message to PK

[sam]

Tell me I am wrong now,last week I posted that SMU would lose another game because of the kicking game,little need I know that it would be the next game.We now have missed 4 extra points(most kickers don't miss that many in their career) the FG attempt never had a chance. Again our safety play was deplorable and we can now throw in a blocked punt that was returned for a TD (not the kickers fault).I also said many weeks ago that their were players on this roster that could play if given the chance yesterday we saw another one Trey Griffth(?) that came off the bench and had a great game.I will repeat my statement that this is the fault of coach bennett,he and he alone makes the decisions on the kickers and it is bennett that sees our safety making the same mistakes because lords knows I see him chewing his [deleted] every game.Something has to be done,this could have been a good team.

[SMUPonyFan]

Trey had a great game. In fact he was one of the only ones. But check your facts. He has had many oppurtunities to make plays. He has had several passes thrown to him which he has dropped. In the Hawaii game a ball almost hit him in the back because he never turned and looked for it. That is not the fault of Bennett. That is Trey's fault. He finally broke out today, but he has had many oppurtunities previous to today.

[SMUguy]

No, this was not going to be a good team, whether it was coached By Coach Bennett, Steve Spurrier or Tom Osborne. It will be in the future, when he has his own players. There are numerous holes in the starting lineup (between the players with talent) and there is almost zero depth. This wasn't going to be a great team this year, and we all knew it. It was exciting, since, we were envigorated by the arrival of a new coach, new system, etc., after years of Cavan Rule, but this is a building process.

And exactly what do you accomplish by calling out PK? He's one of many who have supported this team loyally, and he's among the best PonyFans on this board. Does calling out PK make you feel smart? We all know the kicking game has struggled this year. Thanks for helping with that insight.

[Corso]

Not so fast my friends!
SMUguy, sam, etc.: this site doesn't need meaningless finger-pointing. We're here to support the Mustangs in every way. Take that stuff to the other board - if it works.
Go Mustangs! Beat Nevada!

[SMUguy]

You're right, Corso. My apologies - to sam and to the rest of the PonyFans.

[PK]

Answers to sam...

<B>Tell me I am wrong now,last week I posted that SMU would lose another game because of the kicking game,little need I know that it would be the next game.We now have missed 4 extra points(most kickers don't miss that many in their career) the FG attempt never had a chance.</B>

sam, I have to admit that I have no idea what most kickers do over their career in regards to PAT’s, but I do know that there are two other people involved in any kick…the center and the holder. I wasn’t at the game and only heard it on the radio and must admit that I have no memory of the missed PAT so if it was the kicker’s fault, I’ll take your word for it. As for the missed field goal, it was a 38 yard attempt, if I remember correctly, which is pretty long for our kicker, yet from what the announcers said, it was high enough and long enough, but unfortunately wide of the goal. We talk about Mc Murtray’s strong leg, but most of the time he does not get the kickoff into the end zone…and that is with a running start at the ball. With a field goal you get what? Two steps…three? I’m not sure either of our kickers is as good as we need.

<B> Again our safety play was deplorable and we can now throw in a blocked punt that was returned for a TD (not the kickers fault).I also said many weeks ago that their were players on this roster that could play if given the chance yesterday we saw another one Trey Griffth(?) that came off the bench and had a great game.I will repeat my statement that this is the fault of coach bennett,he and he alone makes the decisions on the kickers and it is bennett that sees our safety making the same mistakes because lords knows I see him chewing his [deleted] every game.</B>

Once again, I will reiterate, we do not know what the kids are doing in practice, performance wise or attitude wise. Bartel admitted that he was not doing what he should have been doing until just recently. Earlier in the fall at practice, if he wasn’t taking the snap, he wasn’t paying attention. Then recently he saw the light and he started paying attention and spending time studying the game films to see what worked and what didn’t and basically applying himself better. How many other players need to see the same light? I don’t know.

Bennett is not Lou Holtz or Bear Bryant or Bill Snyder or any other famous head coach…at least not yet. This is only his first year as a head coach and surely you know that being a head coach is not just a matter of wearing a different hat. He has made mistakes and admits it…he will make more, but I still believe that ultimately he is going to be a good head coach and the day will come that we will all be worried someone is going to steal him away from us.

<B>Something has to be done,this could have been a good team.</B>

This is still a reasonably good team, but we are not great across the board. Our worst problem is the relative small size of our players compared to the other teams that we play and that does make a difference. Statistically, we played a better game than did Rice, but it doesn’t take too many mistakes or just plain bad luck (Cardwell slipping) to ruin your best efforts.


[This message has been edited by PK (edited 10-28-2002).]

[click]

PK, I'm going to jump in here and clear a few things up.To start with on Chris's kickoffs many travel in or near the end zone the reason they do not all travel in the end zone is because he is only allowed to step off 5 yards, most kickoff guys step off 10 yards on the kickoffs but he is not allowed so he kicks it the 65 or 70 yards with the 5 step drop,if he does not pick it clean then it will be the 60 yarder. I'm going to disagree with you on his leg strength he kicked a 42 yard fg when he was a freshman in HS a 55 yarder when he was a junior and 3 over 45 when he was a senior. His freshman year here he kicked a 52 yarder in fall camp and two over 45 and this spring he was 6 of 7 with a 47 yarder,he had a great fall after they got the holder and snapper worked out.I don't know why he was pulled after missing the one field goal.I might also add the last two years in high school he never missed an extra point and he has not missed one here either. I don't always agree with the posts here,and I do not post often but I could not let your comment go uncontested. Thanks Go Mustangs

[PK]

Thanks Click for the info on McMurtray. I wasn't trying to be unfair to Chris. Like I've said all along, I don't know what goes on at practice and I definitely don't know what goes on in the coach's meetings...therefore, like most of the rest of us, I can only speculate as to why certain decisions are made.

Blackistone had an article last week-end I believe in the DMN that has some interesting comments from Bennett in it. I believe that article is going to be posted soon on PonyFans' home page. It makes for interesting reading.

[Guest]

PK, I don't think I've seen him miss a PAT...has he really not ever missed one?