0
1 votes
WKU Pregame
Posted by
mad dog
,
19 November 2011
·
19 views
At the beginning of the year, the 20-20 predicted 5 wins if the bounces went our way. And, if the bounces continue to be generous, there's a very real possibility that we reach that plateau tonight.
With a realistic expectation of 3-5 wins for the Mean Green, it is exciting to be in a position to exceed them. Based on how I viewed this team at the beginning of the year, I felt like this team was years away from competing, even in the belt. There were just too many holes. Too many small players. Too much potential and not enough skins. And, in many cases, those holes are still there or new holes will show themselves at the end of the year. It may still be years, but this team is a heck of a lot closer than I ever thought possible.
The biggest question mark for me was at Quarterback. With the departure of Riley Dodge, UNT stood with next to no experience at the most crucial position in football. Derek Thompson looked great on paper, and certainly had a live arm, but appeared to be nothing more than a good prospect with a decent toolset. His evolution throughout the year has been a joy to watch. The throws have gotten better, he's looked more comfortable in the pocket, and it seems he is playing within himself, and not trying to be anything other than what he is: a gunslinger. He may not end up being the ultimate answer at QB for the next few years, but he is, if nothing else, a viable option, and that's something a lot of teams would love to have. If he can continue to do the little things, and raise his game every week, as he has been, then we can safetly turn the biggest question mark into the biggest exclamation point.
Then there was the defense. On paper, this was a swiss cheese unit. Who mans the middle of the d-line? Who starts in your secondary outside of Royce Hill? Is the bench depth as bad as it looks? But, enterting tonight's game, I can honestly say I'm proud of how the D has played. A couple of guys have emerged as legitimate playmakers in Michael Stojkovic and Freddie Warner. Ryan Downing has quietly slipped into second place behind the injured Zach Orr for tackles on the team. And others have situationally stepped up to fill the gaps. Most impressive was the attitude this defense has taken. Early in the season, you could tell there was a little bit of the old mentality. As soon as they were dealt a blow, you could start to see the shoulders slumping, broadcasting to all the world that the thought running through their minds was "oh no, not again." Then, somewhere during the indiana game, you could tell something changed. Maybe it was a coach's pep talk, or a team leader drawing a line in the sand, but the whole attitude shifted to "ok, enough is enough." And, since then, the defense has made physical, hard hitting, swarming, ballhawking defense their calling card. While still prone to the occasional meltdown, they have demonstrated a dramatic shift in attitude that fans haven't seen since the heyday of the Dickey Era.
So what does tonight mean? We're not playing for the conference championship, but we have a very real opportunity to end the season strong with two wins and become bowl eligible.
And, if we're lucky enough to do that AND get invited to a bowl, we could actually finish the season on a three game winning streak that would almost match the CAREER win total of our dear departed head coach.
In one year.
Wow.
With a realistic expectation of 3-5 wins for the Mean Green, it is exciting to be in a position to exceed them. Based on how I viewed this team at the beginning of the year, I felt like this team was years away from competing, even in the belt. There were just too many holes. Too many small players. Too much potential and not enough skins. And, in many cases, those holes are still there or new holes will show themselves at the end of the year. It may still be years, but this team is a heck of a lot closer than I ever thought possible.
The biggest question mark for me was at Quarterback. With the departure of Riley Dodge, UNT stood with next to no experience at the most crucial position in football. Derek Thompson looked great on paper, and certainly had a live arm, but appeared to be nothing more than a good prospect with a decent toolset. His evolution throughout the year has been a joy to watch. The throws have gotten better, he's looked more comfortable in the pocket, and it seems he is playing within himself, and not trying to be anything other than what he is: a gunslinger. He may not end up being the ultimate answer at QB for the next few years, but he is, if nothing else, a viable option, and that's something a lot of teams would love to have. If he can continue to do the little things, and raise his game every week, as he has been, then we can safetly turn the biggest question mark into the biggest exclamation point.
Then there was the defense. On paper, this was a swiss cheese unit. Who mans the middle of the d-line? Who starts in your secondary outside of Royce Hill? Is the bench depth as bad as it looks? But, enterting tonight's game, I can honestly say I'm proud of how the D has played. A couple of guys have emerged as legitimate playmakers in Michael Stojkovic and Freddie Warner. Ryan Downing has quietly slipped into second place behind the injured Zach Orr for tackles on the team. And others have situationally stepped up to fill the gaps. Most impressive was the attitude this defense has taken. Early in the season, you could tell there was a little bit of the old mentality. As soon as they were dealt a blow, you could start to see the shoulders slumping, broadcasting to all the world that the thought running through their minds was "oh no, not again." Then, somewhere during the indiana game, you could tell something changed. Maybe it was a coach's pep talk, or a team leader drawing a line in the sand, but the whole attitude shifted to "ok, enough is enough." And, since then, the defense has made physical, hard hitting, swarming, ballhawking defense their calling card. While still prone to the occasional meltdown, they have demonstrated a dramatic shift in attitude that fans haven't seen since the heyday of the Dickey Era.
So what does tonight mean? We're not playing for the conference championship, but we have a very real opportunity to end the season strong with two wins and become bowl eligible.
And, if we're lucky enough to do that AND get invited to a bowl, we could actually finish the season on a three game winning streak that would almost match the CAREER win total of our dear departed head coach.
In one year.
Wow.
