GrandGreen

Yes, Ball State turned out to be a bad team but at the time; all we knew is that NT had beaten a team that was almost in a BCS bowl the year before. I too think Clemson is a much better team but the fact is that NT beat Ball State, NT lost to Clemson 10-35. I actually think that NT should beat Rice by 10 but just making the point that first games are often not a good indication of the team strength. Coaching staffs have forever to plan for the first game and generally the emotions are very high. Even the most veteran teams have new players and often new schemes that are still not perfected. As the old adage states teams improve the most from the first to second game.

Don't forget Rice was playing a home game versus away in front of a great crowd. Rice and NT both played well but lost. NT should win this game, however, the memory of last year were NT was even more impressive in the first game and went on to only win more game tempers my enthusiasm.

Good job, Matt. Please keep the news coming.

Yes, almost every team goes through a season with one true scholarship quarterback. I don't guess you noticed but Dodge burned Thompson's redshirt for one series last year, you really think with his job on the line; he is going to try to go through the year; with a couple of walk ons, his son who has been restricted to limited action and a 177 lb freshman who will probably never play at QB. Obviously you already have an answer, I just find it difficult to believe that anyone thought redshirting Thompson was even an option.

Vito, why would you even think that it was a possibility that Thompson would redshirt? I may have missed something but I don't see a lot of quarterbacks on this team. Bad news about Ford, at least there should be no doubt he can get a medical redshirt.

It says a lot of students want to be here. Again, why are you still obsessing about UNT. I would really like to know what perceived wrong has so dramatically effected your life, that you haunt message boards just to disparage UNT. I am sure that you are aware that your obsession is far from normal.

The conditions were the same for both teams. This is a young team who I hope will get much better, but you have to look at the competition. UNT beat a bunch of bad bad teams and just lost to a slightly better win-less team. A lot more will be learned about this team, Sunday. Hopefully, NT can defend its field and today's game will become an afterthought.

I hope for a well played competitive game. I don't want to see a surrender before the game is decided like against Alabama last year and Kansas State the year before. My prediction is that Clemson will prevail but they will know they at least played a legitimate fb division program. I do think the odds makers got this one about right.

Disregarding the hyperbole coming out of Ruston,a decision on a conference mate should be made on a logical basis; what is best for UNT. The pluses are that you would have a close conference mate with some tradition. The cons are that you may be throwing a life line to a recruiting competitor and would have a conference with two teams in a relatively small North Louisiana market. Plus the Belt really at this time does not need another team. The X factor is that La Tech has continually announced to the world that they would not be in a conference with ULM. So the whole question becomes moot because ULM is in the conference and is not going to be forced out by the conference. The facts are that La Tech is probably a bigger competitor than anyone in the Belt against NT for recruits. They have been very successful in part due to their perceived better conference, that is an advantage that is likely gone. La Tech compares favorably with some of the current Belt members, but in my mind would not be an above average athletic member. You can disregard all the incredibly stupid banner of their fans, but I do think their administration has proven less than admirable. In summary, I would not support La Tech admission at this time primarily because the Belt does not need another football team. In fact, I have nothing against USA but I wish the number of teams was kept as is. I like playing 4 oc games, and I don't like the idea of not playing all conference members. The Belt is far away from making a two division football league with championship game viable. If the necessity of another team arrives, La Tech if interested should obviously be considered.

The North Texas campus gets a lot of adverse comments about its looks because everyone that goes to a football game or goes by on highway 35 and views concrete city become a critic. No matter they have never been east of Fouts. I don't think NT is a particularly beautiful or ugly campus. It like the majority of college is a mishmash of agricultural styles and is build on nondescript prairie land. Unfortunately, the part most seen is the Fouts area which contains the very old Fouts, the ultra modern Murchison, the downright awful in my opinion Gateway building and the pretty spectacular Super Pit plus some run down private real estate to the North. The central campus area IMO is much more attractive and the Eagle point area should be extraordinary.

There may be quicker ways for an athletic program to commit suicide but not many. For all the reasons, Sumg cited above. Even the one of kind Norte Dame has to have a conference affiliation for it sports other than football. I would also add that Blakeley basketball teams in NT's independent days despite three years of twenty plus wins and spending a short time in the top twenty never came close to a post season game. I think this also contributed to Blakeley lack of recruiting success. Players of all sports like the recognition and competition of a conference.

The story about Fred Graham and his wife is the one I have always heard. Being there, in late sixties I can verify that the defense was known as the "Mean Green" and the only thing it had to do with Joe Greene was that he was a member of that unit. Joe did not become known as "Mean Joe Greene" until the pros.

In accordance with policy #18.5.1, it is the University of North Texas' policy for all new freshmen (with specific exceptions) to live within UNT Housing while in their freshman year. (http://www.unt.edu/policy/UNT_Policy/volume3/18_5_1.html I don't know, seems to be quite different, unless you are referring to freshmen only.

All unmarried full-time undergraduate students, regardless of age or whether or not emancipated, except those living with parents, are required to live in on-campus residence halls as long as space is available, and purchase a meal plan. The above is the official La Tech policy. Maybe this is why they have a problem with commuter label. Apparently, you either live at home or on campus or just hope there are no dorm rooms available.

I would not worry about any La Tech comments. The very fact that most think they are a "lock" for CUSA should tell you everything you want to know.

