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<header class="entry-header" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.23em; line-height: 1.23em;">Five reasons why Texas A&M got it right with QB Kenny Hill and why Kyle Allen still has a chance
By Sean Lester
slester@dallasnews.com
11:20 am on August 18, 2014 | Permalink
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Southlake Carroll QB Kenny Hill (13) breaks free from Arlington Martin DB Jay Crawford (10) in the first half of high school bi-district playoff football action at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas Friday, November 16, 2012. (Brad Loper/The Dallas Morning News)
The long awaited announcement of who would replace Johnny Manziel as quarterback at Texas A&M came to an end Saturday when Kevin Sumlin named sophomore Kenny Hill as the team’s starter.
Related
Sumlin said the battle between Hill and true freshman Kyle Allen was close. So close that the battle could last beyond A&M’s season opener against South Carolina on Aug. 28.
But for the time being, Hill is the man to beat. Here are five reasons why Sumlin picked the right guy to begin with and why Allen still has a shot going forward.
1. Kenny Hill’s playbook experience
Sumlin’s first quarterback race at Texas A&M feature two players with very little experience in Johnny Manziel and Jameill Showers. While Showers was considered the favorite after playing some garbage time in 2011, Manziel had spent a red-shirt season acclimating himself to the college game.
This year Sumlin picked Hill who has a year of A&M’s offense under his belt and ran a similar system while quarterbacking Southlake Carroll to Texas 5A State Championships.
Meanwhile, Allen was still new to the playbook despite being an early enrollee. Sumlin’s method is for the best players to play, but ultimately it was Hill’s “complete body of work” that won him the job which, surely included a better understanding of the air-raid offense.
Why Allen still has a shot: Hill may have had a year’s worth of knowledge on Allen but his early entree to campus got him on the fast track toward even having a shot at starting. As a pocket passer, Allen’s style of play is catered toward Sumlin’s offense and he fit in instantly on the practice fields and never looked behind. As he continues to develop in the offense he’ll only have a greater shot of winning back the starting role.
2. Kenny Hill’s mobility
Sumlin’s offense does not require a quarterback to be mobile. As a matter of fact it’s tailored for a pocket passer. But Hill brings the most options to the table to expand that offense should something go wrong.
He’s not Johnny Manziel, and he doesn’t have to be, but Hill can move. Hill’s high school numbers speak for themselves, but he did run for two more touchdowns as a senior than he threw. The year before that he was nearly even with one fewer rushing TD than throwing.
Why Allen still has a shot: Names like Case Keenum, Drew Brees and Sam Bradford should give Allen all the confidence in the world to win over the starting role. Sumlin has coached mainly pocket passers with Manziel being the exception. Allen isn’t stagnant yet he’s no gazelle on the field, but he’s deadly accurate and has what appears to be a high football IQ, which could be enough to win over the coaching staff down the road.
3. Kenny Hill’s leadership
This one is simple. Hill has spent more time in the Texas A&M locker room and gained more respect from his teammates over the course of over a year. Hill quarterbacked elite teams at the high school level and led his team to victory countless times.
Why Allen still has a shot: Hill’s leadership came thanks to being the quarterback of great teams, while Allen was the nation’s number one quarterback recruit for a team that was less than stellar. Through numerous interviews from the spring and fall practices, players said both quarterback had earned their respect. That’s enough for Allen to believe he has a shot a leading this A&M team sooner rather than later.
4. Kenny Hill’s high school resume
Both quarterbacks have tremendous numbers from high school, but what Hill was able to do on the ground separates him. A Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, 5A State Player of the Year and 5A State Championship all highlight his resume along with the following numbers.
Hill completed 139-of-209 passes for 2,291 yards and 20 TDs with 102 carries for 905 yards and 22 TDs in 2012 as a senior.
He completed 243-of-286 passes for 3,014 yards and 25 TDs with 9 INTs; rushed for 280 carries, gaining 1,400 yards and 24 TDs as a junior in 2011.
Oh by the way, he was a baby-faced sophomore when he had 1,761 passing yards and 15 TDs with 435 yards rushing and 7 TDs in 2010.
Why Allen still has a shot: Allen may not have some of the resume boosters like Hill does, but his numbers are equally impressive. He was an Army All-American and Elite 11 competitor though.
2013 (Senior): 186-272, 2,535 yards, 29 TD, 10 INT
2012 (Junior): 202-280, 3,119 yards, 36 TD, 7 INT
2011 (Sophomore): 154-263, 2,547 yards, 21 TD, 15 INT
5. Kenny Hill’s big game pedigree
At Southlake Hill was no stranger to the big game, and it’s a good thing too because it won’t exactly be a friendly environment when the Aggies travel to Columbia to face the Gamecocks. Hill won the 2011 state championship and nearly made an appearance in 2012 as a senior.
Kenny, the son of former Major League Baseball pitcher Ken Hill, has surely been raised on how to handle the pressure of being in a big game.
Why Allen still has a shot: He may not have played for a state championship but Allen is no stranger to pressure either. During his senior season he played in a game that was nationally televised on ESPNU. That same year he was on ESPN for the Elite 11 quarterback where he was one of the best performers. Sumlin may not have wanted the true freshman to start on the road in a hostile environment but Allen would’ve been read to go regardless and will continue to be considering his experience.
By Sean Lester
slester@dallasnews.com
11:20 am on August 18, 2014 | Permalink
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The long awaited announcement of who would replace Johnny Manziel as quarterback at Texas A&M came to an end Saturday when Kevin Sumlin named sophomore Kenny Hill as the team’s starter.
Related
- Texas A&M names former Southlake Carroll standout Kenny Hill as starting quarterback
- Texas A&M quarterback race 'dead even' between Kenny Hill, Kyle Allen
- Local furniture store offers free furniture if Texas A&M beats South Carolina by 10 points or more
- Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin cancels practice, sends team to the movies
- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier isn't impressed with Texas A&M's resume: 'They haven’t played the bigger teams'
Sumlin said the battle between Hill and true freshman Kyle Allen was close. So close that the battle could last beyond A&M’s season opener against South Carolina on Aug. 28.
But for the time being, Hill is the man to beat. Here are five reasons why Sumlin picked the right guy to begin with and why Allen still has a shot going forward.
