DRC pregame..QB bttle to rage in scrimmage

OldTimer · March 10, 2006

Football: QB battle to rage in scrimmage

UNT plays Green-White game today at Fouts

09:10 AM CST on Thursday, March 9, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The cast of players has changed, but the situation is remarkably similar to a year ago for North Texas heading into its annual Green-White Game at Fouts Field.

UNT came into its 2005 spring game trying to find a quarterback to replace Scott Hall, a steady four-year starter. That search will continue tonight when the Mean Green stage the 2006 edition of the game at 7 p.m.

Daniel Meager started every game of his redshirt freshman season a year ago while competing with freshman Matt Phillips in a quarterback battle that was never resolved. Meager and Phillips have continued their struggle for the top spot this spring in a competition that now includes junior college transfer Woody Wilson and Jonathan Ieans, a junior who lingered in the background as a backup last season

Tonight’s game will go a long way toward sorting out who is on the field when the Mean Green open the season in the fall.

“We have three guys we feel good about and a fourth guy who shows flashes of doing things, but at times shows he has a long ways to go, and that’s Jonathan,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “The other three are right there together performing consistently.”

UNT split its squad and staff into two teams for today’s scrimmage. Phillips and Wilson have been assigned to opposite teams and will face off in what could be one of the intriguing matchups of the spring game.

Meager will miss the game with a shoulder injury, just the latest setback in a series of medical problems that have hampered him dating back to high school.

Meager missed the majority of spring practice a year ago with another shoulder injury, opening the door for Joey Byerly to take the majority of the snaps.

Byerly left the team before the 2005 season, leaving the Mean Green without a quarterback who had taken a snap in a college game.

UNT ended up finishing last in the Sun Belt in passing with an average of 129.3 passing years a game behind Meager and Phillips. If UNT is to improve on a 2-9 finish, it will have to upgrade its quarterback play.

“I feel a lot more comfortable coming into my second year,” Meager said. “We are a lot farther along. We know more about what is going on and what we are supposed to do.”

The level of competition has increased along with the experience UNT’s quarterbacks possess. Meager threw for 941 yards last season, while Phillips threw for 448 yards on just 69 attempts.

Wilson started seven games last season for Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College and was an honorable mention All-Jayhawk Conference selection.

“We suffered through some growing pains, but now we are starting to see the fruits of that because our quarterbacks have seen so many different things that you can’t teach,” UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said. “You can see it this spring in the decisions they are making and their leadership.”

Wilson has quickly adapted to UNT’s system and might have had his best practice of spring workouts on Tuesday.

“I am still learning,” Wilson said. “I am getting used to how all the different receivers run their routes and the offensive line. I am glad I came in the spring because it has helped me get a jump.”

UNT has added a few new wrinkles to its offense during spring workouts that seem to fit Wilson in the zone read option and the shotgun. Wilson is among the quickest and most elusive players on the team.

Flanigan said that option play and the shotgun could help the Mean Green get their best athletes into the open field, where they can take advantage of their speed.

While UNT has added a few new plays to its offense, the Mean Green are likely to bring back an old strategy and play more than one quarterback early on next season.

“With our schedule and the way we do things, we are going to have to play more than one guy so we won’t have to go into a conference game with someone who has not played,” Flanigan said.

Today’s game will give each of UNT’s quarterbacks an opportunity to make their case for an opportunity to play early next season, when the Mean Green will continue to sort out their quarterback situation.

“The game will let us determine how some of the guys do without the coaches out there telling them exactly what to do, especially the quarterbacks,” Dickey said. “This will give each of them a chance to show what they can do.”

Briefly …

UNT’s Green-White Game will be broadcast on Mean Green Premium, the paid section of the athletic department’s Web site: www.meangreensports.com .

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .

SilverEagle · March 10, 2006

“We have three guys we feel good about and a fourth guy who shows flashes of doing things, but at times shows he has a long ways to go, and that’s Jonathan,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “

First of all. That's a charitable assessment.

Second of all. Assuming that it's accurate, that's what you say about someone in their freshman year....or RS freshman year.

This guy is still hanging around, while the coaching staff didn't bother to invite Scott Wissle to walk-on last fall (after a very good spring) when he was clearly a better QB than Ieans.....and Haynes too for that matter.

That reminds me. What happened to Kellen Haynes?

pollock · March 10, 2006

Ieans is to SilverEagle as Newman is to Seinfeld.

Surely even you have to admit, he didn't look bad last night.

But there should be no question as to who our front runner is at QB.

medpilot21 · March 10, 2006

That reminds me. What happened to Kellen Haynes?

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GreenFlag · March 10, 2006

But there should be no question as to who our front runner is at QB.

Ok, and you think that front runner is? This question is because you were there and I wasn't.

pollock · March 10, 2006

Ok, and you think that front runner is? This question is because you were there and I wasn't.
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Phillips. His passes were spot on, and he threw plenty of long ones.

Woody is as fast as advertised. He did have one killer TD pass to Muzzy for probably 35 yards, but he had a few bad throws too. He is a player and belongs on the field whether he is the QB or not.

I just think that with WR talent like Quinn, Nwigwe, Brandon Jackson, (and maybe Guy Fernandez, after seeing him make a few plays last night) you need to put a QB on the field that can air it up.

I think that if the OL is worth a damn this year we have the opportunity for a really crazy, tricked up offense. A QB that can throw and work under pressure (as Phillips demonstrated last year @FAU), killer WR's, Jamario, Evan Robertson, and Devin Cox @ RB..... Then I'd put Woody in on some plays as a split end or wideout and he becomes the X-factor.

But we have the Buick. Look for Jamario up the middle whether it works or not.

keith · March 10, 2006

UNT has added a few new wrinkles to its offense during spring workouts ..
While UNT has added a few new plays to its offense....
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I get it now, just add a couple things a year. At this rate we may have a full play book and multiple offensive formations in another 20 years or so. Patience my fellow Mean Greeners....patience.

Keith

NT80 · March 10, 2006

Then I'd put Woody in on some plays as a split end or wideout and he becomes the X-factor.
But we have the Buick. Look for Jamario up the middle whether it works or not.
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Woody would work well as a Ja'Mel Branch type player, use his speed and running ability other than as QB. But doubt we'll see that change, DD wants more than one QB available.

pollock · March 10, 2006

Woody would work well as a Ja'Mel Branch type player, use his speed and running ability other than as QB. But doubt we'll see that change, DD wants more than one QB available.
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I hear you. It worked for OU last year some... they put Paul Thompson in as a WR, and still used him at QB when Bomar went down.