Friday, February 7, 2014
6'1 185
Plaquemine, LA
">Brown can be defined as "The One That Got Away" by many LSU fans. He goes to high school in Plaquemine High which is just outside of Baton Rouge. He has slipped under the radar largely because of the outstanding play of his teammates. On his defense, defensive end Terry Gladstone and Left Tackle Aaron Klavic are both 2015 5* recruits. Still, they won't be coming out until next year, and this year, Brown is the top prospect from Plaquemine High, and here is his scouting report.
Strengths
At 6'1, he has ideal size for an X, and he can go up and catch any pass. In addition to his size, he has fantastic straight line speed. His length and strides make for an easy target for any receiver to throw to. He's very Sammy Watkins-esque in his ability to separate from defenders. He also runs very precise routes and it, along with his speed, helps him to generate space between cornerbacks. He's very polished with his craft.
Weaknesses
At 6'1, he's not a completely gifted athlete when it comes to changing direction. He can be stiff at times which limits his potential. He also needs to work on concentrating to catch the football because he's had some drops.
Prediction
This is a guy that LSU would love to get, but he looks to be headed to Denton, TX. This would be a huge get for the Mean Green.
Video
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
">Ohio QB Tyler Tettleton scores one of 4 rushing touchdowns against the Mean Green
It wasn't a pretty outing this week, but the best part is that it is over. The Mean Green fell 45-39 to the Bobcats in a game that was much worse than the score indicated. A furious rally in the end almost put North Texas in position to pull off the miracle comeback, but an onside kick recovery prolonged the inevitable doom that the Mean Green would have to face.
The story in this game was the run defense...or lack of one. The Mean Green surrendered nearly 400 rushing yards and gave up 6 rushing touchdowns! After the unit showed so much potential in the second half of the game against Idaho, their true colors showed as they were embarrassed in front of the Athens crowd. It was extremely frustrating to see quarterback Tyler Tettleton abuse this defense for over 200 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. For an average athlete, he practically became Cam Newton as he ravaged through the pathetic defense.
The secondary played well and limited Tettleton to under 100 passing yards. While the stats look nice though, it's hard to tell if the secondary really shut down the receivers or if the rush defense was so poor that the Bobcats simply didn't need to throw. Orr once again had a solid performance as he seems to be the only player that is qualified enough to play consistently on the defensive side of the ball. He'll need to inspire the rest of his teammates if they want to improve upon that disheartening effort on Saturday.
Offensively, this game was a mixed bag. In the first half, the team could generate no offense against an Ohio defense that seemed persistent in stopping the run. However, in the second half, Thompson simply gave the ball to his playmaker, Breelan Chancellor, and he delivered. Breelan simply dominated in the second half and almost single-handedly brought the team back from 25 down.
Other than the electrifying duo of Thompson and Chancellor though, the offense was inept. The line really struggled to protect Thompson, and Bryd did could not get much going on the ground. All in all, it was an outing to forget for this offense despite putting up 39 points.
It's best to just put games like this in the rear view mirror. Coach Gravy addressed the loss after the game, "Well it obviously sucks to get beaten like we did, but you have to credit them for gameplanning and playing to their strengths. I just feel like we didn't have enough intensity on either side of the ball for the majority of the game, and it really cost us in the end."
When asked about changes that need to be made, Gravy responded by saying, "Listen, we are not going to make drastic changes. We got beat by a team that played better than us, let's not make it more than it is. We simply have to come in next week with better preparation. I fully expect our men to be much more prepared next week against Ball State."
Next week, the Mean Green will return home to take on the Cardinals. They look to bounce back following this traumatic defeat.
| North Texas Mean Green at Ohio Bobcats | ||||||
| Sep 7, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT | SCORE |
| North Texas Mean Green (1-1 (0-0)) | 0 | 14 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 39 |
| Ohio Bobcats (1-1 (0-0)) | 21 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 45 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| UNT | OHIO | |
| Total Offense | 491 | 472 |
| Rushing Yards | 126 | 389 |
| Passing Yards | 365 | 83 |
| First Downs | 21 | 18 |
| Punt Return Yards | 23 | 55 |
| Kick Return Yards | 154 | 170 |
| Total Yards | 668 | 697 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 1-13 (7%) | 1-6 (16%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 4-5 (80%) | 0-0 (0%) |
| 2-Point Conversion | 1-1 (100%) | 0-0 (0%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4/1 (83%) | 3/0 (100%) |
| Penalties | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Posession Time | 18:45 | 13:15 |
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Keys To Win - North Texas
Protect the Football
We've heard about the dominance of the Bobcat's secondary all week, but North Texas won't make their money throwing the football anyways. Coach Gravy has made it clear that all he wants his quarterback to do is manage the game. Being a game manager means to convert third downs and to protect the football. If the Bobcat's win the turnover battle, they should win the game. Thompson needs to put the Mean Green in position to win this game, and he can do that by protecting the football.