1. Kenny Hill’s playbook experience
Sumlin’s first quarterback race at Texas A&M feature two players with very little experience in Johnny Manziel and Jameill Showers. While Showers was considered the favorite after playing some garbage time in 2011, Manziel had spent a red-shirt season acclimating himself to the college game.
This year Sumlin picked Hill who has a year of A&M’s offense under his belt and ran a similar system while quarterbacking Southlake Carroll to Texas 5A State Championships.
Meanwhile, Allen was still new to the playbook despite being an early enrollee. Sumlin’s method is for the best players to play, but ultimately it was Hill’s “complete body of work” that won him the job which, surely included a better understanding of the air-raid offense.
Why Allen still has a shot: Hill may have had a year’s worth of knowledge on Allen but his early entree to campus got him on the fast track toward even having a shot at starting. As a pocket passer, Allen’s style of play is catered toward Sumlin’s offense and he fit in instantly on the practice fields and never looked behind. As he continues to develop in the offense he’ll only have a greater shot of winning back the starting role.
2. Kenny Hill’s mobility
Sumlin’s offense does not require a quarterback to be mobile. As a matter of fact it’s tailored for a pocket passer. But Hill brings the most options to the table to expand that offense should something go wrong.
He’s not Johnny Manziel, and he doesn’t have to be, but Hill can move. Hill’s high school numbers speak for themselves, but he did run for two more touchdowns as a senior than he threw. The year before that he was nearly even with one fewer rushing TD than throwing.
Why Allen still has a shot: Names like Case Keenum, Drew Brees and Sam Bradford should give Allen all the confidence in the world to win over the starting role. Sumlin has coached mainly pocket passers with Manziel being the exception. Allen isn’t stagnant yet he’s no gazelle on the field, but he’s deadly accurate and has what appears to be a high football IQ, which could be enough to win over the coaching staff down the road.
3. Kenny Hill’s leadership
This one is simple. Hill has spent more time in the Texas A&M locker room and gained more respect from his teammates over the course of over a year. Hill quarterbacked elite teams at the high school level and led his team to victory countless times.
Why Allen still has a shot: Hill’s leadership came thanks to being the quarterback of great teams, while Allen was the nation’s number one quarterback recruit for a team that was less than stellar. Through numerous interviews from the spring and fall practices, players said both quarterback had earned their respect. That’s enough for Allen to believe he has a shot a leading this A&M team sooner rather than later.
4. Kenny Hill’s high school resume
Both quarterbacks have tremendous numbers from high school, but what Hill was able to do on the ground separates him. A Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, 5A State Player of the Year and 5A State Championship all highlight his resume along with the following numbers.
Hill completed 139-of-209 passes for 2,291 yards and 20 TDs with 102 carries for 905 yards and 22 TDs in 2012 as a senior.
He completed 243-of-286 passes for 3,014 yards and 25 TDs with 9 INTs; rushed for 280 carries, gaining 1,400 yards and 24 TDs as a junior in 2011.
Oh by the way, he was a baby-faced sophomore when he had 1,761 passing yards and 15 TDs with 435 yards rushing and 7 TDs in 2010.
Why Allen still has a shot: Allen may not have some of the resume boosters like Hill does, but his numbers are equally impressive. He was an Army All-American and Elite 11 competitor though.
2013 (Senior): 186-272, 2,535 yards, 29 TD, 10 INT
2012 (Junior): 202-280, 3,119 yards, 36 TD, 7 INT
2011 (Sophomore): 154-263, 2,547 yards, 21 TD, 15 INT
5. Kenny Hill’s big game pedigree
At Southlake Hill was no stranger to the big game, and it’s a good thing too because it won’t exactly be a friendly environment when the Aggies travel to Columbia to face the Gamecocks. Hill won the 2011 state championship and nearly made an appearance in 2012 as a senior.
Kenny, the son of former Major League Baseball pitcher Ken Hill, has surely been raised on how to handle the pressure of being in a big game.
Why Allen still has a shot: He may not have played for a state championship but Allen is no stranger to pressure either. During his senior season he played in a game that was nationally televised on ESPNU. That same year he was on ESPN for the Elite 11 quarterback where he was one of the best performers. Sumlin may not have wanted the true freshman to start on the road in a hostile environment but Allen would’ve been read to go regardless and will continue to be considering his experience.
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
Home > Mean Green Blog
<article id="post-17067" class="post-17067 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; padding: 0px 0px 1.625em; position: relative; color: rgb(55, 55, 55); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.333333015441895px; line-height: 16.25px;"><header class="entry-header">[h=1]UNT practice notes (video: Reggie Pegram talks about comeback)[/h]
By Brett Vito
bvito@dentonrc.com
1:26 pm on August 22, 2014 | Permalink
</header>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2FZSpjOFT58" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%;"></iframe>
UNT went through one of its final workouts before its Saturday night mock game this morning at the Darrell R. Dickey Football Practice Facility.
I talked to Reggie Pegram about his return from a knee injury last season (that will be our upcoming video). Pegram said he feels like he is back to full strength after tearing his ACL last season in a win over Southern Miss.
Pegram is a good power back, who will bolster UNT’s running game. The Purdue transfer rushed for 338 yards and six touchdowns in eight games last season.
In other news and notes of the day …
– Dan McCarney said that he has not settled on a quarterback and talked a little about where UNT stands. The battle is still down to Andrew McNulty and Josh Greer.
“We are going to continue to evaluate,” McCarney said. “If it takes part of next week, fine. I don’t have a deadline and neither does [offensive coordinator] Mike Canales. It’s the same two that it has been all along. They have had really good camps. and have really improved. There is no magical time. I don’t feel like I have to announce it at the press conference Monday. We will announce it at the right time, when we have peace of mind, it’s been as fair as it can be and we can say ‘Let’s go.’ If this decision was easy, we would have made it a long time ago.”
The difficulty of the decision raises a host of questions, including if UNT could play both McNulty and Greer. McCarney wasn’t ready to eliminate that possibility.
“There is a possibility we play both whether it’s by design or whether we go with the flow of the game, who is struggling and who could give us a lift,” McCarney said. “We will get this finalized real soon. I just can’t tell you if it will be by the press conference.”
