DaJon provided hope

[MeanGreenTexan]

We keep saying 2nd string defense, but that SMU team was probably no better than techs second string defense.

Greer looked bad against SMU and he had the running game to help him out. Hes just not comfortable out there. Dajon would have killed that SMU defense. Especially the way the running game was going.

True, but I don't think we're going to see another team in the same 'give-up' mode SMU was in this year... especially now that they know if they bust their butts, they can beat the team that was predicted to win the west in the preseason.

[CMJ]

If Mac is tentative because DW hasn't been the best "practice-r" or has been late to meetings....just pull him into the office and tell him it's his team now, start acting like it. I do believe that you can't let the crazies run the nuthouse, so if he doesn't improve maybe you sit him for a half or something in a few weeks to send a message. However, I'd think IF he knew it was HIS team, he'd shoulder the responsibility and lead by example.

Edited September 12, 2014 by CMJ

[Travis]

If Mac is tentative because DW hasn't been the best "practice-r" or has been late to meetings....just pull him into the office and tell him it's his team now. Start acting like it I do believe that you can't let the crazies run the nuthouse, so if he doesn't improve maybe you sit him for a half or something in a few weeks to send a message. However, I'd think IF he knew it was HIS team, he'd shoulder the responsibility and lead by example.

This!

If it is a maturity and respect issue... then Chico and Mac need to take put more attention to those things. After all, coaching is mentoring is helping them make better life choices and responsibilities. If that is the problem, then perhaps he just demands a different kind of attention from the coaches.

[IslandEagle]

This!

If it is a maturity and respect issue... then Chico and Mac need to take put more attention to those things. After all, coaching is mentoring is helping them make better life choices and responsibilities. If that is the problem, then perhaps he just demands a different kind of attention from the coaches.

In any case, Chico and Mac need to wake up and smell the coffee. Greer may try hard, but if you want to have any chance of winning this year, they need to accept the fact that Greer is just not ready for Division 1 football. He is the one who should have been redshirted.

[SilverEagle]

Here is an assessment of the QB's that I offered in a thread back in April regarding post spring game ranking of players.

ChristopherRyanWilkes, on 23 Apr 2014 - 4:45 PM, said:

It will be Greer and there's nothing wrong with that.

Except that Means is better.

My "end of spring" depth chart at QB would have been McNulty, Means, and then Greer. If they had given Cousins more reps I might have put him somewhere even with Greer. I already thought, from watching him in early spring drills, that he had a better release/thowing motion. In the spring game he ran with it once and looked pretty mobile. But one play is not enough to fully assess. Shanbour has the best release/throwing motion of all of them.

Additionally, I would have put Jarrod Lynn (#98) somewhere in the three deep at the TE position. As I've said before he looks like a Miller/Prior type TE.

I think I left DW out completely because I was assuming that the coaching staff had completely given up on him. So if DW resurrects himself, then my revised assessment list would be.......Means, Williams, McNulty/ Cousins, Greer. I noticed that Shanbour is still hanging around and was on the sidelines wearing a jersey last night. I don't know why he was not given any reps this spring. He was only allowed to participate in QB throwing/footwork drills. But based just on that, he was worlds better than Greer in release and throwing motion.

And I'm so glad that the coaching staff agrees with me about Jarrod Lynn. They found a way to get him in the lineup as a FB/HB. He can catch the ball too. I would love to see them come up with a play where the ball was thrown to him. He is one tough player!

[Cr1028]

If nobody else is gonna, I will.

[CMJ]

If nobody else is gonna, I will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

[Ben Gooding]

Dajon is a very calm person. He's not your typical rah, rah, in your face type person. He does not have an aggressive personallity. Kinda quiet and lax.

He's kinda like TMac or Scottie pippen in basketball. His demeanor comes off as lazy and not interested at times.

Even though that is his demeanor off the field and he's not the type that will scream at players and pump up teammates, he can play football.

In game competition pulls the even quietest people out of their shell.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I'm not going to buy the "protect the ball BS." Greer didn't turn the ball over tonight either. Sometimes you need more than a handoffer.

That's the truth. Some games you need the OL to block and not make penalties. And, for the defensive backs to act as though they've seen a forward pass before.

[greenminer]

That's the truth. Some games you need the OL to block and not make penalties. And, for the defensive backs to act as though they've seen a forward pass before.