Rush for 150 Yards
If the Mean Green are able to eclipse 150 rushing yards, they will win the game. This means that they will be controlling the clock, which is their best friend.
Don't Get Beat Deep
Tyler Tettleton is an experienced veteran in the Bobcat's system. He has decent wheels and is accurate enough to cause problems for this Mean Green secondary. However, in order to win this game, North Texas must defend the deep ball. Last week, the corners struggled to play the ball in the air and they gave up some big plays. That might have worked against the Vandals, but it will not work this week.
Keys to Win - Ohio
Assert Your Dominance
On paper, Ohio is better than North Texas, plain and simple. If Ohio just plays fundamental like they are capable of, then they should win this game. However, if they play to the level of their competition and begin to press, the game could get interesting.
Rely on Blankenship
While the Mean Green gave up a ton of passing yards last week, they will be more prepared to stop Tettleton then they were to stop the pass last week. That is why Ohio needs to pull a fast one on them and give it to their bell cow Blankenship. He's one of the most productive runningbacks in Ohio's history and he could have a breakout game.
Be Aggressive on Defense
Defensively, they have the talent to take chances. Led by star David Bass, this defense is aggressive and fast, and they need to keep playing like this to come up with a win.
Prediction
North Texas is an up and coming team while Ohio is in their prime. Watch for this one to get a little out of hand near the end.
41-24 Ohio
Skip Bayless @ SkipBaylessEA: North Texas needs to find some offense fast...
Adam Kramer @ AdamKramerEA: Expect a snooze fest Athens, OH. Georgia should take notes though...
Todd McShay @ ToddMcShayEA: The Bobcats have some dawgs in the secondary. Thompson better take care of the football.
Michael Felder @ MichaelFelderEA: I feel bad for whoever has to watch this game.
While this news was expected, what Gravy said next will make Mean Green followers leap with excitement, "However, Brandin Byrd will be the starter for the remainder of the season barring any serious injury. The coaches and I agree that his production last week and through the entire offseason has been good enough to earn the starting job."
This is a well deserved honor for Byrd as he scored the game winning touchdown in the win against Idaho. However, he will have to earn every inch against the Bobcats who are a significant upgrade in talent from the Vandals.
The first prospect that we will highlight is the stud 3* guard from central Texas. Coming from a military family, Taylor never anticipated this level of national attention that he's receiving. His grandfather was commissioned during the war in Vietnam, and his father served in Afghanistan. He was born in Texas, but has moved across the country to places such as Oklahoma City and Lawrence.
However, Jordan found his way back to Texas where his family settled. He now attends Killeen High and he has immediately changed the athletic landscape of the town. The Kangaroos had been a doormat among Texas schools over the past decade, but Jordan's impact has been larger than he could have ever imagined.
Last year, Taylor led the Kangaroos to 6-4 record, their first winning season since the change of the century. This year, he has them undefeated and looking to win the district. As unimaginable as it is for a guard to completely change a football program, Taylor has done just that, and he has drastically risen in the eyes of scouts. He started last season ranked as a 1*/unranked prospect, but now he is a consensus 3*.
Strengths
The first thing that sticks out when scouting Taylor is his supreme athleticism. He has an obviously slight frame, but he uses this to his advantage as he simply is faster, more agile, and quicker to get to the second level than any defensive lineman across from him. He might be a better fit at left tackle in college, but that is a testament to his versatility and ability as an athlete.
He also jumps out on film as a polished pass blocker which is not as common to see in a high school guard prospect. He has extremely quick feet which allows him to combat swim moves from defensive tackles and/or defensive ends. He doesn't have the brute strength to shutdown a good bull rush, but he does a great job of using body position and leverage to make up for his physical deficiencies. His pad level allows him to establish dominance in his pass blocking.