– UNT will get plenty of plays in during its mock game on Saturday to get an idea of where it stands at quarterback. The Mean Green will get in more than 100 plays.
“Tomorrow is a really important evaluation,” McCarney said. “What we are looking for is taking care of assignments, giving great effort and avoiding penalties.”
</article>
<article id="post-17067" class="post-17067 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; padding: 0px 0px 1.625em; position: relative; color: rgb(55, 55, 55); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.333333015441895px; line-height: 16.25px;"><header class="entry-header">[h=1]UNT practice notes (video: Reggie Pegram talks about comeback)[/h]
By Brett Vito
bvito@dentonrc.com
1:26 pm on August 22, 2014 | Permalink
</header>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2FZSpjOFT58" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%;"></iframe>
UNT went through one of its final workouts before its Saturday night mock game this morning at the Darrell R. Dickey Football Practice Facility.
I talked to Reggie Pegram about his return from a knee injury last season (that will be our upcoming video). Pegram said he feels like he is back to full strength after tearing his ACL last season in a win over Southern Miss.
Pegram is a good power back, who will bolster UNT’s running game. The Purdue transfer rushed for 338 yards and six touchdowns in eight games last season.
In other news and notes of the day …
– Dan McCarney said that he has not settled on a quarterback and talked a little about where UNT stands. The battle is still down to Andrew McNulty and Josh Greer.
“We are going to continue to evaluate,” McCarney said. “If it takes part of next week, fine. I don’t have a deadline and neither does [offensive coordinator] Mike Canales. It’s the same two that it has been all along. They have had really good camps. and have really improved. There is no magical time. I don’t feel like I have to announce it at the press conference Monday. We will announce it at the right time, when we have peace of mind, it’s been as fair as it can be and we can say ‘Let’s go.’ If this decision was easy, we would have made it a long time ago.”
The difficulty of the decision raises a host of questions, including if UNT could play both McNulty and Greer. McCarney wasn’t ready to eliminate that possibility.
“There is a possibility we play both whether it’s by design or whether we go with the flow of the game, who is struggling and who could give us a lift,” McCarney said. “We will get this finalized real soon. I just can’t tell you if it will be by the press conference.”
– UNT will get plenty of plays in during its mock game on Saturday to get an idea of where it stands at quarterback. The Mean Green will get in more than 100 plays.
“Tomorrow is a really important evaluation,” McCarney said. “What we are looking for is taking care of assignments, giving great effort and avoiding penalties.”
</article>
BigTymePlayer25
Pretty much a regular
Thanks press. I definitely lean toward the mean green at +24.
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
BY CARLOS MENDEZ
cmendez@star-telegram.com
TCU is going to use both Trevone Boykin and Matt Joeckel at quarterback in the season opener, coach Gary Patterson said.
Patterson said the coaches wanted to pick one following the second scrimmage, but instead have opted to use both, in part to keep season-opening opponent Samford in the dark.
<center style="padding: 0px; margin: auto; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; line-height: 13.55199909210205px; overflow: hidden; height: 0px; width: auto; max-width: 410px;">
</center>“Why let them prepare for a drop-back guy? Why let them prepare for just a guy that can run? Cause both are going to play,” Patterson said after practice Monday.
He said neither quarterback was as sharp in the second scrimmage as they were in the first — “both were 11 or 12 of 18,” he said — but that the offense operated well in the red zone and that the quarterbacks avoided sacks. He said there were four touchdowns and two interceptions from the No. 1 offense.
Patterson downplayed the idea of special packages for each quarterback, but agreed it’s no secret which quarterback is a classic thrower and which is a superior runner.
“They’ll run the same offense, but there are some running plays that the other guy does better,” he said. “Every run play has a pass off of it, so a taller guy has a chance of handling the pass part of it better than the run part of it sometimes.”
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/18/6051925/tcu-notes-boykin-joeckel-will.html#storylink=cpy
cmendez@star-telegram.com
TCU is going to use both Trevone Boykin and Matt Joeckel at quarterback in the season opener, coach Gary Patterson said.
Patterson said the coaches wanted to pick one following the second scrimmage, but instead have opted to use both, in part to keep season-opening opponent Samford in the dark.
<center style="padding: 0px; margin: auto; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; line-height: 13.55199909210205px; overflow: hidden; height: 0px; width: auto; max-width: 410px;">
</center>“Why let them prepare for a drop-back guy? Why let them prepare for just a guy that can run? Cause both are going to play,” Patterson said after practice Monday.
He said neither quarterback was as sharp in the second scrimmage as they were in the first — “both were 11 or 12 of 18,” he said — but that the offense operated well in the red zone and that the quarterbacks avoided sacks. He said there were four touchdowns and two interceptions from the No. 1 offense.
Patterson downplayed the idea of special packages for each quarterback, but agreed it’s no secret which quarterback is a classic thrower and which is a superior runner.
“They’ll run the same offense, but there are some running plays that the other guy does better,” he said. “Every run play has a pass off of it, so a taller guy has a chance of handling the pass part of it better than the run part of it sometimes.”
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/18/6051925/tcu-notes-boykin-joeckel-will.html#storylink=cpy
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
BY CARLOS MENDEZ
cmendez@star-telegram.com
Gary Patterson gave his blessing to a new offense.
It wasn’t easy.
Like a protective father, the veteran TCU head football coach didn’t find it comfortable letting go.
“It was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life,” he said the day before the first practice.
But it had to be done.
Watching his team go 6-12 in its first two years in the Big 12, and last year produce one of the lowest-scoring offenses in his almost two decades at TCU, convinced Patterson to pull the trigger on the idea he had been kicking around for a while.
He had to go uptempo. Like Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oregon.
And he had to go now. One more year was too long to wait.
“Truly a change in philosophy,” Patterson told the media audience at Big 12 Media Days in July.
He was in a good mood that day, but he doesn’t want to be in a good mood too much.
Patterson said he spent the past two years being positive — if he was perhaps buoyed by the entrance into the Big 12 of the program he built, who could blame him? — but now he wants to go back to his hard-to-please self.
