Blog Article

The Defensive Revolution That Could Finally Transform North Texas Football

Mark Haines on April 8, 2025

College football programs that can’t stop opponents from scoring, like North Texas, are doomed to mediocrity.

North Texas has been the perfect case study of this football truth for years—an offensive juggernaut repeatedly undermined by a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed. The Mean Green’s 2024 campaign told the familiar tale: a 6-7 overall record (3-5 in AAC play) that ended with a 30-28 loss to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl, another shootout that slipped through their fingers.

But everything could change in 2025.

The Hiring Decision That Could Alter The Program’s Trajectory

One man stands at the center of North Texas’s potential transformation.

Skyler Cassity, a 30-year-old defensive mastermind hired in December 2024, arrives in Denton with credentials that should excite even the most jaded Mean Green supporters. His 2024 Sam Houston defense ranked:

20th nationally in total defense
11th in pass defense
21st in scoring defense (21.0 PPG)
Top 10 in third-down stops, red zone defense, and fourth-down conversion rate

What makes Cassity’s arrival truly compelling isn’t just his statistical success—it’s his proven ability to engineer rapid defensive turnarounds.

At Sam Houston, he transformed a 3-9 team in 2023 into a 9-3 contender in 2024, with defense as the cornerstone. Before that, he built back-to-back top-35 FCS defenses at Abilene Christian (2022-23), establishing himself as one of college football’s brightest young defensive minds with each stop.

The question isn’t whether Cassity knows how to build an elite defense—he does.

Why North Texas Has Been Stuck In Football Purgatory

Offensive brilliance and defensive incompetence create the perfect recipe for entertaining yet frustrating football.

Under head coach Eric Morris, an Air Raid disciple now entering his third season, the Mean Green offense has been nothing short of spectacular:

33.5 points per game (23rd nationally)
488.8 yards per game (top 15 in FBS)
328.2 passing yards per game
Multiple dynamic playmakers led by WR Damon Ward Jr.

However, while the offense soared, the defense sank to embarrassing depths:

34.2 points allowed per game (119th in FBS)
460.5 total yards allowed per game
A red zone touchdown rate among the worst nationally
Seven games allowing 35+ points

These defensive failures became so glaring that Morris fired defensive coordinator Matt Caponi in November 2024, elevating Brian Odom to interim DC. Even that midseason shake-up produced only marginal improvements—not nearly enough to prevent another 30-point defensive surrender in the bowl loss.

North Texas had become the football equivalent of a sports car with no brakes.

The Cassity Defensive System: Why It Could Work In Denton

Skyler Cassity’s defensive approach centers on creating chaos through disguise and discipline.

His preferred 3-3-5 base alignment is engineered to counter the spread offenses dominating the American Athletic Conference. The system features:

Multiple fronts that create pre-snap confusion
“Creeper” pressures that disguise which four defenders are rushing
An emphasis on aggressive turnover creation (his Sam Houston team forced 22 turnovers in 2024)
A “Nickel” position that serves as the defensive lynchpin

What separates Cassity’s defensive philosophy from other aggressive systems is how he balances exotic pressure packages with fundamental discipline. His Sam Houston defense held nine of twelve opponents under 21 points last season—proving his system isn’t just about forcing turnovers but also about preventing scores.

The transformation North Texas is attempting is ambitious but historically possible.

Who’s Going To Lead The Offense In The Post-Chandler Morris Era?

Quarterback competitions create fascinating camp storylines.

With Chandler Morris departed, North Texas faces an intriguing battle between two very different signal-callers:

Reese Poffenbarger: A Miami transfer with Power Five experience but known for streaky play
Chris Jimerson Jr.: A talented freshman dual-threat with tremendous upside but limited experience

Whoever wins the job will operate Eric Morris’s proven Air Raid variant—an offensive system that has demonstrated it can produce regardless of personnel. The quarterback will have weapons, including:

Tulane transfer RB Shaadie Clayton-Johnson
Sam Houston transfer WR Simeon Evans
Returning receivers Landon Sides and Miles Coleman
An experienced offensive line featuring multiple transfers

The offensive foundation remains solid, but ball security must improve after Chandler Morris’s 13 interceptions in 2024 proved costly in several close defeats.

