They call this sunshine?

[Charleston Pony]

I thought this was the sunshine board? Why so much doom and gloom? I'm just thankful I didn't put a bet down on SMU (that point spread was tempting). My Clemson friends reminded me that TTech was a much improved team from the one we played tough last year.

I figure that's one in the L column, just as I expected. The blowout is disappointing, but I will bet we aren't the only victim of a lopsided score in a TTech game this year.

I said coming into this season that we have to be patient. I expect it will be tough for Bennett not to pull the redshirts off some of last year's recruits, especially if we continue getting blown out...but you've got to stay the course. Things WILL get better, but 4 wins with this year's schedule will be a big improvement over last year. September will be rough, but those WAC East games are coming. Take a look at how the WAC fared yesterday (that composite score will REALLY be ugly) and remember that once we get into our WAC schedule, the sun will shine again.

As far as our competing against Big XII schools, might want to give that another 2-3 years to happen.

[HixsontoLeVias]

..wait till next year..wait till next year...wait till next year..sorry, tired of it. Are ALL you "experts" telling me that CAVAN absolutely recruited ZERO players? You mean NOBODY who has a JR or SR next to their name can play? I DON'T buy it...My MAIN problem, the last 7=10 years..we ARE NOT EVEN THE LEAST BIT COMPETITIVE..at least the Rossley teams were FUN to watch and were COMPETITIVE...'92 season..#18 NC game, Tie w/ A$M, Wisconsin game, etc., etc..I know, I know, we were 2-7-2, 1-9-1, 1-10, THAT SUC***, but, when I went to the games, I HAD hope..now, we are terrible, flat out uncompetitively TERRIBLE, YES, I DID NOT expect to beat tech, but 58-10, come on!!!!

[PonySnob]

I agree with you 100%!

[McAndless]

I also agree with HixsontoLevias.

So much has been made about the way Bennett recruits, blah blah blah... I recall SMU having the top defense in the WAC under Eric Schumann. My point? Cavan's inability to hire the appropriate offensive coordinator led to his departure. It wasn't that they could not recruit, that was just another easily pointed finger at Cavan's program. Off the top of my head I cannot remember any of those teams getting drummed this badly. Arkansas was a top 20 team in '99 and only won by 26 because SMU could not score.

I'm not saying rehire Cavan, nor do I want to bash Bennett, but obviously something is painfully wrong on the Hilltop and I'm tired of waiting until next year.

Dennis Franchione took over a TCU team that was 1-10 and the next year they were celebrating a bowl win. Did he need time to recruit better players? Of course not, he was just a damn good coach that got on a level with his players and they would do anything to win for him. I personally don't buy, "let's give him time" especially while in the second year, we open the season and get thoroughly embarrassed.

Good luck this week.

[KnuckleStang]

A loss is a loss, whether you lose 18-17, or 58-10. I agree with CP, I am thankful it only counts as one loss.

I'm not sure what you guys expected. You amuse me. The offense we played "tough" last year at Ford was light years away from the Tech offense that scored 50+ on Clemson in the bowl game at the end of the year. This was partly a result of them taking us lightly. Tech AVERAGED over 49 points a game at home last year, and have only lost 2 guys. I see no reason to expect SMU to stop their offense, when 4 Big 12 schools, an ACC school, and an SEC school could not last year. Symons was a question mark before the game, but not anymore.

We're 0-1. We have a legitimate shot to start the season 2-2, which is all I've been asking for all along, an improvement over last year. Those of you who are "fed up" and "tired of it," and are tired of hearing excuses for Bennett, and simply must see your Mustangs win-win-win now, I'm afraid that's probably not going to happen this year. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable at a TCU game, they're winning now, go root for them. They may even go undefeated this year, because they play the 116th-most-difficult schedule in the nation. Have fun.

I don't like to hear "wait until next year" either. But until something good happens, I'm going to support my team. If that makes me a sunshiner, I guess guilty as charged. When we start winning in a couple years, come on back, I promise I won't make fun of you for being a fair-weather fan or anything. Being an SMU fan is not for everybody.

[FloridaMustang]

Amen KStang. I don't understand these unrealistic expectations some of you have. We weren't SUPPOSED to win this game. We WERE supposed to beat Navy. Bennett has been here two years and brought in two solid recruiting classes (with the third looking great as well). REBUILDING A PROGRAM TAKES TIME. Give the guy a break. SMU fans have no patience, perhaps with good reason-- but Bennett is the real deal. IF you expected a winning season this year, then I admire your attitude, but in all probability, it aint gonna happen. We're too young, not deep enough, and so on. Let Bennett rebuild and then we'll see what you whiners think.

[NavyCrimson]

what's also interesting is that over 40 players on the roster are freshmen & redshirt frosh...the 'wins' will eventually get there.

[Pony Up]

Right - the wins will come. Nobody's saying that the junior and senior classes don't have good players. But it's safe to say the caliber of athletes in the last two classes OVERALL is head and shoulders above what Cavan brought in. For every Chris Cunningham, there were too many who didn't pan out. Coach Bennett will win. Hope everyone is still around when he does.

[WreckEm16]

Franchione is currently breathing a sigh of relief after slipping by Arkansas State with an extraordinarily talented ATM squad. One coach does not a champion make.

And Tech will bring TCU back to earth in '04. Count on it.

Good luck this year, I'll be cheering for you.

------------------
And when I die
You can bury me
In Lubbock, Texas,
In my jeans.

-Mac Davis

[GoRedGoBlue]

CAVAN signed some decent players - many of which never made it past their junior year here. More importantly, many of his TOP players were never redshirted, and we only saw them here for 4 years total. Cody, Chris Cunningham, John Hampton...they should have redshirted and would all be here this year.

Cavan mismanaged the talent he had in an attempt to win quicker...but that is shooting your load all at once for a chance to win (so he could leave and go back to the SEC).

Bennett redshirted most of his first class, and will redshirt all that he can (minus WRs and DLs) this year... in two years you will see the benefit of this plan of action. Our defense will be VERY good with Muse, Hall, etc in the LBs...

Early in the TECH game, the Officials gave tech a few calls, and they scored...the game plan was similar to last years - keep the ball away from Tech and hope they sputter on offense... when they did, the officials threw a few flags that the DMNews and SMU radio suggested were very questionable...well those kept drives going and the Tech offense running on all cylinders...and they scored.

We were not able to punch it in, and eventually had to try and match them in a shoot out... Now who wins that matchup ?? Of course, they do.

Let's try and beat Baylor, play respectable against OSU, and then try for Nevada...2-2 is very possible, and then we can focus on WAC play.

I still see 6-6 this year.