He is sinking himself back into the defense, which is what has brought him this far — the nation’s seventh-winningest major college coach (.732 winning percentage).
“We’ve been here 17 years on defense,” he said.
The offense? He’s convinced it’s in good hands with his co-coordinators, former Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who put 70 points on Patterson’s Horned Frogs in 2004, and former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Doug Meacham, who steered Stillwater offenses with the likes of Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden.
“That’s one of the things that, if you really come down to it, the reason why you have to change offenses, you have to change because of recruiting,” Patterson said. “Whether we like it or not, perception becomes reality. We needed to keep some of the great wide receivers in the Metroplex here in the state of Texas. And quarterbacks.”
So Patterson let go.
“I don’t have anything to do with the offense besides talking to them about the depth chart, and I’ve done as much as I can within our practice schedule to make sure that they can practice exactly like this offense has ever practiced, so they can be successful,” he said.
It would have been easy for Patterson to stick to his coaching guns. In fact, it would have been a good guess. Coaches are as hard to turn as battleships when it comes to changing what’s worked. They might take close notes at a clinic. They might watch other teams. They might tinker in the spring.
But truly changing is hard.
“We all coached well enough to go to a Rose Bowl and win it,” Patterson said. “But this is one of the biggest mistakes coaches make: ‘It’s worked for me for 20 years.’ ” It’s kind of like in 2004 — we had the worst pass defense in the nation here at TCU. You go look at yourself in the mirror, and you go out and talk to people, and you tweak. We didn’t change everything, because we’ve been good on defense. ... And the next year, we led the nation, I think, with 46 turnovers or something like that.
“So you just keep evolving.”
The people around him didn’t necessarily see a changed Patterson following a 4-8 season. But evolving might be the right word.
“I think Coach Patterson’s a very progressive coach,” Meacham said. “I think he’s a really, really smart guy. He gets it. And I think that for whatever reason, in his mind, he felt like a change was needed. And Coach Cumbie and I happened to be the guys he chose.”
Veteran center Joey Hunt watched Patterson roll out what must have looked like an offensive game plan from space. But he instantly knew where Patterson was coming from.
“Coach P’s a winner. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win,” Hunt said. “There might be some risks. Ever since I’ve been watching TCU, it’s been more conservative — not the no-huddle. But the game’s changing. Coach P’s a good football coach, and he likes to win. So he’s going to change, too.”
Apparently, he did. With everyone’s blessing.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7407 Twitter: @calexmendez
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Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/22/6060786/a-tcu-evolution-patterson-puts.html#storylink=cpy
</center>
cmendez@star-telegram.com
Gary Patterson gave his blessing to a new offense.
It wasn’t easy.
Like a protective father, the veteran TCU head football coach didn’t find it comfortable letting go.
“It was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life,” he said the day before the first practice.
But it had to be done.
Watching his team go 6-12 in its first two years in the Big 12, and last year produce one of the lowest-scoring offenses in his almost two decades at TCU, convinced Patterson to pull the trigger on the idea he had been kicking around for a while.
He had to go uptempo. Like Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oregon.
And he had to go now. One more year was too long to wait.
“Truly a change in philosophy,” Patterson told the media audience at Big 12 Media Days in July.
He was in a good mood that day, but he doesn’t want to be in a good mood too much.
Patterson said he spent the past two years being positive — if he was perhaps buoyed by the entrance into the Big 12 of the program he built, who could blame him? — but now he wants to go back to his hard-to-please self.
He is sinking himself back into the defense, which is what has brought him this far — the nation’s seventh-winningest major college coach (.732 winning percentage).
“We’ve been here 17 years on defense,” he said.
The offense? He’s convinced it’s in good hands with his co-coordinators, former Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who put 70 points on Patterson’s Horned Frogs in 2004, and former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Doug Meacham, who steered Stillwater offenses with the likes of Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden.
“That’s one of the things that, if you really come down to it, the reason why you have to change offenses, you have to change because of recruiting,” Patterson said. “Whether we like it or not, perception becomes reality. We needed to keep some of the great wide receivers in the Metroplex here in the state of Texas. And quarterbacks.”
So Patterson let go.
“I don’t have anything to do with the offense besides talking to them about the depth chart, and I’ve done as much as I can within our practice schedule to make sure that they can practice exactly like this offense has ever practiced, so they can be successful,” he said.
It would have been easy for Patterson to stick to his coaching guns. In fact, it would have been a good guess. Coaches are as hard to turn as battleships when it comes to changing what’s worked. They might take close notes at a clinic. They might watch other teams. They might tinker in the spring.
But truly changing is hard.
“We all coached well enough to go to a Rose Bowl and win it,” Patterson said. “But this is one of the biggest mistakes coaches make: ‘It’s worked for me for 20 years.’ ” It’s kind of like in 2004 — we had the worst pass defense in the nation here at TCU. You go look at yourself in the mirror, and you go out and talk to people, and you tweak. We didn’t change everything, because we’ve been good on defense. ... And the next year, we led the nation, I think, with 46 turnovers or something like that.
“So you just keep evolving.”
The people around him didn’t necessarily see a changed Patterson following a 4-8 season. But evolving might be the right word.
“I think Coach Patterson’s a very progressive coach,” Meacham said. “I think he’s a really, really smart guy. He gets it. And I think that for whatever reason, in his mind, he felt like a change was needed. And Coach Cumbie and I happened to be the guys he chose.”
Veteran center Joey Hunt watched Patterson roll out what must have looked like an offensive game plan from space. But he instantly knew where Patterson was coming from.
“Coach P’s a winner. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win,” Hunt said. “There might be some risks. Ever since I’ve been watching TCU, it’s been more conservative — not the no-huddle. But the game’s changing. Coach P’s a good football coach, and he likes to win. So he’s going to change, too.”
Apparently, he did. With everyone’s blessing.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7407 Twitter: @calexmendez
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pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
Lot of stuff out of SMU, most of it bold prediction crap. That means "we ain't got squat", to me.
Matt Davis xfer there. Formerly of A&M bench fame. I was excited when he went to CS, but couldn't crack it. When Hill signed and Allen committed it was all he could take.
Some of the local fodder.
