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peruna81 wrote:just a thought, for folks that work in a scenario that is donor-driven...

Our Circle of Champions is aging day by day. There is a window of opportunity to maximize their (and anyone else's ) generous gifts. These gifts have to be shown to have a legitimate quantifiable return. SMU has many new buildings, and is not the land-locked place it was when I was there....but the window for athletic improvement is closing...quickly.

Agree completely. Unfortunately, we lost two decades of potential donors and interested alumni when we weren't even making an attempt to be competitive from 1987-2007

One quick thought about game day coaching. I'm not the least concerned. Some of his calls were very aggressive. Some made little sense. I have no idea what issues are involved that drive those decisions. Hurt players? Players not producing or inconsistent? I don't know.

What I do know, it better talent will turn Morris into a brilliant gamely coach. His decisions may be second guessed now, but his recruiting is spot on. And he gamely coaching will get better as those better recruits begin performing.

We are not good enough right now for his coaching to be a true difference maker. We need to stock up on talent to be able to win 7-8 games. Once we get to that level, then some key recruits (i.e. 4-5 star QB) and game-day coaching decisions will become more important.

ponyte wrote:One quick thought about game day coaching. I'm not the least concerned. Some of his calls were very aggressive. Some made little sense. I have no idea what issues are involved that drive those decisions. Hurt players? Players not producing or inconsistent? I don't know.

What I do know, it better talent will turn Morris into a brilliant gamely coach. His decisions may be second guessed now, but his recruiting is spot on. And he gamely coaching will get better as those better recruits begin performing.

Agreed...he was considered a coaching genius operating with the talent he had at Clemson

Does he not get any credit for taking his number two QB and winning 5 games in a season where many thought he would win 4 or less with his starting QB? I think we are over analyzing his coaching ability by focusing in on singular events instead of on the whole picture. Are we better talent wise or set up to be better talent wise as a team? Did we exceed expectations coming into the season? Did injuries derail the season or did he adapt and overcome? Is he effectively recruiting on the trail? Did he make some questionable in game decisions? Were halftime adjustments perceived as lacking? He wins in the affirmative categories and those negatives might/should go away with greater talent.

Not singular events at all. Check our second half splits. They are atrocious. We punted the ball on 4th and manageable inside our opponents' 40 yard line eight times this year. The give up run to set up the tying FG on the road against Tulsa instead of throwing into the end zone to win a game that would've gotten us to six wins. USF we run twice right up the gut and get stuffed to end the game. On 4th down with our 165 pound running back.

Morris is a poor college head coach on game day. For the other 350 days a year he's the best thing we've had in our football program for over 30 years. I'll take my chances that he improves in crucial decision making as our roster continues to improve b/c of his outstanding recruiting efforts.

The offense will be righted and only get better; a well-oiled machine next season for sure. We need a serious assessment of every body and every thing associated with the defense - or lack thereof.

Maybe since our punter can only punt 25-30 yds he figured it would be perfect for pinning them down on the 5?

StallionsModelT wrote:Not singular events at all. Check our second half splits. They are atrocious. We punted the ball on 4th and manageable inside our opponents' 40 yard line eight times this year. The give up run to set up the tying FG on the road against Tulsa instead of throwing into the end zone to win a game that would've gotten us to six wins. USF we run twice right up the gut and get stuffed to end the game. On 4th down with our 165 pound running back.

Morris is a poor college head coach on game day. For the other 350 days a year he's the best thing we've had in our football program for over 30 years. I'll take my chances that he improves in crucial decision making as our roster continues to improve b/c of his outstanding recruiting efforts.

This. Thank you, SMT. You can use the lack of talent excuse all you want but when you have a chance to win a football games, you try to win them. Regardless if it Morris or Craddick, the play calling at the end of games has been atrocious by any standard.

The kids and parents he go's after now are not going to be in a coma, they won't sign because of chad, more about the education . Kind of screwed the pooch on the i will be here for your son speech. But whatever. IIWII

Tom Landry used to say going from 2 wins to 10 wins per year was a matter of upgrading talent, but going from 10 wins to a championship was coaching.

Does the same concept apply to college football?

I feel like an offensive genius could pull some plays off that would work a whole lot better and gain a whole lot more yardage on 3rd and 2, then 4th and 2 then running your 165 pound running back up the gut when your line is tired and frankly getting dominated. How about a sweep on third down or a TE screen on fourth...or throw it at your 6-6 future pro receiver that has a half-foot height advantage on his defender in the corner the end zone?

SMUer wrote:I feel like an offensive genius could pull some plays off that would work a whole lot better and gain a whole lot more yardage on 3rd and 2, then 4th and 2 then running your 165 pound running back up the gut when your line is tired and frankly getting dominated. How about a sweep on third down or a TE screen on fourth...or throw it at your 6-6 future pro receiver that has a half-foot height advantage on his defender in the corner the end zone?

maybe he thought the defense would be expecting the plays you named so he tried up the middle instead. They did throw to sutton on 2nd down though.

I was not a big fan of the calls either but I do not think they invalidate his coaching ability.