Which Game Do You Consider Our "make A Statement" Game This

[Green Lantern]

I personally think that the game that we can make a statement that we are arriving under the Dodge system is the Navy game. By the time we play Navy at home on November 10th, we should hitting our stride as a team (assuming that our offense has clicked and our defense continues to improve from last year). Beating a well respected team like Navy at our house coming down the stretch would be an impressive win and hopefully show the metroplex recruits that we have arrived.

What games on this years schedule do ya'll think are the most important in order to "make a statement"?

[greenjoe]

Winning the Sun Belt is the most important thing, therefore, winning the New Orleans Bowl is our "statement" game.

However, in this metroplex market, we need to beat teams people in this area are familiar with. If we NT was near Houston, we would need to beat Rice or Houston. Here, we need to beat SMU.

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[SilverEagle]

Well, relatively speaking, the OU game is a "statement" game.....at least it is for me. What I'll be looking for is an "attitude statement".

It's a given amongst experts that the greatest improvement that a college team makes is between the first and second game. So, in terms of winning a game, I see the SMU game as being our "statement" game.

[NT80]

Dodge will want to win the SMUt game to go along with his theme of being the Metroplex's team, plus it will probably be the end of Bennett and set them back 3 years. It will aid in recruiting local kids too. A win over Navy would give us some good National publicity, maybe open some more CUSA eyes. And any Bowl trip is good for the program. These three games/wins are all important: SMUt, Navy, Bowl.

[Censored by Laurie]

I think the OU game is the "surprise they hung around for 4 quarters and lost by 10" game...the SMU game is the "last year wasn't a fluke, Phil Bennett is about to go find a coordinator job" game...the Navy game is the "turned the corner and the offense is starting to click" game and next year winning our first "money game" will be the "statement game."

[adman]

I think the OU game is the "surprise they hung around for 4 quarters and lost by 10" game...the SMU game is the "last year wasn't a fluke, Phil Bennett is about to go find a coordinator job" game...the Navy game is the "turned the corner and the offense is starting to click" game and next year winning our first "money game" will be the "statement game."

I like the way you think.

[UNTflyer]

Beating SMU is critical for building the credibility of our program. The SMooz, the Dallas Morning Snooze, and the national media thought our win over the Mustangs was a complete fluke... a failure on the part of SMU rather than a success for UNT.

[NCMeanGreen]

I think the OU game is the "surprise they hung around for 4 quarters and lost by 10" game...

Good point. We do not need to beat OU (although that would be GREAT!) to make a statement. Playing them close, and not getting our arses kicked will make an appropriate enough statement.

Beating Navy will be a statement game, however. I cannot WAIT for that game, I just wish the airfare would come down slightly...

[eppy4life]

I think we need to beat smu again.

[caliuntfan]

The statement game is going to be our home opener vs Florida Atlantic. After two weeks of being on the road playing physical with the big boys, our boys will play in front of a packed house. Everyones expectations and emotions will be running high and those boys from florida are going to have a long plane ride home after experiencing dodge ball first hand. We will win! and the students will rush the field. Heck I will rush the field!

[Green Lantern]

I think the OU game is the "surprise they hung around for 4 quarters and lost by 10" game...the SMU game is the "last year wasn't a fluke, Phil Bennett is about to go find a coordinator job" game...the Navy game is the "turned the corner and the offense is starting to click" game and next year winning our first "money game" will be the "statement game."

I like this line of thinking. I single out the Navy game as the "statement" game because if the other two games presented in your scenario play out like this, then the Navy game legitimizes everything. We have the best chance here to "win over" the fanbase (especially the fence sitters) because it is a home game showcase for the program. Every NT fan that I know is planning on coming out to this particular game being that it is the attraction game on our home slate this year. If we make this game count, we can really have a positive effect on the program this year as well as the coming years by energizing the fanbase.

[meangreendork]

This is what I want the public to think about these games, and the statement made by UNT at each game:

OU: "North Texas and Todd Dodge didn't mail it in. They fought for 4 quarters, bloodied OU's nose and showed them they mean business."

SMU: "Last year was no fluke, and the DFW area has a big and scary candidate for the college team of the DFW. SMU had better start paying for its players again."

Navy: "UNT is for real again. They've stepped it up against their OOC opponents and won almost all of them. No matter who you are, you better expect a big fight from the Mean Green."

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Navy. By this point we should be in full form for the season. This game will show how far we have come since last season and show us truely where we are going and how quickly we will get there. Beating Navy would be a huge boost to the program.

[Boomer23]

This is what I want the public to think about these games, and the statement made by UNT at each game:

OU: "North Texas and Todd Dodge didn't mail it in. They fought for 4 quarters, bloodied OU's nose and showed them they mean business."

SMU: "Last year was no fluke, and the DFW area has a big and scary candidate for the college team of the DFW. SMU had better start paying for its players again."

Navy: "UNT is for real again. They've stepped it up against their OOC opponents and won almost all of them. No matter who you are, you better expect a big fight from the Mean Green."

Amen to all of that

[untbowler]

The game against the MUTS would be my statement game to show the them and the rest of the Sun Belt that UNT was sleeping for the past 2 years and needed a swift kick in the tuckus.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I'm with caluntfan on this one. I think that the real "statement" game for me will be Florida Atlantic. Sounds a little weird, I know, because their program is only a few years old and, except for their coach, unknown. But, we've yet to beat them in three tries.

If we can have 25,000 at Fouts witnessing Dodge ball for the first time and beat them for the first time, then I'll think that we have arrived. If the home crowd is impressed they will return in greater numbers. As of now they are more established at quarterback but we are fairly equal everywhere else. They are generally rated to finish third in the conference. A win would put us with the title contenders in Dodge's first year.