DRC: UNT press conference takeaways, notes

[Brett Vito]

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by Brett Vito

[Brett Vito]

 

[MGNation92]

Some positions of interest:

Jake Roberts - True freshman starting at H-back

Larry Nixon III - starting over Joe Ozougwu

Makyle Sanders - moved to LB (sounds like the S/LB hybrid spot)

Cam Johnson - moved to FS

Rucker and Whitlock starting over Gaddie

 

Still have no idea what to think about the OL. Hopefully Bloesch is the real deal.

 

[BillySee58]

4 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

Some positions of interest:

Jake Roberts - True freshman starting at H-back

Larry Nixon III - starting over Joe Ozougwu

Makyle Sanders - moved to LB (sounds like the S/LB hybrid spot)

Cam Johnson - moved to FS

Rucker and Whitlock starting over Gaddie

 

Still have no idea what to think about the OL. Hopefully Bloesch is the real deal.

 

The defense is very confusing, especially compared to what Brune had relayed. It sounds weird, but I think that “FS” spot might actually be more of a nickel corner and that “SAM” spot will be more of a roving safety type role. Sanders and his backups (Neal and Morris) are all listed as DBs so I doubt they moved them all to linebacker. Also, both Vito and Brune said Cam Johnson had been moved to nickel and Murray, his listed backup, has been seen as more of a corner this fall camp.

I think Bowen just has confusing terminology when compared to a traditional depth chart position listing.

[MGNation92]

5 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

The defense is very confusing, especially compared to what Brune had relayed. It sounds weird, but I think that “FS” spot might actually be more of a nickel corner and that “SAM” spot will be more of a roving safety type role. Sanders and his backups (Neal and Morris) are all listed as DBs so I doubt they moved them all to linebacker. Also, both Vito and Brune said Cam Johnson had been moved to nickel and Murray, his listed backup, has been seen as more of a corner this fall camp.

I think Bowen just has confusing terminology when compared to a traditional depth chart position listing.

Agreed. Also interesting to see Alex Morris third on that depth chart.

I guess we'll have to see on the field what that actually looks like.

Maybe some of our coaches can help explain @GMG24 @MeanGreenTexan

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

I was very shocked to see Joe get taken over by Nixon as a senior... but that also points to how good our younger guys are.

[H-towngreen]

Very young team, only 6 senors starting

[jtm0097]

I think the real depth chart comes out against SMU. This game is pretty much just a rotation of younger players to see who will actually start. It will be very interesting on Saturday to see some of the younger guys in action.

[MeanGreenTexan]

28 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

Agreed. Also interesting to see Alex Morris third on that depth chart.

I guess we'll have to see on the field what that actually looks like.

Maybe some of our coaches can help explain @GMG24 @MeanGreenTexan

You think I'm a coach?

 

However, if I had to guess, I'd roll with what Billy is saying in that the "SAM" wouldn't actually be a Strong-side LB like a normal 4-3 would call him, but rather a Safety playing down closer to the LOS... "loading the box" if you will.  Whereas the "FS" would be more of a nickel cover guy rather than a Centerfielder-type Safety in the back.

Seems like this is going to be a VERY AGGRESSIVE defense from coach Bowen.  But one that could be susceptible to over-the-top, homerun-type throws. 

Some observations: 
Gaddie not beating out Rucker or Whitlock is puzzling considering how touted he was in H.S. and how much we've expected from him around here.
LOTS OF YOUTH on the OL.   Going to need Mose to step up and lead well.  Brammer staying on the right side is good.  I would be worried if he moved over.  Hoping Brown is the real deal on the left side and that Gray is ready to play D1 ball.  That RG spot is very green.  Hoping these guys are ready.
Those RBs...   You have 4 guys who would be starting anywhere else in the league (except for Knox at Marshall & McCormick at UTSA).   What a weapon.

[MGNation92]

10 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

You think I'm a coach?

 

However, if I had to guess, I'd roll with what Billy is saying in that the "SAM" wouldn't actually be a Strong-side LB like a normal 4-3 would call him, but rather a Safety playing down closer to the LOS... "loading the box" if you will.  Whereas the "FS" would be more of a nickel cover guy rather than a Centerfielder-type Safety in the back.

Seems like this is going to be a VERY AGGRESSIVE defense from coach Bowen.  But one that could be susceptible to over-the-top, homerun-type throws. 

Some observations: 
Gaddie not beating out Rucker or Whitlock is puzzling considering how touted he was in H.S. and how much we've expected from him around here.
LOTS OF YOUTH on the OL.   Going to need Mose to step up and lead well.  Brammer staying on the right side is good.  I would be worried if he moved over.  Hoping Brown is the real deal on the left side and that Gray is ready to play D1 ball.  That RG spot is very green.  Hoping these guys are ready.
Those RBs...   You have 4 guys who would be starting anywhere else in the league (except for Knox at Marshall & McCormick at UTSA).   What a weapon.

Maybe not a coach but fairly knowledgeable of the game 

[meangreen11]

1 hour ago, MGNation92 said:

Hopefully Bloesch is the real deal.

