State of North Texas Football maybe in better shape then some fans and maybe the coaches realize. In fact, against Florida Atlantic there were some good indicators it may be in better shape then most fans fear. It may no longer be a long thin green line.

With all the injuries to the starters it looked like the season was gone. The feeling by some fans was there was a shot at a no win season. However, the injuries look to be a blessing in disguise. When there is an action there is a reaction. There were two reactions to the injuries.

The first reaction was the surprise play of the backups who actually seemed to be playing better then the starters. This is an indicator at certain positions there is depth on the team and some players waiting in the wings are actually better then the starters. This is true not only on offense but on defense. For those fans that attended the annual spring game they got to see the backup talent in action and were not surprised by the play of the back-ups in the FAU game. They knew the backup talent was there. (A reason North Texas Fans should attend the spring game.)

The second reaction is the injuries forced the coaches to change the offensive game plan. There is no question Lance Dunbar is one of the best running backs in the nation. Add in James Hamilton and North Texas has one of the best running attacks since Patrick Cobb and Jamario Thomas. However, for the most part Dunbar has been used as a decoy for the passing game. With injuries at the quarterback position the coaches have turned more to the running game which has short-circuited “Dodge Ball.”

Running the ball is something offensive linemen love. They get to hit the defensive players as opposed to passing the ball where the defensive players get to push them around. The North Texas offensive line know when a running play is called they are going to get to hit some boys on the other side of the line and Dunbar or Hamilton can find the holes and get the yardage.

Running the ball is something defensive players love. For the most part they get to sit on the sidelines rested until the fourth quarter when they can give it their all. Passing the ball is exciting for the fans to watch but too many times the offense scores to quickly, or go three and out and in either case not much time runs off the clock. Either one extends the game putting the defense on the field for a long time. In the end they are tired and beat up and as a result many passing teams lose the games in the fourth quarter for this reason. The defense loves to see the offense go on long drives and chew up the clock which mainly is done by the running game.   

In the FAU game, North Texas ran the ball, keeping their defense on the sidelines resting while the FAU defense was wearing out.  In the end, the North Texas defense was fresh enough to stop the FAU offense in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. Running the ball sometimes is like playing defense and defense wins championships.  

Another item is Running Backs Coach Shelton Gandy has a group of studs on the field as well as waiting in the wings, (something fans at the spring game saw) maybe its time to utilized them. No one likes to mentioned injuries. But his group is deep enough to sustain an injury or two, can’t say that about the quarterback position.   

There is no question second year Defensive Coordinator Gary DeLoach has the defense playing better than a couple of years ago after his return. The defensive line has been solid at stopping the runs at the line of scrimmage.  They still need to work on pushing the offensive line into the back field to disrupt plays and stopping the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage.

The secondary has some work to do but at times this group has been a lot better defending the pass then in recent years. They have been playing better man coverage then before. They seemed to be more effective during the FAU game. Whether it is because they are becoming more effective playing the position or because North Texas used the running game more effectively against FAU, or both, they seemed more effective and were fresh enough to finish the game.

Running the ball taught the coaches two things. First, they do not have to depend on Dunbar to get the job done.  Defenses have been able to stack the line to stop Dunbar so they all focus on him and his style of running. Second, when defenses stop Dunbar, the coaches are confident Hamilton can come in with his style of running and confuse the defenses and break things open.

It should be clear to everyone, right now this is a running team not a passing one. If the coaches want to keep Riley Dodge healthy, they need to use the running game to keep the defense off Dodge. They need to limit plays where he runs the ball.

There should be no concern about using the running game because the FAU game proved Dunbar and Hamilton can do the job. The running game will open the passing game.

Special teams will be the Achilles heel for this team. Maybe the coaches should bring in the backups because the backups maybe better than the starters.