North Texas Mean Green Football

UNT did pretty much everything a team could do but win the game on saturday vs. the Ohio Bobcats.  They dominated the Ohio offense for most of the game, making both of Ohio's platooning QBs look very ordinary in the first three quarters of the game.  

The UNT offense was not as sharp as last week, but in the middle of a 24 hour long rainstorm, that is to be expected. The UNT offense still played very competently on the wet field going into the third quarter.

But then injuries shuffled the deck.  UNT knocked Ohio's primary QB Boo Jackson out of the game on a sack.  UNT's Riley Dodge went out with a shoulder injury.  Suddenly it was a game of backups.

In the UNT season preview I mentioned that UNT's backup QB Nathan Tune has a tendency to telegraph his passes.  He was caught staring down a receiver and Ohio CB Kenny Jackson took it 69 yards for a touchdown to give Ohio their first lead of the game.

Tune for his part responded as appears to be part of his makeup and lead the team on a drive to an apparent game winning TD.  Then more bad luck.  Tune's perfectly thown end zone pass to WR Mike Outlaw bounced off Outlaw's facemask.  UNT had to settle for a game tying field goal.

Ohio got the ball back with a little under a minute to play, but veteran Ohio coach Frank Solich wisely decided not to risk a turnover trying to drive the length of the field with his out of synch offense against a strong Mean Green defense.  The odds were much better for the Bobcat offense only having to work with the shorter overtime field, so Ohio ran out the clock and went to overtime.

Ohio was able to engineer a short drive in the first overtime, but the UNT defense stiffened again and held the Bobcats to a field goal.  One of UNT's dominant JUCO DTs Kelvin Jackson went out with an elbow injury in a move that signaled potential trouble for the Mean Green.

Tune and the Mean Green had their shot and moved the ball into the red zone.  Tune again looked to Outlaw in the endzone.  This time Outlaw was slightly overextended and could not control the pass and it bounced off his hands.  The team had to kick a game tying FG and proceed to double over time.

In double overtime, Tune and the Mean Green Offense were again able to engineer a drive into the red zone.  This time Cam Montgomery barrelled into the endzone behind a good block by Matt Tomlinson for his second TD of the day.  UNT knocked in the extra point to take a 30-23 lead.

At this point, it seemed any momentum Ohio had was exhausted and UNT seemed likely to win the game behind their defense. Still, Ohio had a little sucess before the Mean Green defense managed to force Ohio into a 4th-and-15 at the goal line.

On first down Scott threw deep to Ohio's star receiver Taylor Price and drew a pass interfernce call on UNT CB Adryan Adams. That gave Ohio a first and goal.

DE Sam Owusu-Hemeng sacked Scott on a play action rollout for a 4 yard loss on first down.  On second down, UNT's star linebacking duo, Craig Robertson and Tobe Nwigwe sussed out a screen pass for a yard loss. On third down, Ira Smith and Tobe Nwigwe had excellent coverage on ohio's intended receiver, forcing Scott to throw the ball away.

Then coaching experience seemed to again come into play.  UNT had been playing quite agressive man coverage against Ohio with great success for much of the game, but on this potentially last play the team went with a zone scheme and Ohio Star receiver Taylor Price found a crease in the zone behind CB Adryan Adams for the TD.

On the play UNT also incurred a roughing the QB penalty that was marked off on the extra point play putting Ohio at the one and a half yard line.  Recognizing that his team was operating on borrowed time all day Solich decided to go for two and the win rather than risking another OT. 

Scott took the snap, made a weak fake on the handoff on a dive,  and rolled right, tiptoeing away from pressure.  UNT bought the run fake en masse.  UNT's corner on that side had been planted by a blocker and UNT's safety on that side, Ira Cook, bit hard on the run. 

As cook and the CB from the other side, Adams sprinted to recover, Scott found Price in thC front of the end zone for an easy TD and the Ohio left Fouts Field with the kind of improbable victories that veteran teams seem to regularly acheive.

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For the Mean Green there were highs and lows.  All three units (offense, defense, and special teams) have now in consecutive weeks dominated two teams that were seen as upper tier MAC teams.  In fact if the team could have eliminated minor offensive mistakes the team might have beaten both teams convincingly.  The Mean Green have to feel like with the exception of Alabama they can compete against any other team on their schedule. That is huge.

The defense was very strong for most of the day although again they had 3rd and 4th quarter breakdowns again this week.  It is possible the unit simply lacks the game long focus of the great defenses.  With the amount of substitutions the defensive staff employs, I would hate to blame it on fatigue.  The team recorded a number of sacks including two by DT Shavod Atkinson, who in general seems to lack great pass rushing technique.  He simply destroyed his opponent at times today with superior talent.

Additionally, the team seems to respond very well to adversity.  That is 180 degrees from last year's team which would fold like a ladder at the slightest bad news.

The receiving corps looks pretty strong although most of the players have an abundance of bad technical habits for the position that prevent at this point prevent any of them from being dominant players.  There is no denying that Jamaal Jackson, Mike Outlaw, and Darius Carey are capable receivers.  Neither Jackson nor Outlaw has the nose for the end zone that great receivers have, but they appear to be very good second receivers capable of moving the chain with great regularity.  Jackson does regularly show big play potential. There is no way around the fact that Outlaw had a bad game.  Still, he has shown enough this year to reveal his talent.  Carey had a very solid game and might have worked his way into the starting lineup.  

Alex Lott lead all receivers with seven catches but needs to work on his professionalism.  Every Lott catch seemed to end with Lott seriously fighting a need to taunt the opposition.  He was flagged on a play that really hurt the team and managed to keep his stupidity in check for the rest of the game, but it clearly was a challenge for him.  If he grows up he could be quite a good player...and one the coaching staff trusts and is not looking to replace.  With former high school big play receiver BJ Lewis due to come back next week, it seems likely this offense will be able to move the ball through the air regardless of who is playing QB.

RB Cam Montgomery didn't get a chance to show much of his straightline speed on Saturday vs. Ohio's top notch linebackers but ran hard all day breaking tackles on almost every carry.  If UNT had won the game, he certainly would have been the game MVP.

In spite of a 24 hour long rainstorm the team drew between 9000 and 16,000 depending on which report you believe;  16,674 was the official reported attendance total, but that maybe some kind of paid attendence number, which while that is totally valid for NCAA record keeping, it seemed like there was probably closer to 9000 fans who braved the rain.   For the weather, that was a great turnout.

On the negative side, the team had some big injuries this week.  The loss of Riley Dodge is a mixed bag.  On the positive side, there is no chance Dodge will be knocked out for the season by Alabama and he should be back by the following game vs. MTSU.  On the flipside, this is the same shoulder (non-throwing) Dodge injured before.  This could become a chronic issue.

DT Kelvin Jackson was having a very good first season at the FBS level.  From this vantage point, he appears to be one of UNT's better defensive linemen, perhaps flashing more talent and skill than any of UNT's other linemen.  He has a dislocated elbow that may have him returning vs. MTSU at the earliest.  LT Victor Gill will probably miss the next two games with a seperated shoulder.  That loss will hurt Tune a lot next week especially.  CB Antoine Bush (UNT's most experienced CB) and DE John Weber (UNT's third member of their JUCO star defensive line trio) should also be healthy for the MTSU game.

Yes.

But it won't be easy and it certainly is not a given.

The University of Ohio Bobcats were a hard luck team in 2008 that lost a few games in the last minutes last year that they probably should have won. They went 4-8 last year, but probably could and should have gone at least 7-5.

Just like UNT, the Bobcats are trying to grow out of being snakebit.

In week one, Ohio was beaten by UCONN—an 8-5 team in 2008.  Ohio was only down 14-7 at half time before the difference in depth between the MAC and the Big East came into play.

Ohio starts seven seniors on offense and another seven on defense.  They are a tougher-minded team than UNT and one that probably won't quit.  Head Coach Frank Solich has always been an advocate of a power running game, but he lacks the back to execute it so he has been forced to play more of a passing attack the last two years, which explains a lot of Ohio's inconsistency over that period.

Solich will roll out a senior laden team that will fight UNT to the wire.  It is a flawed team in that it doesn't fit it's coach's philosophy, but has some good players on both sides of the line.

Boo Jackson is a very good, mobile, accurate passing QB with a good knack for making plays (he may end up having a CFL career down the road).  He is an exciting player. He splits time with another solid QB in Theo Scott.  Both are strong armed QBs who understand the passing game.

They have an assortment of good receiving options in WRs Taylor Price,  Riley Dunlop, Terrence Mcrae, and Steven Goulet, TE Jordan Thompson, and HB Chris Garrett that should be a challenge for UNT's defense.

Ohio's running game is not as strong as their passing game.  Against UCONN Ohio only generated 61 yards rushing at a 1.9 yard per carry clip.  There is elusive talent in the backfield, but the halfbacks lead by Garrett and Donte Harden are small players (under 200 lbs) lacking the bulk and strength to break arm tackles vs. BCS-sized linemen and linebackers.   Most are smaller than UNT QB Riley Dodge, to put that in perspective. 

Those backs play behind a line that most would judge as just solid.  LT Chris Rogers is a good athlete and an experienced player who will probably be able to control UNT's weakside DEs, but Cantly, Weber, and Owusu-Hemmeng might be able get around RT Colt Bunner for a sack, especially when the less mobile QB Scott is in the game.

In the middle, Ohio looks a little weaker to me. They seem like they were recruited to be good run blockers and now they are being asked to pass block. Additionally there is next to no proven depth. 

I could see DT Kelvin Jackson power by one of these guys for a sack.  I have been quite against the idea of Eddrick Gilmore playing DT, but this might be a game where he does pretty well at that spot.  DT Draylen Ross and Jesse DeSoto who are fair pass rushers could also figure in in that regard.

I do think the Bobcats will run on UNT much better than they did vs. UCONN.  I think they will have only a little less success than Ball State did (forgotten in the accolades for UNT's defense is the fact that Ball State averaged 7.0 per rush vs. UNT).

Against Ball State UNT would stop two runs for no gain and then give up 11 yards on the next run.  UNT's defense has made major strides, but they still aren't as disciplined as the top units. 

Ohio's run blockers are good enough to create the occasional hole and last week suggests UNT's defense will give up the occasional hole. So...there will be some holes this week for Ohio to run through. 

The Ohio backs are fast and elusive, even if they aren't anywhere near the caliber of Ball State's MiQuale Lewis.  I think UNT's feast or famine run defense will continue...but call it five yards per carry this week.

Ohio's passing offense—regardless of who is at QB—is much better than what UNT saw vs. Ball State.  UNT's defense probably will not hold this team below 20 points.

Defensively Ohio is weakest up front.  Their defensive line is big inside, but they aren't great players individually and they are not that deep. UNT, if it chooses to run, should be able to consistently open some holes for their backs. 

