Morning after and I've calmed down.

[GMG24]

Look, we got absolutely ROCKED.  That start to the game was as bad as I've witnessed.  That thing snowballed on us so fast we blinked and it was 21-0.  We have a team who isn't used to winning consistently, and they dang sure aren't used to the expectations associated with that.  The upper class men haven't done it, and the lower class men are starting to do it.  We are starting and playing an inordinate amount of freshman and sophomores, and unfortunately things like this happen when that is the case.  I'm still pissed about the loss, but I'll show up Saturday and cheer for UNT.  This will be the wake up call that propels this team to a great finish to the season.  

If we tackle the RB in the first two drives on 3rd down we may be having a different conversation.  We didn't and things got out of hand quickly.  Games like this, you watch and learn from then move as quickly as you can onto the next on  and get ready to compete.  

[EagleD]

I look at Leach (SL’s mentor) at WSU. Similar comparisons.  Leach corrected the offense pretty quick. The defense is a little slower process. Now they are rolling. I think Littrell can get the same results at UNT. Building a solid D takes time. 

[greenjoe]

I'm going to write a book about this weekend.  I'm going to call it, "What Happened."

Unless that title has been used.

Let's regroup and beat Old Dominon.

GO MEAN GREEN

[El Paso Eagle]

2 hours ago, greenjoe said:

I'm going to write a book about this weekend.  I'm going to call it, "What Happened."

Unless that title has been used.

Let's regroup and beat Old Dominon.

GO MEAN GREEN

So you’re going to blame everyone else?

[TreeFiddy]

[greenminer]

I think about all the painful losses over the years.  Every generation can look at one and believe up to that point it is the worst thing ever.

2001 loss to 0-5 LaMo
Todge's loss to Oklahoma
Portland State
Now FAU.

Hell, you can go back further.  We were Bill Snyder's first win at KState.  They had not won a game in 3+ years.

...There are probably more.  But we are still here.  The program is still here.

I want this shit fixed as bad as anyone, but with or without SL & Co I'll wake up in September 2018 and still be rooting for the Mean Green.  And they'll still be there.  I get apathetic and mad sometimes, but I don't plan on rooting for another team.

[All About UNT]

14 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I think about all the painful losses over the years.  Every generation can look at one and believe up to that point it is the worst thing ever.

2001 loss to 0-5 LaMo
Todge's loss to Oklahoma
Portland State
Now FAU.

Hell, you can go back further.  We were Bill Snyder's first win at KState.  They had not won a game in 3+ years.

...There are probably more.  But we are still here.  The program is still here.

I want this shit fixed as bad as anyone, but with or without SL & Co I'll wake up in September 2018 and still be rooting for the Mean Green.  And they'll still be there.  I get apathetic and mad sometimes, but I don't plan on rooting for another team.

Those were the days.... when a Big 8 team tears down the goalposts because they beat North Texas.

 

[Venson]

4 hours ago, All About UNT said:

Those were the days.... when a Big 8 team tears down the goalposts because they beat North Texas.

 

I remember this game. It was the most painful up until that Portland State debacle. But, Bill Snyder went on the build a winning tradition at KSU. He didn't have many resources and bigger schools with more resources could have hired him away. Hopefully we can do the same here.

[MeanGreenHoops]

20 hours ago, GMG24 said:

Look, we got absolutely ROCKED.  That start to the game was as bad as I've witnessed.  That thing snowballed on us so fast we blinked and it was 21-0.  We have a team who isn't used to winning consistently, and they dang sure aren't used to the expectations associated with that.  The upper class men haven't done it, and the lower class men are starting to do it.  We are starting and playing an inordinate amount of freshman and sophomores, and unfortunately things like this happen when that is the case.  I'm still pissed about the loss, but I'll show up Saturday and cheer for UNT.  This will be the wake up call that propels this team to a great finish to the season.  

If we tackle the RB in the first two drives on 3rd down we may be having a different conversation.  We didn't and things got out of hand quickly.  Games like this, you watch and learn from then move as quickly as you can onto the next on  and get ready to compete.  

I keep seeing people say this, and while I could agree on Offense, on defense the opposite seems to be true. And defense is the weak spot of the team.