[h=1]3 key story lines[/h]1. Who will win the quarterback battle? Neal Burcham was labeled as ‘the guy’ after spring football, but that was before the Ponies added ex-Texas A&M quarterback Matt Davis. Burcham still has the upper hand at the moment since he’s been in the system and knows the playbook. Meanwhile, Davis has tons of upside but has never thrown a pass at the FBS level and doesn’t have very much time to learn what has been deemed a very difficult offense to pick up. In the end, Burcham will likely head into the season as the starter, but Davis could steal the job away by midyear.
2. Can the defense make major improvements? The simple answer is yes. SMU brings back all three starters along the defensive line, which was an area of concern a year ago. The Mustangs also have a couple of solid linebackers in Jonathan Yenga and Stephon Sanders and added Rice transfer Cameron Nwosu this offseason. According to June Jones, SMU is athletic as its ever been in the secondary. So the pieces are there, but it will be up to defensive coordinator Tom Mason to get the group back on track.
3. Will SMU bounce back and make a bowl? Well, we’ll see at the end of the season, but right now, the schedule just looks too tough. SMU opens up as a huge underdog at Baylor also has to face North Texas, TCU and Texas A&M in non-conference play. An 0-4 start is definitely not out of the question. Sure, the AAC isn’t the strongest conference in the world but Houston and UCF will be tough once again and SMU always seems to find a way to lose a game or two that it shouldn’t. Another 5-7 season looks to be in the cards.
Some key headlines:
[h=1]SMU impact freshmen: Trio of Dallas-area products will be in the mix for starting jobs[/h]
Three freshmen competing for starting jobs on SMU’s offensive line
Local products Evan Brown, Tony Richards and Chad Pursley have established themselves as contenders for starting jobs on the offensive line.
Brown, 6-3, 305, hails from Southlake Carroll; Richards, 6-5, 237, is from Highland Park; and Pursley, 6-4, 280, from Mansfield Legacy. Brown has worked with the starting group the past two days in practice.
“He’s the real deal, so he’ll get a chance to play,” coach June Jones said of Brown. “He’s real strong and he’s very smart. Pursley and Tony Richards look like they paid attention last week and know what to do. I’ve been impressed with them.”
Matt Davis xfer there. Formerly of A&M bench fame. I was excited when he went to CS, but couldn't crack it. When Hill signed and Allen committed it was all he could take.
Some of the local fodder.
[h=1]3 key story lines[/h]1. Who will win the quarterback battle? Neal Burcham was labeled as ‘the guy’ after spring football, but that was before the Ponies added ex-Texas A&M quarterback Matt Davis. Burcham still has the upper hand at the moment since he’s been in the system and knows the playbook. Meanwhile, Davis has tons of upside but has never thrown a pass at the FBS level and doesn’t have very much time to learn what has been deemed a very difficult offense to pick up. In the end, Burcham will likely head into the season as the starter, but Davis could steal the job away by midyear.
2. Can the defense make major improvements? The simple answer is yes. SMU brings back all three starters along the defensive line, which was an area of concern a year ago. The Mustangs also have a couple of solid linebackers in Jonathan Yenga and Stephon Sanders and added Rice transfer Cameron Nwosu this offseason. According to June Jones, SMU is athletic as its ever been in the secondary. So the pieces are there, but it will be up to defensive coordinator Tom Mason to get the group back on track.
3. Will SMU bounce back and make a bowl? Well, we’ll see at the end of the season, but right now, the schedule just looks too tough. SMU opens up as a huge underdog at Baylor also has to face North Texas, TCU and Texas A&M in non-conference play. An 0-4 start is definitely not out of the question. Sure, the AAC isn’t the strongest conference in the world but Houston and UCF will be tough once again and SMU always seems to find a way to lose a game or two that it shouldn’t. Another 5-7 season looks to be in the cards.
Some key headlines:
[h=1]SMU impact freshmen: Trio of Dallas-area products will be in the mix for starting jobs[/h]
Three freshmen competing for starting jobs on SMU’s offensive line
Local products Evan Brown, Tony Richards and Chad Pursley have established themselves as contenders for starting jobs on the offensive line.
Brown, 6-3, 305, hails from Southlake Carroll; Richards, 6-5, 237, is from Highland Park; and Pursley, 6-4, 280, from Mansfield Legacy. Brown has worked with the starting group the past two days in practice.
“He’s the real deal, so he’ll get a chance to play,” coach June Jones said of Brown. “He’s real strong and he’s very smart. Pursley and Tony Richards look like they paid attention last week and know what to do. I’ve been impressed with them.”
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
And to be fair to the other thread, I give you this.
Though Engel is kind of all over the map on this.
BY MAC ENGEL
tengel@star-telegram.com
There is no fan base enjoying its cake more than Texas A&M’s, which loves its master chef, Kevin Sumlin.
This a team that has had seven players arrested since the end of the 2013 season, but it’s all good in College Station.
Meanwhile, fans whine that TCU can’t win because Gary Patterson’s team is “full of thugs.” Patterson has had to boot a few of them off of his team. TCU was 4-8 last season.
Charlie Strong seems to be adding players to his roster at Texas with the intent of doing nothing but kicking them off the team.
Coach Sumlin, using the rhetoric winning coaches can easily dispense, is merely “taking care of his issues in-house.”
The Aggies are 20-6 in Sumlin’s first two seasons and 2-0 in bowl games. It bears repeating that in big-time sports, win absolves sin.
Coach Sumlin, just keep ’em fooled and the statue will be done here shortly no matter how long the Aggies‘ rap sheet grows. They have already given you a raise, an extension and a $450 million facelift for your stadium.
Whatever doubt people like me had about Sumlin and A&M’s ability to compete in the SEC have been answered. They can hang. And hanging in the SEC is good enough to win Texas.
These things are fluid, but until the Big 12 can get its stuff together and the boneheads in charge finally let A&M play Texas, the Aggies are the flagship football school in a football state. Baylor is the highest-ranked team from Texas — 10th — but the Bears’ loss to Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl left a sour taste and good reason to be skeptical.
When Sumlin arrived to College Station in 2012 his job looked like a losing proposition: a team that could not win the Big 12 was entering the brutal SEC. In Austin was Coach February, Mack Brown, the best recruiter in the nation.
