Navy Vs. Unt

[Dodge2007]

This is a new week and an exciting week. Navy is coming off their biggest, if not one of their biggest wins, ever. Let's leave the race issue alone this week and talk about some football.

ND had a terrible game throwing the ball and did not even use the #1 QB recruit in the nation to wing the football. Just shows you that being a 5 star recruit doesn't mean crap in college football. For every 5 star, their is a kid with no recognition that can play ball.

Lets see now, ND threw for 140 yards and rushes in the mid 200 range (including 3 OT's). ND on the OL outweighed Navy 40 or 50 pounds per man across the board. I can see why they wanted to rush the ball but please tell me why ND couldn't pass. Charlie Weis, to me, called a poor game. He has no believe in either of his QB's to throw the ball down field. I was amazed how poorly ND executed on offense.

Navy plays their ass off. Mendoza is going to have two weeks to prepare for the triple option so it will be interesting to see what happens. Our two safeties are going to make a ton of tackles and play so well for UNT to be successful. Our Inside LB's will be well tested against that brute of a fullback and that awesome OL that just "cuts" your butt all game long.

Field goal kicker seemed spotty and their punter seldom gets any work. 12 punts all season long.

Navy is going to be impressed with Fouts after seeing Touchdown Jesus and the cheap facilities that ND has to offer. All those engineering majors from Navy may not come out of the locker room because they are going to be checking out the waterless urinals and trying to prove mathmatically, if that is even possible.

It would be great for the UNT program to knock off a team, who just the week previous beat, the golden domers.

Navy has balls. They go for it on fourth down more than any team in the country. Our defense is going to be well tested physically because these guys use all 4 downs regardless of the field position, in almost all situtations.

Edited November 4, 2007 by Dodge2007

[CaribbeanGreen]

Don't get caught up in the "Notre Dame" name, now... that team is horrific. The Irish just had by far... by FAR... their best offensive game of the year against Navy. That was, by ND '07 standards, an offensive explosion.

Navy's defense has been pretty lousy this year. Don't forget they lost to Delaware the week before, and did so by giving up a lot of points.

That being said, Navy will score. Early and often. Hopefully our D can find a way to slow them down and the Middies put the ball on the ground, but considering our offense doesn't really score much, I don't like our chances.

[bigntex]

Don't get caught up in the "Notre Dame" name, now... that team is horrific. The Irish just had by far... by FAR... their best offensive game of the year against Navy. That was, by ND '07 standards, an offensive explosion.

Navy's defense has been pretty lousy this year. Don't forget they lost to Delaware the week before, and did so by giving up a lot of points.

That being said, Navy will score. Early and often. Hopefully our D can find a way to slow them down and the Middies put the ball on the ground, but considering our offense doesn't really score much, I don't like our chances.

I just love the negativity of UNT fan.

[UNT Mean Green]

Navy is a very discipline football team who executes the triple option very well. They fly to the ball on defense and will hit you when they get there. I am encouraged though, as apparently their pass rush has been lacking this year...should be an interesting game!

[GoMeanGreen1999]

This will be the win that Dodge has been looking for this season and it will come in a big fashion. I believe we will win going away.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I just love the negativity of UNT fan.

Expectations have been so low while at the same time demand for a true upward bound (ranked) NCAA D1-A football program has been almost non-existent for such a long time in Denton that nothing hardly surprises me anymore at what some of our elect will accept as their perception of quality and what they won't accept as a brand new chance for us to get out of this cess pool of Bottom 25 we've been drowning for so damn long.

In other words, there are reasons this program hasn't been ranked since the mid 1970's, bigntex, and I'll let you fill in the blanks on just a few of those reasons. It's not always about the coaches, either. They (as led by the UNT Administration) will only produce what our UNT constituency demands.

Still, the good news (besides Geico) is that our fan base seems to have grown even with just one win thus far. Not sure why some expected a broken down Buick (that took awhile to break down) can suddenly be effectively replaced by a new driver in that Buick who has to contend with its "broken-down-ness" along with all the reasons it broke down in the first place.

There are some on our campus and even some on this board who I believe know how important a new football stadium will be for our entire school and its football program, but I still don't think there are near enough from both the aforementioned groups who do. We are our own worst enemy in Denton, bigntex, many times as we continue to choke on all these continuous gnats, while several others (even in the SBC) have moved on past us and got rid of their own pesky gnats which kept them log-jammed long ago.

Still, the amazing thing is when TDodge does turn this thing around (and he will) how some of his present and most negative nay-sayers will be right there by his side slapping our coach on the shoulder saying how they've been behind him the whole time; but what the hell...... we need all our fans (even those who are presently negative) on this Mean Green bandwagon as our new staff is still trying to right many wrongs (that have never been put out for public consumption) from the previous regime.