North Texas might not need its offense to score 40 points every game if Cassity’s defense delivers as promised.

The Personnel Pieces That Could Make Cassity’s Defense Work

Defensive schemes succeed or fail based on having the right players in the right positions.

Cassity’s 3-3-5 defense requires specific personnel types, and the 2025 roster appears to have promising building blocks:

Defensive Line: Terrell Dawkins and Breylon Charles project as disruptive edge players, with Roderick Brown anchoring the interior
Linebackers: Kevin Wood returns after being one of the team’s top tacklers, joined by Auburn transfer Larry Nixon III
Secondary: Ridge Texada brings experience at cornerback, while Jaden Moore shows promise at safety
The Critical “Nickel”: C.J. Nelson, a hybrid defender with coverage skills, projects to fill what many consider the most important position in Cassity’s system

According to internal team projections, the defense aims to make dramatic statistical improvements:

From 119th to top 60 in points allowed
From 120th to top 70 in yards allowed
From 96th to top 40 in turnovers gained
From bottom 25 to top 50 in red zone touchdown percentage
From 105th to the top 50 in third-down stops

Even moderate defensive improvement could dramatically change North Texas’s fortunes in 2025.

Why 2025 Is A Make-Or-Break Year For Eric Morris

Head coaches who can’t build complete programs eventually update their resumes.

For Eric Morris, 2025 represents a pivotal year in his tenure. He has already established his offensive credentials but must prove he can develop a balanced program to compete for conference championships. His decision to hire Cassity signals a recognition that defensive improvement is imperative for North Texas to take the next step.

The ceiling for this team appears to be 8-4 with dark horse potential in the AAC, while the floor sits at 5-7 if the defensive transformation doesn’t materialize quickly enough. According to program insiders, the most likely outcome is a 6-6 or 7-5 finish that shows signs of long-term stability.

What makes North Texas fascinating heading into 2025 is that this isn’t a traditional rebuild—it’s a strategic reset. The offensive foundation remains solid, with a proven system and talented skill players. The special teams unit looks competent with additions like kicker Noah Rauschenberg and punter Lucas Dean.

The X-factor is Cassity and his defensive revolution.

The Bottom Line On North Texas’s 2025 Outlook

One defensive coordinator can’t change a program’s identity overnight, but Skyler Cassity might be the exception.

His track record suggests he’s capable of engineering rapid transformations, and North Texas has invested in providing him the personnel needed to implement his system. If his approach translates to the FBS level as it did at his previous stops, the Mean Green could quickly evolve from AAC afterthought to conference contender.

For a program that has tantalized fans with offensive fireworks but frustrated them with defensive collapses, 2025 represents an opportunity to finally find balance. The pieces are in place for a breakthrough season that could redefine North Texas football’s identity.

After years of one-dimensional football, North Texas may finally have found its missing piece.

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Week 11’s Hidden Gems: Why the Computers Love Indiana (-14.5) and Doubt Georgia (-2.5)

Mark Haines on November 7, 2024

College Football’s Week 11 Hidden Gems

Every Thursday afternoon, I lay out the games that have caught my analytical eye – the matchups where the numbers whisper something different than the conventional wisdom shouts. This week, I’m focused on three contests that feel like finding mispriced assets in an efficient market: Indiana, that offensive juggernaut masquerading as a No. 8 team, laying 14.5 points against Michigan’s statistical regression to mediocrity; Ole Miss, where the computers suggest Georgia’s dynasty might be vulnerable, priced at just +2.5 at home; and undefeated Army, dominating opponents by four touchdowns per game yet valued as mere 5.5-point favorites against North Texas’s explosive offense. Compare these picks with what you’ll hear on the Targeting Winners Podcast (dropping every Friday afternoon on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you consume your gambling insights) and make your own calls. In a sport where everyone claims to know what will happen next, sometimes the best strategy is following where the numbers – not the noise – lead you.