D-Line - 3 Sr, 2 Jr 1 So
LB - Top 4 playing time - 1 Sr , 3 Jr
Secondary - 3 Sr., 2 Jr, 1 So

Only 2 sophomores getting any time Muhammed and Hamilton. all the rest are upperclassmen. Very little younger players getting any playing time at all. The defense may be a real problem not just this year but maybe worse next year?

[FirefightnRick]

4 hours ago, Venson said:

I remember this game. It was the most painful up until that Portland State debacle. But, Bill Snyder went on the build a winning tradition at KSU. He didn't have many resources and bigger schools with more resources could have hired him away. Hopefully we can do the same here.

It was an even more painful drive back.  Manhatten Kansas is a long damn way.

 

Rick

Edited October 23, 2017 by FirefightnRick

[oldguystudent]

Life as a UNT fan -- expect nothing.  Get pleasantly surprised every once in a while.  But never let your guard down and expect anything.  You do that, and you will get kicked in the nuts.  Repeatedly.  Brutally.  

I'm starting to think more and more that @SilverEagle is right -- we had our chance in the 70s, left it on the table, and have dug an impossible hole to escape forever more.   

Enjoy the beer, the coeds, and the company.  Every once in a while we might even win a game. 

[MGNation92]

6 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

Life as a UNT fan -- expect nothing.  Get pleasantly surprised every once in a while.  But never let your guard down and expect anything.  You do that, and you will get kicked in the nuts.  Repeatedly.  Brutally.  

I'm starting to think more and more that @SilverEagle is right -- we had our chance in the 70s, left it on the table, and have dug an impossible hole to escape forever more.   

Enjoy the beer, the coeds, and the company.  Every once in a while we might even win a game. 

If you expect to lose every game, you're never let down when we do. Just pleasantly surprised when we don't.

[MeanGreenTexan]

21 hours ago, GMG24 said:

Look, we got absolutely ROCKED.  That start to the game was as bad as I've witnessed.  That thing snowballed on us so fast we blinked and it was 21-0.  We have a team who isn't used to winning consistently, and they dang sure aren't used to the expectations associated with that.  The upper class men haven't done it, and the lower class men are starting to do it.  We are starting and playing an inordinate amount of freshman and sophomores, and unfortunately things like this happen when that is the case.  I'm still pissed about the loss, but I'll show up Saturday and cheer for UNT.  This will be the wake up call that propels this team to a great finish to the season.  

If we tackle the RB in the first two drives on 3rd down we may be having a different conversation.  We didn't and things got out of hand quickly.  Games like this, you watch and learn from then move as quickly as you can onto the next on  and get ready to compete.  

The team I watched for 1 & 1/2 quarters was not the same one I watched the past few weeks giving max effort.   This past game was like watching 11 space cadets run around on a field with a focused team.

The instant I knew this thing was over was when we tackled their RB at the LOS on 3rd down, and he gets up without a whistle, and runs to a first down before being tackled AGAIN.   No one decided to call a TO as they quick snapped to get a free first down.  Of course, they never punted until the VERY END of the game, but they would have that time.   And who knows, maybe that would have been the opportunity for our guys to try and get back in it?  21-7 at the time, I think?  Instead, we let them go score again.

[GMG24]

34 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

I keep seeing people say this, and while I could agree on Offense, on defense the opposite seems to be true. And defense is the weak spot of the team.

D-Line - 3 Sr, 2 Jr 1 So
LB - Top 4 playing time - 1 Sr , 3 Jr
Secondary - 3 Sr., 2 Jr, 1 So

Only 2 sophomores getting any time Muhammed and Hamilton. all the rest are upperclassmen. Very little younger players getting any playing time at all. The defense may be a real problem not just this year but maybe worse next year?

And how many of those upper classmen playing are in their first year of playing.  

[MGNation92]

At this point the one thing that worries me is we've been steadily playing worse since we beat Southern Miss. Littrell talks about peaking all the time. I'm worried we peaked then and we'll continue to shit the bed for the rest of the season. Much like we did last year.

[MeanGreenHoops]

3 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

And how many of those upper classmen playing are in their first year of playing.  

1 Kemon Hall. Everyone else has started games in the past. The defense is not young. And very few young players are getting playing time. Maybe not a problem if recruiting on that side of the ball is going well, but I'm not an expert on recruiting.

