Can North Texas Mean Green Step up to the Challenge?

Harry · July 10, 2013

The North Texas Mean Green is a curious oddity when it comes to big time college football in the Dallas area. Nestled in Denton, just north of both Dallas and Forth Worth in one of the biggest recruiting hot beds in the state, and yet, they can’t seem to string together any success. They had some success under head coach Darryl Dickey when they first joined the Sun Belt Conference. But since back to back New Orleans bowls, they have not even been able to have a winning season. This year they are hoping to break the losing trend and capture a winning season.

Dan McCarney is heading into his 3^rd season with the Mean Green and his goal when he took over the program was to reestablish a home field advantage. And he has done that at Apogee Stadium, as the Mean Green have played well at home, going 7-4 at home the last two seasons, which is a great mark considering they went 5-27 in the six years before. While there has been improvement each season under McCarney, this year will prove to be his toughest yet in Denton, he will be facing tougher competition and have to coach up a team that many figure won’t be a factor in Conference USA.

One area that will have some experience on the roster is quarterback, senior quarterback Derek Thompson looks to be the man in charge, but has had injury problems the past two seasons and there are questions whether or not he can stay healthy this year. If he does get injured then the favorite to take over for him would be Kansas transfer Brock Berglund. While it is an experienced spot on the roster there is a lot questions whether Thompson can move the Mean Green down the field. He will have some weapons around him such as an experienced group at running back led by senior Brandin Byrd and sophomore Antionne Jimmerson. If those two can steadily move the ball, then the Mean Green will be able to take a lot of pressure off the quarterback and let the game come to him.

Read more: http://kodyssportskorner.com/can-north-texas-mean-green-step-up-to-the-challenge/

NorthTexan95 · July 10, 2013

He predicts us to go 5-7. We beat Ball St. but lose to UTSA while also losing five of our last six games. We also lose at "S.Mill". South Millhouse?

I can see predictions for 5-7 but the predictions of who we beat is weird. If we go 2-2 in non conference, we'll be at least 6-6.

PlummMeanGreen · July 10, 2013

And Kody has North Texas losing to UTSA based on what?

Do they ever go into detail on that? Maybe he has them beating us based on the fact that Coker won a national championship at some other school umpteen years ago? Maybe even because Kentucky Fried Chicken (and probably other outlets) do one helluva' job of distributing massive numbers of free football tickets all over south Texas to watch UT-Almost S.A. Hose-Runners football)?

Anyone else on this forum remember how hacked off many, many Baylor fans were an era ago when fans wearing red and blue were sitting in their "paid" seats at Texas Stadium vs. the Mustangs; that is during the Mustang Mania area when SMU promo person Brad Thomas & Gang were giving out well over 100 free tickets per seat for many of their Texas Stadium games)? (I actually applauded SMU's zeal and even bought into some of their ex SMU AD Russ Pott's theory that.................. "an empty seat cannot buy a hot dog; it cannot buy a coke; it cannot buy a T-shirt promoting the school, etc, etc, etc, but am not so sure massive free ticket give aways were always the best policy either. Seems SMU did not retain most of their freeby tickets fan base looking back.

Glad we get to play that UTSA game (and in Apogee Stadium to boot--does Kody B. the Sports Forecaster know our record there--he should have checked that out, too); anyhow, glad we get to play these games so the likely results will inspire some of these sports scribes & sooth'sayers to actually do more research on what they are predicting. You can add most all the summer college football magazine writers to this list of very poorly researched predictions made on last year's teams not figuring in an important factor that many of the teams they made their forecasts will have graduated key players--some in large numbers.

Finally, could Kody Brannon's newly crowned powerhouse UTSA have played Kansas State anywhere close to how we played them last Fall? Could his new favorite team, ie, the UTSA Hose-Runners have beaten 2 times in a row NO's Bowl winner the ULaLa Rajun Cajuns on ESPN national TV last Fall (as our team in green did most impressively)?

Personally, I hope we have the opportunity of runnning up the score on the UTSA Hose-Runners because they, too, have had some very interesting and most condescending things to say about North Texas...in only their 3'rd year of football operations for crissakes'! :crazysmile:

What would one day in the sweet by and by become a UTSA campus was located in a yucaa & cactus dominated terrain when North Texas' Abner Haynes was busy becoming an NCAA Division 1 Time Magazine All American back in the mid 50's and others from CUSA were playing football at NCAA levels most of us had never heard of or knew even existed. They should to the school all remember what they are saying about North Texas now as they continue to "NOT" respect our school in the new CUSA's inaugural year.

GMG!

Edited July 10, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

meangreendork · July 10, 2013

He's probably looking at UTSA's record as just raw numbers and not looking at it based on strength-of-schedule. It looks like they're a powerhouse, but anyone will look like a powerhouse school when your schedule involves beating up small children who just happen to be in pads.

Edited July 10, 2013 by meangreendork

PlummMeanGreen · July 10, 2013

PS: I've blocked off days this Fall; that is, our CUSA inauguration year that I would ordinarily be DJ'ing events. I buy my Mean Green season tickets in a few weeks on a day after SUMG (and anyone else wanting to join us) go to the Ranchmens in Ponder to break bread, eat some steak and reminisce--and to look forward, too. This year I want to be at Apogee "in person" to see some of the schools that are mocking "OUR" school now catch holy hell in a green-tinted hand basket! Go Mean Green!