The Red Zone Report | Rebuilding North Texas and FIU should make big strides in 2008

NCAA Football

Rebuilding North Texas and FIU should make big strides in 2008

By Eddie Griffin ⋅ May 15, 2008 ⋅ Subscribe to The Red Zone Report

Wayne Younger and FIU had some rough moments in 2007, but the future is bright for the Golden Panthers. Rebuilding is never an easy job, and along the way, there are going to be a lot of lumps and bumps.

Last year was a rough one for first-year coaches Todd Dodge (North Texas) and Mario Cristobal (FIU), but what a difference a year can make - even if it was a rough one.

Dodge and Cristobal both left storied programs to take on rebuilding jobs in their first stints as collegiate head coaches, so they weren’t used to losing much, but were no doubt prepared for the tough road that lay ahead for them. Dodge led Southlake Carroll to four state championships and won 98 games in seven seasons with the Dragons, while Cristobal played for and coached at Miami, winning two national championships as a player, and was a part of more success as a coach in two stints.

In December 2006, Dodge took over a North Texas program that was just a few seasons removed from being the dominant team in the conference, winning four straight championships from 2001-04 and going 25-1 in Sun Belt play in that span.

When the former Texas QB and Southlake Carroll head man took over, the Mean Green had gone a combined 5-18 in 2005 and 2006, which led to the ouster of coach Darrell Dickey, who had been at the helm for the previous nine seasons - and all four of those championships.

Dodge brought his high-powered offense into Denton, and had decent success with it last season, with UNT averaging 24.8 points and 408.4 yards per game. However, the same couldn’t be said for the defense, which allowed 45.1 points and 486.4 yards per game, and the Mean Green went 2-10 overall and 1-6 in SBC play.

As for Cristobal, the former Miami assistant took over an FIU program that has only been playing since the 2002 season and on the I-A level since 2005. The Golden Panthers had a solid debut season in I-A, going 5-6, but slumped to 0-12 in 2006, and were involved in that unforgettable brawl in their game with Miami.

Cristobal’s first season saw the Golden Panthers take a lot of lumps, but a 1-11 ended on a high note, with Cristobal getting his first win and ending the program’s 23-game losing streak in a 38-19 triumph over Dodge and the Mean Green in the season finale, which was also the last game played in the Orange Bowl.

As rough as each coach’s first year unsurprisingly was, there was improvement down the stretch of the season for both in key areas. After giving 74 points in a 74-62 loss to Navy on November 10, North Texas allowed 31, 26, and 38 points in the final three games after allowed at least 45 points in six of the first nine games.

For FIU, there were struggles all around, but offense really struggled through most of the year, as their high through the first eight games was 16 points. But, over the last four games, the Golden Panthers averaged 25.8 points.

This year, there’s reason to think that both teams will be much improved, and even though it may not translate into a challenge for the Sun Belt championship, they will be a factor, even if it’s as spoilers.

North Texas WR Casey Fitzgerald The Mean Green return a great deal of experience on both sides of the ball. On offense, incumbent starting QB and 2007 Snn Belt Freshman of the Year Giovanni Vizza (2,388 yards, 17 touchdowns) is back after a productive freshman season, but Dodge’s son Riley, who had a decorated HS career at Southlake Carroll, could push for playing time right off the bat. Whoever’s under center will have a top-notch go-to receiver in Casey Fitzgerald (111 catches, 1,322 yards, 12 touchdowns in 2007), and two other reliable receivers return in senior Brock Stickler (37-391-2) and sophomore Sam Dibrell (28-391-2), who should see many balls thrown their way this season. With sophomore Micah Mosley (488 yards, 5 TD) and redshirt junior Cam Montgomery in the backfield and four starting offensive linemen returning, the offense should be extremely productive in 2008.

While they say goodbye to five key starters on defense, including star defensive end Jeremiah Chapman (78 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks), but return several experienced players, including senior defensive tackle Joseph Miller, who had 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2007, and sophomore linebacker Craig Robertson, who had 48 tackles and a team-best five interceptions last season.

Defense was also addressed in the 2008 recruiting class, and there are a few names that could immediately fit into the equation, in defensive end Alonzo Horton, safety Justin Edwards, and cornerback Adryan Adams, who were all highly-rated prospects.

However, the biggest addition might be new defensive coordinator Gary DeLoach, who’s not really all that new to the UNT program, as he was an assistant from 1998-2002, and spent his last three seasons as defensive coordinator, departing for UCLA after a 2002 season during which the Mean Green had one of the nation’s top defenses. If DeLoach can put the ‘mean’ back in the Mean Green’s defense, then that will be a big step towards getting back to winning ways.

FIU also returns a great deal of experience on both sides of the ball, which should translate into great improvement on both offense and defense. The majority of their offense returns, led by sophomore QB Wayne Younger (1,357 yards, 9 TD passing, 536 yards, 2 TD rushing), who will have a full arsenal of receivers to throw to, and leading rusher A’mod Ned also returns.

Many of the defensive starters return as well, including leading tackle Scott Bryant, who should be a candidate for all-conference honors after a 91-tackle season in 2007, and safety Ashlyn Parker, who, like Bryant, was an honorable mention all-Sun Belt pick last season. Also, incoming recruit James Jones, a three-star recruit according to Scout.com, could instantly make an impact at defensive end. As a result, a defense that surrendered 39.1 points and 446.8 yards per game should be much better.

Neither team pulls any punches with their 2008 schedule, and should gain some valuable experience from playing some elite teams, as UNT goes on the road to Kansas State and national champion LSU and hosts Tulsa and their high-octane offense, while FIU visits Orange Bowl winner Kansas, Big Ten member Iowa, and South Florida. By the time they reach Sun Belt play, both the Mean Green and the Golden Panthers will likely have taken some lumps, but they’ll be ready to take on their Sun Belt foes with confidence.

There’s still a long way to go for both programs, but there are building blocks in place, and two young, smart coaches, who have winning backgrounds that should help them having winning teams in the near future.

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