untjim1995

What do you think happens if the university decides that it will not impose the stadium fees on the students? Would we just stay status quo and continue in Fouts at a D-I level or would it eventually be the end of the program? Would UNT ever go without football or would it recognize that we need to have it in some form or fashion to keep some of its alumni happy? I often get asked these questions by others when talking about our program. These questions aren't just directed at Rick, but to anyone who has any thoughts on the subject.

Just out of curiosity, what was running through your mind when you were watching this game with 700 other people in a 30K stadium? I ask this ebcause I always enjoy your responses and your knowledge of UNT. Also, did you ever get close to the point of thinking that we weren't gonna make it at the D-IA level back then? I had heard it was gonna be real close for the univesrity to keep the program going if our move up failed--but that was under Hurley's reign.

I will always remember seeing JaQuay set the school rushing record... in front of 800 people. I literally had to run down a few bleachers, and another fan had to run up a few rows, for us to high five each other. I have to admit, that this made me laugh a little bit at just how hard it was for you to get a high-five from another fan!! That must have been one sparse crowd. What game was this and why was there such a small crowd?

You know what? This is the single best post I have ever read on an internet board that deals with college sports. Nothing can explain my feeling about UNT any better. Bravo, because you just hit one outta the park. I, too, got thru school on my own hard work, and am the only college-degreed member of my family. I now have a son and another on the way, and they will understand just what UNT did for me--and for them, too. When I see us get killed by a big-name school (tonight) or just lose a game to a school that most people have never even heard of (i.e. FAU), it just kills me because I want us all to enjoy for just a moment what it must feel like to have a team that we can brag about because of true success. (BTW, It must have been so amazing to be a UNT fan back during the Fry years.) And, I often think that it may not be in the cards for us to ever reach those heights again, as we really just don't have the resources that so many of our more-noticed brethren (i.e., Texas, A&M, Tech) have. But, to me, UNT represents a fresh start--a place that represents opportunities-for everybody. That's why.

UNTFan23, Another major thank you for showing us how to ignore a poster. It ahs been so great not to have to read this person's idiotic posts. You are my hero. untjim1995

I just wanted to give you a much needed thank you for putting up that ignore link on your replies. That has made life much sweeter by not having to read the diatribes of certain posters that change their mind as the wind blows.

I couldn't agree more after watching the game in person tonight.

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but after watching the game in person, our entire defense is just too small and too slow to compete with a QB of Willis' ability. We could not put consistent pressure on Willis, tackling again seemed very hard for some reason, and our DBs are just not I-A right now. Now that I got that outta my system, please know that this game was a great game to be at for so many reasons. Atmosphere was AWESOME, intensity was terrific, and there was absolutely no quit in either team. If the folks on th Hilltop can't see why we need to be playing each other every year, then I guess they are doomed to never get over a 15K home attendance average anymore. Just a terrific game and a blast to be at, except of course for falling short. Just made me realize how different this Metroplex rivalry game was compared to going to Ft.Worth in the Dickey-era when "THROW THE BALL" became a legendary chant with our crowd.

Wow.

That season made absolutely no sense. We won 2 games--@ Tech and at home over Big West champion, Boise State. Very un-Dickey like. I guess he figured out that he shouldn't give any extra effort toward those big-name schools going forward!!

Actually, we don't.

As for one amazing play that turned a game around in our favor, look at the 4th down and 25 (or close to it) that we converted in the last minute against SFA in Nacogdoches back in 1994. Mitch Maher completed the pass to Luis Silva, who reached up and grabbed the perfect pass between two guys who had great coverage. We then went on to kick the game-tying field goal to stay in first place. It allowed us to basically control our destiny to win the Southland in the last year of I-AA. Not the biggest moment, and I realize we all hated the fact that we were in I-AA for that long period, but that was a great way to move up to Division I.

Actually, OU ran a spread offense with Heupel at QB when they won the MNC in 2000 and many would say that Texas with Vince Young ran a spread version as well to the MNC. The system can work incredibly well if you have the athletes and the coaches to run it to perfection. The problem with Tech's version or Baylor's for that matter, is that their version of the spread runs into the brick walls that are UT,OU, Nebraska, etc., all of whom have terrific defensive talent to keep those quick passes from being completed or getting big gains after the catch. As for us, I will bet that our offense will look great against most of the Belt teams because the talent level on defense won't be nearly as high as our OOC teams, with the exception of Troy. And, if we are great at running the ball in the future, then I think you will see some great numbers get posted for seasons to come. One thing is for sure, the days of the QB throwing 10-15 passes in a game are in the rear-view mirror.

That is great that you are getting that many to go to the game together. This is why I can't understand the rationale for not keeping this game scheduled for years to come. Both teams get large numbers of alumni to go to a game between two schools that know each other very well and get to save money on the away-game travel. Not to mention the publicity that goes with a Metroplex game that wouldn't normally be made for either of these two schools. I mean, really, does it seem all that appealing to SMU alums, students, and faculty to go watch a home OOC game against Arkansas State where the crowd totals 15K at most? This is a way to actually get a decent crowd at their home stadium. I can understand getting Tech on the schedule for them for all of the reasons that I mentioned in favor of playing UNT--because of name recognition, history, and traveling alums. It just doesn't add up to me why they wouldn't try to play UNT every year. But, then again, they play TCU and Tech every year in OOC. It probably wouldn't be too good for the Hilltoppers to go 0-3 every year in OOC!! BEAT SMU!!!

From that scene in Animal House: "You boys mind if we dance wiff yo dates?" " No not at all"!!

