Spring Football Game Displays Recent Improvements

[Guest 97and03]

Spring football game displays recent improvements

David Lucio

Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: SPORTS

The sound of booming cannon fire marked kickoff as a crowd of more than 3,000 loyal NT fans showed up Saturday at Fouts Field to watch the annual green and white spring football game.

Head coach Todd Dodge said the primary goal of the scrimmage was to show major improvements made this spring, as many of the off-season changes were strategic.

Last season, the NT defense ranked last or in the bottom five in the nation of all major defensive categories. Specifically, NT allowed an average of 45.1 points per game, the most in Division I-A football.

Senior safety Germaine Dawson said the skepticism toward last season's defensive ability should be put aside.

"You can't really put this defense on what we did last year," he said. "I don't think anyone has any gripes this year because we're relearning the basics."

With the addition of new defensive coordinator Gary DeLoach, both coaches and players agree the most noticeable improvement was on the defensive side of the ball.

"DeLoach has done a great job," sophomore quarterback Giovanni Vizza said. "They [the defense] have so many different schemes and can do so much different stuff that it works to our advantage as an offense. DeLoach brings the intensity to that defense."

The scrimmage set the first string offense against the first string defense.

While the team appeared to be strong, Dodge said it is best to keep in mind that NT was facing itself. Still, he tried to keep players from both sides of the ball on their toes.

Dodge's changes with the quarterback were visible. Concise passes from Vizza were generally kept short and on the mark. However, the offense came up short when trying to send the passes deep.

"We were going against a pretty strong wind, so I don't know if that might have affected why we didn't really take it deep too often," Vizza said. "We were just trying to work on the short game, get into a groove and try to get in as many plays as we can."

Shovel passes and short routes were the primary means of moving the ball, as the running game was given a light workload.

Defensive backs crowded the box often, taking advantage of many blitz opportunities such as the safety blitz by Dawson, where he caused fumbles resulting in a defensive touchdown.

"We had a lot of pressure on the offense," Dawson said. "It made my job pretty easy. We had slot protection, and our defensive line made it possible for us to really cover people downfield."

While playing time seemed minimal compared to a regular season game, Dodge said he believes NT executed well.

With the 2008 football schedule released, the team has had an opportunity to assess its opponents. Dawson feels the new team is ready for its first game.

"We anticipate going down to Manhattan and really playing hard against Kansas [state University]," Dawson said. "We'll tear them up and give them a run for their money."

[flyeater]

"We anticipate going down to Manhattan and really playing hard against Kansas [state University]," Dawson said. "We'll tear them up and give them a run for their money."

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

Edited April 16, 2008 by flyeater

[GrandGreen]

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

I have no idea what your problem with the players' quote was, but I do wonder why you think it is necessary to call a NT player names. I hope all the players are already thinking about winning the KSU game.

[good_ken]

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

I too noticed the quote, but it caught my attention as the first player in the last 10 years to admit they were looking to kick an OOC opponent's ass.

[NT03]

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

Only problem with that statement is that he said down and not up to Manhattan. Maybe he's just not a geography major ??

I guess from your standpoint , you would rather our players say something like "it's on honor just to be on the same field as these guys "

You will NEVER beat an opponent if you DO NOT have the confidence. I'm glad for once our players have the confidence to beat the BIG BOYZ. I personally wouldn't bet my house on UNT vs K-State , but I will predidict a tightly contested affair.

[MeanGreengdub]

Only problem with that statement is that he said down and not up to Manhattan. Maybe he's just not a geography major ??

I guess from your standpoint , you would rather our players say something like "it's on honor just to be on the same field as these guys "

You will NEVER beat an opponent if you DO NOT have the confidence. I'm glad for once our players have the confidence to beat the BIG BOYZ. I personally wouldn't bet my house on UNT vs K-State , but I will predidict a tightly contested affair.

I believe he's a Recreation and Leisure Studies major for what it's worth.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I believe he's a Recreation and Leisure Studies major for what it's worth.

I know one of the Geography teachers at Denton High and he claims only about 50% of his students can point out and name all of the U.S. States on a map, for what it's worth.

[Cerebus]

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

That is not appropriate. I do not want to see that type of comment.

[MeanGreenEngineer]

That is not appropriate. I do not want to see that type of comment.

Personally, I like that he questions someone's intelligence in the same sentence he butchers basic grammar.

[Quoner]

Personally, I like that he questions someone's intelligence in the same sentence he butchers basic grammar.

I thinks you should stop speakingz....lol burnz~

[MeanGreenPOP]

Nice quote, Brainiac. And what, four months before the season starts? Please, let the rest DeLoach's players be slightly more intelligent than this. Gawwwd.

This is the attitude we want from our players. They are starting to believe in themselves. I'd like to see you make that statement to these players face instead of hiding in your dorm room making judement on things you only wish you were an expert at.

[DeepGreen]

"Shovel passes...." At North Texas?

[ntsumgspe]

This is the attitude we want from our players. They are starting to believe in themselves. I'd like to see you make that statement to these players face instead of hiding in your dorm room making judement on things you only wish you were an expert at.

I'm right there with ya !

GO MEAN GREEN !!!

[emmitt01]

This is the attitude we want from our players. They are starting to believe in themselves. I'd like to see you make that statement to these players face instead of hiding in your dorm room making judement on things you only wish you were an expert at.

Ummmm...I disagree. He should have said something along the lines of "I hope Dr. Bataille remembers that we're getting paid a lot of money to play this game...that m'fer!" Have we learned nothing from the Dickey press conferences?

[MeanGreenPOP]

Ummmm...I disagree. He should have said something along the lines of "I hope Dr. Bataille remembers that we're getting paid a lot of money to play this game...that m'fer!" Have we learned nothing from the Dickey press conferences?

[/quote

[greenminer]

I'd like to see a mesh of the two:

We're gonna whoop some K-State ars and come out of it healthy.

That would be optimal.

[DirtySavage]

there is nothing wrong with the attitude of dawson. he should be confident in his ability as well as the rest of the team's. what is the worste that could happen? K-state sees his quote and puts a 50 point beat down on us. that is what happened last time we went up there and nobody talked with that kind of confidence then. so why not have a winning mentality. at this point in our schools program we have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[PerryG2480]

I believe he's a Recreation and Leisure Studies major for what it's worth.

That was my major, and I dare you to find any kind of grammatical or spelling error in any of my posts.

[MeanGreen61]

That was my major, and I dare you to find any kind of grammatical or spelling error in any of my posts.

How are ya as a defensive back ?

[PerryG2480]

How are ya as a defensive back ?

I figure I could hold my own against any other member of the secondary who had just had his degree insulted.