This would be a good game to get G Gabe Hollivay a few more plays in relief.  Drake may be quite strong, but the undersized combination of Drake and C JJ Johnson could probably use breathers this week.

The ends are better vs. the run than the pass so far.  The Ohio linebackers are quite good, so I don't expect to get the "bonus yards" Cam Montgomery got last week. This would be a good game to get Micah Mosley more involved in the running game.   UNT needs a pounder inside this week with those top notch linebackers and the other backs might not be sufficient.

Ohio has a very good and experienced back seven.  They gave UCONN all they could handle.  UCONN threw 24 passes and only completed 11 for 127 yards.  Of those 24 passes, Ohio picked off three of them.

This will be a problem.  Ohio has three good coverage corners.  A top quarterback knows how to attack a good pass defense with good ball placement.  They don't create the opportunity for interceptions.  

I am not convinced Dodge has grown beyond a high school QB's tendency to be overconfident in his ability—I think he has a tendency to put balls when they can be picked off.

This is a game where Riley Dodge should be protected by the play calling.  More running would be wise.  Will it happen?

I am also not convinced the coaching staff will make the correct calls in scheming for this game.  I think they need to run a lot and attack this team deep when they pass.  If they attempt to short pass this team to death like they did Ball State, a 4-5 interception day may be the end result. That might be the worst thing for a young QB to go through this early in the year.

Overall, I think UNT SHOULD win this game based on the Mean Green having the talent to run on Ball State consistently and having enough good quality depth at receiver to get a few mismatches and Ball State not being able to consistently run on UNT—especially if they try to run out the clock. 

Solich is playing a style outside of his comfort zone while UNT coach Todd Dodge is not.  The coach who is able to dictate his style usually has the upper hand.  I think the teams are quite similar in their strength's beyond that.

If UNT loses this game it will probably be due to bad coaching although the veteran leadership on Ohio will probably come into play if the game goes down to the wire. 

How the game might end.

I see a couple different scenarios depending on how UNT's offensive staff design this gameplan and call this game.

1) In the event of a game plan that features heavy running and some deep passes by UNT, I think UNT might enter the fourth quarter with as much as a 14-point lead.  Would they be able to hold off Boo Jackson?  I think so, but I would not write it in stone.  He is a heck of a playmaker. 

Todd Dodge did show last week that he is willing to end a game his team leads with a series of running plays.  He may be a passing advocate, but he isn't totally obtuse in that regard anymore.

In the event that UNT goes with the Ball State game plan and Riley Dodge throws 40+ passes he might be picked off four-plus times, at least two of which would probably lead to TDs.  With that said:

2) UNT enters the fourth quarter down by 14. UNT's coaching staff might feel a need to call more aggressive plays in the fourth quarter, which is what I think is needed vs. Ohio. Riley Dodge proved in high school that he is a pretty good player down the stretch too. Could UNT come back and win it?  That is a possibility.

Unfortunately for Ohio this kind of scenario might really work against them.  Solich's instincts would be to run the ball, but UNT's defense may be able to stuff the run getting the ball back in short order.  It sort of lays out well for the lead to disappear.

3) UNT enters the fourth down by 10 or less. This is an interesting scenario in that neither coach is likely to make the best decisions.  Solich would still try to run out some time and may give the ball back prematurely to UNT. 

At an 8-10 point lead, a single TD makes the game a last possession kind of game.  UNT for it's part may not feel a need to deviate from the dink offense they run and you might see that create an opportunity for the Ohio secondary to make a big interception that puts the game away.

The more I think about this game, the more I think it will be a great game, regardless of who wins.

North Texas appears to have turned the corner after tonight’s 20-10 national broadcast victory over Ball State. What a big victory it was too. I’ve never seen things look so good on the field for North Texas.

I said going into the game that North Texas just had to play decent to have a good season. I was by no means predicting a Mean Green win. I had my concerns about Riley Dodge’s size as a quarterback. I had even more concerns about the wide receivers Dodge could throw to.

In fact, the only thing I knew North Texas was good at was its running game.

I think all my questions were answered tonight, and then some. Riley looked good finding the wide receivers, and the wide receivers did the work. The spread offense actually looked like a spread offense, with nine different receivers logging a catch in the box score.

The running backs looked really strong. North Texas did have the nation’s leading rusher for a couple years earlier this decade. Cam Montgomery logged a ridiculous 148 yards on 17 carries. That’s almost a nine-yard average.

Despite the strengths of the offense, the more important issue was the defense. North Texas managed to give up just over 300 total yards. Ordinarily, that's nothing great, but for North Texas that's tremendous. North Texas was the worst in the nation in many categories on the defensive front.

The defense couldn't tackle opponents last year, giving up big plays. Although the same happened tonight, it wasn't nearly as frequent. The lineman and linebackers got pressure on the Ball State quarterback, forcing bad throws. MiQuale Lewis, who many consider one of the best running backs in the nation, was barely able to get 100 yards rushing. The secondary played well, giving up less than 150 yards through the air.

Perhaps the most important thing is the quality of athletes UNT has now. The receivers looked like legitimate Division 1 athletes. They were evading tackles left and right and racking up yards after the catch. The defense forced interceptions and fumbles, and was able to stop Ball State in critical situations.

Although I can’t say how many games North Texas will win this year, I think my original 4 wins is a great estimate. I’m not ready to up that prediction yet, but another win early this season will force me too.

At least I can be glad to see North Texas out of ESPN’s Bottom 10.

Presenting the most detailed preview of a 120th ranked team in FBS you will ever read. 

I am a struggling writer, not a news reporter, so the opinions expressed here are my own combined with data mined from other sites to form a handy season guide.

This contains a lot of supporting information read in reports from such sites as scout.com, rivals.com, the Denton Record-Chronicle, and other sites, but are my own views and predictions. 

I do want to say that large chunks of the information from which I pulled together the likely depth chart and other information were initially reported by Brett Vito, the reporter who covers the Mean Green for the Record-Chronicle.

He is quite simply the best source for information on the Mean Green out there and the Record-Chronicle is the best source for Mean Green News. The stats, schedule, and player dimensions are pulled from the UNT.edu athletics pages.

Let's get started. 

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK: There was apparently a split locker room last year as offensive players divided their loyalties between the coach’s son, Riley Dodge, and former Freshman-of-the-Year, Giovanni Vizza. The drama on offense wasn’t covered much as the team was truly wretched on defense and special teams, creating plenty of media fodder. With the departure of the very talented Vizza to Texas A&M, the team is now united behind Riley Dodge.

Riley knows all of the intricacies of the offense having started for his Dad in high school. Riley was one of the highest ranked recruits to come to UNT in years. He initially committed to Texas and has the same look as past longhorns QBs such as Major Applewhite; you know the type, the smart smallish Texas kid with modest tools who is pretty instinctive and willing to run. An FCS talent with FBS moxie. (That's not a damning statement...so was Ty Detemer.) 

Dodge is listed at 193 pounds this year and he does look about 10 pounds heavier than last year, but odds are he is shorter than his listed height and slightly lighter.  He has proven to be very accurate, sees at least half of the field, and very willing to run in practice.

On the positive side, like many of the better QBs, he is always looking to pass when he rolls out to run and knows where his receivers are. 

On the negative side, you’d like to see a few more deep heaves from him. His arm looks solid on short to intermediate passes, but is it there for long passes? In the Spring game, he completed 19-24 passes for 94 yards.  That has to worry you a bit. Todd Dodge’s offense is all about taking what the defense gives you, so the team average will be low, and Riley clearly buys into that concept, but on the same token if you don’t take at least a handful of shots deep, the defense will pack it in on you leading to stops and interceptions. Riley’s thrown more than a few of those in practice lately. I have seen them practice a few deep shots, but will we see them in the games? I think UNT will have to have to take at least 5-6 deep shots per game versus the lesser opponents on the schedule to have a shot to win those games. 

With that in mind, Riley’s injury history is a concern. He has had injuries cancel his last two seasons—a troubling trend with Alabama on the schedule early.

Backup Nathan Tune is a tall, skinny former walk on with a fairly impressive high school resume himself. He seems a very competent backup, if a little robotic.  He has a nice arm and fairly good straight line speed when running. He makes his decisions very quickly.  As he is so quick to decide, it makes me question if he is reading the defense or if he makes his decisions exclusively before the ball is snapped. I question how well he sees the field, but frankly I’ll admit, I might be wrong to do so.  He may just be really good at reading defenses and just very decisive. On the negative side, the biggest problem I see is that he regularly telegraphs his throws and I don’t see the instincts on the move and the vision that Riley shows. 

The third string QB Chase Baine has a similar but slightly larger build and plays a game very similar to Riley. If Baine has to play, he may be decent.
Projection: C

RUNNING BACK: UNT has a wealth of talent at RB lead by last year’s leading rusher, Cam Montgomery. Montgomery has a real shot to finish the season as an all-Sunbelt pick if the team does well. He was one of the better backs in the conference last year and is a little bigger this year. Of the top four backs, he is the only one with real breakaway speed, so, barring injury, he will get the lion’s share of the carries. The team intends to throw more to its backs so Montgomery could put up some yards in that regard as well. On the negative side, he is an upright runner who will fumble on occasion.

Lance Dunbar is up to 203 pounds this year and appears to have grown from a change of pace back to a legitimate every down option should something happen to Montgomery. 

Jeremi Mathis seems to have the talent to develop into a feature back as well, but he isn’t there yet.

Michah Mosley seems to be a little typecast by this staff.  He is currently set as the team’s short yardage specialist and, when needed, it’s fullback, but he really a feature back in a traditional Ace set. He is a more impressive talent than Dunbar or Mathis, but they are more the kind of halfback-type Dodge and his staff appear to value more. I see him and I can't help but think back to how the Jets never really utilized John Riggins back in the day. An under appreciated and under utilized talent, IMO. Hopefully, Mosely will inherit the starting job next year and get his shot. 

Overall, UNT has four backs who could all be 1,000 yard rushers at at least the FCS level and all of whom may prove capable of doing it at the FBS level before they graduate.

On a negative note, every one of them runs east/west far too much and that tendency does not appear to be being addressed by the coaching staff.
Projection: B+

WIDE RECEIVER: The talent is there for this to be a good unit, but after watching the final fall scrimmage, I am still not sure if the coaching staff will maximize it. Incoming junior college transfers Jamaal Jackson and Michael Outlaw are the headliners coming in, with B.J. Lewis likely to be the third starting receiver. 

Outlaw has apparently shown some deep separation in practice and it appears may be earmarked by the coaching staff as the team's deep threat. I have not seen him much, but I thought he looked OK, but not special in that role.

Lewis was a clutch playoff performer as a high school receiver.  He showed some speed in his freshman year, had an injury abbreviated move to cornerback last year, and has now re-emerged as the starter at an outside spot.  He shows good straight line speed and solid size. He isn’t spectacular, but shows signs that he might become a solid starter if used properly (as a deep threat/end zone threat).

