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UNT is recouping a lost season

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UNT is recouping a lost season

UNT's Thomas has worked overtime to regain 2004 form

09:28 AM CDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – North Texas coach Darrell Dickey likes what he has seen from junior running back Jamario Thomas.

"Jamario looks like he did when he was a freshman," Dickey said. "It's obvious this year that he looks like he did his first year as far as conditioning and size. He is eager to get back and be successful because last year wasn't fun for him."

Thomas didn't live up to monumental expectations last season when he came into camp overweight, battled a hamstring injury and struggled with sharing the spotlight with his mentor, Patrick Cobbs.

Thomas set the bar high in 2004, when he averaged 180.1 rushing yards per game as a freshman. Thomas managed just 361 rushing yards in 2005, when UNT went 2-9 and saw its string of consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles end at four.

UNT's coaches shut down Thomas for the last three weeks of the season after he struggled with a strained hamstring while playing sparingly in eight games.

"I am really looking forward to this year," Thomas said. "Last year wasn't a good one for us. I want to improve on what we did. I am just looking to go out there, have fun and compete."

Thomas' smile is back, along with his breakaway speed and quick feet, partly because of the work he put in over the summer.

Dickey estimated that Thomas, who is listed at 210, lost 10 to15 pounds in the off-season. Thomas credited his workout regimen that included lifting weights and running with linebacker Brandon Monroe, one of his closest friends on the team.

"Both of us had motivation to get in shape and get stronger after last year because we didn't do the things we could have the summer before and had some injuries," Monroe said.

UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said Thomas' improved work ethic resulted from a painful lesson.

"The best thing to happen to Jamario was not leading the nation in rushing as a freshman, it was when he struggled last year," Flanigan said. "He saw that he was going to have to pay the price to be the best."

UNT depends on a single feature back. The leading rusher averaged 1,475 yards on 282 carries in its four Sun Belt championship seasons. Cobbs and Thomas led the nation in rushing in 2003 and 2004.

If Thomas can approach his 2004 production, it will take pressure off the Mean Green's quarterbacks. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson are battling for the starting job. None has more than one year of experience at the Division I level.

With Cobbs gone, UNT lacks experience at running back beyond Thomas. Junior Deavin Cox, a converted defensive back who has not carried the ball in a college game, is projected to be Thomas' backup.

"Jamario knows that there are a lot of expectations on him, but we try to tell him we are not going to win or lose just because of what he does," Dickey said. "He can't feel that kind of weight. If we are winning, he is going to be a big part of it. But there are a lot of people who are going to have to help him for him to do what he did two years ago."

Thomas seems prepared for the challenge.

"Jamario senses that people are counting on him," senior wide receiver Zach Muzzy said. "He has responded well to that."

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Long road back

UNT's Thomas hoping to return to freshman form

09:19 AM CDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006

By Brett Vito/Staff Writer

Of all the statements North Texas coach Darrell Dickey has made about the Mean Green this fall, one comment about Jamario Thomas might have been the most encouraging.

Thomas had just ripped through UNT’s secondary on a pass play for a touchdown and raced ahead of most of the Mean Green’s running backs in sprints at the end of yet another solid performance in practice.

“Jamario looks like he did when he was a freshman,” Dickey said. “It’s obvious this year that he looks like he did his first year as far as conditioning and size. He is eager to get back and be successful because last year wasn’t fun for him.”

UNT needs to improve in several areas to bounce back from a 2-9 season, but there is little doubt the Mean Green’s hopes will rest in part on Thomas’ ability to return to the form that saw him average 180.1 rushing yards a game in 2004.

Thomas didn’t live up to monumental expectations during his encore campaign last season when he came into camp overweight, battled a hamstring injury and struggled with sharing the spotlight with his mentor, Patrick Cobbs.

Thomas managed just 361 rushing yards in 2005, when UNT’s string of consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles ended at four.

UNT’s coaches shut Thomas down for the last three weeks of the season after watching him struggle with a strained hamstring while playing sparingly in eight games.

“I am really looking forward to this year,” Thomas said. “Last year wasn’t a good one for us. I want to improve on what we did. I am just looking to go out there, have fun and compete.”

Thomas’ ever-present smile is back, along with his breakaway speed and quick feet, partly because of the work he put in over the summer.

Dickey estimated that Thomas, who is listed at 210 pounds, lost 10-15 pounds in the offseason. Thomas attributed his return to form to the workout regiment he followed over the summer that included lifting weights and running with linebacker Brandon Monroe, one of his closest friends on the team.

“Both of us had motivation to get in shape and get stronger after last year because we didn’t do the things we could have the summer before and had some injuries,” Monroe said.

UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said Thomas’ improved work ethic is a result of a disappointing season.

“The best thing to happen to Jamario was not leading the nation in rushing as a freshman, it was when he struggled last year,” Flanigan said. “He saw that he was going to have to pay the price to be the best.”

UNT needs Thomas to be ready to carry the load in an offense that depends largely on a single feature back. The Mean Green’s leading rusher averaged 1,475 yards on 282 carries in their four Sun Belt championship seasons.

Cobbs and Thomas won national rushing titles in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

UNT will look to Thomas to approach those heights again and help take pressure off the Mean Green’s quarterbacks. Daniel Meager, Matt Phillips and Woody Wilson are battling for the starting job. None of the three has more than one year of experience at the Division I level.

Unlike last season, when UNT had both Thomas and Cobbs, the Mean Green also lack experience at running back beyond Thomas. Junior Deavin Cox, a converted defensive back who has not carried the ball at the college level, is projected to be Thomas’ backup.

“Jamario knows that there are a lot of expectations on him, but we try to tell him we are not going to win or lose just because of what he does,” Dickey said. “He can’t feel that kind of weight. If we are winning, he is going to be a big part of it. But there are a lot of people who are going to have to help him for him to do what he did two years ago.”

Those who know Thomas best believe he is prepared for the challenge.

“Jamario senses that people are counting on him,” UNT senior wide receiver Zach Muzzy said. “He has responded well to that.”

UNT’S RUSHING PRODUCTION

North Texas struggled at times with its running game last season, just one year after UNT running back Jamario Thomas won the national rushing title. The following is a comparison of UNT’s production in the last two seasons.

2004 2005

Yards 2,237 1,569

Yards per game 186.4 142.6

Avg. per carry 4.6 3.9

TDs 21 8

A TALE OF TWO SEASONS

North Texas junior Jamario Thomas saw his production fall off last season after he won the national rushing title as a freshman. The following is a comparison of the two seasons:

2004 2005

285 Attempts 89

1,801 Yards 361

180.1 Per-game avg. 45.1

6.3 Per carry avg. 4.1

17 TDs 0

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Travis Mentor

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Man, I'm really screwed up, then. I thought the FB would have been Kerrona Henderson.

But, why put the bigger more physical guy there? We never use a FB to block anyway.

While it is true that Henderson is bigger. Don't take away Mitchel's strength as he is stronger than most O-lineman out there.

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