University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Penalties Behind Both Mean Green Losses In '09
9/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
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| By Stephen Howard, Sept. 28, 2009 - 5:33 p.m. |
The North Texas defense was holding strong on Middle Tennessee's first possession on Saturday. They forced a 3rd and 1 from the MTSU 42 yard line, and a stop there would have ended the Blue Raider opening drive.
The Mean Green got the stop it was looking for, but a little yellow flag on the near sideline signaled an offside infraction that gave Middle a new set of downs. So, instead of punting to North Texas, MTSU found the endzone two plays later thanks to a frustrating and minuscule drive-saving call.
The Ohio and Middle Tennessee games are full of these seemingly innocuous penalties, the type of infractions that keep opponent drives alive and stall the North Texas offense.
As a matter of fact, I counted five defensive penalties in those two games that directly resulted in opponent points. There were also four offensive flags that stalled an NT drive, as well as a brilliant punt return for a touchdown called back.
I would argue the Bobcats and Blue Raiders are pretty good football teams. Good enough, actually, to win games on their own without North Texas stubbing its toe at crucial times.
Still, those games were decided by a total of 17 points. If half of those 10 flags were never thrown, North Texas would have decidedly won both of those games.
Don't believe me? Think we were getting blown out by MTSU, and just couldn't dig ourselves out of such a big first-half hole? Let's take a closer look.
Take away the opening drive flag that gave Middle Tennessee its first touchdown. MTSU would have punted, so that's seven points right there. Wipe out the block in the back penalty on Darius Carey's punt return for a touchdown - 14 points.
The Mean Green had three (that's right, three) offensive flags on three different 1st and 10 plays in the second quarter alone. NT stalled on each of those drives. Let's say that just one of those infractions is wiped away, and the Mean Green finds the endzone on one of those three drives. Now we're up to 21 points in a game in which we lost by 16.
Fast forward to the fourth quarter, where an MTSU 15-yard penalty and a five-yard tackle-for-loss had the Blue Raider offense against the ropes. That's when NT bailed Middle Tennessee out with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct flag, putting MTSU on the 24-yard line with a fresh set of downs. Well within striking distance of the endzone, Middle scored on the next play.
Without that call, North Texas probably forces a punt, which brings us to a total of 28 hidden points in the Middle Tennessee game alone.
The Mean Green ranks 74th in the nation with an average of seven flags for 60 yards each game. The frequency of those penalties has to decrease if North Texas is to take it's next step toward greatness.
