Tulsa World story about the Ponies

[BillBored]

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Sharing the load a key for Ponies
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
7/28/2003

Emergence of QB, WR should make SMU less predictable.
The pride and joy of SMU running back Keylon Kincade is his 2-year-old son, Keylon Jr.

Little Keylon attends games and has learned enough words to say "My daddy runs the football." The kid probably sounded like a broken record last season.

Kincade set an SMU single-season record with 327 carries and rushed for the third-most yards (1,279) in school history. That's the good news. The bad news is the Mustang offense was a one-trick pony.

SMU's passing game scared no one and defenses loaded up to stop the run. Kincade almost always was greeted by stacked fronts.

"It was four yards and a cloud of dust," said Kincade, who averaged 3.9 yards per carry. "Sometime you might get through that cloud of dust and sometimes you might not."

Coach Phil Bennett said the Mustangs, who ranked 113th nationally in scoring last season, cannot afford to be one-dimensional again.

"I thought we were too predictable," he said. "And I was the cause of that."

Bennett had good reason to play it close to the vest. He lost his top two quarterbacks (one joined an accounting firm and the other pursued a career in a rock band) prior to the start of last season, and leading receiver Chris "Comet" Cunningham sustained a season-ending injury.

Bennett, who was in his first year as a head coach, said it took him until midseason to determine who the team's playmakers were. One of them was quarterback Richard Bartel.

A former Cincinnati Reds farmhand, Bartel began the season as a backup to fellow freshman Tate Wallis. The Mustangs threw for more than 150 yards just once in the first seven games. Bartel started the final five games, completed 60.1 percent of his passes and led SMU to all three of its victories.

Bartel now is entrenched as the starter, Cunningham is healthy and the hope is they can stretch defenses to create more running room for Kincade.

Bennett wants Kincade to average more yards per carry and suspects the workhorse could get one-third fewer carries because the offensive load will be shared by others, in cluding change-of-pace running back John Fitzgerald.

In most seasons, SMU plays defense adequately enough to overcome offensive deficiencies. That wasn't the case last year, even though Bennett earned a reputation as a defensive whiz while coaching at Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Kansas State. The Mustangs ranked 86th nationally in total defense after ranking 22nd the previous year.

Linebacker Brian Bischoff wrote off last season as a get-to-know-you year in which players had to adjust to a new system. Kevin Garrett and Jonas Rutledge were billed as the WAC's best cornerback tandem, but were victimized by confidence-eroding plays early in the season (especially against Oklahoma State) and struggled to meet expectations. Garrett is in the NFL now, but Rutledge is back at a lighter weight and perhaps has regained the step he lost when he attempted to bulk up.

SMU allowed fewer first downs than any WAC team last season, but was often victimized by big plays. Bennett made staff changes that he hopes will help the defense. Coordinator Jim Gush, who tutored linebackers last season, is responsible for coaching the secondary. Former secondary coach Eric Roark is coaching defensive ends.

"I have always been a believer that the best place to coordinate from is the secondary," said Bennett. "The reason I say that is the secondary, that's the guys who have all the pressure. And you can be comfortable making a call. It's a lot different than asking the secondary coach 'what do you think about blitzing?' "

Bischoff and defensive tackle Allan Adami are defensive cornerstones. Adami should have been an all-conference player last season and has added 30 pounds of bulk, said Bennett.

Brad Bean, projected to start at the other defensive tackle position, will miss this season because of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.


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SMU Mustangs
Last year's record: 3-9 (3-5 WAC)
Returning starters: 16 (8 offense, 8 defense)
Upside: Coach Phil Bennett believes his team will be better after what he called ''a year of acclimation.''
Downside: It will be a bad omen if the Mustangs start the season 0-3 against Big 12 opponents Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma State. Bennett said OSU was the only opponent that dominated his team from start to finish last season.


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WAC Preview
The Tulsa World will preview each WAC school.

July 27
Boise St.
Fresno St.
Hawaii
Nevada
San Jose St.
Monday
Southern Methodist

Tuesday
Rice
Wednesday
UTEP
Thursday
Louisiana Tech

[SMUguy]

Great story - thanks BillBored!

Think the weight Jonas lost will make a big difference? Hope it didn't cost him too much strength.

[BillBored]

I don't mind if Jonas is leaner, just so long as he is meaner!

[Otto]

Is Fitzgerald now going by John instead of Johnnie?