If June Jones wants to save his job, start Matt Davis

[jwnear]

Gilbert, not a small or slow QB, got killed with our smaller, inexperience Oline the first half of his first year at SMU. Yet, Gilbert was a great fit once the Oline got its act together and Gilbert learned the system. Sometimes great athletes can adjust to the system.

I would love to see JJ recruit great athletes and see if they can adjust to his system.

That's certainly true, but it's much more difficult at a non power conference school. I think the safer thing to do to be successful is to get players that are system types. It allows for more consistency. I mean it would be great to get awesome athletes, but those athletes could best fit to be a pass rusher or TE and you want him playing WR because he's 6"5 and has speed.

Look at teams like Michigan State and Iowa, they don't have the most athletic players but they recruit a type of guy for them, same for Wisconsin.

Just my opinion, but if you're not an OU, Bama, or along those lines, your best route to success is to either recruit to your ideal game plan or you constantly change your system based on what you have.

[ponyte]

Not in the least disagreeing with your thoughts and philosophy. It just if one can recruit people that can play on Sunday, their potential to adjust and continue is greater than those recruited to play on just Saturday. Its a degree of talent.

Not all recruits will be able to play on Sunday (this includes Alabama, Florida state, LSU). But it improves the versatility at the college level.

My concern is that JJ has limited his recruiting to Saturday only players. That may be a completely inaccurate assessment on my part as JJ has put more players in the NFL in just a few years at SMU than the previous generation of coaches.

But I still feel we lack the level of a higher level of athleticism needed to compete at a higher level. Many schools (Boise State, NIU) have been successful within their model. It just seems that JJ's model requires a bit more talent to be consistently successful.

Once again, not disagreeing with you, just wanted more talent overall.

[Dark Horse]

Is June Jones suppose to defer to the opinion of a bunch of people who haven't attended one practice this year?

… and wouldn't know how to evaluate players even if they did? Burcham will start, I would bet. Maybe not all year, but it seems likely at the start of the season. I don't know who should start any more than anyone else here does. NB played well in the UCF game before he got his bell rung, and like someone here said, he has 2 years practicing in the offense. Unless Davis looks like Aaron Rodgers out there, it's probably going to be Burcham in the opener.

[sbsmith]

Recruit players to your system. If he wants to throw a lot, you need smaller quick lineman, a drop back quick delivery QB and solid receivers. It's going to be hard to get pro style QBs for that. Hence why Timmy Chang and colt Brennan, two super prolific QBs didn't last in the pros but dominated in his system.

June hates to recruit so it's going to be hard for him to ever get the players he needs to win here.

[Hoop Fan]

interesting thread. On Burcham, he came into some tough circumstances. Not sure why so many people are so down on him. I thought he looked pretty good against UCF on one of the most miserable weather days ever. Would like to see what Davis can do at some point, but it has never been JJ's MO to play 2 QBs. On recruiting, it seems like JJ kicked it up a notch getting Kearns, Proche and the Scott brothers, which got him about a one week reprieve here and then the drumbeat resumed. As for having players that play on Sundays, we seem to have more than our share right now so JJ is doing something right as far as player development or something. To me, we need a bit more nastiness on the OLine than we have had in recent years, and more athletes with size on special teams. And the secondary never seems completely settled. Not sure why JJ hasn't has luck in those specific areas. I expect us to be in the race and compete for the AAC title this season. I still think JJ can find ways to win enough games to be playing meaningful games down the stretch this season.

[ponyboy]

Agreed on the tough Burcham criticism. He was really thrown in there and I thought showed signs of being pretty good after that first game.

[PonyPlayer4]

https://rivals.yahoo.com/smu/football/r ... YgzOBdtpB4

Burcham will play. Like it or not, these kids have a completely different mindset preparing for a game when they are projected starter and not a backup for the year.

[ghost]

Why wouldn't any coach play the best player to help the team win. True, June has played guys with potential with less than stellar attitudes and problems rather than guys who are hard-working and better for team chemistry but surely that is because he thought it was better for the team. May the best player to help the team beat Baylor start...no matter what position!

[skurtn]

When it comes to QB decisions, I don't see any reason to second guess JJ.

He had the foresight (and connections/luck/whatever) to get a high caliber QB for 2 years, weathered the interception hell for the first year, then watched that work payoff by having one of our best QBs go to the NFL.

I have no clue about the QBs in our current lineup, but as an arm-chair coach looking in, I would have yanked Gilbert half way through the 1st season... but JJ didn't. It paid off.

[Big12Mustang]

When it comes to QB decisions, I don't see any reason to second guess JJ.

He had the foresight (and connections/luck/whatever) to get a high caliber QB for 2 years, weathered the interception hell for the first year, then watched that work payoff by having one of our best QBs go to the NFL.

I have no clue about the QBs in our current lineup, but as an arm-chair coach looking in, I would have yanked Gilbert half way through the 1st season... but JJ didn't. It paid off.

GG got into the NFL and SMU got a 5-7 season. It did payoff...for GG.

[Junior]

I can't believe how good we're going to be with Stavion Lowe out there paving the way for Traylon Shead! We're going to be unstoppable!

Yeah, that panned out.

[skurtn]

GG got into the NFL and SMU got a 5-7 season. It did payoff...for GG.

And that's called a Red Herring. Football is a team sport... try to logically keep-up.

[JasonB]

Right? Lowe could barely move out there. Do we give Shead a pass with the injury issues? Not sure.

This team is not that experienced, but there aren't a lot of "hope and a prayer" things going on which have shown up the last two seasons. Even the LB transfers are struggling to get into the two deep.

The big warning signs are on the o-line at guard and depth at tackle. Chamagua, Holloway, Myers, Reich, and Spencer should all be ready to contribute because they have been on campus for 3 years now, but I just don't hear a lot about them (Realizing Holloway and Spencer switched over to OT). Brown, Barns, and Hyder all being talked about for the two deep as true frosh and even pushing ahead of McCarty and Fister either points to a lot of misses in recruiting or the frosh are that much better. I am really surprised Myers and McCarty haven't locked those spots down. Seems like a lot to ask for a true frosh to have the strength to pivot and seal on the delay we run.

[Pony147]

GG got into the NFL and SMU got a 5-7 season. It did payoff...for GG.

To be fair, GG got us to 5-5 season before getting hurt

[StallionsModelT]

I'd like to see Davis in some red zone packages where he's able to do some zone read type of plays and use his great athleticism. I kinda want this to be our red zone personnel:

QB Matt Davis
RB Kevin Pope
RB Daniel Gresham
WR Der'rikk Thompson
WR Darius Joseph
TE Jeremiah Gaines

I think that is a pretty talented group of skill players that could help us turn some of those stupid R&S red zone possessions into TD's.