UT's 2014 week #1 matchup: North Texas (UNT) Mean Green

[Harry]

Week 1: The University of North Texas

Now that we’ve gone over what Texas is going to look like next year, it’s time to start talking Longhorn opponents. This series will examine Texas’ 2014 foes from the perspective of who they are and what challenges or advantages that will present to Texas.

By the end of the series you should know the whole league a lot better and understand what UT's team needs to look like in order to find success on the field.

North Texas

The Mean Green won nine games last year in their first season in Conference USA, so they may not be quite the punch line we’re accustomed to facing. You might recognize head coach Dan McCarney from his time running Iowa State from 1995 to 2006 before resigning and leaving the Cyclones in the incapable hands of Gene Chizik.

It only took him three years to win nine games at North Texas, he’s a great coach.

On the plus side, their QB is gone, their top two receivers are gone, their starting running back is gone, and their defensive line is gone. We’ll be more basic in this one, in part because we almost certainly won’t lose this game and in part because I can’t be bothered to learn too much about such a team.

Mean Green offense: Matchup Challenges

The North Texas offense is designed to find success without elite, hard to find talents. Their run game is all about pulling linemen, traps, and leads that get 6-foot-2, 290-pound guards who couldn’t get Big 12 offers moving to hit defenders at favorable angles.

They use a lot of 2-back sets and will run power, counter, pin & pull, draw, and zone-stretch to knock you out of the way. They’re actually pretty good at it and right guard Cyril Lemon can move and maul better than many of his contemporaries in the Big 12.

The Mean Green returns four out of five OL from last year’s group, including Lemon and a rather athletic and talented left tackle named Antonio Johnson.

Read more: http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=5038

[greenit]

I like the attitude of the writer. I hope their whole team and fanbase reads it and believes it.

[Harry]

I like the attitude of the writer. I hope their whole team and fanbase reads it and believes it.

It is interesting to see how they view us though.

[Ben Gooding]

Wow. Hand this article out day 1 of fall camp.

[MeanGreen13]

well, that was offensive. If we win this game, I hope all the UT fans realize it is because of this type of culture that has infiltrated their ranks and bled into the type of athletes that choose to go there. it will change under strong, I just hope we are going to be the reason they snap out of it!

[the green rokemi]

hmm looking up backhanded compliment in the dictionary

[greenminer]

in part because I can’t be bothered to learn too much about such a team.

Not gonna lie, I feel the same way about Mac Brown and the Longhorns.

[Green P1]

They use a lot of 2-back sets and will run power, counter, pin & pull, draw, and zone-stretch to knock you out of the way. Theyre actually pretty good at it and right guard Cyril Lemon can move and maul better than many of his contemporaries in the Big 12.

The Mean Green returns four out of five OL from last years group, including Lemon and a rather athletic and talented left tackle named Antonio Johnson

Read more: http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=5038

I can think of a guy named Mason that might read an article like this and really want to maul the guy in front of him come early next fall. Edited June 19, 2014 by Green P1

[Mean Green 93-98]

Not gonna lie, I feel the same way about Mac Brown and the Longhorns.

[THOR]

The writer guy is an organ head...

Edited June 19, 2014 by THOR

[UNT90]

It is interesting to see how they view us though.

I didn't read it as slanted at all, outside the 2 snarky comments made in the first part that was in your post.

He does over-value Wallace, who apparently hasn't been able to crack the 2 deep here, either.

He seems to respect out athleticism, just not our size. And he has a very valid point. They ARE going to lean on us with guys who are at least just as athletic and far bigger.

Hopefully KP can channel those early 90s Miami lines, which intentionally sacrificed size for quickness. If not, like it or not, it's gonna be a loooong day.

He also says we find out if Mac has recruited well this year. That IS dead on.

Edited June 19, 2014 by UNT90

[chrisfisher]

What a cork sucker: "We’ll be more basic in this one, in part because we almost certainly won’t lose this game and in part because I can’t be bothered to learn too much about such a team."

God I hope we beat these arse holes.

[MeanGreenTexan]

For all of you who take offense to this kind of article (obviously written by a UT-homer, so what do you expect?), I'll be looking forward to your detailed break-down of our game with Nicholls State. I need to know every single detail about that team, and please make it sound like they are on the same level with our guys... otherwise, well, you're being hypocritical.