Jackson is a slot receiver type and an elusive runner after the catch.  I could see him catching a lot of passes, but not really breaking a lot of plays due to lack of size.  The backups in many ways are as or more exciting. 

Former high school QB Darius Carey has a chance to lead the team in receptions if he works as hard through the season as he has leading into the season. He is just so productive on the field.  Carey gets open, catches the ball, and gets upfield. It is exciting everytime he is thrown the ball.

The team’s returning receiver from last season, Alex Lott, is similar to Carey, but not as special of a talent. Still, if anything happens to Jackson, Lott would likely be very effective in that slot receiver role as well. Lott is another quick, sure handed guy who quickly thinks north/south after the catch.

Most of the remaining guys on the depth chart have flashed talent. Bennie Jones was one of the talks of the team in the spring, for example. I expect barring injuries you might see some of the backups red-shirted. I would not be surprised to see any of them become competent players if injuries provide playing time, but I don’t see any potential stars in the lot, besides potentially Breece Johnson.  Johnson reportedly flashed a lot, just never when I watched the team. He was an elite player in high school and a lot of collegiate players find their college legs in their Junior years.  If Outlaw misses any extended playing time, I would not be surprised at all to see Johnson emerging as a capable starter this year with the possibility of senior year stardom.  He just fits the mold of what you see pretty frequently.

On the negative side, with the exception of Carey and Lott, this receiving corps seems to think it is more talented than it is and spends a heck of a lot of time running sideways and backwards. 

This should be a pretty deep unit, but based on the coaching choices I have seen and the lack of direction during the past two years, not a great one.
Projection: B-

FLANKER/TIGHT END: Coach Dodge has been roundly criticized by UNT fans about the lack of a tight end in his offense for the pas two years. The team Dodge inheritied was loaded with TEs and he has about a half dozen former ones on the roster even now. Coach Dodge decided this year he would split time at the larger interior receiver slot between a TE and essentially a flanker. It is a smart move as it blunts fan criticism, allows Dodge a better chance to nab a highly-thought-of area TE prospect coming out this year... and as fans suggested actually would help on the field. 

Last year’s promising WR recruit Sam Roberson is the starting flanker. I think he may be miscast.  He is supposed to have pretty good speed. I haven’t see it, but if he does in fact have that extra gear that he kicks into running down the field, I think he would be essentially a taller version of Lewis and would do better as an outside receiver. 

Senior Bryant Seidle is the “starting” TE and he seems competent. They ought to call this position the “tall guy who jumps to catch the floater over the middle” position.  (That will make more sense after you watch this team this year.)

Forrest Rucker will probably see some time here. Ineligible Oklahoma WR Tyler Stradford is a big, athletic, physical flanker type who was slotted to start at an outside WR slot.  He would be a major upgrade at this position if he were eligible.
Projection: C+

OFFENSIVE LINE: The team features a very solid and deep veteran offensive line. Last year the team gave up only 23 sacks on 514 pass attempts and powered a running game that gained 4.1 yards per carry while breaking in new starters at center and both guard spots.

Super aggressive tackle Esteban Santiago is an underappreciated headliner, but many argue that the other tackle, the undersized Victor Gill is the better player. Both are quite competent. 

J.J. Johnson took over at center when former freshman all-conference C Kevin Drake went down with an injury and was solid.  Dodge loves Johnson’s heady play at center.

Drake is back (he has been singled out as a pre-season all-conference pick in some publications this year) and as of the final scrimmage he finally unseated big Gabe Hollivay as the starter at one of the guard spots.  Perhaps the prolonged duel was a face-saving act for the senior, but given the ruthlessness of the staff generally on these issues, I suspect Hollivay did give UNT’s perceived OL star a run for his money.

According to Dodge, senior Tyler Bailey has been pushing Coleman Feeley very hard to reclaim the other starting guard spot.

Junior Matt Menard, a former starter himself, was the third tackle for most of the spring, but bad knees may take him off the board. Tomlinson has emerged as the new third tackle. Franklin and Bean are fighting it out for the fourth tackle slot, but I think if it gets to that, UNT will have pass protection trouble. Nice looking prospects, but I don’t think they are ready yet.

This is a very competent and very deep OL, but may lack the star power to be an elite line.
Projection: B+

DEFENSIVE LINE: Shavod Atkinson was the star of UNT’s recruiting effort this year.  He had a scholarship offer from West Virginia but chose to become one of the starting DTs at UNT instead. His highlight clips from junior college do not show enough to accurately gauge his technique, but they do reveal a guy who flashes NFL-level athleticism and strength. He is regarded as a very good run stuffer and what I have seen of him so far seems to support that. 

In fall practices he, fellow JUCO DT Kelvin Jackson, and redshirt Freshman DE Tevinn Cantly have added a much needed spine to the team’s starting lineup and short yardage run defense. Jackson has some foot issues that are a big concern, but he seems a very competent run stuffer and pass rusher. He is a very active player for his size. Cantly was a find in the spring. He has dropped to 285 pounds to increase his speed and looks quite good at the strong-side DE.

Last year the team’s defensive linemen were unable to hold their positions or keep blockers off the UNT Linebackers, a situation that lead UNT to yield an unmanageable 5.6 yards per carry. This year the team will rotate 2-3 players at each spot with the big trio likely to get the lion’s share of short yardage and run down situations.

Draylen Ross and Jesse Desoto were part of the horrific problem they had last year, but both are bigger and better this year. I think the strength coach and better coaching really shows in these two players. Most earmarked Ross as the one likely to have a breakthrough year, but DeSoto impresses each time I see him play. I thought he was just a run stuffer, but he is one of those sneaky DTs who doesn’t seem to be an elite pass rushers but get sacks at a higher rate than he should. 

Redshirt Freshmen DT Joe Hawthorne has flashed some talent for disrupting the run and freshman DT Kyle White is a large and coveted prospect. Both could work their way into some playing time, especially if injuries hit. I think the team could likely withstand a loss of Jackson or Atkinson and still get capable DT play. 

Brandon Akpunku is a former linebacker the coaching staff loves. He had been firmly entrenched as the starting weakside end throughout the spring. He bulked up from 209 to 226 pounds but is still hugely undersized at DE. With the demands of the season, I question whether he will stay above 220 throughout the season. He is one of the feistiest players on the team and showed good pass rushing ability in the final pre-season scrimmage, but had difficulty holding his position and seems a likely target for teams to run on. I suspect that the coaching staff may find that Akpunku is too inviting of a target to be more than a pass rush specialist this year.

Dodge has stated John Weber and Sam Owusu-Hemmeng can play both ends. Weber is a good sized DE who showed a lot as a pass rusher last year in JC ball. I think in passing situations Weber will play the strong side end and Akpunku will ultimately be the weakside end. Owusu-Hemmeng was a non-factor last season and for most of the off-season, but the senior has been dynamite the last few weeks and may keep the coaching staff writing the depth chart in pencil. 

Confusing matters further, Eddrick Gilmore, a starting defensive end last year and the team’s only capable defensive lineman on that unit, had been moved to DT to help generate an interior rush. Gilmore added 10+ lbs to play DT.  It seems that experiment might be being reversed with Gilmore now seeing some minutes at DE. (My take is that they may have realized Gilmore is no better than a 3rd team DT on this unit but he was getting mention as a possible all-conference candidate by some media sources who thought he would be a starting end on this team. Borderline star at one spot or 3rd team backup at another—? Moving him back starts to make a lot of sense.  Additionally, there was some talk in the spring that the move to DT was a bit of a "just in case" move, in case they did not land the 3 big Juco DLs and that he might be moved back in the fall.  Clearly, on paper, with the exception of the loss of talented DE Kyle Russo to Southern Illinois, everything regarding the DL has come up roses for the UNT staff lately.) It is entirely possible Gilmore may end up being the weakside DE on run downs, keeping Akpunku fresh for passing downs. If that happens this DL will not be undersized at all.  Owusu-Hemmeng could then spot at either end spot.

Finally, UNT brought in a well respected veteran defensive line coach in Mike Wilson.

There is a real chance that the DL goes from the weakest area on the team to one of the strongest.
Projection: A- if Gilmore is moved back to end and there are no injuries to the big 3, but those are big ifs. B is more likely.

LINEBACKERS: Tobe Nwigwe and Craig Robertson both have taken turns receiving all-conference recognition in the past two seasons. Nwigwe falls asleep at times, missing tackles, but when challenged can be a real terror.

Robertson is more the solid player who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and can do everything pretty well.

Kylie Hill, one last year’s starting safeties, was moved up to help the team cover better. It is a potentially a really smart move, if the lack of size issue up front of him is addressed. Hill is undersized, but he is there to cover and really helps the defense in that regard. 

He may end up losing his job to redshirt Freshman Jeremy Phillips, a former high school QB who seems a more natural OLB and real playmaker at that spot (If this happens, I could see Hill moving back to safety for at least run down plays).  Phillips plays bigger than his weight and just has that knack for playing LB.  If he continues to work hard, he has a good chance to make an all conference team or two before his career is over.

Last year’s OLB starter A.J. Penson failed to make enough plays and was moved inside to back up Nwigwe, where his positive attributes will be much better utilized and the fact that he lacks playmaking skills in space is largely irrelevant.  He appears to be the heir apparent to Nwigwe’s MLB spot next season.

Do not be surprised if the highly recruited Daniel Prior sees some time on passing downs.  He has good instincts versus the pass and Defensive Coordinator Gary DeLoach has taken a personal interest in his new, very talented, whipping boy. 

Senior Steve Warren seems a competent backup for Robertson on the strong side.  There is some promising depth beyond that, especially Prior, but it is largely unproven.
Projection: B+ today, A- if Phillips continues to work hard and takes the third LB spot from Hill.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: With no pass rush to speak of and playing four freshmen and a JUCO transfer, the secondary was predictable and frequently torched last year. As with most teams that play a freshmen laden secondary, the second year will likely feature vastly improved players.

The team features a wealth of quality cornerbacks. Antoine Bush is a three-year starter and was the arguably the team’s best CB last season.  Phil Steele’s magazine chose him as a Pre-season second team all-Sunbelt pick before he went down with an injury a month ago that will keep him out until conference play starts. Even prior to the injury he had been pushed to the third CB spot by the development of Royce Hill and former JUCO star Adryan Adams. 

Hill was pretty awful early last season, but has shown a real ability to cloak a receiver in practice this year. He will probably turn out to be the team’s No. 1 corner this year and is another player who may eventually be all-conference if he continues to develop.

Adams was very highly regarded coming out of junior college and is at worst, a solid starter. Adams is currently struggling with a back injury. 

