When Todd Dodge took over at North Texas two years ago, the expectation was that offensive fireworks would quickly ensue.

Dodge rolled up points at Southlake Carroll and in his first stint at UNT as passing game coordinator in the early1990s.

As the third season of his tenure as UNT’s head coach begins today with the start of fall practice, Dodge will depend largely on a host of new players to finally help him fulfill that promise. Running back Cam Montgomery returns after rushing for 928 yards as a junior, but nearly all of the rest of UNT’s top offensive players are gone, including quarterback Giovanni Vizza and wide receivers Casey Fitzgerald and Brock Stickler.

Riley Dodge is in place as UNT’s quarterback, but whether he succeeds will depend largely on the development of the players around him.

UNT is looking to improve dramatically after finishing last in the Sun Belt with an average of 20.0 points a game, down from 24.8 in Dodge’s first season in 2007.

“We are definitely looking for playmakers,” Dodge said. “The loss of Casey will be a lot to make up for because the production that he brought to the table was historical, but you wouldn’t want our ball distribution to be as skewed as it was. We want to get the ball into the hands of a lot of different players.”

Fitzgerald caught 113 passes for 1,119 yards as a senior, while Stickler finished with 46 catches for 490 yards.

The problem was Fitzgerald and Stickler were about all UNT had in terms of threats in the passing game and every defensive coordinator the Mean Green faced knew it.

Dodge has said from the beginning that he wants to have a balanced attack. He expects to have the personnel this season to make that goal a reality, but will need a few players to step into unfamiliar roles to make that happen.

Former walk-on Alex Lott is the Mean Green’s top returning wide receiver after catching 26 passes for 201 yards.

UNT lost players who accounted for 73 percent of its receiving yards last season and will have to depend on a host of new players. The school is still waiting on the NCAA to rule on an appeal filed by Oklahoma transfer Tyler Stradford for immediate eligibility, but has two other players expected to make an immediate impact in place in Jamaal Jackson and Mike Outlaw.

Both are junior college transfers who showed flashes of potential during spring practice.

“We have a lot of receivers who can help us,” Outlaw said earlier this year. “We have slot receivers with good hands and young guys with potential. We should be all right.”

While UNT’s transfer trio is expected to lead the way, the Mean Green also has several options among its young receivers who were either bit players last season or are coming off redshirt years.

UNT needs Sam Roberson to break out after he finished with 12 catches for 76 yards last season. Desmond Brigham could also be an impact player after sitting out last season as a redshirt.

“We need Sam to step up and Alex is someone who will continue to contribute like he did last year,” Dodge said. “Breece Johnson had a nice spring. Des Brigham is real young, but has a ton of potential.”

UNT appears likely to lean heavily on Montgomery early in the season while its wide receivers settle in. The senior closed his junior year with seven straight games with at least 80 rushing yards, including a 130-yard game against Western Kentucky and a 122-yard outing against Arkansas State in the Mean Green’s season finale.

Montgomery will lead a stable of talented players at running back, perhaps the position UNT is deepest at heading into the season.

Lance Dunbar showed potential while rushing for 178 yards in five games before suffering a season-ending injury. Micah Mosley is also back after an injury shortened season.

“Cam is a proven commodity and so is Micah,” Dodge said. “We are really excited about what Lance Dunbar did in his brief stint last year. He is fully recovered. James Hamilton and Jeremi Mathis also give us a lot of versatility.”

UNT is hoping that mix will pay off in a breakout season offensively, one the Mean Green has been waiting for since Dodge’s arrival.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Ten questions

The following are 10 key questions North Texas faces heading into fall practice:

1.  Is Riley ready to go?

UNT will be breaking in a new quarterback in Riley Dodge this fall. Dodge was one of the top high school quarterbacks in the state at Southlake Carroll and knows UNT’s offense. The question is if he can quickly make the transition to the college game and stay healthy.

2. Will UNT’s special teams be better?

UNT was awful on special teams last season when the Mean Green had seven kicks blocked and finished last in the Sun Belt in kickoff returns (18.5 yards per attempt), punt returns (4.6 yards an attempt), PAT kicking (78.6 percent) and kickoff coverage (34.0 net yards). Shelton Gandy will take over the units and must make changes that produce results.

3. Will UNT’s defense improve?

It won’t matter what UNT does offensively if the Mean Green finishes last in the nation in scoring defense for a third straight year. This is defensive coordinator Gary DeLoach’s second season. Most expect the Mean Green to take a big step forward.

4. Is UNT’s offensive line as good as advertised?

UNT’s offensive line was a bright spot last season and all the starters return. The unit will have to carry the Mean Green’s offense early while its new skill position players adjust.

5. Will UNT’s wide receivers produce?

UNT has signed 15 wide receivers in the Dodge era, but has yet to see any emerge into a consistent threat. Some of the Mean Green’s Dodge era signees must produce.

6. Will UNT’s defensive line make some plays?

UNT finished last in the Sun Belt in sacks last season with 12 and signed five defensive linemen to help bolster its front seven. Those newcomers will have to make a difference.

7. Will experience help UNT’s secondary?

UNT had several young players in its secondary last year and watched them struggle. The Mean Green finished last in the Sun Belt with a whopping 275.5 passing yards allowed a game. Experience is supposed to help matters.

8. Will UNT take advantage of its running game?

UNT’s strength this season will be its offensive line and running backs. Cam Montgomery rushed for 928 yards last season and the Mean Green returns all of its starters up front. UNT is a throw-first team, but might be better served running the ball more.

9. Will UNT make some big plays?

Todd Dodge admitted that his team wasn’t very explosive last season when UNT had just 22 big plays (passes that cover at least 30 yards or runs that go for 20 or more). The Mean Green needs to increase that total dramatically.

10. Will the pressure get to UNT’s coaches and players?

UNT has to win this season to ensure the coaching staff returns for a fourth season. That is a lot of pressure for the team’s coaches and players to handle. UNT must avoid falling apart if it gets off to a slow start.

Filling the voids

UNT will have to replace several of its key offensive players this season. The following is a look:

Player   production

QB Giovanni Vizza       2,758 passing yards, 15 TDs

WR Casey Fitzgerald    113  catches, 1,119 yards, six TDs

WR Brock Stickler       46 catches, 490 yards, three TDs