[oldguystudent]

This time last year, we were also 4-3.  Time to improve on the back end. 

[MGNation92]

2 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

1 Kemon Hall. Everyone else has started games in the past. The defense is not young. And very few young players are getting playing time. Maybe not a problem if recruiting on that side of the ball is going well, but I'm not an expert on recruiting.

You forgot Colton McDonald. The one linebacker I've seen that might actually be less athletic than our nose tackles. Dude looks slower than molasses on a cold winter day.

[GMG24]

1 minute ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

1 Kemon Hall. Everyone else has started games in the past. The defense is not young. And very few young players are getting playing time. Maybe not a problem if recruiting on that side of the ball is going well, but I'm not an expert on recruiting.

EJ Ejiya JUCO (JR), Kemon Hall JUCO (JR), Tony Krasniqi (Fr), Ladarius Hamilton (So), McDonald (D2 Transfer), Ozougwu (So), Muhammad (So) 

[MeanGreenHoops]

30 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

You forgot Colton McDonald. The one linebacker I've seen that might actually be less athletic than our nose tackles. Dude looks slower than molasses on a cold winter day.

Yep you're right thanks. 2 then Hall & McDonald.

28 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

EJ Ejiya JUCO (JR), Kemon Hall JUCO (JR), Tony Krasniqi (Fr), Ladarius Hamilton (So), McDonald (D2 Transfer), Ozougwu (So), Muhammad (So) 

I'm not sure what you're saying. EJ played last year. Both Sophomores are the young guys already mentioned as the only 2 young guys getting significant time. Are you saying that we have a lot of new guys getting significant time, or young guys getting time? Because I'd disagree with both except for the 2 young guys getting playing time (which I already mentioned).

[SilverEagle]

1 hour ago, oldguystudent said:

Life as a UNT fan -- expect nothing.  Get pleasantly surprised every once in a while.  But never let your guard down and expect anything.  You do that, and you will get kicked in the nuts.  Repeatedly.  Brutally.  

I'm starting to think more and more that @SilverEagle is right -- we had our chance in the 70s, left it on the table, and have dug an impossible hole to escape forever more.   

Enjoy the beer, the coeds, and the company.  Every once in a while we might even win a game. 

....and it's not like I didn't warn them (administrators) face to face. I've told this story many times, but this is the ideal place to repeat it. At what was going to be the end of the Corkey Nelson era (Nov of 1990) I was invited to participate in a focus group to discuss the future of North Texas athletics. Why I was invited I don't know. Perhaps drex knows, he was still working there at the time. 

Dr. Peter Lane was in charge of leading the group....and asking the leading questions of the group. I could tell pretty early what the purpose of the group was. It appeared that UNT was going to move back up to 1-A and they wanted to know if long time fans would support it.....and at what level. I could also tell from comments here and there that Corkey Nelson was not going to be around very long.  But before the night was over, I had to get my 2c worth in........much to the annoyance of Dr. Lane. 

I told them that from my observations, North Texas appeared to contract to put on a football game. All the people whom they contracted with showed up and fulfilled their contractual obligations (starting on time, wearing the correct uni's, the cheerleaders did their gymnastics, and the band showed up and playing the required play list of school spirit (in an unspirited way)  songs and then amused themselves with their own play list). I told them that there didn't appear to be any sort of connection between any of these groups. They showed up, did their own thing, and then left without much of an acknowledgment of one another. In other words, no cultural connection to one another.

I gave them an example of my concern. i said that when I attended the 1986 TCU game (which we won) I noticed something painted on one of the buildings (probably their BB coliseum) there that was visible to the fans.....RIFF RAM! I told them that I looked it up, and as I suspected, it was the beginnings of an old 1920's yell.....that to the casual observer looked kind of stupid. BUT IT WAS THEIR STUPID YELL, AND EVERYONE HAD TO LEARN IT. I then asked where's the unique and stupid North Texas yell? Does anyone know it?.......silence. I then mentioned that A$M continued to add to their traditions, and was immediately shut down by Dr. Lane with a curt "we don't want to be like A$M." And I thought to myself "which part? Loving their school and outwardly demonstrating it all the time. Or perhaps always showing up to their official events. Or maybe their provincial habit of always financially supporting their school.....OR maybe it's having a band that is TOTALLY FOCUSED ON SCHOOL SPIRIT AND CELEBRATING THAT SCHOOL SPIRIT." 