Robbie Gordon has emerged as a very competent CB since Bush went down with an injury. Even though he was lulled to sleep on one play and gave up a TD to the speedy BJ Lewis, Gordon was a star of the fall scrimmage. They went hard after him in the scrimmage and he had an interception and was very solid overall, suggesting that in a pinch he can fill a CB slot. Hilbert Jackson is another CB well regarded by the coaching staff. 

Ira Smith moved to safety and looks like he might be pretty good. He seems to have a good feel to playing centerfield, can cover a bit, and is a decent tackler.

DeWaylon Cook is also a decent coverage guy with good instincts and speed, but seems like an arm tackler with weak hands. I think he mostly just needs more strength training.  We may see a lot of missed almost big play tackles from him on TDs. If this becomes an issue, you might see Darien Williams or even Hill splitting time with Cook.
Projection: C in the first few games; B+ once Bush and Adams return.

SPECIAL TEAMS: I am going to glaze over this a bit because I don’t watch them everyday and can’t do much of a review on this. Last year the special teams were poorly coached and undisciplined. On almost every kickoff or punt the team gave up 10 extra yards putting their overmatched defense in a hole. This year, they are being coached by an experienced collegiate coach and improving the special teams has been a focus of the coaching staff. Even if the coverage becomes merely poor, this team will be dramatically better.
Projection: C

COACHING: Todd Dodge was voted dead last among non-BCS coaches this spring by Rivals.com. Sadly, it was an earned honor for a coach who is not only regarded as an offensive genius and the father of one totally unique branch of the spread offense, but also had an impeccable reputation among area coaches that has opened recruiting doors UNT hasn’t had opened for years and employs one of the nation’s best defensive coordinators in Gary DeLoach. On paper, with all this going for Dodge, it should be smooth sailing. The past two seasons have proven those accolades do not matter in the head coaching business.

Dodge was just as much a victim to the recruiting game as any other collegiate coach. If you lack size, talent, and experience at the FBS level, you usually lose. 

Dodge had even more problems last year. He lost his team for long spans in 2008. One could see that several times last season his team didn’t buy into what the coaching staff was selling and quit on the field. Several contributors left the team during and after the season. He had a divided locker room on offense and not only lost the other two of the three phases of the game, his team was the nation’s worst in defense and special teams. 

If he loses the team again this year, he’ll likely be gone, in spite of the history of his recruitment.  (UNT was only able to lure Dodge from Texas 5A power Southlake High School because not only did the athletic Director Rick Villarreal promise Dodge he’d be able to recruit in the new stadium, so did the university president.  If that commitment was not made, Dodge very well may have waited for a better college job --- it was pretty clear the talent cupboard was bare at UNT and the crumbling Fouts Field would make recruiting difficult.  Dodge was by far the biggest name in the Metroplex UNT could land --- and may still be.)

The team was so bad last season that Dodge's free pass to wait for the new stadium seems much less certain.  Dodge seems to be feeling a little heat this year from Villarreal.  Villarreal has stated he expects the team to compete every week --- A tough pronouncement with Alabama on the schedule. 

When you have the worst 2 year record in the school's 96 year football history and you are the head coach at a school with a winning all-time football record in the state of Texas, you make everyone's job a little unstable --- including the President and the AD.  While there is no doubt both want to honor their committment to Dodge, this is just the reality of the coaching business --- they are not going to put their jobs on the line because Dodge has not been able to acheive even acceptable mediocrity.

Dodge will need to get better at feeling the pulse of his team and may need (at least temporarily) to put a little more importance in retaining potential contributors in this, his likely make-or-break season.

Additionally, Coach Dodge subscribes to a “take what the opposition gives you” philosophy in his offense.  Certainly that is generally a good plan, but with as strong of a running game as he has versus a very inexperienced passing game headed by a fragile QB, it would make a lot of sense to dictate to the opposition with his running game a bit this year. There been a general inconsistent commitment to the running game in the Dodge era. Dodge promises to run more this year, even going so far as to add a TE and some plays with the QB taking the snap under center for short yardage situations (something he was loathe to even consider adding to his offense in the past), but will he use these new features effectively during games?

The team will need to take a few more shots down the field utilizing the improved team speed to win its winnable games. Will this occur? 

Dodge has shown during this off-season that he is capable of looking at the problems his team faced last year and building a plan to address those issues, a skill set that he didn’t show in previous years. The adding of a strength coach and an experienced, proven, well-respected DL coach will lead to dramatic on-field improvement, especially on the DL. Dodge has eliminated most fan complaints (no TE, no short yardage sets, undersized DL, poor coaching on the DL and in special teams). That should buy him half a season’s grace with the fans ...and should help on the field as they were all valid complaints.

He  seems to show a willingness to evolve if that is what it takes to get the job done. That may just allow him keep his job.
Projection: C (but moving quickly in the right direction)

KEEP AN EYE ON: The defense, especially the line. They could go from being the worst in the nation to one of the best in the sunbelt if they stay heathy.
STAR POWER: LB Tobe Nwigwe had a great year last year and is the media’s general consensus star on this team, but RB Cam Montgomery might be the man who the media showers their attention on at the end of the season if the team nears .500 or even ends up bowl eligible.  Last year he averaged 5.5 yards per carry and was dynamite in the spring. He has breakaway speed.
STRENGTHS: Offensive line, running game, and defense.
WEAKNESSES: Tackling, mental toughness, size, head coaching, and injuries to key personnel. UNT was an awful tackling team last year and the coaching staff has stressed improved tackling over the off-season. We will see if that bears any fruit.

The team was mentally weak last year. Last season, UNT would give up three TDs and the team would spit the bit. There has been a lot of talk of this team acknowledging a need to get mentally tougher, but until the leaders on the team insist their teammate stand fast in the face of adversity, a lack of spine will be seen as one of the team’s chief weakness. 

This team still looks like a high school or FCS squad.  In spite of almost all players on the squad looking bigger and stronger, they still look small.  That said, they are bigger where they really need to be.  Last year their DL looked light and weak.  This year the DL looks OK.  If the DL holds, the lack of size behind it won't be much of an issue.  While they may still look like an FCS squad on defense, barring injuries I would stongly doubt they play like one this year.

As far as coaching goes, Dodge has grown a lot this off-season, but needs to learn to recognize his teams failings and address them while the season is going on. If this team does not stretch the field deep from time to time, it will not be able to stretch is wide. If this team doesn’t run the ball more, Riley Dodge will go down. With a strong running game and offensive line to support it and good but unproven talent in the passing game, the parts are there for this offense to be pretty good. If the passing game struggles, it will be a due to the coaching staff not utilizing their proven offensive assets and misusing their unproven ones. 

Finally, emotionally this team has a lot invested in Riley Dodge who is now the undisputed team leader. With his injury history, an injury to Riley still seems more likely than not. For a team with a weak constitution, a Riley Dodge injury could lead to an emotion-fueled multi-game collapse.

THE BUZZ: Obviously the national buzz on this team is lousy, but this team has a manageable schedule and vastly underrated talent. Rivals currently has six of the nine teams in the Sun Belt ranked in the bottom quarter of FBS. Their ranking at this part of the season are largely talent based.  It seems likely one of those six teams might with five games against those schools. Why NOT UNT?

The bodybag game at No. 5 Alabama will almost certainly be a blowout, and the games vs. No. 82 Florida Atlantic and at No. 66 Troy games look out of reach, but eight of the remaining nine games on the schedule are in the bottom quarter of FBS and the ninth is against an Arkansas State team that annually struggles vs. UNT (a matter of coaching philosophies favoring UNT in this particular head to head matchup). (The FIU game is just the opposite.  UNT should be able to win it, but FIU has appeared to have the UNT coaching staff's number.)

If the attitude and focus is there and the team avoids costly injuries, the talent is there to allow as much as a nine-win season, although with the Alabama smackdown likely to injure a few starters and the team's general inexperience with winning, that is highly unlikely.

If the fans do not immediately pick up where they left off calling for the dismissal of Dodge, as much as a six-or-seven-win, bowl-eligible season is very possible (perhaps even likely) with four wins being the likely bottom. 

However, if key injuries strike and the fans call for Dodge’s head early, distracting a still young team, a two-or-three-win flameout is still very possible.

Prediction: 6-6

UNT 2009 Schedule
@Ball State
 Ohio
@Alabama
 Middle Tennessee
@Louisiana-Lafayette
 Florida Atlantic
@Troy
 Western Kentucky
 ULM
@Florida International
 Army
@Arkansas State

FINAL 2008 STATISTICS
OFFENSE
20.0 PPG
1528 Rushing Yards @ 4.1 YPC with 24 fumbles, 16 lost.
2828 Passing Yards @ 61.8 percent for 5.5 YPA with 15 TDs & 17 INTs
DEFENSE
47.6 PPG
2485 Rushing Yards Allowed @ 5.6 YPC with 13 Fumbles forced, 6 recovered.
3306 Passing Yards Allowed @64.8 percent for 8.9 YPA with 34 TDs allowed & 10 INTs.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punt returns 4.6 YPR
Kickoff returns 18.5 YPR
Punt coverage 13.1 YPR
Kickoff coverage 31.0 YPR

PROJECTED/APPARENT DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
QB 11 Riley Dodge (6', 193, R-Fr.), 6 Nathan Tune (6'4", 206, Jr.), 13 Chase Baine (6'0", 198, R-Fr.)
RB 26 Cam Montgomery (6'1", 218, Sr.), 5 Lance Dunbar (5'9", 202, Soph.), 32 Michah Mosely (6'0", 224, Jr.), 24 Jeremi Mathis (6'1", 215, R-Fr.)
OWR 82 Michael Outlaw (6'0", 185, Jr.), 1 Desmond Brigham (6'1", 184 R-Fr.), 17 Breece Johnson (6'1", 178, Jr.), 87 Chris Brainard (5'11", 158, Fr.),
SLR 15 Jamaal Jackson (5'10", 163, Jr.) 4 Alex Lott (5'9", 173, Jr.), 3 Willie Taylor (5'10", 175, R-Fr.)
FL/TE 8 Sam Roberson (6'4", 220, Soph.) 80 Kevin Dickerson (6"0", 200, Sr.), 83 TE Bryant Seidle (6'2", 223, Sr.)
OWR 9 BJ Lewis (6'1", 197, Soph.), 19 Darius Carey (5'10", 188, Fr.), 18 Bennie Jones (6-2, 165, Jr.)
LT 64 Victor Gill (6-4, 261, Jr.), 72 Matt Tomlinson (6-5, 297, Soph.), 74 Troy Franklin (6'5", 272, Soph.) 71 Matt Menard (6'4", 297, Jr.)
RT 77 Esteban Santiago (6'3", 296, Jr.), 72 Matt Tomlinson (6'5", 297, Soph.), 73 Jeremy Bean (6'5", 301, Jr.), 71 Matt Menard (6'4", 297, Jr.)
G 70 Coleman Feeley (6'4", 305, Soph.) 57 Tyler Bailey (6'2", 292, Sr.)
G 68 Kevin Drake (6'2", 280, Jr.), 62 Gabe Hollivay (6'3", 328, Sr.)
C 56 J.J. Johnson (6'3", 283, Soph.) 68 Kevin Drake (6'2", 280, Jr.)