One Johnny Football and one win at No. 1 Alabama later, and Sumlin sits atop Texas only having to deal with Art Briles and Baylor for state supremacy. The ’Horns will have a say in this matter once Coach Dismissal begins winning at UT.
Life after Johnny begins on Thursday when the No. 21 Aggies open at No. 9 South Carolina. Not that many people bet, but the Aggies are 11-point underdogs.
If you are so inclined, or if you’re a Longhorn, Red Raider, Sooner, Bear or Horned Frog, you can dissect Sumlin’s record and devalue each win.
The win at Alabama two years ago was a result of good timing. The SEC West has been relatively weak. The other teams in the SEC aren’t cheating well enough.
The arguments against Sumlin are moot. The Aggies have held up in the SEC.
How well they hold up without Johnny is a major concern, but for the past two years the best team in Texas has been Texas A&M.
This is a compliment to the Aggies and an indictment of the Big 12.
The conference is one of the top three in the country, but the gap between the SEC and the rest remains so wide that no Texas team in the Big 12 looks like it could do any better than what A&M has done thus far.
Like many of you, I am sick of the SEC’s holier-than-thou football arrogance. But that league’s football pompousness is deserved.
This season has all of the makings to be a letdown for Sumlin and the Aggies. Of course, we said the same thing two years ago.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/23/6063129/for-the-time-being-the-best-texas.html#storylink=cpy
Though Engel is kind of all over the map on this.
BY MAC ENGEL
tengel@star-telegram.com
This a team that has had seven players arrested since the end of the 2013 season, but it’s all good in College Station.
Meanwhile, fans whine that TCU can’t win because Gary Patterson’s team is “full of thugs.” Patterson has had to boot a few of them off of his team. TCU was 4-8 last season.
Charlie Strong seems to be adding players to his roster at Texas with the intent of doing nothing but kicking them off the team.
Coach Sumlin, using the rhetoric winning coaches can easily dispense, is merely “taking care of his issues in-house.”
The Aggies are 20-6 in Sumlin’s first two seasons and 2-0 in bowl games. It bears repeating that in big-time sports, win absolves sin.
Coach Sumlin, just keep ’em fooled and the statue will be done here shortly no matter how long the Aggies‘ rap sheet grows. They have already given you a raise, an extension and a $450 million facelift for your stadium.
Whatever doubt people like me had about Sumlin and A&M’s ability to compete in the SEC have been answered. They can hang. And hanging in the SEC is good enough to win Texas.
These things are fluid, but until the Big 12 can get its stuff together and the boneheads in charge finally let A&M play Texas, the Aggies are the flagship football school in a football state. Baylor is the highest-ranked team from Texas — 10th — but the Bears’ loss to Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl left a sour taste and good reason to be skeptical.
When Sumlin arrived to College Station in 2012 his job looked like a losing proposition: a team that could not win the Big 12 was entering the brutal SEC. In Austin was Coach February, Mack Brown, the best recruiter in the nation.
One Johnny Football and one win at No. 1 Alabama later, and Sumlin sits atop Texas only having to deal with Art Briles and Baylor for state supremacy. The ’Horns will have a say in this matter once Coach Dismissal begins winning at UT.
Life after Johnny begins on Thursday when the No. 21 Aggies open at No. 9 South Carolina. Not that many people bet, but the Aggies are 11-point underdogs.
If you are so inclined, or if you’re a Longhorn, Red Raider, Sooner, Bear or Horned Frog, you can dissect Sumlin’s record and devalue each win.
The win at Alabama two years ago was a result of good timing. The SEC West has been relatively weak. The other teams in the SEC aren’t cheating well enough.
The arguments against Sumlin are moot. The Aggies have held up in the SEC.
How well they hold up without Johnny is a major concern, but for the past two years the best team in Texas has been Texas A&M.
This is a compliment to the Aggies and an indictment of the Big 12.
The conference is one of the top three in the country, but the gap between the SEC and the rest remains so wide that no Texas team in the Big 12 looks like it could do any better than what A&M has done thus far.
Like many of you, I am sick of the SEC’s holier-than-thou football arrogance. But that league’s football pompousness is deserved.
This season has all of the makings to be a letdown for Sumlin and the Aggies. Of course, we said the same thing two years ago.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/23/6063129/for-the-time-being-the-best-texas.html#storylink=cpy
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
The Dallas Rag's Previews:
Baylor
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...g-big-12-champions-baylor-hungry-for-more.ece
UNT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...exas-faces-new-task-after-breakout-season.ece
OU
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...-sugar-bowl-for-spot-in-inaugural-playoff.ece
SMU
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...w-smu-football-tries-to-get-back-on-track.ece
UT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...era-begins-with-new-attitude-philosophies.ece
Ags
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ins-post-manziel-era-with-tall-task-ahead.ece
TT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ry-era-at-texas-tech-begins-with-optimism.ece
Baylor
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...g-big-12-champions-baylor-hungry-for-more.ece
UNT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...exas-faces-new-task-after-breakout-season.ece
OU
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...-sugar-bowl-for-spot-in-inaugural-playoff.ece
SMU
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...w-smu-football-tries-to-get-back-on-track.ece
UT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...era-begins-with-new-attitude-philosophies.ece
Ags
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ins-post-manziel-era-with-tall-task-ahead.ece
TT
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ry-era-at-texas-tech-begins-with-optimism.ece
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
“If the Aggies beat South Carolina on Aug. 28 by 10 points or more, the College Station Ashley Furniture HomeStore will write customers a check for the cost of any purchase made during its 12-day Kickoff Event, which kicks off Saturday and runs until Aug. 27, the day before the game,” Robert Cessna of The Eagle writes. “There is no minimum purchase necessary.”
ArizonaKid
Pretty much a regular
Press, I just heard about Aggie Great Darren Lewis...was just shocked and saddened to hear the news.
leading rusher in college football in 1990 and when his career ended he was the 5th leading rusher in the history of college football....still ranked in the top 20.
His bio may say 6th round draft pick but don't let that fool you...he failed a drug test for cocaine or he probably is a first rounder.
leading rusher in college football in 1990 and when his career ended he was the 5th leading rusher in the history of college football....still ranked in the top 20.
