Answers and questions
4:45 p.m.

The final scrimmage of the fall camp was this morning and with just three practices left before camp is done, here are some things we learned today....Along with that it will be our final installment of e-mail questions. Send them in and we will do our best to answer. Click Here To Submit Questions

-There’s no reason to think that there couldn’t be up to 10 or 11 true and red-shirt freshman on the two deep roster. Coach Dodge has said that he expects to grow up with this team and he’s right. The names you are going to see and hear in the next few weeks are going to be the one’s you see in three or four years.

-Freshman running back Jeremi Mathis had his best day of the fall camp. Again heading in Coach Dodge said he wanted to see what some of his younger guys could do and Mathis performed. He is a totally different back from the other three in the stable. He combines amazing power and is a runner who seems to be going downhill every time he touches the ball

-Punter Truman Spencer and placekicker Jeremy Knott are going to give North Texas it’s best kicking combo since Nick Bazaldua and Brad Kadlubar.

-Freshman wide receiver Willie Taylor and defensive back James Hamilton LOVE contact.

-Brock Stickler must somehow be related to Jason Witten because they catch everything thrown to them and it always seems to be for a first down.

-One prediction: the 10-year drought of no-one returning a kick-off for a touchdown at North Texas will end this year. The group that’s been returning kick’s are dangerous and oh so talented...and young.....Broderick McGrew was the last player to return a kickoff for a TD, 1998. Oh by the way McGrew happens to be the offensive coodinator at Hearne HS, the same Hearne were Forrest Rucker came from.

POD (play of the day)
1:58 p.m.

Came late in the scrimmage and it’s was Matt Phillips and Kenny Barrett hooking up. Barrett ran a deep post and Phillips nailed him in stride and Barrett was gone. We didn’t get the distance (because our angle on the field wasn’t very good) but it was over 50 yards at least. Barrett has shown some good hands as the fall camp has progressed.

Post Practice Quotes

11:26 a.m.

 Jeremi Mathis on today's scrimmage and progress so far

“It’s been a long process but I’m still learning. My favorite thing to do is run the ball and I got to do a little bit of that day. We’ve had a lot thrown at us the past couple weeks. This isn’t an easy offense to learn but we’ve got a good core and the competition will only make us better.”

Antoine Bush on defensive strides

“I liked the way the D looked, especially early. We’re definitely making strides and we’re ready for Kansas State. We’re catching on to Coach DeLoach and we’re doing what we have to do to make this a good defense.”

Looking Good to Finish It Up

11:13 a.m.

Freshman Jeremi Mathis has looked pretty impressive so far today. It always seems like he’s falling forward. He just made a short pickup into a 10-yard run by pushing off defenders. By the way Tune, just connected with Jackson again from about 16 yards out on a fade pattern in the back of the end zone. PAT by Knott is good, followed by a 32-yard field goal that is good. Practice is over.

Tune-ing It Up

11:02 a.m.

Nathan Tune just connected with Jamel Jackson on a 38 yard touchdown on a post pattern. PAT good by Knott, however he missed again on a 36-yard field goal.

Hurry Up!

10:43 a.m.

Looks like as the scrimmage winds down the offense is working on the hurry up offense with Meager.

Heads Up!
10:29 a.m.

Don’t be fooled by his size, Isiah Smith just had the stick of the day on wide receiver Evan Walker.  Going on the middle, a dangerous proposition for any receiver, Walker pulled down the pass and Smith cold-cocked him, knocking his helmet off and sending the defensive side of the field into a frenzy. To his credit though Walker popped right up like it was just your garden variety hit.

Always Something
10:27 a.m.
D-Coordinator, Gary DeLoach, is constantly letting his defense in on some vital information while on the sidelines. "You have to study to be a player in this game," DeLoach said. "Execution!"

The Hammer with a pick
10:22 a.m.

DB James Hamilton just had a nice pick of Riley Dodge, two quarterbacks in high school. Dodge threw behind wide receiver Kenny Barrett and Hamilton was in perfect position. Unlike previous scrimmages, Hamilton celebrated the Jim Brown way.

Ole!

10:17 a.m.

QB Nathan Tune was being flushed from the pocket by a number players, and like any good bull fighter, Tune made each of them miss until he was literally surrounded. The ball popped out and linebacker Craig Robertson picked it up. Two plays later Robertson had a nice deflection on a Tune pass that nearly resulted in a pick, which Robertson had five of last season.

Cole powered
10:14 a.m.

Defensive end Mack Cole III once again found himself in the backfield. This time he overpowered Esteban Santiago and got a hand in the face of Nathan Tune. Santiago a few plays later got some revenge on Cole though.

Seeing Green

10:09 a.m.

Spencer Truman, green Nike shoes and all, is out there working on his punting. No 70-yarders or anything but just solid consistency just like always. This is one area Todd Dodge shouldn’t have to worry about.

Dodging Defenders

10:05 a.m.

Riley Dodge just avoided a sack by sidestepping a defensive lineman that looked to have had a for sure sack, instead it turned into about an 8-yard gain by Dodge. Although he’s yet to have shown off his throwing ability downfield, Dodge looks pretty comfortable out there and he’s making defenders miss.