DEFENSE
WE 47 Brandon Akpunku (6'1", 226, Soph.), 94 Eddrick Gilmore (6'5", 269, Sr.), 52 Sam Owusu-Hemeng (6'2" 242 Jr.), 98 John Webber (6'3" 288 Jr.), 48 KC Obi (6'2" 214 Fr.)
DT 99 Shavod Atkinson (6'2", 307, Jr.), 95 Jesse DeSoto (6'1", 289, Jr.), 97 Joe Hawthorne (6'4", 270, R-Fr.)
DT 91 Kelvin Jackson (6'2", 309, Jr.), 92 Draylen Ross (6'4", 292, Jr.), 94 Eddrick Gilmore (6'5", 269, Sr.), 63 Kyle White (6'2", 309, Fr.)
SE 96 Tevinn Cantly (6'4", 285, R-Fr.), 98 John Webber (6'3", 288, Jr.), 52 Sam Owusu-Hemeng (6'2" 242 Jr.)
WLB 37 Kylie Hill (5'10", 186, Sr.), 45 Jeremy Phillips (6'3", 198, R-Fr.),
MLB 44 Tobe Nwigwe (6'1", 251, Sr.), 31 AJ Penson (6"1", 225, Jr.), 36 Marquese Davis (6'1", 232, Soph.) 53 Daniel Prior (6'2", 215, Fr.)
SLB 42 Craig Robertson (6', 226, Jr.), 18 Steve Warren (6'1", 220, Sr.), 54 Robbie Deheck (6'2", 231, Soph.)
CB 22 Adryan Adams (6'0", 182, Sr.), 35 Antoine Bush (5'10", 194, Sr.)
CB 21 Royce Hill (6', 177, Soph.), 27 Robbie Gordon (6', 180, Jr.), Hilbert Jackson (6'1", 181, Fr.)
SS 10 DaWaylon Cook (6'1", 196, Soph.), 23 Darien Williams (5'10", 189, Soph.)
FS 25 Ira Smith (5'11", 183, Soph.), 23 Darien Williams (5'10", 189, Soph.), 18 John Shorter (6', 195, Soph.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Jeremy Knott (6'3", 182, Sr.)
P Jeremy Knott (6'3", 182, Sr.)
KR Royce Hill (5'10", 173, Soph.)
PR Royce Hill (5'10", 173, Soph.)
HEAD COACH: Todd Dodge (3-21 in two seasons).
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Gary DeLoach

LAST SEASON: 1-11 overall, 0-7 in Sun Belt (eighth in league).
FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: 119th/120.
PRE-SEASON 2009 RIVALS.COM RANKING: 120th/120.
PRE-SEASON 2009 SCOUT.COM RANKING: 116th/120.
RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS:
PASSING (RETURNING PLAYERS THREW 15 ATTs out of 514)
Tune,Nathan      6    6-13-0     46.2   55   0  16   9.2
Dodge,Riley        3    0-2-1       0.0    0    0    0   0.0
RUSHING (370 TOTAL RUSHING ATTEMPTS IN 2008)
PLAYER       G    ATT    YDS     YPR    TDS    LG    AYPG
Montgomery 12  170    928     5.5     9     42    77.3
Dunbar         5   39     178     4.6     1     24    35.6
Mosely         5   21     102     4.9     1     18    20.4
RECEIVING (RETURNING PLAYERS RECIEVED 79 CATCHES OUT OF 318)
PLAYER            G    ATT    YDS     YPC    TDS    LG     AYPG
Lott,Alex         12   26    201      7.7      2     19     16.8
Dickerson,K.     12   21    180      8.6     1      36     15.0
Montgomery,C.  12  18    118      6.6      0     22      9.8
Roberson,Sam   10  12     76       6.3      0     12      7.6
Dunbar,Lance    5   12     51       4.2      1     12     10.2
Dodge,Riley       3    9     59        6.6      0     31     19.7
Johnson,Breece  9   7      60       8.6      1      15      6.7
Hamilton,J.       11   4     32        8.0      0     15      2.9
Mosely,Micah     5   4     14        3.5      0       9      2.8
INTERCEPTIONS (10 TOTAL/PLAYERS RETURNING ACCOUNTED FOR 10)
PLAYER            NO.
Nwigwe,Tobe     3
Hill,Kylie            2  
Robertson,C.      2  
Shorter,John      1  
Adams,Adryan    1  
Bush,Antoine      1  
SACKS (12 TOTAL/PLAYERS RETURNING ACCOUNTED FOR 7.5)
PLAYER            NO.
Gilmore           3.0
Desoto           2.0
Ross              1.0
Cole               1.0
Williams, D       0.5

MEAN GREEN MINUTIAE
(Notes about key personnel mostly pulled from player profiles at UNT.edu)

OFFENSE
QB Riley Dodge - Voted AP Player of the Year at 5A, the highest level of play in Texas. School record 101 career TD passes, 27-2 record in high school, only playoff loss was a game where he was injured.  The most celebrated and awarded prospect in recent UNT history.
QB Nathan Tune - Led Celina to 16-0 record and 2A state title. Lead offense that scored 46.1 PPG in playoffs in 2005.
RB Cam Montgomery - As HS senior rushed 226 times for 1,335 yards and 23 TDs. Rated 4 star JUCO recruit and nation's 3rd best JUCO RB prospect by scout.com. Ran for 928 yards and scored 9 TDs as a Jr. Won UNTs outstanding Offensive back award in 2008.
RB Lance Dunbar - three-time 1,000-yard rusher in HS. Team MVP as a senior at Haltom HS.
RB Michah Mosely - four-year HS letterman. AP Texas 4A first team selection. Ran 297 times for 2,403 yards and 29 TDs in 2006.  As a true freshman at UNT ran for 461 yards with 5 TDs.
RB Jeremi Mathis - Ran 231 times for 1,462 yards and 17 TDs as a Sr. Top-100 area prospect by DMN.
OWR Michael Outlaw - 51/796/5  as HS junior; 56/816/7 as senior. Named to 2008 MAJC All-State North First Team after 46 catch 624 yard JUCO season.
OWR Breece Johnson - 88/1,343/19 in 2006. Named AP 5A All-State First Team. Rated 33rd-best receiver prospect in Texas by Rivals.com
SLR Jamaal Jackson -41/418/1 at SWMCC. Runs 4.4.
SLR Alex Lott - 46/890 as a Sr. Earned first team all-area. Walked on at UNT and caught 26 passes in 2008.
FL Sam Roberson - 50/1,065/12 with 8 INTs at defensive back in 2006. Rated by Rivals.com as the 24th-best receiver prospect in Texas. Started 6 games in 2008 for UNT and caught 12 passes.
FL Kevin Dickerson - Caught 21 passes in 2008.
OWR BJ Lewis - 49/958(20.31 ypc)/8 w 72T, 6INTs, 1FR, 2FF and 13 breakups in 2006. Averaged 5/108.6 ypg w/ at least 1+ TD per game in 2006 playoffs. Member of Texas 3A state finalist. 3A all state first team selection.
WR Darius Carey - Played quarterback in HS. 2-time all-district 8-4A selection. 4.5 speed.
OT Victor Gill - Lead team to school's 1st state title appearance in 2005. Moved from TE to T in college. Started 12 games in 2008.
OT Esteban Santiago - Started every game in 2007 and 2008.
OT Matt Menard - started 11 games in 2007.
G Coleman Feeley - two-way starter and team captain in HS. Started seven games as a true freshman.
G Tyler Bailey - started eight games for UNT in 2007 and 5 games in 2008.
G Kevin Drake -three-year letterman in HS. Started all 12 games in 2007 earning second team all confence honors.
G Gabe Hollivay - NJCAA first team All-State for Itawamba CC. Started all 12 games at guard for UNT in 2008.
C J.J. Johnson - Rated as fourth-best center in Texas by Rivals.com. Started all 12 games as redshirt freshman in 2008. Won UNT's Outstanding Offensive lineman award in 2008.

DEFENSE
DE Brandon Akpunku -Member of 2006 5A Texas State champion. 55t/8s/3fr in 2007.
DT Shavod Atkinson -Honorable mention KJCCC all-conference team in 2008
DT Jesse DeSoto - 51T/11tfl/7s/4ff in 2006. Rated as 19th-best defensive tackle prospect in Texas by Rivals.com.  Recorded 2 sacks for UNT in 2008.
DT Joe Hawthorne - 56t/12tfl/6s in 2007. Rated a 5.1 prospect on Rivals.com 6.1 scale.
DT Kelvin Jackson - Named to the MACJC North Second Team in 2008 at Itawamba CC.
DT Draylen Ross - 61t/6s/2ff as a DE in HS. Started last 3 games for UNT in 2008.
DT/E Eddrick Gilmore - started 5 games for UNT in 2007 and 6 in 2008. Finished as the team leader in sacks in 2008 with three. Gained 10-15 Lbs in off-season.
DT Kyle White -Ranked a 5.1 prospect out of 6.1 by Rivals.com.
DE Tevinn Cantly - 29 tackles,12 for losses, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble in 5 games at DT as a senior. Dropped over 16 lbs over the summer to increase his speed.
DE John Weber - Louisiana All state DE. 4.85 speed. 8.5 sacks in 2008 at Itawamba CC.
OLB Kylie Hill - anchored JUCO secondary with Adryan Adams that allowed only 178 YPG. Honorable mention All-SWJCFC. Started all 12 games at safety for UNT in 2008 and won UNT's Outstanding DB Award.
OLB Jeremy Phillips - MVP of District 18-4A. Ranked as one of the top 6 “athletes” in the area by the Houston Chronicle.
MLB Tobe Nwigwe - Started 11 games in 2006. Started  all 12 games in 2008 recording 111t & 3Ints on way to 2nd team all-sunbelt selection. Won UNT Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2008.
MLB AJ Penson - Rated as No. 40 MLB prospect in nation by Scout.com. Started 12 games for UNT in 2008.
MLB Daniel Prior - Ranked a 5.3 out of 6.1 by Rivals.com. Ranked the No. 36 SLB in the nation by Scout.com. 4.66 Speed.
SLB Craig Robertson - Earned 11 letters in four HS sports, including first-team all-district in basketball, baseball and football. Honorable mention all-Sunbelt in 2007. 2 time UNT outstanding linebacker recipient.
CB Adryan Adams - anchored JUCO secondary with Kylie Hill that allowed only 178 YPG.  4 star recruit rated nation’s 5th best JUCO CB prospect by Scout.com.  Started 6 games in 2008.
CB Antoine Bush - Started 11 games in 2006, all 12 in 2007, and 9 in 2008 for UNT at CB.
CB Royce Hill - Ranked the 30th best corner prospect in the nation by ESPN.com.  Started 9 games in 2008.
SS DaWaylon Cook - 3 year starter in HS. 2007 District 13-4A Most Valuable Player. Played in 11 games in 2008.
FS Ira Smith - Part of a JUCO class that finished with a 22-2 record & a 2007 NJCAA co-national title. 4.4 speed.Ranked a 5.6 prospect out of 6.1 by Rivals.com.

