The big question is Riley Dodge and is he healthy and how is the quarterback situation? Since he did not participate in the scrimmage but only the warm-ups, the question still remains. Apparently, Dodge was pulled because of a sore arm. That is understandable and is a normal situation after a player breaks his arm and not able to get the reps he needs at this point.  He is not fully back but there is still plenty of time before fall ball and the season for him to heal.

There appears to be no concern for the coaches at this slot.  There is experience in the back up role with Nathan Tune and of course there is Derek Thompson. Thompson is making a push to get by Tune for the backup role and maybe knock Riley out of the starter’s role. From accounts, Thompson is doing exactly that.

He has zip on the ball and seems to have a command of what the new system is supposed to be doing. Thompson seems to be able to scamper out of situations or run the ball with mobility. In other words, he runs the ball pretty well.  He appears to be able to get the ball to the receivers with some accuracy and speed.

Running backs coach Shelton Gandy has his stable loaded and it appears he will not have to depend only on Lance Dunbar to carry the load. While Dunbar is expected to get the lead role, early high school transfer Brandin Byrd made a statement to Gandy with a 70 yard run for the only score of the scrimmage and it was with the third offensive unit. This kid has looked good through spring practice and is pushing for the back up role.

Canales looked to be running the same type of offense he ran at South Florida. It is designed to take advantage of the receiving capabilities of the tight ends. Most tight ends are used as blocking tight ends where they tie up the defender in front of him and hold him. They mainly are used to open holes for the running back or keeping the defense out for passing plays.

In spread type offense Canales uses they are more active in their roles. They act like they are going to be a blocking tight end by engaging the defender, but they quickly let go for a short pass. At times they simple go into the passing patterns. Other times, they go into motion, acting like a receiver then stay in to block or they may go out into the passing pattern. It keeps the defenders off balance trying to figure out what the tight end is going to do. It’s all about having a tight end that can deceive the defense. Right now, the way the North Texas tight ends have handled the new offense, they have some work to do. It is what is expected at this point but it is new to them but they need to start getting better from here.

At the receiver spot, slim Benny Jones looked good, getting some separation from the defenders and getting a catch. He really needs to get some bulk on or he will find the defenders pushing him around and out of his patterns. Tyler Stradford seemed inconsistent, catching some balls but missing others. He has the capability of being the big target North Texas needs. Greg Brown did get a nice catch from the tight end position.

Defensive Coordinator Gary DeLoach still has a lot of work to do with his unit. With the exception of the Byrd run, for the most part his defense was able to keep the offense out of the endzone. The problem was all three offensive units were able to move the ball on the defense. With the first and second units getting eight plays and the third unit getting five plays, the defense was aided by the limited amount of plays. Each unit got a crack at the ball three times.   

Big linebacker A.J. Penson leveled one of the receivers trying to evade his territory.

Defensive End Brandon Akpunka had a sack even though the blitz packages are not in.

Outcomes of most games are affected by the play of the special teams. North Texas special teams have a lot of work to do. Two field goals attempts were blocked. Several players were fielding punt returns but they looked tentative at what they were doing.Looks like the coaches are looking for someone to step up and take over the position. Some player can get some playing time by grabbing this spot. 

Observation from the cheap seats. The team seems to have upgraded itself at several skilled positions, quarterback, running back and defensive secondary. The offense seems to be about where it was last year but that is not bad. When looking at the NCAA stats for last year they were in the middle of the pack. The losses were more directly related to the defense and special teams.

As for the secondary, it looks as it is about where it was last year and that is bad. With the addition of several junior college players the secondary appears to have more depth which means they have room to grow and should get better. That is good news for safety coach Chuck Peterson and cornerback coach Carlton Buckels but the incoming JC are still getting adjusted to the North Texas defensive scheme. A few more practices and scrimmages will determine how much the secondary and thereby the defense has been upgraded. This is a critical part of a winning season.

Whoa to the special teams. If they play next season like they have in practice and scrimmage, they will be responsible for three or four losses. Maybe some incoming player in the fall will turn this unit around.

There is clearly more work to be done in all three phases of the game but there really is more talent on this team this year than last year so things should be getting better.