And yes, I think this guy is underestimating our O-line. They're not just finessing out there. They're mauling.

I'm glad Pegram is still going un-noticed, and this would be a fine time for Mr. Terrell to have a nice day.

Whoever the Mean Green QB is... please protect the football.

[Eagle1855]

I didn't read it as slanted at all, outside the 2 snarky comments made in the first part that was in your post.

He does over-value Wallace, who apparently hasn't been able to crack the 2 deep here, either.

He seems to respect out athleticism, just not our size. And he has a very valid point. They ARE going to lean on us with guys who are at least just as athletic and far bigger.

Hopefully KP can channel those early 90s Miami lines, which intentionally sacrificed size for quickness. If not, like it or not, it's gonna be a loooong day.

He also says we find out if Mac has recruited well this year. That IS dead on.

Same thoughts. Aside from the snark (which I'm guessing is part of his "voice", better or worse), he's not egregiously wrong on any of it.

Who cares anyways? Games are won on the field, not on the internet.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Eagle1855

[GOMG2013]

I didn't read it as slanted at all, outside the 2 snarky comments made in the first part that was in your post.

He does over-value Wallace, who apparently hasn't been able to crack the 2 deep here, either.

He seems to respect out athleticism, just not our size. And he has a very valid point. They ARE going to lean on us with guys who are at least just as athletic and far bigger.

Hopefully KP can channel those early 90s Miami lines, which intentionally sacrificed size for quickness. If not, like it or not, it's gonna be a loooong day.

He also says we find out if Mac has recruited well this year. That IS dead on.

I agree. other than a few comments, the analysis seems pretty accurate.

[MeanGreenD]

"Additionally, their secondary may not be able to corral Kendall Sanders or Daje Johnson, if he plays, and stop them from piling up yards after catch in the open field."

Can't wait until Lee aka Da Hitman lays these dudes out. Gonna be fun when we shock 100K who will turn on Strong immediately. 72 more days, friends!

[greenminer]

For all of you who take offense to this kind of article (obviously written by a UT-homer, so what do you expect?), I'll be looking forward to your detailed break-down of our game with Nicholls State. I need to know every single detail about that team, and please make it sound like they are on the same level with our guys... otherwise, well, you're being hypocritical.

And yes, I think this guy is underestimating our O-line. They're not just finessing out there. They're mauling.

I'm glad Pegram is still going un-noticed, and this would be a fine time for Mr. Terrell to have a nice day.

Whoever the Mean Green QB is... please protect the football.

I don't disagree with you, but it is frustrating to think the BCS era fostered this UT-UNT gap that you're comparing to a FBS-FCS gap.

I used to be relatively vocal about the BCS nomenclature, that it was erroneous to call a school like UT a "BCS school" because it implied UNT was not.

I'm a little old school: I wish when you were part of D1 athletics (in this case, FBS football), that the media treated you all on the same plane. But I'm totally aware that 90% of the public interest is vested in about 25 schools.

It is what it is.

[drex]

Hard not to be cocky when you know the referees are your trump card.

[UNTexas]

The analysis was fair but the author sounds like a wank that probably has never played a sport. Thus the cavalier attitude in his analysis. Maybe I'm wrong and he's merely writing like a wank to appease his readers. Ignore the noise.

The big question mark for me is going to be all the new starters are Mac's recruits and the players we lost last year seemingly hurts. A good team can reload. I really hope we can be one of those teams and time will tell.

As far as Texas, our guys hung with a #3 SEC Georgia team last year that UT wouldn't have wanted anything to do with during their besieged season under a microscope. They still won 8 but Texas is excpected to be better than that. If our team plays like they did against Georgia, walking out of there with their heads held high and a little respect earned, then sports writers like this guy won't be so quick to write like he did.

That being said, in my experience Georgia and many other P5 teams I played against seemed like a classier bunch than UT. Excluding players and coaches of course. They know better. I'm guessing no matter how we play, or whatever the outcome, their fans will still be condescending. So, ignore the noise...

Football is getting close!!!

[GMG24]

A friend of mine used to coach TE at UNT back when we played UT before the dodge era. He said he remembers one and only one play from that game, the UT DB was in press man on our receiver 1st play of the game, he reached out and B*#+% slapped our best WR our receiver looked at the referee who simply shrugged and the ball was snapped. He said he knew then it was going to be a LONG night.