An interesting slant on the season

by **JasonB** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:10 am

For the folks who have closely followed recruiting..

June has spoken the last three recruiting classes about how we are recruiting a higher level of player, bigger/stronger/faster, even though it hasn't shown up in the recruiting rankings. And that has been mocked ad-nausea on the board.

With ECU and Tulsa on the schedule (and even UNT even though they weren't CUSA), I think we will actually see this season for once and for all if he is right or wrong on that evaluation. We have won 3 of 4 against Tulsa. The one loss we got manhandled, and the three we were fine physically and just had more play-makers. ECU we beat both times in close games, but I think they matched up physically with us pretty well.

If, in fact, we have been recruiting bigger/faster/stronger, and the step back last year was as much from improved conference competition as anything else, we should really be able to physically dominate those three teams. That is something I'll have my eye on this season when evaluating where we are as a program.

by **JoeKidd** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 3:54 am

Interesting take, JasonB. Outside of A&M, I am not sure we got physically manhandled last year, we just an inexperienced OLine and DLine and that showed in every game. I think our secondary gets exposed again this year.

by **LakeHighlandsPony** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 8:13 am

I think a lack of a running game hurt us more than anything last year. We have got to find ways to sustain drives and keep the defense off the field.

by **Planter's Punch** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 9:19 am

LakeHighlandsPony wrote:I think a lack of a running game hurt us more than anything last year. We have got to find ways to sustain drives and keep the defense off the field.

Running hurt us big time, and fed into a terrible red zone performance. The other issue has always been quality depth on defense, we always fall apart to tough competition in the fourth. Re-watch the Tech game, we should have won that game. TCU was winnable too.

Good point JasonB, it will be interesting to see if we have really separated from our old CUSA level competition. ECU had a great year last year, 10 wins, beating in state rivals NC State and UNC, but if we really are on another "level" of player we should soundly beat them. Tulsa had a terrible year last year. CBS Sports has us below ECU this year but above Tulsa: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... redictions

SMU needs those "diamonds in the rough" to shine.

Just saw Dallas Morning News' preview where they predict UNT will beat SMU:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/colleg ... season.ece

by **Big12Mustang** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:49 am

Lol what a joke......7-6 prediction for them and SMU losing to them? Are they on crack?

by **gostangs** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:49 am

I'm as down on our recruiting as anyone, but i think we beat UNT. We don't lose guys we want to that school. We should have the talent edge and of course 9 times out of ten its the talent that gets it done or not. This game is all recruiting, and we have a head of our program that thinks its 90% coaching and 10% recruiting .

ask LB - the best coach in the country in his sport , how important it is to recruit well. He'll say it is 90% of the game.

by **GiddyUp** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 12:00 pm

LakeHighlandsPony wrote:I think a lack of a running game hurt us more than anything last year. We have got to find ways to sustain drives and keep the defense off the field.

lack of Zach and OL was huge

by **sbsmith** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:14 pm

gostangs wrote:I'm as down on our recruiting as anyone, but i think we beat UNT. We don't lose guys we want to that school. We should have the talent edge and of course 9 times out of ten its the talent that gets it done or not. This game is all recruiting, and we have a head of our program that thinks its 90% coaching and 10% recruiting .

Any talent edge we have over them will likely be negated by the game being on the road with a short week to prepare. Remember that this is their Super Bowl but just another preseason game to us.

by **Krieg** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:17 pm

Big12Mustang wrote:Lol what a joke......7-6 prediction for them and SMU losing to them? Are they on crack?

I'll admit to knowing nothing about UNT, but I completely agree with you here. You shouldn't ever lose to them.

We managed to pull it off once in our worst years, though. Man we were bad then, lol.

by **Mustangsabu** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:48 pm

I was there when we lost in Denton back in about 2005. Miserable. They were awful but we were worse.

by **GiddyUp** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 3:33 pm

UNT has a good coach had and decent yr last yr. not sure what they are losing by graduation.

I am not sure I can trust much of what anything June says publicly or media. Recruiting services are pretty accurate and when you are the only to offer kids... well, the tape doesnt lie right??

by **SMU 86** » Mon Aug 25, 2014 10:46 am

Concern was the offers not the rankings. But not many teams in the conference were that good in recruiting so I think with the weak conference 6 wins should be the minimum.