I have a Saturday AM gig (Grand Opening), but I will be in the stands around 2-2:30 PM to support Todd Dodge, his staff and their/our football team who represent the University of North Texas. We need to show our entire country (who will be focussing in on little ol' Denton, Texas, America, and on this game because of Navy's BIG Notre Dame win yesterday); nevertheless, we need to show the whole USA (especially the East Coast) what Mean Green fans are made of and what we are really all about, but we don't need to show them a bunch of whining whimpy fans who jump off bandwagons as fast as you can say.................we are in the beginnnigs of an extreme rebuilding program or "starting completely over" situation due to the some recruiting class deficiencies the last 3-4 years.

GMG!

Edited November 4, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[STE]

Has anyone heard (from a local forcast) what the weather is going to be like on sat? I don't trust weather.com this far out.

[UNTflyer]

Sunny and windy, 75. Not good for my tailgating plans.

[SouthBendGreen]

The whole time that I was watching that game yesterday I kept thinking let down game! At least that's what I'm hoping. Huge emotional win in Notre Dame and then come play us this week. You never know.

Unfortunately these Navy kids I'm sure are very disciplined and that won't happen. BTW, after the game yesterday we had the Navy QB on our show and I've never been called "sir" so many times! Made me feel old.

[STE]

Sunny and windy, 75. Not good for my tailgating plans.

Thanks

[NorthTexasFan]

Navy is going to be impressed with Fouts after seeing Touchdown Jesus and the cheap facilities that ND has to offer. All those engineering majors from Navy may not come out of the locker room because they are going to be checking out the waterless urinals and trying to prove mathmatically, if that is even possible.

Good stuff Dodge2007!!!

[NT80]

The whole time that I was watching that game yesterday I kept thinking let down game! At least that's what I'm hoping. Huge emotional win in Notre Dame and then come play us this week. You never know.

Unfortunately these Navy kids I'm sure are very disciplined and that won't happen. BTW, after the game yesterday we had the Navy QB on our show and I've never been called "sir" so many times! Made me feel old.

Little chance of a let down, Navy (5-4) will be looking to become Bowl-eligible against us.

[KingDL1]

From the National Weather Service:

National Weather Service

Point Forecast: Denton TX

33.23N -97.16W (Elev. 682 ft)

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.

[SilverEagle]

Our defense had better show up with the same attitude that they had during the ULM game.......only moreso.

[UNT Mean Green]

Our defense will be challenged this week against a team that is very good at running the football. We will be facing a discipline offense that does a great job running the option. Their lineman are small and quick, and good at getting downfield and making blocks. Their Fullback is a tough bruiser who runs well between the tackles. Their 2 'slot backs' are athletic, and their QB is a great field general. We need to contain their QB first, then the pitch, and then the fullback...in my opinion. I like Weathers and Robertson having pitch responsibilities. Mendoza will have dive responsibility. And Gilmore/Chapman/Holman should have QB. We'll see though.

Look for the Mean Green to have a lot of success through the air!

[meangreendork]

This is another big challenge for the defense, but it's not one they can't overcome. I think that Navy's running will be hard to contain, but if you saw their game earlier against Penn State, you'll see that their passing game is no joke. Of course, this is all led by their QB, who's most definitely a guy that can pocket pass and run the option. Contain him and his running backs, and he'll never get a chance to look downfield for his receivers. The defense has to come into this game with a head full of steam and a belly full of fire to win on their side of the ball.

The offense will have to really burn air Saturday. We all know Vizza's got a big rifle of an arm, he's just going to have to avoid turnovers and only run if he needs to. I have big expectations of our spread-O, and if that becomes successful, then expect some good running to keep Navy honest.

Again, expect our guys to fight tooth and nail to win, and expect a high scoring game, despite the defensive performance of UNT and Navy.

[CaribbeanGreen]

I just love the negativity of UNT fan.

Don't really see what was too negative there. Just my honest assessment and feelings on the game. I think Navy is pretty darn good on offense. Our defense has not been good... They're going to score points. Sure, I hope we outscore them, but it's a tall, tall order. I guess I should just lie and talk about how I think we'll smoke 'em???

As for other areas I'm not negative in, I strongly disagree (with about every fiber of my football being) that we've been mired in some hopeless "bottom 25 existence" and were just horrible for so long that we're all so downtrodden and destitute here. I think the turn of the century teams were good. DAMN good. I think they were, without question one of the two best teams - if not THE best team - we've ever had here. I'm proud as hell to have been on campus at that time, and I hope we get back there again. I can still be cogniscent that this season we're really lousy but still have hope for the future.

I just won't accept that beating a .500 Tennessee team around the same time we were getting knocked around by the likes of Drake, Lamar, Long Beach, and West Texas A&M (and losing to Okie St. 61-7 the same year) was the pinnacle of the college football world around here. Our Texas Tech wins were better. We've been good. Recently. Hopefully we get back there again - it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Edited November 5, 2007 by CaribbeanGreen

[Cerebus]

I think Navy is pretty darn good on offense.