Bird of Paradise equals bad acoustics with loud, therefore a "good" thing. I have only been to three of the arenas: Mitchell Center, Cajundome and La Tech's arena. I prefer the Super Pit to any of them. I think it is just individual preference. Many of the newer venues remind me of McDonald's; a lot of plastic, chrome and bright colors. NT is very lucky to have the SP although it is certainly different from the newer venues. My guess is that construction costs to duplicate the SP would be prohibitive. With new arenas such as UTA's cost being close to the new NT football stadium with significant less seats than the SP, NT is lucky to have a facility that has lasting quality, Having song it praises; I hope that NT will get a center court scoreboard and improve the lighting. I also wonder why NT has wasted so much premium seating on the press.

If he were coming to NT, most of us would be singing his virtues.

Re: Ships to walk ons There is no way that you are going to make everyone happy. While rewarding dedication and loyalty is certainly a factor in awarding scholarships there are many others. First to any coach is going to be what best benefits the team. It is possible that some of those obtaining ships were promised those before they even arrived. Others may be just so good, they want to keep them from transferring. Some of the walk-ons may already have other type of scholarships. I don't know what the current rules are now, but at one time Pell grants were better than athletic ships in a lot of ways. It is unfair but in general it is very difficult for a walk-on to get a ship at a fb division school were scholarships are all or nothing. NT because of penalties and turnover ended up with an usual number of ships to award. As for as GilMartin-Donahue, what difference does it make were he goes after his eligibility. Without any inside knowledge at all, it is easy to speculate he may have been promised a scholarship, doesn't it seem a little strange that he chose to come all the way to NT to walk on. It is also easy to give ships to seniors because there is no long term commitment. There is nothing more compelling than a walk-on who gives their all and I too wish they could all be rewarded. However, each ship given to a walk-on takes one away from a potential recruit. Unfortunately, it is difficult to overcome the allure of that potential unknown player,

The WAC could be so down that the University of Laverne Leopards and the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs were the premier programs and there would still be people on this broad trying to make it work for North Texas.

Yes, not close to were it should be. However, the attendance trend is very good. Attendance average for first 8 home games last year was 1808, the last six games 3922. Very poor oc home schedule, holidays and winning streak at end of season; all plays into this, but there is reason for some optimism relative to attendance.

My guess is Byrd. I like Mathis and think he is a good back, but loses of players because they are beaten out is not a totally bad sign.

Don't disagree with the premise that logic often takes back seat to politics, that is why there were many qualifications in that post. I do disagree with you that NT has virtually no clout. Just by virtue of size and location, NT does compare well versus the rest of the Belt and most non-AQ universites. NT is currently not competing with Notre Dame for a spot or even a SMU for that matter. As far as money, no NT certainly can not get the conference funds from tv contracts and other funds generated at the AQ conferences or CUSA or MWC. It does not get the massive donations of the established privates or the schools that are perceived as the states' teams such as Alabama, Tennessee, UT, A&M, Michigan, etc. However, compared to the teams in the MAC, Belt, whats left of the WAC and a lot of the MWC, NT is going to be in very good financial shape. What programs in the middle of nowhere are you referring to, my guess most are AQ schools that have been playing football at the highest level for decades (A&M, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, etc.). The focus of my post above was that NT does have a lot to offer and hopefully counter the many pessimistic comments from many NT fans. It just seems ridiculous to me to assume that schools that to do not have near the potential of NT, are always going to do better. IMO, NT is in a lot better position than they were when they were considered for CUSA . Many who only look at football, may think otherwise; but look at the big picture. The long team factors are looking better than ever and will be tough to match by other non-AQ programs.

This is more a perceived problem IMO than reality. College football fans no matter of what school are more likely to watch a tv game that their team is not playing than the average person. CUSA or any other conference should look at the number of alums in the DFW area which dwarfs both SMU and TCU. The biggest problem is that NT is not winning, the second is that NT doesn't play in general as well known schools. No non-AQ comes close to controlling the DFW market. The addition of NT to CUSA would give them a significantly stronger presence in the market. In addition to one private, they would add a state schools with many more students and alum in the area than SMU and TCU combined. USC, California, and UCLA seem to coexist very well.

Not sure of the point, Vito is trying to make. Hall was a good QB and had a great cast around him. His talents were used very well in DD's run based offense. He had the all important leadership qualities and could throw or run well enough to keep defenses honest. After Hall left, DD had a difficult time recruiting QBs as well as any other position. Continually mouthing off about how bad the situation is at NT and eventually someone will believe you. Dodge has been unlucky with his QB's those far. Vizza and Dodge had good freshmen years with less than stellar supporting casts. Vizza's sophomore year was disappointing but the team was awful. Vizza left unexpectedly after two years and Riley was hurt and supposedly will have limited time at QB now. The only thing I can blame Dodge for in the QB situation is not recruiting a couple more in his three classes. There is no way he could know Vizza was going to flee and Riley would be so injured that he could not effectively play full time QB. Hopefully there will be no significant QB injuries and Thompson can turn into a long term answer as backup or starter this year and starter for the next two. I really don't like going into the season with two scholarship players plus an impaired Dodge at QB. I don't see TeeGarden as a QB.

This freshman class based on reports is much better than I expected. I thought outside of Bellazin and Orr, there was not much there. I am amazed at Abbe, despite reporting over weight and having been an offensive lineman in high school, he appears to be a player. The Copperas Cove duo also are much better than I anticipated. Johnson certainly has the structure to be a very good offensive linemen. There are not many freshmen this year but it looks like a greater percentage than normal will be contributors. Of course looking good inter-squad does not necessarily translate to real games, but so far we should be encouraged.