North Texas defeats Ball St. 20-10

7. Posted by kirk1988@... Fri Sep 4 10:50am EDT Report Abuse
DO you belive in the Mean GReen!!

Is that a Jub Jub reference?

Very interesting win for NT. They consistently put a lot of points on the board last year, but at the same time, were consistently horrible on defense. If they scored 25-28 points, they gave up 40-50. Todd Dodge and the Mean Green don't seem to have any trouble scoring; if they learn how to consistently play solid "D" they could really make some headway. It will be interesting how what they do with the rest of this season after starting with a solid win.

Love it, had a huge parlay all teams won except the -800 ball state, thank you yahoo for your inaccurate predictions.

Go Mean Green! I'm here at UNT and the campus is buzzing about this victory which already ties our win total from last year! I've been waiting for when Riley would finally take over and it looks like he is more than ready, good luck Eagles!!!

Receiver Coach - Clayton George will have any receiving corps ready to go. Guy is awesome with that group. Good luck Eagles!

To poster #10...I also remember 12-0. That was Ball State's record in the regular season last year. They dropped the conference championship game and their bowl game, sure, but until that point they were undefeated. I think Mean Green fans have reason to celebrate.

Awesome, awesome opener for the Mean Green! Despite the bad pick in the end zone, Riley looked great running the offense. Montgomery ran the ball well. And if not for a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE from from the MAC officials our much maligned Defense would have held BS to about 3 points!

Here's to better days ahead...GO MEAN GREEN!

I hope that this sparks some interest. I am looking forward to the home opener against Ohio.

GO MEAN GREEN! Congratulations to coach Dodge and all of the Mean Green. A convincing victory and you did it with a balanced offensive attack! Here's to a better 2009!!

Wow......al little hope goes a long way with UNT fans......remember 1-11 last year. Oh well if they win 2 games this year it will be a 100% improvement. Maybe UNT will get 3 wins next year. I think the Mean Green should be competitive though. At least they wont lose every game by 50 points

Congratulations to the Mean Green! Keep 'em coming!!!

...AND, THANKS RIVALS/YAHOO FOR THE BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL!!!

COACH: Todd Dodge (3-21 in two seasons).

LAST SEASON: 1-11 overall, 0-7 in Sun Belt (eighth in league).

FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: 119th.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Two-year starting QB Giovanni Vizza transferred, so a team that has struggled mightily in the past two seasons is breaking in a new starter at quarterback. The quarterback will be touted redshirt freshman Riley Dodge, the coach's son and a guy who originally committed to Texas.

STAR POWER: LB Tobe Nwigwe is one of the best in the league at his position. He had 111 tackles and three interceptions last season, when he was a bright spot on a horrible unit.

STRENGTHS: This team is all about the pass, and Dodge has a nice pedigree and understands the offense. RB Cam Montgomery does a nice job, and if the line were a bit better, he could run for 1,000 yards this season. Nwigwe stands out on defense, and he could be an all-league pick.

WEAKNESSES: The Mean Green lost 113-catch WR Casey Fitzgerald, so two or three receivers have to emerge for the offense to have a shot to keep this team in games. The defense has been a sieve, and until there is noticeable improvement, North Texas is going to struggle. Some players changed positions to get more speed on the field, including E Brandon Akpunku from linebacker. Three sophomores are projected to start in the secondary. The Mean Green's coverage teams were among the worst in the nation last season, allowing a combined five touchdowns; the return teams were weak, too.

THE BUZZ: The Mean Green have struggled mightily on defense under Todd Dodge. The offense has had its moments, and Riley Dodge should provide a steady hand at quarterback, Montgomery gives UNT a running back it can count on this season. But the receiving corps needs to be rebuilt, and the defense has to get a lot tougher overall. There is only one game against a "Big Six" opponent (Alabama), and two winnable non-conference games are at home (Ohio and Army). A four- or five-win season should be the goal, but it will be hard to get that many victories unless the defense plays a lot better under second-year coordinator Gary DeLoach.

- MIKE HUGUENIN

Wow... How many times has UNT won the 1st game of the season??? Seriously, I was surprised to see the 20 - 10 victory for UNT. It's Riley to the rescue (picking up where Riley and his dad left off from when they were at Southlake Carroll)!

DO you belive in the Mean GReen!!

Way to go UNT! It just took a couple of years 2 get Coach Dodge's gameplan and players into to the new system. Looks like they can produce some offense. Sun Belt Champs here we come! Bring on the New Orleans Bowl!!!!!!!!!

What do you think David Letterman will have to say about that?

Go unt and the doges whooo unt that shows yahoo worst in the country

Congrats Riley! Enjoyed the show... hopefully this train is just getting started!

UNT! Going all the way this year!

So much for North Texas being the absolute worst team in the country, eh, Yahoo?