Oct 11 2008
0-6 but Signs of Life are Present
I haven’t felt as good about a loss, much less a 59-30 loss to ULL in many Sun Belt Moons. It wasn’t pretty and we still have a lot of major problems to address but the boys gave it a good fight and the program showed some signs that should leave Mean Green fans some hope.
- UNT was physical tonight. They punished elite Sun Belt running back Tyrell Fenroy especially in the first half. ULL’s QB took some of the biggest hits of his career at times in this game, one time in particular from UNT true freshman safety Derrian Williams. UNT at no time ever gave up or lacked intensity although they were often outmatched by the ULL athleticism and playmaking ability.
- Fan Support still remains. There were over 17K fans at Fouts tonight even though they were watching an 0-5 team that hasn’t been in the second half of a game this season. UNT student support remains strong given the lack of success this team has had and that certainly bodes well for the upcoming student vote on the important athletic fee vote this coming Friday.
- UNT’s offense looked good at times against a decent defense. This certainly wasn’t the best effort that this offense has seen, ala last years Navy game etc but it was 30-points and it did come against a ULL defense that has shown up against some pretty quality programs this year. Gio had his moments and had a highlight reel touchdown pass to WR Roderick Johnson.
- The defense was at times deplorable but also had moments - especially in the first half - holding a pretty good offense in check. Coach DeLoach moved end Eddrick Gilmore into the defensive tackle position and it paid immediate gains as they were able to clog up the middle for much of the game. Jonathan Stewart had a solid game filling in for Gilmore at end and Craig Robertson had an All Sun Belt caliber performance at linebacker.
- Running back Cam Montgomery showed that he can be a top level performer for this team gaining over 100-yards tonight and Casey Fitzgerald had a monster night at wide receiver. Montgomery still has some eligibility left and although Fitzgerald graduates he could help UNT pull of some wins in the remaining half of the season.
- After an ugly performance last week against FIU, UNT’s O-Line redeemed themselves with a fairly solid showing. It’s a very young group and is playing without possibly it’s best two players in center center Kelvin Drake and guard/tackle Tyler Bailey. True freshman Coleman Feeley played the entire game and redshirt freshman center JJ Johnson continues to impress me as a leader on the field. This unit is young and will only get better with time and future recruiting classes.
While it is never easy to swallow a big loss at home, something about this game and the level of intensity the players and coaches displayed made it seem palpable. UNT’s special teams play continues to be a nightmare of unprecedented proportions. Big plays continue to kill UNT and a big concern has to be how some of our younger players in the secondary are continuing to struggle mightily against Sun Belt receivers.
Turnovers at critical points in the game continue to haunt them. Cam Montgomery had a huge fumble when UNT was close to scoring early in the game. Coaching errors, like at the end of the first half when they made the decision to run the ball twice in the red zone with only 20-seconds on the clock burning their last two critical timeouts and coming away empty comes to my mind. QB Giovanni Vizza threw a huge INT that probably put the game out of reach in the 3rd quarter. In his defense, it was another critical 3rd down and you just know he has to feel pressure to score points in every situation with the way our special teams and defense has been playing.
I was disappointed to see Patrick Cobb’s Sun Belt All Time leading rusher title leave us but I do believe that ULL’s Fenroy is very deserving.
In many ways this game seemed the undercard for the real battle, which takes place this coming Friday when the students are being asked to vote for a much needed upward adjustment of the athletic fee. This vote could ultimately lead to a new football stadium which would speak volumes about UNT’s commitment to athletics. I walked away from this loss tonight thinking that the passing of this most important vote could make this loss to ULL and the season seem like a small speed bump in the road.
[...] 60. The Ragin Cajun beat UNT 59-20. There does seem to be some hope for optimism according to GoMeanGreen.com. UNT’s defense has some work to do, and it probably starts up front. They are going to [...]