I think there were a lot of problems last night, and the lack of a passing game amplified everything.

[greenminer]

First half UNT drives. I thought it was interesting that the first half it seemed like we were stubborn to try and run or die against their defensive front, but it turns out we passed more than half the time.

P Incomplete

R +5

P Complete -3

R +4

R +1

P Complete +4

Bad Snap -19

R +7

R +3

R +3

R 0

P Incomplete

P Complete +2

P Incomplete

P Incomplete

Sack -9

R 0

P Incomplete

R +2

P Complete +3

P Complete +8

P Complete +1

R +9

P Incomplete

P Incomplete

P Incomplete

Non-punt plays: 26

Passes: 14

Runs: 10

Blown plays: Sack/Bad Snap (2)

Edited September 12, 2014 by greenminer

[Cerebus]

F--- practice.

I don't care who pays attention super hard and shows up 15 minutes early for practice. I'm not buying tickets to the Practice Bowl when January rolls around. And I don't think we have a shot at an at-large selection to the Tried Really Hard on the Bench Press During Offseason Workouts Playoff. So f--- all that.

And f--- "maturity", too.

I don't give a crap if Dajon Williams sleeps with a night light and believes in the Easter Bunny. If he's spending all his time in team meetings playing with crayons and making laser gun noises while he smashes GI Joes together... GOOD FOR HIM. It's obviously making him more effective than what more "mature" options bring to the table. Last time I checked, Dajon Williams hasn't been stealing electronics or meat, or credit cards, or driving drunk, or running from the cops, or sexually assaulting anyone, or punching out people on Fry Street, or beating his wife. So, whatever makes him not "mature", he ain't that bad in the grand scheme of things. There's an award for dedication, vocal leadership, and bright eyed adherence to traditional values of success. It isn't Starting Quarterback, it's Eagle Scout. So pin a damn badge on McNulty and Greer, but put the football in Dajon's hands. Pretty please.

And for anyone who wants to point out that almost all of Dajon's success has come late in blowout games, or against backups... You may be right. I think the only way to judge him fairly against our other QBs is to see how they do in the same situation. So, START DAJON. And if we get our asses kicked the way we have against Texas and La Tech (or Tulsa when McNulty started)... Then I'd love to see what Greer can do against backups, when he comes in off the bench instead.

If we have to choose between a guy who stands tall and talks in a deep voice and Leads Real Hard and Practices Like A Champion, or a guy who seems to be a slacker but actually ACHIEVES RESULTS... Start the guy who can accomplish something in a game. And if you're one of our coaches and don't like the tone that sets for the rest of the team... Well, get your ass out on the road and recruit someone who can do both. I'll cheer extra hard for that guy next year, if we manage to find him. Until then, give me Dajon.

I just wanted to bump this so it could be read again. Tasty is my Bill Clinton:

[TheTastyGreek]

I just wanted to bump this so it could be read again. Tasty is my Bill Clinton:

Ordinarily, I'd scold you for making a political reference outside the Eagles Nest. But, I'm a sucker for praise and adoration. So, come on over and give me a big hug, buddy.

(I also can't resist a good setup for a joke)

[untcampbell]

Hope. If Change.

GMG

[gradumacated]

I understand that coaches need to stand by their players if/when they're struggling so that you can maintain confidence, but you have to wonder about Greer's state of mind right now. He's been out there for the majority of three games, and the offense has been anemic. But the killer for me was the game against SMU - there were several times when our defense set up the offense with perfect field position, and we kept settling for FGs. It's great that we have a good kicker who should be able to win us close games if needed, but in other games, a better team will have snuck that game if they scored TDs rather than FGs.

When the same wide receivers who kept missing with McNulty and Greer are hitting with Dajon, then you have to think it's the QB throwing the ball rather than the WR not catching the ball. Not to mention the threat of even a half-decent passing game will open up the running lanes for our cadre of RBs.

If Mac truly wants the program to grow, and #hit30k and all that nonsense, he can't keep trotting out Greer and expecting people to keep showing up. The student body is still quite fickle - one or two more underwhelming offensive games and all the hard work that was accomplished last season is going to be lost, and there's no telling how long it will take to bring back that level of excitement around the program. Stubbornness can be a good trait, but in this instance - it's quite clear - Greer isn't the answer at QB. Neither is McNulty. And when you have a talent like Williams, it's a travesty to waste him in garbage time, especially when all he does is show up the 1s.