He absolutely is.  But it will take time.  The prior guy really mussed things up.  If we could sopmehow keep Bloesch for a couple more years you will see the overall best O-line UNT has probably ever had.  The odds are that he will get picked up after this season.  Thats why Littrell gave him the co offensive coordinator title.  He's at a higher level than we have ever had for this positional group.  Next closest would have been Coach Brad but he couldn't do too much as he was only here one season.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Just now, MGNation92 said:

Maybe not a coach but fairly knowledgeable of the game 

[ntmeangreen11]

I had been wondering why Jake Roberts was never mentioned, it seemed clear from his tape and blocking abilities he could play day one, excited to see the amount of young players on the depth chart. Only 7 senior starters, 15 starters coming back next season, this is a young team. If we do win 6+ games and find our QB for next two seasons we'll be the favorites in 2021 especially with 5 OL starters being underclassmen. Rausaw and Johnson in the DL rotation as true freshmen, Dotson as RS FR, that's encouraging and I'm still holding out hope for Jimmy Walker. 

 

GMG!

 

[ntmeangreen11]

7 minutes ago, meangreen11 said:

He absolutely is.  But it will take time.  The prior guy really mussed things up.  If we could sopmehow keep Bloesch for a couple more years you will see the overall best O-line UNT has probably ever had.  The odds are that he will get picked up after this season.  Thats why Littrell gave him the co offensive coordinator title.  He's at a higher level than we have ever had for this positional group.  Next closest would have been Coach Brad but he couldn't do too much as he was only here one season.

 

What is your reasoning for this? 

At Tulsa he had less players selected all conference every season. The offensive line went from very good in 2017, to average in 2018, to absymal in 2019 ranking bottom 30 in 7 of 9 categories on footballoutsiders OL stats. You can see from those metrics they got worse each season. I am not sold on him at all but I hope you are right.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaa/sp/overallol/2019

[RiseUNT]

So the other co starters aren’t in alphabetical order?

[UNTLifer]

5 hours ago, ntmeangreen11 said:

 

What is your reasoning for this? 

At Tulsa he had less players selected all conference every season. The offensive line went from very good in 2017, to average in 2018, to absymal in 2019 ranking bottom 30 in 7 of 9 categories on footballoutsiders OL stats. You can see from those metrics they got worse each season. I am not sold on him at all but I hope you are right.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaa/sp/overallol/2019

[greenminer]

Quote

"I feel good about where we're at. I know we can win with with both of those guys. Both will play. As for who goes out there first, I've always been taught, never show a man your cards."

Been following CFB for appx 25 years and never, I mean not once, has this plan/sentiment been a good thing.  Not a mediocre thing.  It has preluded terrible seasons.  miserable games. awful football.

But, hey! Look at 2020.  We have every reason to be optimistic, amiright? amiright?

[RiseUNT]

3 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Been following CFB for appx 25 years and never, I mean not once, has this plan/sentiment been a good thing.  Not a mediocre thing.  It has preluded terrible seasons.  miserable games. awful football.

But, hey! Look at 2020.  We have every reason to be optimistic, amiright? amiright?

It’s not like the head coach gets paid to make decisions.

[BillySee58]

5 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Been following CFB for appx 25 years and never, I mean not once, has this plan/sentiment been a good thing.  Not a mediocre thing.  It has preluded terrible seasons.  miserable games. awful football.

But, hey! Look at 2020.  We have every reason to be optimistic, amiright? amiright?

Florida under Steve Spurrier had a lot of success playing two QBs. The thing was, they played multiple QBs because they had multiple good QBs and he was never afraid to go to the other QB if he wasn’t getting the play out of the position that he wanted. 94, 95, 98, and 2000 Florida teams all had multiple QBs with over 1,000 yards passing and at least 10 wins.

I also think we’re making a bigger deal out of this than we really need to be. Seth even said someone is eventually going to pull ahead, and I doubt it will take all that much live game time for someone to pull ahead. I don’t see the issue in letting them both play if it really has been that close a race, since ultimately we want to know which QB will be better on gamedays anyways. Pretty clear from his press conference that his plan is not to keep rotating them all season.

[greenminer]

Just now, BillySee58 said:

Pretty clear from his press conference that his plan is not to keep rotating them all season.

I didn't tune in; I'm glad that's the case.

[BillySee58]

1 minute ago, greenminer said:

I didn't tune in; I'm glad that's the case.

It’s on Meangreensports if you want to give a listen

[untjim1995]

28 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Been following CFB for appx 25 years and never, I mean not once, has this plan/sentiment been a good thing.  Not a mediocre thing.  It has preluded terrible seasons.  miserable games. awful football.

But, hey! Look at 2020.  We have every reason to be optimistic, amiright? amiright?

The old adage of football comes back to mind:

If you have two quarterbacks as starters, you really don’t have a starter....

[meangreen11]

15 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

The old adage of football comes back to mind:

If you have two quarterbacks as starters, you really don’t have a starter....

^^^^

This guy is very very wise folks!  Please listen to him.

[All About UNT]

9 hours ago, H-towngreen said:

Very young team, only 6 senors starting

 

Give 'Em Hell Fellas!

Godspeed!

[Coach Andy Mac]

1 hour ago, All About UNT said:

Godspeed!