I attended UNT's last scrimmage of the preseason this morning. I've tried to list my thoughts.  I was a little disappointed in that I really was not as focused on the lines as I had hoped to be for this review—it is a lot easier to scout line play when you can replay it over and over at home or on video.

My overall impressions were that the team has enough talent to compete and or win in at least eight of the games on their schedule, but they still look more like an FCS school or 5A Texas high school team sizewise than an FBS school.  The defense looked strong. Their coverage was pretty darned good and they were generally good against the run. Last year three-and-outs were quite rare.  They will be a lot less rare this year.

The offense is harder to evaluate.  It is so pass heavy and this defense is designed to be a lot stronger vs. the pass, that the passing game is likely much stronger than it looked today.  I was disappointed in the amount of east/west running that took place by backs and WRs. They seem to think they are a little more skilled than they seem.  Among the WRs only Jamaal Jackson showed any real talent at making players miss, and even his elusiveness was not that great compared to receivers on other teams. 

In my opinion, the team would be much better served by adopting a more aggressive stance about striving to be north/south runners, especially the receivers after the catch. UNT's depth at OT doesn't look that strong. I think the second and third team defensive line looked a little better than they are because of the poor offensive line play. Finally, sacks were called when a defender was unblocked and near a QB which explains the number of sacks.

As far as individual players go, I liked what I saw from WR Darius Carey. He's apparently been showing flashes of brillance for the last few weeks and he did so again today.  He is likely to be a very productive receiver.  He has good hands and immediately looks to get upfield. I liked the team's leading returning receiver Alex Lott as well for the same reason, but he seems a bit of a forgotten man with all the new faces in the receiving corps. WRs Jamaal Jackson, BJ Lewis, and Tyler Stratford looked solid if unspectaular.  

I was not a fan of WR Chris Brainard, the freshman out of Southlake.  Clearly Riley Dodge and the coaching staff have a level of comfort with him, but I saw very little that suggested he should be getting more attempts thrown his way than the other receivers.   (I don't mean to knock the kid too much as it isn't his fault.  He is just working hard.) 

The running backs all looked strong. I felt a little bad for Michah Mosely.  It looks like he is a bit of a forgotten man in the backfield with the emergence of Lance Dunbar last year and Jeremi Mathis this year.  I'd still love to see UNT punish people with Mosely after starter Cam Montgomery graduates.  Mosely is bigger and moves well.  He is one of those players who gets the imagination running.

Riley Dodge had decent control over they offense, but the play of the defense continuously took away his receivers and forced him to tuck it and run and he also threw some interceptions. It is a bit difficult to evaluate due to the familiarity the defense has with the offensive personnel.  If pressed to predict how he'll play this year, overall I'd suspect he'd be a slight downgrade from what we have enjoyed the last two years passing-wise (more interceptions), but the running angle could make that up.

I loved the play of CBs Royce Hill and backup Robbie Gordon. They were really strong all day. S Ira Smith looked great.  He showed great instincts and got where he needed to be. 

To me S DaWaylon Cook was less exciting.  I understand why he is starting:  He shows good speed, instincts, and pretty solid cover ability, but I just get the feeling we will see a lot of missed tackles by him on potential big plays on the way to first downs and TDs. He does a lot of arm tackling and seems to have weak hands. LB Tobe Nwigwe was everything you'd want in your MLB.  He made a number of big stops for no gain, but did miss a tackle or two. His backup AJ Penson was very solid as well. OLB Craig Robertson was also solid and flashed big play ability at times.

Backup OLB Jeremy Phillips is still a little small, but was a playmaking machine.   If he continues to work, I'd be suprised if he doesn't end up stealing the bulk of the minutes at the third starting linebacker spot. Kelvin Jackson, Shavod Atkinson, and Tevinn Cantly were as advertised.  They generally controlled the run and got a good push vs. the pass.  Night and day from last year. Defensive tackle Jesse Desoto has become a pretty decent all-around player.

Defensive tackle Joe Hawthorne has a chance to be a really nice player in two years when the junior college transfer's graduate. Defensive end Sam Owusu-Hemeng made play after play today.  Where was that last year? I think he may have profited from the competition he faced.

Offensive tackle Matt Tomlinson solidified his hold on the third tackle spot, but if we have to go deeper on the depth chart, pass protection will be a problem. DEs John Weber and Brandon Akpunku also spent a lot of time in the backfield. It is a little clearer what the defensive concept is after watching the scrimmage.  Opponents won't be changing out their tackles too much and clearly we are going to give them dramatically different body types and skills sets to block.  It should work pretty well as long as the big three stay healthy. 

The team gathered at midfield and repeated their offseason mantra.  One guys says "we" and the team responds "will win". It seems a little cheesy to write or read about, but it is nice to see. And when you get down to it aren't all football chants cheesy when you think about them?  It set a good tone for the scrimmage, and the 80-100 or so fans who got up early to watch the scrimmage seemed to be in a pretty good mood hearing it.

My notes. I tried to write an impression for each play, but I wore down as it got hotter.

- Nice catch by WR BJ Lewis.

- On the next three plays the offense went after Robbie Gordon who was starting with the first team unit. I Was really impressed with Gordon all day. On the first play he made a nice hit to breakup a pass. The second play he wisely conceded the pass and took his man down at the point of the catch for no further gain.  The third play he made an interception.  Just a really nice series for a corner.

- Defensive tackle Kelvin Jackson is a pretty good player. He made a nice stop in the middle of the field and was pretty active in the pass rush on some other plays. I thought he would just be a big guy who wouldn't be easy to move, but he is a better player than that.  He was sucking air pretty quickly, but that is not that surprising considering he has been out a lot with foot trouble.   He still plays at full speed.

- QB Riley Dodge broke a nice run upfield.  He looks somewhat fast.  That wasn't my impression last year.  I can buy that he is up 10 Lbs from last year although he is still small.
- Dodge and WR Chris Brainard missed a deep shot. Without replay I couldn't tell how good the pass was—it may have been uncatchable, but my impression was Brainard quit on it a bit.

- RB Micha Mosely  looked pretty quick/fast. A bit too much of an east/west run for my tastes, but you can see starter talent in him.

- A CB (probably Gordon as I was watching him a lot early and they were going after him often) locked up Branfield pretty well in coverage.

- LB Jeremy Phillips made a nice instinctive play on a run and stopped a RB in the backfield.

- I had a sack listed on the next play that I credited to Phillips in my shorthand.

- General observation.  The offense looks a lot more simplified with backup QB Nathan Tune in there. It seems like he telegraphs his passes too much. His eyes never leave who he is throwing to and it doesn't seem like he is running through options—he looks pretty looked in on each play.

- Jeremi Mathis had a nice run. I had read about him being a tough inside runner but I hadn't seen him before.  He has solid size and adequate speed.  On this play he broke through a hole and bounced it outside for a good 15 yard run or so. I think he may lack the balance to ever be a really elite college back—someone got a hand on him on the run and he slowed down considerably to regain his balance. Still, he is an impressive back.

- Chase Blaine in. Similar type of QB to Riley Dodge.

- Sam Roberson made a nice catch over the middle.

- Chase Blaine put together this drive that netted a FG.

-First team defense in.  Nice stop of a run in the backfield by the two junior college tansfer defensive tackles and middle linebacker Tobe Nwigwe. It got me very excited about the season and the I don't think I was alone in that.

-One of the coaches is complaining about the down marker being wrong again. Poor guy holding the down marker has blown it a couple times today and the coach is raging at him.  I can understand being a little taken in.  Poor guy just wants to watch the game.

- Riley Dodge is a runner. It is a little like watching Doug Flutie in college although I haven't seen anything to imply Dodge will have those kinds of passing skills or that sense of the rush. I do like the fact that he is always looking downfield when he runs.

- Coaches are yelling at Nwigwe for blowing a tackle on the last play.  Nwigwe respond by making a nice stop on the next play.  Good read and tackle.

- CB Royce Hill made an interception but I think they called it a sack.  Brandon Akpunku and Sam Owusu-Hemeng probably get the credit.

- Another "sack" by the same two.  They look really nice vs the pass in tandem.  Could they be the pass rush answer?

- Excellent coverage by cornerback Royce Hill.  He sealed wide receiver Michael Outlaw off on the sideline, keeping good position beteen him and the ball.  In a game, I think he'd probably have gone for the pick and gotten it.

- Very nice run by running back Lance Dunbar. Broke a tackle at the line and took it outside for 20 yards.

- Something of a coverage "sack".  Quarterback started to run and defensive end Brandon Akpunku got to him behind the line.

- Two nice catches in a row by a receiver with his jersey tucked in.  A somewhat big possession receiver, the guy put a nice shot on a would be tackler gaining some extra yards. I asked the guys next to me what number that was. "88" they said.  Looked up 88 and...that is our ineligible receiver Tyler Stratford, the OU transfer...sometimes you have to laugh not to cry.

-Backup quarterback Nathan Tune took off on a run.  He actually moves pretty well for a pocket passer, but again he doesn't seem to be the kind of quarterback who is looking to pass before he takes off running. When he makes a decision that appears to be what he's going to do come hell or high water.

- Running back James Hamilton popped a nice run up the middle.

- Quarterback Tune and the offense seemed to come alive.  "Smelled blood" I wrote. It struck me as a rare occassion when everyone seemed really excited and more motivated than normal. Tune completed a short pass to WR Willie Taylor and then RB Hamilton finished it off with a short run for the TD.  Nice to see that kind of reaction to the red zone with Tune in there.

- Next series opened with a nice catch by WR Darius Carey.  He has been talked about a lot this offseason but this was my first time to see him.  He really excells at catching the ball and immediately attacking for positive yardage, sadly a bit of a rare trait with WRs on this team.

- Nice coverage on this play helped DE Tevinn Cantly get a sack on QB Tune.

- Decent run by RB Mathis.  He has very good instincts and vision.

- Another catch by our ineligible WR Statford.

- DT Jesse Desoto made a nice stop on a running play.  He is a pretty good run defender.

- WR Forrest Rucker makes a decent catch over the middle.

- Solid run by RB Mathis. He shows some speed.

- DE Joseph Nailor showing good quickness off the corner. Second time I have seen him beat his man. Possible sack.

- QB Dodge is always looking as he runs—a good sign.

- WR Jamaal Jackson short catch.