Michigan at No. 8 Indiana

In the grand theater of college football, where narratives shape reality as much as the numbers that describe it, there’s something deliciously compelling about Indiana’s position heading into Week 11. The Hoosiers, those perennial Big Ten afterthoughts, find themselves winning and dominating – the kind of dominance that makes the spreadsheet jockeys at FanDuel set a -14.5 point spread against Michigan. Yes, that Michigan.

The analytics tell a story that would have seemed unthinkable just months ago. Under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana’s offense isn’t just good – it’s third in the nation, averaging 47 points per game. This kind of statistical anomaly makes you wonder if someone’s Excel formula has gone haywire. But no, the Hoosiers are genuinely reshaping the geometry of Big Ten football. At the same time, Michigan’s offense has become a case study in regression to the mean, ranking an almost incomprehensible 116th nationally in scoring.

The quants have spoken, and their computers have run 20,000 simulations of this matchup. In 86.9% of these digital futures, Indiana emerges victorious. If you’re wondering what this looks like in real numbers, that’s 17,380 victories to 2,620 losses. The machines think Indiana will win by 16.8 points, enough to cover the spread and then some.

But here’s where it gets interesting: The betting public, those eternal skeptics of sudden transformation, are still showing traces of doubt. While 66% of bets are riding with Indiana to cover, there’s a stubborn 34% clinging to the idea that Michigan will either pull off the upset or keep it within two touchdowns. It’s the kind of contrarian betting behavior that usually signals either prescience or delusion – and we won’t know which until Saturday afternoon.

Indiana’s perceived slight in the College Football Playoff rankings is the most fascinating subplot. Despite being undefeated, they sit at No. 8, with the committee pointing to their 82nd-ranked strength of schedule like accountants finding a rounding error in the books. Their best wins? Washington and Nebraska, both 5-4. It’s the kind of resume that makes the traditional powers smirk – until they face this offensive juggernaut beating FBS opponents by nearly four touchdowns per game.

Followers of the Targeting Winners Podcast know that betting against momentum like Indiana’s is akin to fighting the tide. The analytics give them an 86.5% chance of making the playoff, projecting 11.3 wins this season. Meanwhile, Michigan is projected for just 6 wins – the number that makes you wonder if someone accidentally divided by two.

When CBS’s cameras roll at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll witness either the continuation of Indiana’s improbable ascension or a reminder that football, like markets, can correct violently and without warning. The smart money – and the machines – are betting on the former.

But then again, that’s why they play the games.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss

There’s a peculiar beauty in watching markets adjust to new information, and that’s exactly what we’re witnessing in Oxford this week. The mighty Georgia Bulldogs, winners of 11 of their last 12 against Ole Miss, arrive as mere 2.5-point favorites. The spread makes you wonder if the bookmakers know something the rest of us don’t.

The analytics paint a picture that would have seemed absurd just weeks ago. The SP+ model, that grand attempt to quantify college football’s “most sustainable and predictable aspects,” has Ole Miss winning 28-26. In predictive models, this is the equivalent of a Wall Street quant suggesting that a blue-chip stock is about to underperform. The computers have run their simulations 20,000 times, and in 53.9% of these digital futures, the Rebels emerge victorious. It’s a razor-thin margin that suggests we’re witnessing something approaching perfect market efficiency in college football odds.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Ole Miss has been manufacturing points like a tech company manufactures growth statistics, ranking sixth nationally by averaging 23 points better than its opponents. Georgia, meanwhile, has been merely mortal, outperforming its competition by 11.7 points—the kind of regression that makes defensive coordinators wake up in cold sweats.