Knott so good
9:59 a.m.

Kicker Jeremy Knott is having a tough morning.  He’s missed on a 42-yard field goal and just pulled a 31-yard field goal. Plenty of leg, just tugged a little to the left.

Wrong reverse
9:54 a.m.

This time it didn’t work. North Texas tried a reverse again with Dunbar trying to toss Willie Taylor coming back the other way but Jonathan Stewart was there to break things up. Then on the very next play Stewart deflected a pass in the air and Kail Krider came up with another pick. This should make Gary DeLoach a little happier after his defense gave up a TD on the last drive.

Vizza Feeling It

9:53 A.M.

Throughout that the entire scoring drive, Vizza was very emphatic with his teammates. Before the drive started he was yelling to his teammates to turn around an ugly start. After he delivered that TD pass to Stickler he was acting like Brett Favre in the Super Bowl, screaming and jumping into the arms of his teammates. Nothing like some good leadership.

And a TD to finish it off
9:50 a.m.

Vizza to Brock Stickler for the first TD of the scrimmage. 21 yards right down the middle of the defense. The offense looked much better on that possession going 70 yards, and doing it with both the running and passing game.

First-team, second try
9:46 a.m.

Another go at it for the first-team offense. Much better results. Stickler had a catch for seven yards and Micah Mosley just busted through the line for a hard-run of 20 yards. A little trickery then as Alex Lott took a reverse for nine more yards. O on the move.

Special teams work
9:42 a.m.

While the Mean Green works on some special teams, we’ve got some quickie stats from the first few drives. Hide if you like offense. 7 yards, 14 yards, -5 yards, 3 yards, 2 yards, -3 yards, and 40 yards. We have also heard from the sidelines that Gary DeLoach is awfully quiet, that means he’s happy.

A love tap to getting it going
9:37 a.m.

Maybe that’s what Daniel Meager needed to get the offense going. Meager, after getting pile-driven into the ground by Marquis Sykes, responded with back-to-back passes of 20 and 26 yards to finally jump start the Mean Green offense.

Syking them out
9:34 a.m.

Defensive end Marquis Sykes just layed the lumber to QB Daniel Meager on the blind side. Sykes came around the edge and Meager was on the run and never saw him coming. But Meager, not stranger to big hits, jumped right back up. Is the green curtain returning earlier than anticipated under Gary DeLoach?

Mahan with a pick
9:32 a.m.

First turnover of the day goes to linebacker Colt Mahan. Picked a Daniel Meager pass over the middle. Defense is here to play today, the offense is sluggish, like a wet sponge in the early going.

Cracking down
9:30 a.m.

A mix of second and third-teamers running right now but freshman wide receiver Willie Taylor just delivered a wake-up call to Jonathan Stewart. QB Riley Dodge was on the run and Taylor, 165 pounds blindsided Stewart....A few plays later though Robbie Deheck got revenge on Taylor with a big stick to turn a completion into an incompletion.

Its all defense in the early going.

Vizza in the grasp (maybe)
9:26 a.m.

Same rules as the first scrimmage where the QB will be protected by the whistle but Giovanni Vizza didn’t like it this time. He was being swallowed up by three lineman but managed to get the ball down the field to Brock Stickler for a big gainer, but the zebra’s said he was already touch so the play was dead. Gio not happy.

A big swat
9:22 a.m.

DE Ryan Davenport with the first blocked shot of the game, I mean deflection. On the first drive of the scrimmage Davenport got his paw up on a third-play to end the first-team offense’s opening possession.

Stretching time
9:12 a.m.

Things are about ready to get rolling for scrimmage #2. This one will be a little less controlled but still expect to see a lot of special teams and special situations throw into the mix today. Full blown updates moments away.

Did daylight savings time come already
8:46 a.m.

I think we need a new watch. Doesn't look like the scrimmage will get rolling until around 9 or 9:15, instead of 8:15, so if your waiting for updates go back to bed for 30 minutes and then return.

On the rise
8:18 a.m.

More recognition for North Texas head coach Todd Dodge. He was recently named one of the 10 college football coaches on the rise by foxsports.com. We’d like to disagree with the end of the story, but another nice accolade for Coach Dodge. Still setting up at Fouts, probably around 15-20 minutes until actual football takes place.

Morning from Fouts
8:07 a.m.
We aren’t going to mention anything about how early it is, or that it’s a Saturday morning, or that....never mind because it’s the second scrimmage of the fall camp and that’s enough to get the blood flowing. This is going to be a big day because next week is really the start of preparations for the season so if a player was going to make a mark, this is the time to do it. Updates start at 8:15 and once things get going make like the Green Grenade II and refresh because they are going to be fast and furious. 

Dodge Days XII
Dodge Days Part XI
Dodge Days X
Dodge Days Part IX
Dodge Days Part VIII
Dodge Days Part VII
Dodge Days Part VI
Dodge Days Part V
Dodge Days Part IV
Dodge Days Part III
Dodge Days Part II
Dodge Days Part I