University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Fall Camp Rewind
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, August 27, 2009, 9:28 p.m.
We finally made it. Its game week North Texas fans and kickoff against Ball State is T-minus seven days and counting. While the excitement the opening week is similar to that of Christmas Day, it's a good opportunity to look back at the fall camp that was for a bit before looking to the Cardinals.
The question marks swirling the North Texas fall camp were aplenty. We will start on the offense. First question and most obvious question is how did and will Riley Dodge perform?
If you like Dodge, then you we're happy with what he did. If you don't, there wasn't anything in the camp that changed your mind either. Dodge was solid, not great, but not bad enough to make you wonder about starting a redshirt freshman QB.
What I think Riley brings to the table we haven't seen, perhaps in 20 years, is a running game threat. It's up to the offensive line to keep him healthy and silence the critics who harp on nothing but his size, or lack there of.
There have been better lines to play for North Texas, but this one is so deep, and so experienced top to bottom, left to right, there aren't any holes. The big battle I expected between Kelvin Drake and Gabe Hollivay for the starting guard spot never materialized. Drake won it.
The battle I didn't expect to see was actually at the other guard spot. Coleman Feeley and Tyler Bailey had a downright war for the starting spot. I think the slight, I mean slight edge goes to Feeley. Credit Bailey for his coming back after a broken leg last season and giving Feeley all he wanted and then some.
The WR spot was and still is a big question mark. There is a lot of potential and what looks like playmaking ability. However the likely starting lineup of B.J. Lewis, Alex Lott, Jamaal Jackson, and Michael Outlaw has caught a combined 36 receptions among them.
The running back spot, zip, zero, nada worries. The stable is five-deep potentially and it starts with Cam Montgomery. Lance Dunbar surprised no one with his speed and playmaking ability this fall, who didn't know he had that after getting teased last season before his injury.
The offensive MVP of the fall is a split decision for me. I'm going Co-MVP's, B. J. Lewis and Kelvin Drake. Lewis stepped up in the absence of Tyler Stradford and was just consistent day in and day out. Drake surprised me with how strong he really was, shouldn't have doubted him, and that he hasn't missed a beat.
The defense starts at the line spot. The depth is there, the size is there, the results.....we are going to have to wait and see. I like what the JC transfers of Shavod Atkinson and Kelvin Jackson did. The biggest hurdle is getting heat to the QB. Can AK at 226 get to the QB? Can the other side produce consistent pressure on the QB? I feel better after the camp, but it's still an unknown.
The LB's were pretty stout. The usual names of Nwigwe, Penson, Robertson, and new addition Kylie Hill were steady. Two freshman really caught my eye this camp. Redshirt Jeremy Phillips and true freshman Daniel Prior. Both are big, big hitters who bring something different to the table. Remember those names.
The secondary, well I flat out love Royce Hill. Adryan Adams is a solid corner on the other side and the DaWaylon Cook and Ira Smith are a good duo at the safety spot. Neither one has started a D-I game though, a little worrisome.
Defensive MVP of the fall camp was Royce Hill in a landslide. He was just like quiet confident business man who took care of just that every day. Lockdown and Hill are going to be words joined at the hip this fall. Boo it.
All in all, the best part about the camp, it's over, nobody sans Antoine Bush suffered a serious injury, and the Mean Green's attitude heading into the season is the best it's been in four years.
The only way to erase the demons of the last two years is to win and this team is poised to do just that, just how many is anyone's guess though. But it's going to be fun.