- RB Cam Montgomery lines up on the wrong side of QB Dodge. The coaches are screaming furiously for him to get on the other side and for Dodge to recognize it and get him on the right side. Montgomery stumbles into Dodge getting into the right position just as the ball is snapped.  Minor tangling of feet between Dodge and Montgomery as the QB hands the runner the ball. Unproductive play. Kind of a low point.  It is starting to get hot and mistakes are happening.

- Another WR Jackson catch over the middle.

- QB Dodge is back to pass and again is forced to run with no one open.

- Ball at the six yard line and Montgomery loses it. The ball ends up in DE Cantly hands and he starts charging down the field to the other endzone.  It is nice to see the defense stiffen up in a first team vs. first team duel near the end zone, but this may be more of a negative with Montgomery being the real factor in the play.

- I asked a nearby fan what his opinion of the team was so far.   He gave a mixed "eh".
 
- The personnel was being changed out pretty regularly at this point and it was getting hotter.

- TE Bryant Seidle extended nicely to bring in a high catch in traffic.  A strong argument for more TE sets.

- LB Daniel Prior stepped up for a nice stop.

- DE Owusu-Hemeng and Prior made a nice stop in the backfield.

- DE Owusu-Hemeng and DE KC Obi got nice penetration.

- WR Darius Carey made nice catch. Always moving upfield.

- WR Chris Brainard catch sideline. First down.

- WR Kevin Dickerson catch on the side. One of three receivers on that side.

- WR Willie Taylor dropped a quick pass.

- DE's Obi & Weber and DT Desoto sack.

- QB Chase Blaine good speed upfield, runs with a good head of steam and is somewhat elusive.

- DT Joe Hawthorne stuffs middle run.

- WR Jackson catches pass over the middle.

- Pass to RB Jeremi Mathis for TD.

- WR Brainard escapes lousy tackling for 15 yard gain.

- WR Jackson catches another pass across the middle.

- DE Akpunku and Cantly in for sack.

- S Ira Smith intercepts pass. I think they called this a sack by DE Owusu-Hemeng. Owusu-Hemeng seemed a little tired/not mentally sharp in attacking tackle, but then the QB rolled out and Sam broke away from the blocker and got to the QB quickly.

- DE Owusu-Hemeng and LB craig Robertson combine for a nice stop.

- Lineup changeout.

- OLB Steve Warren good penetration on pass rush. Jumps high and is disruption on pass attempt.  Good job.

- WR Alex Lott makes a nice catch and aggressively finishes his run.

- WR Carey makes a nice diving catch.

- OLB Jeremy Phillips gets everyone's attention by singlehandedly defeating a WR screen.  He beat the WR assigned to block him and laid the smack down on the WR who caught the pass.  He's shown a lot today.

- OLB Phillips follows that with a nice tackle.

- DB Justin Chatman closed nicely in recovery to make tackle on WR.

- CB Chris Neal goes up to make INT on a ball that hung up there for a while—still textbook form by Neal. QB Derek Thompson a traditional pocket passer put that out there with too much float.

- WR Forrest Rucker caught another high, floating jump ball.

- First team back in.

- RB Cam Montgomery had a nice tough run.  He runs too tall. Hopefully coaches will work on him a bit on that.

- RB Montgomery ran east-west breaking about four arm tackle attempts. Eventually he is taken down after about a three yard gain by CB Robbie Gordon.

- DT Shavod Atkinson was slow getting into his stance and a coach went off about it for what seemed like two plays.

- S Cook had nice coverage on pass attempt.

- CB Gordon had great coverage on WR BJ Lewis on an attempt to lay the ball into the corner of the endzone and broke up the pass.  Really nice play.

- WR Lewis seems to have pretty good size and straightline speed.

- S Cook hangs on to drag down a runner with one arm.

- S Cook blows arm tackle in backfield and running back runs into end zone for TD.  Have a feeling we will see this a lot this year.

- HB Micha Mosely has a nice run to the outside.

- QB Tune hit ineligible WR Stratford who tries to elude tackler and ends up losing a couple yards.

- HB Mosely tough run. It is a shame he won't get more carries.

- Mosely lined up as essentially a FB and made a competent block.

- QB Tune runs it in, but the ball is marked at the two.

- QB Chase Blaine throws a nice TD pass to Sam Roberson.

- Coaches yelling for TE Siedle but he's not paying attention, so the team moves back five yards for delay of game.

- QB Thompson in.

- DT Hawthorne collapses OL and engulfs RB at line.

- QB Blaine tries to hit same route he hit the TD on, ruled a sack.

The scrimmage ends.

We...will win!
We ...will win!
We ...Will win!

Last season, the North Texas football program had another dismal year under head coach Todd Dodge. The team managed to literally scrap up one football victory against Western Kentucky, just narrowly avoiding a winless season. The pressure is on the program to return to its winning ways, just in time for a new football stadium set to open in 2011.

Coach Dodge is in his third year at North Texas and believes his team is capable of reaching a bowl game. That feat is by no means easy considering North Texas has just three wins in the last two seasons.

The team will be better simply because of experience, but it’s still hard to believe the team is capable of going bowling in December.

For starters, North Texas is at a disadvantage by playing in the Sun Belt Conference. The disadvantage is not because of strength of schedule but because of the overall quality of the conference.

A bowl season for North Texas means the team will probably have to win the Sun Belt conference regardless of how many wins the team achieves because the conference only has one affiliated bowl game. In the Sun Belt Conference, eight wins usually guarantees a spot at the New Orleans Bowl.

In almost every other conference, six wins will get you a bowl game.

The Sun Belt Conference does have its fair share of teams reaching six wins, but most of them are no match for the ratings and audiences of the other conferences. The conference did send two teams last year, but that was only because some teams in other conferences didn’t qualify.

The schedule for North Texas isn’t favorable either. North Texas likes to play the big schools to start the season in order to receive large amounts of money. These games almost always end up badly for North Texas, and the opposing school has their third string in by the fourth quarter.

North Texas has Alabama, Ohio, and Ball State on its non-conference schedule this year, which is better than most years, but certainly not easy. North Texas will definitely lose at Alabama, and it’s very likely they will lose the other two.

North Texas needs to use the three games to evaluate talent and positions. If the talent does well considering the circumstances it will set a good tone for the rest of the season.

North Texas is starting the year with a new quarterback and highly recruited Riley Dodge. Yes, he’s the son of coach Dodge, and someone who backed out of a commitment to the University of Texas.

The duo will have experience on their side since both used the spread offense with huge success at the high school level.

The only problem North Texas has on offense is the wide receivers. North Texas lost its top two starting receivers to graduation and has no proven replacements.

The receivers have potential, but it’s going to be extremely rough early on, especially against Alabama.

The team was also among the worst at scoring, or even making it to the red zone. North Texas committed 33 turnovers.

The offense still was able to put up some good yardage every game, however. After all, to commit that many turnovers the offense has to move down the field.

The biggest reason for the bad season was, without a doubt, the defense. North Texas finished last in the NCAA in terms of scoring defense. Teams averaged over 47 points a game against North Texas, almost four more points than the next worst team, Washington State.

With a defense like that no team has a chance to win.

One of the reasons for the bad defense was inexperience, but even then that’s a lot of points.   

Now, with experience on their side the defense looks to be better, but how much better remains uncertain.

The North Texas offensive game will probably be there once again, thus limiting the need for a great defense.

Still, a bowl eligible season is probably unrealistic at least for another year. If coach Dodge can’t get the program back on the winning track this season, then there is little doubt he will be around next year.

SEC! SEC! SEC! For some reason those three letters really seem to piss people off. Whether it be at a Softball game or the National Championship game between UF Oklahoma. It just seems to rub people the wrong way.

Im alway's hearing people complaining about the "Chest Pumping" that the SEC fans are guilty of doing. Yeah we are proud. Something else that gets to me. Is why people always talk smack about the SEC supporting the SEC. For some reason the rest of the country seems to think that you can only pick one team from a conference and support only that team. Don't know why but that's what they think. Personally I think that it's because they only have one team per conference that's really good enough to follow. LOL 

Granted I'm a SEC homer so I'm some what bias. But Id still like to speak on behalf of the SEC family.

First of all I love SEC football. I believe its the best conference for football in the world. It's fast paced, and hard hitting. That's why I love it. No, that's why we love it. The SEC makes UF better. The SEC makes Alabama better. The SEC makes LSU better. This is why we support the SEC. What other conference has rivalry's like the SECs? In what other conferences do you have match ups like Tennessee LSU, Bama Auburn, UF Georgia. LSU Bama. Every freakin weekend you have awesome games.

What makes the SEC fans different from other conferences fans is this. Bama fans are Bama fans but they are fans of the SEC as well. SEC fans are fans of SEC football. Where as the Big 10 is fans of Ohio State or Michigan. We down here in the South enjoy all of our teams. Don't get me wrong. My favorite team is UF. But you better believe ill be flipping back and fourth to the other games. That's the difference. 

The south is the most heavily recruited area in the country in regards to high-school football talent. More 4 and 5 star kids go to SEC schools than any other conference. And that's because these kids want to play the best so that they can be the best. The highest paid coaches are in the SEC. The biggest stadiums are in the SEC. The loudest fans are in the SEC. The largest number of sell outs are in the SEC. That's not just a coincidence. Nor is 3 straight MNCs

You see, when UF plays Alabama, Alabama makes UF better. Actually the overall talent in the SEC makes the SEC better as a whole. We have no gimmies anymore. Vandy and Kentucky who have been the annual door mats for the SEC are making it to there bowl games and winning them as well.

Now people are quick to point out that out of conference teams beat SEC teams all the time. Which is true. But what they don't realize is that these out of conference are always gonna bring their A game to the SEC. That's because that's all they hear. Is how good the SEC is. Of course its gonna put a chip on the OOC teams shoulders.

I'm not saying that there are not good football teams out side the SEC. That would be crazy thinking. OSU is great. Oklahoma is great. Texas is great. USC is great. But as a conference? Well some people would argue that the big12 is just as good as the SEC. I disagree. The BIG12 is very soft on defense. Hints the record offensive numbers. UF prooved that Oklahoma would be very average when playing against UF

Whats funny to me is people treat SEC fans like were stupid close minded individuals. When in reality were more open minded than them. We prove this by being fans of a entire conference. Not just one team.

So take all the jabs you want. The SEC still has the last three MNCs. We still have the best ratings on TV. We still have the best stadiums. We still have the best players and coaches. And we fans still like the SEC as a whole. Until you other people see what we see. Will just annoy you. And here's another idea. Beat us in a game that matters and maybe we will shut up!   

North Texas has been the doormat of the worst league in college football for years.  The Mean Green went 1-11 (0-7 in the Sun Belt) last year and are 3-21 in coach Todd Dodge's two years at the helm.

