UNT head coach Todd Dodge said Monday that Joseph Miller will have an MRI on his knee today and later gave what is really bad news for the Mean Green. Miller, one of UNT’s starting defensive tackles, will miss two to four weeks after being injured in the Mean Green’s loss to Rice.
It’s never a good time to lose a player to injury, but this one seems particularly ill-timed heading into the Mean Green’s Sun Belt Conference opener against Florida International. UNT hasn’t had a whole lot of luck stopping anyone this year and will face a Golden Panthers team that will try to run the ball down its throats.
FIU beat Toledo last week when running backs Julian Reams and A’Mod Ned rushed for 75 and 51 yards, respectively. They combined for four rushing touchdowns. FIU has been terrible this season offensively, but appears to have found an identity running the ball.
UNT is giving up 172.5 yards a game on an average of 5.0 yards a carry.
Miller has just three tackles on the year, but UNT doesn’t have a whole lot of other options up front. UNT will likely turn to Jordan Scoggins or Troy Franklin, a pair of first-year players who have three career tackles combined, or Draylen Ross, a converted tight end who has four tackles in his first season playing defensive tackle.
Losing the experience Miller, a three-year letterman, brings is not going to help UNT’s cause against FIU.