I guess... if, you know... you consider 19th in the country at 36.9 points per game pretty darn good.

Also, they are averaging more yards per game rushing (333) than we are passing (298).

[Mean Green 93-98]

I just won't accept that beating a .500 Tennessee team around the same time we were getting knocked around by the likes of Drake, Lamar, Long Beach, and West Texas A&M (and losing to Okie St. 61-7 the same year) was the pinnacle of the college football world around here. Our Texas Tech wins were better.

I sense an upcoming Plumm epic that will violate all standards of post-length decorum.

[Quoner]

I sense an upcoming Plumm epic that will violate all standards of post-length decorum.

Who wants to take a stab at the fake version? I would if I did not have a meeting in 10 minutes.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Who wants to take a stab at the fake version? I would if I did not have a meeting in 10 minutes.

Well, I don't have a meeting in 10 minutes, but I did want to try to get to bed by midnight.

[class84]

This is another big challenge for the defense, but it's not one they can't overcome. I think that Navy's running will be hard to contain, but if you saw their game earlier against Penn State, you'll see that their passing game is no joke. Of course, this is all led by their QB, who's most definitely a guy that can pocket pass and run the option. Contain him and his running backs, and he'll never get a chance to look downfield for his receivers. The defense has to come into this game with a head full of steam and a belly full of fire to win on their side of the ball.

Their passing game reminds me of ours when Scott Hall was here. They run, run, run until the safeties start cheating up a little bit, then they hit the big play. Once everyone respects the pass again, its back to the run.

Containing the RB's is a lot easier said than done.

[eeally]

Navy favoured by 15.5

What do you think of the spread>

[PlummMeanGreen]

I just won't accept that beating a .500 Tennessee team around the same time we were getting knocked around by the likes of Drake, Lamar, Long Beach, and West Texas A&M (and losing to Okie St. 61-7 the same year) was the pinnacle of the college football world around here. Our Texas Tech wins were better. We've been good. Recently. Hopefully we get back there again - it's nothing to be ashamed of.

OK, CG, you brought up the comparisons....and so I bite.

Revised, Tuesday AM

First of all, IMH (and others) O, Darrell L. Dickey could not hold John Hayden Fry's jock strap yesterday, today or in the future and last time I checked, the producer of DD Ball has not had a D1-A HFC's career that will likely earn himself a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

You mention some schools Fry played that were in the Missouri Valley Conference, ie, a conference (with teams) that had been playing NCAA D1 football longer than most the SBC cupcakes (some of which just turned D1-A from D1-AA) and SBC schools of which in our conference's early years we many times just barely beat.

Tennessee Was Not A Big Win? Think Again...

Last time I checked, we also haven't had any Top 20 (now Top 25) teams since we had a coach whose team won a game over Tennessee. NOTE: The 1975 UTennessee Volunteer football team which we beat in Knoxville finished 7 & 5 which means that it would have been a bowl team in today's NCAA D1-A. Might This Finally Be A Case Closer For The Handful of You Who Want To Continually Revise the Hayden Fry Era In MG Country--If Not, It Should Be.

EAT EM' UP! MEAN GREEN! Should we also mention that that same UNT team which beat Tennessee also (stumbled around, I suppose) and beat the University of Houston 28 to 0 and that the very year before the Cougars went to the Cotton Bowl (with much of the same talent we beat them with) while they went major bowling in their first official year in as a Southwest Conference member. Hmmmm? Wonder if Fry had gotten his wish & UNT had been in the SWC in 1976, then which of the 2 teams would have gone to the Cotton Bowl?

FWIW.....IMHO (and I'd bet many others who have witnessed both eras)...............Fry's better teams would have schooled most of DD's better teams just as veteran coach Howard Schnellenberger showed how it could be done with his (then) 5 year old football program which did it his first 3X's to play UNT with his very first win over a DD-coached MG football team during a year we even went to a bowl game. We lost to FAU this season with players largely recruited by............oh, never mind, some will just never understand that one, either. Anyone else wonder why we are where we are? Can we start with a hardy handful of (still) way too many "we never expect or demand too much in Denton" types we have as alums?

That's about all I have to say about this subject...............................................but FWIW............ all that was yesterday and yesterday's gone.

Support Todd Dodge Now When The Going Is Tough Because Isn't It Always Quite Easy To Do Such When It's Not?

Edited November 6, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[meangreendork]

Their passing game reminds me of ours when Scott Hall was here. They run, run, run until the safeties start cheating up a little bit, then they hit the big play. Once everyone respects the pass again, its back to the run.

Containing the RB's is a lot easier said than done.

Hence "defense needs come in with a head full of steam and a belly full of fire". Navy is dangerous, very dangerous.

Edited November 6, 2007 by meangreendork