Will North Texas ever ever get out of last place? Picked by many sports sites as the worst college football team in America can't be a good feeling for redshirt freshman quarterback Riley Dodge (yes, he is the coach's son).

The people of Denton, Texas are ready for a winning program, or at least one that looks good. Well, I am here to tell the Mean Green and the people of Denton that this is your year.

North Texas won't go to a bowl game, it will not even be in the top three of its conference, but it will win games and will finally look like the team coach Dodge has been waiting for.

Let's take a look at the Green's schedule this year:

Sept. 3 @ Ball State: Close game in the first half, but Mean Green lose by 14. (0-1)

Sept. 12 vs. Ohio: This game is the one they need...could be close or a blowout. I think Riley Dodge will show out for home crowd and the Mean Green win by three. (1-1)

Sept. 19 @ Alabama: No Chance. Enough said. Bama by 26. (1-2)

Sept. 26 vs. Middle Tennessee: This game kicks off the Sun Belt Season for the Mean Green and they will play hard but come up short; MTSU by six. (1-3)

Oct. 10 @ Louisiana-Lafayette: If the Mean Green can stop the run, they will get this one, but I think the Cajuns pull it out by three. (1-4)

Oct. 17 vs. Florida Atlantic: The Owls will take this game easy; Owls by 10. (1-5)

Now by this time everybody will be calling for Dodge's head with a 1-5 record, 0-3 in the Sun Belt, but they need to wait. The second half of the season is where the North Texas Mean Green will start playing and winning some ball games...

Oct. 24 @ Troy: Best team in Sun Belt; Troy by 21. (1-6)

Oct. 31 vs. Western Kentucky: New in the league, the Hilltoppers will struggle. Mean Green look good, win by 14. (2-6)

Nov. 7 vs. Louisiana-Monroe: Mean Green riding high after win over Hilltoppers, shock  Warhawks by 10. (3-6)

Nov. 14 @ Florida International: FIU is coming around as a program and will be tough at home; FIU by 14. (3-7)

Nov. 21 vs. Army: Mean Green should have best game of season and win by 20. (4-7)

Nov. 28 @ Arkansas State: Wolves are too tough at home; Mean Green lose by 10. (4-8)

So 4-8 for the Mean Green is what I am forecasting. So, no, you are not the worst team in college football.

And for the people of Denton: Yes, it's only four wins, but it's moving in the right direction.

We will soon know who will be collecting the individual hardware that signifies the best of the best in college football. The votes are in and are being tallied. All that’s left to do is print up the programs.

But who cares about these annoying little overachievers anyway? America continues to evolve as more of a voyeuristic society every year. We want to see the train wrecks. We want to see falls from grace.

So how about some recognition for the cellar dwellers?

The ceremonies for these awards won’t be held in fancy New York City hotels and ballrooms. There won’t be any cameras, no over sized pinstriped suits, no matching Fedora hats, and no champagne. No, these rites of passage will be featured as half time entertainment during an amateur ultimate fighting cage match—most likely in someone’s backyard in Branson, Missouri.

If the organizers decide to go all out for these “winners”, then they may move the awards presentation down Highway 248 to Planet Branson - provided it isn’t karaoke night.

The first award given at this non-prestigious event is the “2008 Jimmy Johnson ‘Anything Goes’ Trophy”, and it will go to the most penalized team in the nation. Just when an opposing drive appears to be dead, these teams pulled out the paddles, shouted “Clear!”, then brought the drive back to life. 3^rd and 22? Uh-uh! How about 1^st and 10!

The ironic part about this award is that it generally goes to fairly successful teams. But amidst all the success, they just can’t bring themselves to follow the rules. While they drive coaching staffs absolutely berserk, they do provide job security for referees. So it’s not all bad.

On with the nominees! (in no particular order)

Our first nominee is the University of Southern California. The men of Troy have only lost one game this year (with one regular season game left) but have managed to amass 91 penalties totaling 833 yards. This means they average over eight penalties and give over 75 yards to the opposing team in each game. We can’t tell which is more impressive, the fact that they have been penalized this much in only 11 games when most teams have played 12 by now, or the fact that despite this record they are still winning games. You decide.

Our next nominee is the University of Hawaii. Coming off an undefeated regular season and a trip to the Sugar Bowl, the Warriors have managed to find their way onto our radar screen this year. In 12 games Hawaii has been penalized 103 times for 919 yards. That’s an average of over eight per game and sending the ball over 76 yards the other way every Saturday. The new coaching staff at Hawaii has obviously bid Aloha to discipline.

Our final nominee is Texas Christian University. While the Horny Toads have obviously let other distractions affect their attention to detail this season, it fortunately hasn’t affected their ability to win. Like we said earlier, this award often goes to some of the nation’s most successful teams. Their win/loss records, however, usually dissuade any talk of their weaknesses. That’s where we come in.

AND THE WINNER IS….TCU!!!

The Horned Frogs have landed at the top (or bottom, depends on how you look at it) of the list as the most penalized team in the NCAA. In the 2008 regular season, they were penalized 109 times for a whopping 937 yards. We’ll keep an eye on the post-season to see if they can break that 1000-yard mark!

Our featured presentation will be the “2008 French Army Memorial Trophy”, which goes to the nation’s worst defense. These guys worked together as a unit all year to pad the stats of every offense they faced. They made mediocre running backs look like Reggie Bush, and made average quarterbacks look like another Manning brother.

These defensive squads could not have done worse if they had the marching band form a line from scrimmage to the end zone and played the opposing team’s fight song as they walked to the paint.

On the bright side, however, they have helped our nation’s ailing economy by creating defensive coordinator job openings at their respective universities. Weak defense, but created jobs. The Clinton Administration would be proud! (Sorry, couldn’t help it!)

Anyway, on with our nominees! (again, in no particular order)

Our first nominee is Southern Methodist University. The Mustang Defense has allowed 2,707 yards rushing and 3,047 yards passing in the regular season. This averages out to 6.5 yards per play and a staggering 479.5 yards allowed per game. First year head coach June Jones was not available for comment as he was reportedly vacationing in Hawaii. While he’s there he might think about asking for his job back.

Our next nominee is the University of North Texas. The Mean Green may want to think about getting a little meaner next year, because this year they had one of the worst defenses in all of college football. The unit has allowed 5,791 total yards this season and gave up an average of over 482 yards per game. Whew! That’s like having an old car that only runs in reverse!

Our final nominee is Kansas State University. The Wildcats make our list of finalists this year with one of the worst defensive performances of 2008. The KSU defense allowed 2,612 yards rushing and 3,137 passing this season. After running 926 plays, the Wildcats allowed 5,749 total yards for an average of 479 yards allowed per game. Ouch!

AND THE WINNER IS…..NORTH TEXAS!!!

We were able to track down the Mean Green head coach Todd Dodge and asked him to what he attributed having the worst defense in all of college football. He said. “I’m not sure, but it may have been something in the locker room.” We were intrigued, of course, so we inspected the home team locker room at North Texas and found something very disturbing in the lockers of the defensive players.

We can’t be certain if this is the sole reason for the Mean Green D getting rolled over this year, so we took a picture and posted it above this article. Tell us what you think.

I thought there would be much more variety in names, but alas, the good names must all be hiding in FCS somewhere. But, without further ado, here are the rankings. Teams were graded on a variety of categories.

• Intimidation Factor
• Originality
• Practicality
• The "Cool Factor"
• The Mascot Itself
• Joke Potential
• Inspiration Factor

1. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8.85)

I don't know how any of you can list the DD's as a bad name. It is the most unique in the nation, and frankly, ask Barack Obama; he has had a run in with one of them. The mascot itself has a very nice butt chin, and I would love to just tickle it during halftime. Won due to its strong showing in the originality category.

2. North Texas Mean Green (8.82)

Most fans are probably scratching their heads with this pick, but I am a bit of a sleuth, and have figured out what UNT was going for. They were facing a big deficit, all the way down at No. 117, until the intimidation factor came around, and they hit it big right there. When North Texas mentions the "Mean Green," they don't mean an angry color, they obviously mean diarrhea. "Oh man, that chili cheese sauerkraut dog is coming back on me, i think i'm gonna have the Mean Green!"... Tell me a halftime splasher doesn't sound intimidating... See my point?

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders/Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders (8.44)

The Blood Vs. Crip battle within college football; each of them have famous fans I am sure. Can't you imagine Snoop Dogg showing up on Middle Tennessee State's sideline cheering them on? With The Game, and/or Lil Wayne soowooing from the opposite side of the field?

4. Akron Zips (8.33)

In nearly the same predicament as North Texas late in the research, I finally broke the code Akron had been trying to hide from us. If you thought that was actually a Kangaroo in their logo, you would be right, but it has hidden meaning.

The Kangaroo is meant merely to remind us to cherish what is in our "pouch," after all, you don't want to underestimate the Zips, and end up with a "There's Something About Mary" moment, do you?

5. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8.20)

A knight, by itself is a good sign of nobility in the world, but a scarlet one? That is just too much awesomeness to contain.

You know what makes a knight scarlet, don't you? The layers of fresh, dripping blood they have been covered with recently. If only Rutgers were slaying opponents these days, it would have much more meaning.

6. Army Black Knights (8.01)

Wait, didn't Martin Lawrence already try to make this funny, and fail?

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7.99)

A very simple name, and a surprise entry on this list. While the Fighting Illini are stuck in the basement, the Irish are in the Top Ten.

Why, you ask? It's a very straight to the point, practical name. Ever met a Notre Dame fan? He wanted to fight you, didn't he? Didn't he!? Exactly.

8. Duke Blue Devils (7.41)

Score another one for Snoop. Took a big hit in the inspiration area of the rankings, but less than you'd think.

There are quite a few worshippers of the frostbitten devil out there. Let's hope they don't play Boise State for a while, or else this ranking goes out the window...

9. Kent State Golden Flashes (7.26)

Golden Flashes? Sounds like menopause to me.

10. Michigan X-Men 4 Presents: The Rise Of Wolverine (7.00)

Oh, they're still just the Wolverines? Well, pretty soon they'll be looking for extra revenue to buy Rich Rodriguez out of his contract. Why not this way?

Honorable Mention

Arizona State Sun Devils (6.99)

This is what a Devil should look like, parched and sunburnt.

California Golden Bears (6.99)

The most used color in mascots, gold helps boost Cal past Baylor and UCLA, due mainly to the fact that Golden Panda is my favorite Chinese buffet.

East Carolina Pirates (6.98)

True, their pirate looks a bit, err, too colorful to be straight, but the name gains extra points for describing ECU so well at this point. A sunken ship.

Kansas Jayhawks (6.89)

Well, they WERE the Jawhawks until Mark Mangino mistook the mascot for KFC. Now, sadly, they are the Kansas skeletons, and/or acid reflux disease.

TCU Horned Frogs (6.67)

Is that what Anna Nicole Smith had to kiss to get her 86-year-old prince?