His bio may say 6th round draft pick but don't let that fool you...he failed a drug test for cocaine or he probably is a first rounder.
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
BY TRAVIS L. BROWN
Special to the Star-Telegram
For one of the few times this fall, TCU coach Gary Patterson was visibly upset Wednesday in front of the media with the way practice went.
The problem was the defense.
“We’ve just got a long way to go. We better not play like that or we’ll give up 40,” he said. The Horned Frogs open the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Samford at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
It wasn’t the worst practice of the fall, he said. It wasn’t even that bad.
It’s just the Wednesday of the opening week. The demeanor changed.
“It’s been OK,” he said. “We just didn’t practice very well today. It’s just little things. If our standard here was to be the 40th- or 50th-best defense in the nation, it was a great practice. If it was to shut them out, it was a bad practice.”
TCU has boasted the nation’s No. 1 defense five times under Patterson.
“That’s the standard,” Patterson said. “The eyes of the beholder are always different. I’m sure a couple of the freshmen thought they did OK. They probably thought it was pretty dang good. Coach P did not.”
Curry practices
Defensive tackle and Nebraska transfer Aaron Curry practiced for the first time Wednesday, working with the scout team. He will sit out the games this season per NCAA transfer rules.
The Keller Fossil Ridge alumnus played in 17 games with eight starts in two seasons at Nebraska.
“Obviously smart,” Patterson said of Curry, whom TCU recruited out of high school. “A guy that’s played a lot of Big Ten football. Physical. Can run. So we’re excited about it. Good student.”
Sullivan sidelined
Samford coach Pat Sullivan will miss the team’s game Saturday against TCU because of a complication from a surgery earlier this year.
Sullivan coached TCU from 1992-97. Sullivan asked TCU a few years ago about playing the game with the idea of a reunion with many of his former players. His 1994 team was co-champions of the Southwest Conference.
Sullivan had throat cancer several years ago and underwent surgery on his neck in April.
Freshman WRs
Patterson said the absence of freshman wide receivers Emanuel Porter and Corey McBride from the depth chart was a mistake.
The chart only lists the top two levels of the depth chart, and the two freshmen sit at third string.
Patterson said Porter and McBride will get their share of plays in the Frogs’ new offense.
“[Porter] and McBride are going to be right in the mix of everything,” Patterson said.
Briefly
• Former Arlington Bowie quarterback Keaton Perry, son of TCU cornerbacks coach Kenny Perry, practiced with the scout team Wednesday as a walk-on. Keaton Perry had two high school seasons at Bowie cut short because of knee injuries.
• Patterson said redshirt freshman cornerback Ranthony Texada separated himself from other candidates to start Saturday. But Patterson said he knows Texada will be picked on by Samford because of his inexperience.
• Because of an injury to junior offensive tackle Aviante Collins, Patterson said redshirt freshman guard Matt Pryor has been moved to the outside. When Collins returns, as early as the Minnesota game, the 6-foot-7, 350-pound Pryor will move back inside.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/0...ball-notes-patterson-fumes.html#storylink=cpy
Special to the Star-Telegram
For one of the few times this fall, TCU coach Gary Patterson was visibly upset Wednesday in front of the media with the way practice went.
The problem was the defense.
“We’ve just got a long way to go. We better not play like that or we’ll give up 40,” he said. The Horned Frogs open the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Samford at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
It wasn’t the worst practice of the fall, he said. It wasn’t even that bad.
It’s just the Wednesday of the opening week. The demeanor changed.
“It’s been OK,” he said. “We just didn’t practice very well today. It’s just little things. If our standard here was to be the 40th- or 50th-best defense in the nation, it was a great practice. If it was to shut them out, it was a bad practice.”
TCU has boasted the nation’s No. 1 defense five times under Patterson.
“That’s the standard,” Patterson said. “The eyes of the beholder are always different. I’m sure a couple of the freshmen thought they did OK. They probably thought it was pretty dang good. Coach P did not.”
Curry practices
Defensive tackle and Nebraska transfer Aaron Curry practiced for the first time Wednesday, working with the scout team. He will sit out the games this season per NCAA transfer rules.
The Keller Fossil Ridge alumnus played in 17 games with eight starts in two seasons at Nebraska.
“Obviously smart,” Patterson said of Curry, whom TCU recruited out of high school. “A guy that’s played a lot of Big Ten football. Physical. Can run. So we’re excited about it. Good student.”
Sullivan sidelined
Samford coach Pat Sullivan will miss the team’s game Saturday against TCU because of a complication from a surgery earlier this year.
Sullivan coached TCU from 1992-97. Sullivan asked TCU a few years ago about playing the game with the idea of a reunion with many of his former players. His 1994 team was co-champions of the Southwest Conference.
Sullivan had throat cancer several years ago and underwent surgery on his neck in April.
Freshman WRs
Patterson said the absence of freshman wide receivers Emanuel Porter and Corey McBride from the depth chart was a mistake.
The chart only lists the top two levels of the depth chart, and the two freshmen sit at third string.
Patterson said Porter and McBride will get their share of plays in the Frogs’ new offense.
“[Porter] and McBride are going to be right in the mix of everything,” Patterson said.
Briefly
• Former Arlington Bowie quarterback Keaton Perry, son of TCU cornerbacks coach Kenny Perry, practiced with the scout team Wednesday as a walk-on. Keaton Perry had two high school seasons at Bowie cut short because of knee injuries.
• Patterson said redshirt freshman cornerback Ranthony Texada separated himself from other candidates to start Saturday. But Patterson said he knows Texada will be picked on by Samford because of his inexperience.
• Because of an injury to junior offensive tackle Aviante Collins, Patterson said redshirt freshman guard Matt Pryor has been moved to the outside. When Collins returns, as early as the Minnesota game, the 6-foot-7, 350-pound Pryor will move back inside.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/0...ball-notes-patterson-fumes.html#storylink=cpy
pressitup
Leader of the Adult Humor Industry
Some UNT poop.
Probably late for many.
BY JOHN HENRY
Special to the Star-Telegram
North Texas will admittedly carry with it to Austin the edge of a romantic dealing with unrequited love.