Weaknesses
The first weakness that is easy to spot is his slight frame. He's not a big prospect in the least which is why he hasn't risen to at least a 4* on any recruiting service's board. While his technique does a great job of making scouts forget about his size, he won't be able to hide it in college. He simply doesn't have the height or bone structure to put on much more weight which limits him to a primarily zone blocking scheme or a left tackle.
Going along with this point, he is not very strong at the point of attack in the run game. He doesn't have the length to keep defensive tackles from shedding his blocks and he doesn't have the strength to drive them back. Simply put, he won't be able to play in a conference with size/strength defenders such as the SEC or B1G 10.
Prediction
There is no doubt that Taylor signs with North Texas. He has been in constant contact with Gravy, and he took an unofficial visit to North Texas over the summer. He is looking to take an official visit during the regular season. Either way, this is a recruit that North Texas definitely needs to build some talent and depth, and it's one that they should get.
Monday, February 3, 2014
">HB Brandin Byrd rushes for 114 yards in Saturday's 24-21 victory
The Ed Gravy era starts with victory in which emotions are hard to describe. On one hand, the Mean Green emerged victorious in a game where they were out-gained by almost 100 yards and were down by 14 at the half. On the other hand, Idaho has been a doormat in the FBS for the past 60 years, and North Texas almost had a monumental week 1 loss.
Still, a win is a win, and there are definitely building blocks that Gravy can use to keep these winning ways consistent. The first and most obvious reason for hope is the emergence of backup tailback Brandin Byrd. Starter Reggie Pegram was having a decent game before a head injury ended his day. As much as our hearts go out to Pegram following the injury, the addition of Byrd to the Mean Green's offense seemed to be the spark that they needed. He averaged better than 6 yards a carry and he scored the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go.
Thompson really struggled at times, but in the clutch he delivered. On a 4th and 5, Thompson delivered the play of his life as he scrambled to the left and threw a strike for a 1st down. However, he was erratic with his throws and inconsistent in general. It's obvious that he will have to improve if they hope to beat the Bobcats next week.
The defense was a mixed bag this week, but it mainly underperformed. The run defense was pretty stout, but it was facing an inept Idaho rushing attack. All in all, the tackling was poor, but they eventually stiffened as the game went on. The passing defense, however, was pretty awful. The secondary was not expected to be a strong spot on the defense this year, but getting torched by Idaho is embarrassing. There was virtually no pass rush, and the team was forced to play cover 3 instead of matching up man-to-man because they do not have the ability to play one-on-one.
That'll be a major problem when playing teams with more experienced quarterbacks or more talent at receiver...basically every other team left on the schedule. The good news is that the 'cover 3 spy' scheme worked very well in controlling the receivers and masking the talent deficiencies of the secondary. I look for the Mean Green to continue employing this scheme as the season goes on.
As for the win, Coach Gravy said, "Are we supposed to be satisfied with this? I mean really, are we? I'm awfully proud of our kids and the way that they fought to win this game. That shouldn't be taken away from them. But this can't be the top of the mountain, if it is, then I guess I won't be coaching here for long. We've got so much room to grow, and this team has so much freakin' potential that I can't wait to get to practice on Monday."
On the offense, Gravy said, "Well we struggled to move the football down the field, but I really like how we protected the football and controlled the clock in the second half. Derek's gonna have to manage some game's for us, and that's what he did."
Next week, the Mean Green play the 0-1 Bobcats.
| Idaho Vandals at North Texas Mean Green | |||||
| Sep 1, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Idaho Vandals (0-1 (0-0)) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| North Texas Mean Green (1-0 (0-0)) | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 24 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| IDHO | UNT | |
| Total Offense | 396 | 313 |
| Rushing Yards | 121 | 167 |
| Passing Yards | 275 | 146 |
| First Downs | 14 | 17 |
| Punt Return Yards | 4 | 39 |
| Kick Return Yards | 136 | 141 |
| Total Yards | 536 | 493 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 7-13 (53%) | 5-13 (38%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0-0 (0%) | 1-1 (100%) |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0-0 (0%) | 1-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/0 (100%) | 2/0 (66%) |
| Penalties | 1-15 | 1-0 |
| Posession Time | 12:28 | 19:32 |
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