[but all this talk of UT, TAMU, TCU, TTech and even UTEP being afraid to play us for fear they may lose is just silly (from another thread I read). You don't think playing against the opponents' back-ups and being down by 20+ points (with nothing to lose) played a factor in the Green team's success?} I think this might be aimed at my post about our schedules in the next few years. I will be the first to say that I don't know for sure why none of the schools that I mentioned in my original thread are not on the schedule over the next 4-5 years. Those schools I listed were TCU, SMU, Baylor, and Tech, not UT or A&M. But, I know that the chances that they will appear on our schedule in the next few years is extremely slim. IMHO, I think that none of these schools' fans or administrators see enough good reasons to play us right now because it is an almost no-win situation. If they beat us, they were supposed to beat little ol UNT. But if they lose or even have a close game, well then... When Tech got beat by us twice in Lubbock during our 5-year series, what did they do? They scheduled SMU and TCU. TCU beat them last year, but SMU hasn't in their 4-year series currently going on right now. So what does Tech do? They re-up the series with SMU for another 4 years. No TCU, no UNT on their future schedules. Why? Same goes for Baylor. They lose to UNT, don't extend the series at all with us, but do get TCU and SMU on their schedule again. Will SMU jump and down to play us again in the near future after this year's game, especially if they lose to us again? Very small chance. Now, if each of these aforementioned schools looked at the OVERALL benefits of playing us annually or close to it, then maybe some things might change. I just don't think that is going to happen real soon. I will say that I hope that I am wrong and will have to eat some crow on this subject. I guess we'll see.

Playing Houston, UTEP, Tulsa, La Tech, Tulane, New Mexico State, or New Mexico would at least help get more fans interested in travel, as well as getting some return games to Fouts. If this can be done, I would look at getting games like this scheduled if you can't get the local schools to play anymore. My guess is that SMU and TCU will go another decade or so without even looking our way--much like Tech did after our 5 year run against them cost them 2 games. I would love to see us try to schedule a big game each year at Texas Stadium/Jerry World again, but this time against an opponent that could use the game for their own recruiting--i.e. BCS school from anywhere other than the Big XII. I mean a school like Virginia Tech or Arizona State or Iowa might have an interest in a 2 for 1 that involved a game in Dallas. In a perfect world, a new stadium in Denton to fit this type of game would be here soon--but I think we all realize that it will be sometime. And, if it is only 30-35K in Denton when built, that still may not be enough to give some of those teams enough reasons to come down here. It is hard to say, but I know that a game in JerryWorld against a ranked BCS name program would get some attention. Imagine an 8th ranked Va Tech team coming here for a game against UNT or an 11th ranked Wisconsin team coming to Texas Stadium to play us? If you can win a game or two in this scenario, granted it would be extremely tough, it would lead to some major changes in Denton and in the conference-affiliation front. This is much easier than doing the current game of playing OU, LSU, Arky, Texas, or Miami(?) on the road and praying that we can steal a game against them. Granted, you might just steal one, but it would be great to have a return game built in with a name program within 30 miles of campus, too, if you do get killed in the large BCS-school's stadium to start the year. Thoughts?

I guess this means that SMU, TCU, or Baylor are not going to be on our future schedules anymore. This is one of my fears, that with Dodgeball in action, that the local schools will no longer play us until they know that UNT will not give them a competitive game, i.e. UNT can't beat them. All of those schools, as well as Tech, have either lost to us, or like TCU, could have lost to us if we had an offensive plan that didn't involve a give-up, run-until-the-clock-stops attitude. There is just no way that we shouldn't play at least one of these teams EVERY year, but I am afraid that after this season, it may not happen again for many years.

Still Mainly Underacheiving Tradition Since 1989!!

You night be a Mean Green Fan if you always have to explain to friends and family who the Sunbelt Conference is, that FAU, FIU, ULL, ULM, Troy, Middle Tennessee, and Arkansas State are actually Division 1 teams and not like SFA, Sam Houston, or SWTexas State), and then hear from all of them, no I really don't think I am going to pass up the other games on TV this weekend to go to your high school stadium.

I'm relatively new to this board as a poster, but have been an avid reader for a long time. I can only imagine what Emmitt is thinking right now--buddy, I don't know you, but I have a feeling that we may see a retort fairly soon on being a Dallas cop. I am certain that Emmitt is more like the 99% of our police force out there--honorable and forthright. What he doesn't deserve is to be thrown in with a bad-cop story from years ago. That's pathetic.

Does anyone know why David left his position? Where did he go?

This reply is so on the money, its not even funny..for UNT that is.

This is my fear that the Texas/Oklahoma schools (not UT, OU, or A&M) won't schedule us again unless it is just a road visit here or there. I think that alot of folks know what Dodge will be able to do for our program and they have no interest in being first or second on the list of his conquests at UNT. I could be wrong, but I just don't see SMU playing us again after this year. Their fans, just like TCUs a few years back, don't feel that it is their best interest to play us regularly. That is why the Navy game and others like it are very important that we attend very well and show other schools that we are someone to play regularly. If we can't get these Texas/Oklahoma schools to play us, lets get Memphis, Soutehrn Miss, UAB, Wyoming, New Mexico, or Colorado State to sign a home and home series.

Thanks for your remarks about this. As you state, hatred will get us nowhere. I just wonder how much the folks in Dallas really want to have anything to do with us in the same conference. It really doesn't seem like a fit to me. It is my belief that the SBC will be our home for quite a long time--possibly for the next 5-10 years or more. I don't like that much, but I think it would take a huge shift in our reputation amongst other conferences to get us in CUSA or MWC anytime soon. But, that said, Coach Dodge will go a long way in helping us reach that goal.