conference play but managed just 132 in non-conference (heavily skewed thanks to said Georgia game). That said, Texas did give up 200+ five different times last year (three of which were after the Ole Miss game). So I suppose it isn't totally out of the realm of possibility. And I might have researched that before I made said proclamation.

But whatever happens, it's a win-win.

GOMG2013 · August 27, 2014

Another thing that may increase our chances of a more "open" offense is the depth on defense.

Like most old school/defensive minded coaches, we want to eat up clock and give the defense rest.

Last year, we had dropoff from the starters to the second string. We were less inclined to run hurry up early in the game.

This can change with the depth on defense now. Seems like almost every spot has some sort of rotation. Not a lot of drop off with the twos.

UNT90 · August 27, 2014

Three yards and a cloud of dust.

Those three yards being:

Darrel K Royal Stadium
Indiana Memorial Stadium
Apogee Stadium

The cloud of dust being created by the mass exodus of opposing fans leaving in disgust midway through the third quarter.

So we beat UT and Indiana but lose to SMU and Nichols St.?

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 27, 2014

If we win every game 7-6, I'll be happy. It's about winning. How we get there is irrelevant to me anymore.

These coaches (unfortunately for some of you), have been in the business for decades and whatnot. So, all of this, "well, we passed more against this team and ran more against that team"...that's the coaches understanding where the opposing defense can be had on that particular afternoon.

I don't care if we whip 'em by one point or a hundred, as long as we continue winning. I want our coaches to be slaves to winning, rather than slaves to a system.

"It doesn't matter where you've poked the pie, you still have it on your fingers after the deed is done, okay?" - Bill Parcells, two time Super Bowl champion coach and full time, sandwich eating, mouth breather.

forevereagle · August 27, 2014

If we win every game 7-6, I'll be happy. It's about winning. How we get there is irrelevant to me anymore.

I don't totally disagree with this, but I would prefer to win some games by more than that. I think we could lose some of our older fans if the season goes that way.

Quoner · August 27, 2014

I don't totally disagree with this, but I would prefer to win some games by more than that. I think we could lose some of our older fans if the season goes that way.

"Sir, you've stuck this crap out for decades and saw the team drop a division, suck new levels of suck at many different points in time and once went three years without a home win."

"Yes, yes. All that was tough, but the breaking point for me was when we went 14-0 by an aggregate score of 98-84."

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 27, 2014

I don't totally disagree with this, but I would prefer to win some games by more than that. I think we could lose some of our older fans if the season goes that way.

Would you be happy with North Texas 7, Texas 6, just for starters, then? Or, would the agony of the lack of offense lead you to flood StubHub with your home game tickets for the remainder of the season?

I'm old and not getting any younger. I remember attending NT from 1990-95, and sitting there at dilapidated Fouts watching us play the likes of Abilene Christian and Southwest Missouri State.

So, Apogee is like Disneyland to me, and winning is like the cotton candy begged for then devoured between rides. Winning.

No one then barfs up the cotton candy and demands ice cream instead. The cotton candy has already been had, the evidence of it everywhere. All sticky on my hands and face, what didn't get to my tummy.

Eagle1855 · August 27, 2014

All sticky on my hands and face, what didn't get to my tummy.

I don't even...

Cerebus · August 27, 2014

I don't even...

untjim1995 · August 27, 2014

Would you be happy with North Texas 7, Texas 6, just for starters, then? Or, would the agony of the lack of offense lead you to flood StubHub with your home game tickets for the remainder of the season?

I'm old and not getting any younger. I remember attending NT from 1990-95, and sitting there at dilapidated Fouts watching us play the likes of Abilene Christian and Southwest Missouri State.

So, Apogee is like Disneyland to me, and winning is like the cotton candy begged for then devoured between rides. Winning.
No one then barfs up the cotton candy and demands ice cream instead. The cotton candy has already been had, the evidence of it everywhere. All sticky on my hands and face, what didn't get to my tummy.

I was there from 1991-1995, 5 full football seasons working for the athletic department. TFLF is so right about the bolded line above. One thing, though, about those two opponents was that we usually had a decent crowd for both opponents, since it was the opening home game of the season, usually.

The worst games were at home in November against the SLC teams from Louisiana. In 1992, we played a night game against Nicholls State on a November Saturday late in the season. Counting the band, we played the second half of that game in front of about 200 people. At that point, looking back, we were playing at Fouts Field, as a 1-aa team, coached by a HS coach (Parker), against a podunk Louisiana SLC school, and we were both terrible--it was the low point, to me, as a student, when I think back to those days. We had one more dismal season, in 1993, going 4-7 again and Parker got fired. We hired Matt Simon to lead our team as the school tried to qualify for 1-A status. The UNT community actually responded and we were able to achieve this move upward, since we played in front of big crowds (for Fouts) that year. When I think back on those days, that when I realize just how far we have come in the last 20 years...

Edited August 27, 2014 by untjim1995

NorthTexan95 · August 27, 2014

I was there from 1991-1995, 5 full football seasons working for the athletic department. TFLF is so right about the bolded line above. One thing, though, about those two opponents was that we usually had a decent crowd for both opponents, since it was the opening home game of the season, usually.

The worst games were at home in November against the SLC teams from Louisiana. In 1992, we played a night game against Nicholls State on a November Saturday late in the season. Counting the band, we played the second half of that game in front of about 200 people. At that point, looking back, we were playing at Fouts Field, as a 1-aa team, coached by a HS coach (Parker), against a podunk Louisiana SLC school, and we were both terrible--it was the low point, to me, as a student, when I think back to those days. We had one more dismal season, in 1993, going 4-7 again and Parker got fired. We hired Matt Simon to lead our team as the school tried to qualify for 1-A status. The UNT community actually responded and we were able to achieve this move upward, since we played in front of big crowds (for Fouts) that year. When I think back on those days, that when I realize just how far we have come in the last 20 years...

I was also there from 91 - 95. I remember when organizations could paint their seats on the student side. We've definitely come a long ways.

forevereagle · August 27, 2014

"Sir, you've stuck this crap out for decades and saw the team drop a division, suck new levels of suck at many different points in time and once went three years without a home win."

"Yes, yes. All that was tough, but the breaking point for me was when we went 14-0 by an aggregate score of 98-84."

I was alluding to the fact that those games would all be so stressful that it may lead to complications to existing health conditions.

UNT90 · August 28, 2014

Dan McCarney is still coaching this team and he is starting a QB that has never taken a college snap.

There will be no opening up of this offense.

adman · August 28, 2014

Dan McCarney is still coaching this team and he is starting a QB that has never taken a college snap.

There will be no opening up of this offense.

Perhaps not a University but Im pretty sure Navarro is a college.

foutsrouts · August 28, 2014

It may be a slight stretch in hoping for greatness, but at least the guy has been either playing or working within a college football program for 2 full years since high school. As far as being around the college game, he's not a total rookie in the experience department. Let us hope that he pulls through. Really looking forward to Saturday. Sunday too, since I'm catching the BU/smu game on the way back from Austin.