Point being: Williams has to start vs Nicholls State, then evaluate from there. If he goes 2-10 for 10 yards and an INT, then sure, go back to Greer. But if he goes 8-15 for 90-odd yards a TD or two, then there's your answer. If it truly is a maturity issue, then like a previous poster said - pull him into a one-on-one meeting with Mac and/or Chico and let him know that it's his team and to start acting like it. He sounds like the sort of player who thrives on responsibility and if knows he's going to remain marginalized, why should he bother? Especially when - right now - he's head and shoulders above the current QBs. There's hope that he was put in over McNulty vs LaTech though.

My preseason prediction of 4-8 looks increasingly likely if Mac persists with Greer, and may end up losing the locker room if Williams continues to show up on the field.

[H-towngreen]

Welcome and great first post

Edited September 13, 2014 by H-towngreen

[gradumacated]

F--- practice.

I don't care who pays attention super hard and shows up 15 minutes early for practice. I'm not buying tickets to the Practice Bowl when January rolls around. And I don't think we have a shot at an at-large selection to the Tried Really Hard on the Bench Press During Offseason Workouts Playoff. So f--- all that.

And f--- "maturity", too.

I don't give a crap if Dajon Williams sleeps with a night light and believes in the Easter Bunny. If he's spending all his time in team meetings playing with crayons and making laser gun noises while he smashes GI Joes together... GOOD FOR HIM. It's obviously making him more effective than what more "mature" options bring to the table. Last time I checked, Dajon Williams hasn't been stealing electronics or meat, or credit cards, or driving drunk, or running from the cops, or sexually assaulting anyone, or punching out people on Fry Street, or beating his wife. So, whatever makes him not "mature", he ain't that bad in the grand scheme of things. There's an award for dedication, vocal leadership, and bright eyed adherence to traditional values of success. It isn't Starting Quarterback, it's Eagle Scout. So pin a damn badge on McNulty and Greer, but put the football in Dajon's hands. Pretty please.

And for anyone who wants to point out that almost all of Dajon's success has come late in blowout games, or against backups... You may be right. I think the only way to judge him fairly against our other QBs is to see how they do in the same situation. So, START DAJON. And if we get our asses kicked the way we have against Texas and La Tech (or Tulsa when McNulty started)... Then I'd love to see what Greer can do against backups, when he comes in off the bench instead.

If we have to choose between a guy who stands tall and talks in a deep voice and Leads Real Hard and Practices Like A Champion, or a guy who seems to be a slacker but actually ACHIEVES RESULTS... Start the guy who can accomplish something in a game. And if you're one of our coaches and don't like the tone that sets for the rest of the team... Well, get your ass out on the road and recruit someone who can do both. I'll cheer extra hard for that guy next year, if we manage to find him. Until then, give me Dajon.

Another bump for this. So much this. As I have said elsewhere, you can only perform against what's in front of you. And even if it were backups, and even if it were in a lost cause, or even if the outcome had been decided - he at least showed what the offense is capable of when led by a competent QB. Had Williams been in the game even from halftime I think UNT could have been even more competitive than it was. Heck, the game was still close in the second quarter.

I really hope Mac's stubbornness won't torpedo this program just when it had looked like it had turned a corner.

[UNT90]

That's the truth. Some games you need the OL to block and not make penalties. And, for the defensive backs to act as though they've seen a forward pass before.

Sticking with it till the bitter end, eh?

You have to be able to throw the forward pass in 21st century football. If 13 yards of total offense in the first half against La. Tech doesn't make you understand this, nothing will.

Defensive backs need to act like they have seen the forward pass??? You must be talking about our defensive backs, because the other team's defensive backs don't have that concern, do they?

Do they???

[Ben Gooding]

This has nothing to do with state of mind. It has everything to do with talent, and our starter to this point doesn't have any.

[cogido]

Any of you see the shoving match between two of our players on the sideline in the LaTech game? That should NEVER happen during a game, in-practice fisticuffs happen all the time, no problem, should never happen in a game.

[Andrew]

Any of you see the shoving match between two of our players on the sideline in the LaTech game? That should NEVER happen during a game, in-practice fisticuffs happen all the time, no problem, should never happen in a game.

Receivers are just frustrated it seems.