“Texas passed up pretty much all of us,” quarterback Josh Greer said. “We want to prove to people that we believe we’re good enough to play on the same field as Texas.”
That’s the opportunity in front of North Texas, which boasts a more recent bowl game victory than the Longhorns. The Mean Green opens the season with Saturday night’s highly anticipated matchup with the Longhorns — ranked No. 24 in the coaches poll — at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
In addition to being a season opener, the game is the first for Texas under new coach Charlie Strong.
“The atmosphere will be crazy,” Greer said. “The big thing for us is to play. Be physical, don’t shy away from the competition. We know they’re a good team … well coached.
“That makes us prepare a little harder because we know we have to bring our best game. We’ve worked hard to make ourselves better.”
The Mean Green debuts a different-looking team than the one that won nine games last season and captured the third bowl victory in school history, a 36-14 triumph over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Returning are only nine starters, the second fewest in the nation. Yet, North Texas was picked to win the West Division of Conference USA.
Meeting those expectations will largely depend on how well Greer replaces Derek Thompson, the Heart of Dallas Bowl MVP. Greer, a transfer from Navarro College, won the starting job in fall practice over junior returning letterman Andrew McNulty.
“It’s been a tremendous battle,” said coach Dan McCarney, who begins his fourth season in Denton. “In evaluating quarterbacks, there are so many intangibles: character, leadership, toughness — mental and physical — integrity, are they coachable. Both of those guys have all kinds of those attributes.
“In the end Greer made more plays and was a little bit more consistent.”
Greer, an all-district performer at Arlington High who played under coach Scott Peach, initially signed with Alabama-Birmingham but left after one season, 2012.
In one season at Navarro, Greer passed for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns in six games, culminating the season by throwing for 253 yards and a touchdown in a 56-45 victory over Trinity Valley in the Southwest Junior College conference title game.
Greer, a sophomore who has three years of eligibility left, is a big guy at 6-foot-5 with a big arm who moves around the pocket well and who coaches say has a single-mindedness about studying opponents and film.
“We both took big strides in my eyes and became better quarterbacks,” Greer said of the competition in spring and fall camps. “The way I look at it, we have two guys who can step on the field and lead us to victory.
“We have two starting quarterbacks on our roster.”
The nerves that accompany playing in his first game on such a stage as UT will be somewhat calmed with the knowledge that he’ll play behind one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, led by senior Cyril Lemon.
Darius Terrell, a former Texas recruit who played in nine games for the Longhorns as a redshirt freshman in 2011, will be Greer’s big, possession target and one of four receivers in a talented corps.
“I didn’t really do it right the first time,” Greer said of his initial recruiting experience out of high school. “I wanted to go to a place where I could come in and compete for the starting job.
“But also with a team with a chance to succeed.”<iframe id="google_ads_iframe_/7675/FTW.site_star-telegram/Sports/College_3" name="google_ads_iframe_/7675/FTW.site_star-telegram/Sports/College_3" width="600" height="250" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;"></iframe>
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Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/29/6077951/new-look-north-texas-eager-for.html#storyl
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Probably late for many.
BY JOHN HENRY
Special to the Star-Telegram
North Texas will admittedly carry with it to Austin the edge of a romantic dealing with unrequited love.
“Texas passed up pretty much all of us,” quarterback Josh Greer said. “We want to prove to people that we believe we’re good enough to play on the same field as Texas.”
That’s the opportunity in front of North Texas, which boasts a more recent bowl game victory than the Longhorns. The Mean Green opens the season with Saturday night’s highly anticipated matchup with the Longhorns — ranked No. 24 in the coaches poll — at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
In addition to being a season opener, the game is the first for Texas under new coach Charlie Strong.
“The atmosphere will be crazy,” Greer said. “The big thing for us is to play. Be physical, don’t shy away from the competition. We know they’re a good team … well coached.
“That makes us prepare a little harder because we know we have to bring our best game. We’ve worked hard to make ourselves better.”
The Mean Green debuts a different-looking team than the one that won nine games last season and captured the third bowl victory in school history, a 36-14 triumph over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Returning are only nine starters, the second fewest in the nation. Yet, North Texas was picked to win the West Division of Conference USA.
Meeting those expectations will largely depend on how well Greer replaces Derek Thompson, the Heart of Dallas Bowl MVP. Greer, a transfer from Navarro College, won the starting job in fall practice over junior returning letterman Andrew McNulty.
“It’s been a tremendous battle,” said coach Dan McCarney, who begins his fourth season in Denton. “In evaluating quarterbacks, there are so many intangibles: character, leadership, toughness — mental and physical — integrity, are they coachable. Both of those guys have all kinds of those attributes.
“In the end Greer made more plays and was a little bit more consistent.”
Greer, an all-district performer at Arlington High who played under coach Scott Peach, initially signed with Alabama-Birmingham but left after one season, 2012.
In one season at Navarro, Greer passed for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns in six games, culminating the season by throwing for 253 yards and a touchdown in a 56-45 victory over Trinity Valley in the Southwest Junior College conference title game.
Greer, a sophomore who has three years of eligibility left, is a big guy at 6-foot-5 with a big arm who moves around the pocket well and who coaches say has a single-mindedness about studying opponents and film.
“We both took big strides in my eyes and became better quarterbacks,” Greer said of the competition in spring and fall camps. “The way I look at it, we have two guys who can step on the field and lead us to victory.
“We have two starting quarterbacks on our roster.”
The nerves that accompany playing in his first game on such a stage as UT will be somewhat calmed with the knowledge that he’ll play behind one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, led by senior Cyril Lemon.
Darius Terrell, a former Texas recruit who played in nine games for the Longhorns as a redshirt freshman in 2011, will be Greer’s big, possession target and one of four receivers in a talented corps.
“I didn’t really do it right the first time,” Greer said of his initial recruiting experience out of high school. “I wanted to go to a place where I could come in and compete for the starting job.
“But also with a team with a chance to succeed.”<iframe id="google_ads_iframe_/7675/FTW.site_star-telegram/Sports/College_3" name="google_ads_iframe_/7675/FTW.site_star-telegram/Sports/College_3" width="600" height="250" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;"></iframe>
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