The most fascinating subplot in all this is the efficiency metrics. Ole Miss’s defense – yes, their defense – ranks third in FBS by surrendering just 0.192 points per play. It’s the kind of statistical anomaly that makes you double-check your spreadsheets. Georgia’s offense sits at a respectable 15th nationally, allowing 0.286 points per play. However, in the zero-sum game of elite college football, being merely “respectable” is often a predictor of impending doom.

The betting markets, efficient processors of public sentiment, show a slight lean toward convention—55% of bets are riding with Georgia. It’s as if the market can’t quite bring itself to believe what the numbers tell it, like investors holding onto a falling stock because they remember its glory days.

For those following the Targeting Winners Podcast, this game represents a classic conflict between narrative and numbers. The narrative says Georgia is still Georgia, still the team that demolished these same Rebels 52-17 last year in Athens. The numbers, however, tell a different story.

Carson Beck’s 11 interceptions loom over this game like a credit default swap in 2008 – a hidden risk that could suddenly become visible. Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart just finished carving up Arkansas for 515 yards and six touchdowns, the kind of performance that makes predictive models recalibrate their assumptions in real time.

When ABC’s cameras go live at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll watch more than just a football game. We’ll be watching a market correction in real-time, a test of whether the traditional power structures of college football can withstand the assault of pure statistical efficiency. The FPI gives Georgia an 83.5% chance of making the playoff, while Ole Miss sits at 61.1%—numbers that could shift dramatically based on three hours in Oxford.

The smart money – and the machines – say Ole Miss by a field goal or less. In a sport increasingly dominated by data, sometimes the most radical act is simply believing what the numbers tell you.

No 25 Army at North Texas

In the efficient college football betting market, a price discovery problem occasionally emerges that makes you question everything you think you know about value. Consider Army, undefeated and ranked 25th, favored by merely 5.5 points against North Texas. The spread makes you wonder whether the market has identified a fundamental flaw in Army’s pristine record or if we’re witnessing a massive pricing error.

The numbers tell a story of two teams operating in entirely different realities. Army’s outscoring opponents by 26.6 points per game – the margin that typically commands double-digit spreads. But here’s where the market gets interesting: six of their seven FBS victories have come against teams with losing records. It’s like a hedge fund posting impressive returns while trading only the most predictable securities.

Enter North Texas, the Mean Green chaos merchants of the American Athletic Conference. They possess the conference’s highest-scoring offense, the statistical outlier that makes Army’s defensive metrics look like they might have been compiled in a different era of football. Their quarterback, Chandler Morris, just finished dissecting Tulane’s defense for 449 yards on 38-of-57 passing – the kind of efficiency that makes option-based teams break out in hives.

The betting market has priced this game like a tech stock during earnings season – volatile and uncertain. Army sits at -186 on the moneyline, which translates to an implied probability that seems almost quaint given their perfect record. The Black Knights are 6-0 as favorites this season, the kind of trend that typically makes sharps salivate. But North Texas, at +153, has shown a propensity for violence against point spreads, covering four times in eight attempts.

This game represents a classic market inefficiency for those following the Targeting Winners Podcast. Army’s backup quarterback engineered a 20-3 victory over Air Force, while Morris and company have treated defensive coordinators like day traders during a flash crash.

The total is 63.5, which suggests the market expects North Texas to dictate the tempo. This is a reasonable assumption considering Morris’s recent performance: 449 yards against Tulane, the kind of number that makes service academies reconsider their defensive philosophies.

When ESPN2’s cameras go live at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll witness either a market correction or a confirmation that sometimes perfect records are less valuable than they appear. Army coach Jeff Monken might get his starting quarterback Daily back, but in a game where North Texas treats passing yards like venture capitalists treat revenue growth, it might not matter.

The computers and the sharps seem to be telling us that Army’s undefeated record is about to face its strongest stress test yet. In a sport increasingly dominated by offensive efficiency, sometimes the best bet is against perfection.

Who are you picking this week? Comment here.

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