Thursday's college notebook

[INFINITYRR]

Thursday's college notebook
11:36 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 22, 2003

From Staff and Wire Reports


SMU

Phillips and Wallis will play Saturday

UNIVERSITY PARK – Football coach Phil Bennett said freshman quarterback Chris Phillips will start Saturday against Tulsa, but Tate Wallis will also play.

"It will take both of them to win the game," Bennett said.

Redshirt freshman Duke Hasson will become the third-string quarterback.

Phillips became the starter after last week's loss to Boise State. Richard Bartel was benched after that game and said Monday he would transfer.

Wallis started the fourth game of the season against Nevada.

Spirited practice for Mustangs

UNIVERSITY PARK – sophomore defensive back Jamey Harper's interception ended a fiery practice. Freshman receiver Blake Warren took a hard hit on a sideline pass and the first-team defense was yelling after most plays in the second half of practice.

"It's amazing what competition does to a team," Phil Bennett said.

The coach has opened the door for younger players to earn more playing time, and that has prompted hard hits and plenty of noise at practice.

Bennett said he liked the battle for the starting middle linebacker position between junior D.D. Lee and freshman Reggie Carrington. The coach said a final decision on who starts will be made Thursday. Freshman tight end Ryan Kennedy took some snaps with the first-team offense, and Bennett said another freshman Mark Hodges (Mesquite) would see more playing time. Senior Trent Hncir remains the starter.

— Calvin Watkins

[abezontar]

Hey relative stang and sportchic, does Hodges have to play as a QB or are you happy with him seeing the field as a tight end?

[Vitale]

Do you think Coach is set on playing both QBs? I'd say if Phillips fares even moderately well, leave him in. With all due respect to Tate, it sounds like Coach thinks Phillips is the QB of the future. He needs to take his lumps and learn.

Speaking of Phillips, if you haven't already, check out the story about him on the PF.com home page. Pretty interesting stuff.

[dandyfan]

Chances are good that Wallis will see playing time because Phillips has not taken many snaps this year. It takes more than just being a good athlete to play that position in this offense, I suspect. This needs to be a positive experience for him...rather than just throwing him to the wolves.

[RELATIVE-STANG]

To Be honest, (ABE)zontar, Musquitestang says that he is very fired up and excited about doing whatever coach needs done. He said that despite the current state of the team the other players are to. He said that what the players are going to try and turn around this remaining season with big hits on defense and big hits on offense. I said that the defense then needs to inflect at least 4 to 5 injury time outs and the same for the O-line. Ya'll watch for decleater blocks on returns and flying tackles from coverage teams. The idea is to knock as many opponents as possible and get our players into a hitting frenzy Nothing will changes unless the O-line and the D-line gets extremely ruff and mean. Coach has made his move and I am rollin! with him.

[The PonyGrad]

Originally posted by dandyfan:
Chances are good that Wallis will see playing time because Phillips has not taken many snaps this year.

Against Tulsa it is very reasonable to have a QB that can bring another part of the running package into the game. It may not take Tulsa very long to determine which plays are in Phillips book.

The story may be different against a weaker pass defense since Tate brings less to that party.