As oldguystudent seemed to be hinting at, when Hayden Fry, who set about trying to change our culture.....(or actually giving us one) left,  all the Hayden Fry haters (and administratively there were many) took back over and (to paraphrase that line that I love so well from "Inherit the Wind" ) "and with drums beating and banners flying, they marched us backward". 

And coincidentally (or maybe not) some of the worst beatings in North Texas history have taken place since then (1990).

So, as of Saturday, our only real tradition continues.

 

[Cerebus]

2 hours ago, MGNation92 said:

At this point the one thing that worries me is we've been steadily playing worse since we beat Southern Miss. 

I don't think that is true.  Teams match up differently to each other.  I though we matched up much better with USM than UTSA.  UTSA had exactly the kind of defense that will give us fits, mainly the kind that can bring a ton of pressure with standard sets. 

Hell look at The Drive.  For most of it they dropped back extra people, and Mason still had to run for his life.  When they brought pressure on the last play, they got to Mason he just had to make an incredible play.

Even after we beat USM by 15 I thought UTSA should have been favored.

 

Now FAU, yes, a total poop the bed kind of game.  However for me that means one terrible day.  I won't start to panic unless we look bad against ODU.  

 

[Ryan Munthe]

I am sorry, putting this in the category of Portland state is moronic. This loss doesn’t mean much.

[PlummMeanGreen]

58 minutes ago, SilverEagle said:

As oldguystudent seemed to be hinting at, when Hayden Fry, who set about trying to change our culture.....(or actually giving us one) left,  all the Hayden Fry haters (and administratively there were many) took back over and (to paraphrase that line that I love so well from "Inherit the Wind" ) "and with drums beating and banners flying, they marched us backward". 

And coincidentally (or maybe not) some of the worst beatings in North Texas history have taken place since then (1990).

So, as of Saturday, our only real tradition continues.

Excellent post, old friend.  I loved the "Inherit the Wind" quote the most.  SE & I are in 2 part harmony when it comes to UNT's past & future.  (Also about how a college marching band with some tweaks can be such an exciting part of Game Day).

Once SUMG & I sat in an AD's office after  Corky was hired & to this day we joke about what he said.  We were expecting (& hoped) to hear about some bright future plans for Mean Green football, but all we got that day from the AD was: "The whole future football schedule is "F'd up!"   A funeral dirge would have matched our spirits as we walked out of the gents office & out of the Moody Athletic Building.

GMG!

[untjim1995]

12 minutes ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

Excellent post, old friend.  I loved the "Inherit the Wind" quote the most.  SE & I are in 2 part harmony when it comes to UNT's past & future.  (Also about how a college marching band with some tweaks can be such an exciting part of Game Day).

Once SUMG & I sat in an AD's office after  Corky was hired & to this day we joke about what he said.  We were expecting (& hoped) to hear about some bright future plans for Mean Green football, but all we got that day from the AD was: "The whole future football schedule is "F'd up!"   A funeral dirge would have matched our spirits as we walked out of the gents office & out of the Moody Athletic Building.

GMG!

When I was in college, I had a speech class that required me to do a report from an executive about the direction of their company. I chose Steve Sloan, our AD at the time. He was glad to grant me the time and so I scheduled it for a week later. 

On the day I went in there, I asked about the future of the football program and about going to Division 1-A, as he had plans for us to move up in the years ahead. This was in the fall of 1992. When I asked about us being able to compete at that level, considering our location, I figured it would be greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. I couldn't have been more wrong. He talked about fundraising being difficult, he talked about the fact that the support we got from inside and outside of the university was just not there, and he said that we were moving upward because we could make more money. And what I liked about all of this was it was the truth. 

When I went back to my class to give this report, I talked enthusiastically about the plans, not revealing anything negative, just to be able to generate some interest and feedback in the class about the program. When I got done, and it was time for feedback, I got one comment and one question. The question was if we would ever join the Southwest Conference--I quickly pointed out that it wasn't in the cards, but there were other avenues to pursue for moving upwards. The comment I got, from the TA leading the class, was about the program even existing at UNT and how it was a drain on education. I walked back to my seat, so defeated, but I got an A on the report, so I guess that was the silver lining...