have the players been affected

[Hoop Fan]

by the cloud over Phil Bennett all year? They have seemed tight all year, especially and obviously at crunch time. The must win, must go to a bowl edict was known loud and clear by everybody before the season started. That has to effect a team, especially Willis. Willis is the type of qb that had to be loose, playing agressive on instinct. In a way this team crumbled under the expectations and the pressure on its coach going into the season. Time to relieve the pressure Mr. Orsini. Tomorrow.

[dcpony]

It's weak [deleted] excuse. Please correct me if I'm mischaracterizing your post. These guys will face pressure in life after football as well. IMO there is and always will be pressure to perform on the athletic field, in the class room, family life, paying bills, work, career etc...It's all the same.

[Hoop Fan]

no excuse whatsover. just trying to come to grips with what went so terribly wrong this season. Bennett is gone, thats a given. The team is 1-7, cant hide from that either. but these guys arent pro athletes either dude. pressure, tone, atmosphere, attitude are all things that effect performance.

[RE Tycoon]

If there's no outside pressure to go to a bowl game, I hope like hell that theses players put that pressure on themselves. If the goal isn't to go undefeated and make a bowl every single season, what the hell is the point in fielding a team?

[mrydel]

Now is the time to see what we have been saving on the bench. Burn no redshirts but play those that need to be seen as to how they perform. As I mentioned last week, now is the time to play Rhodes at QB some. They actually put him in the game yesterday and split Willis out wide. Only ran one play though. Please understand, I firmly believe that Willis is the leader of this team right now and deserves to be our starting QB, but with nothing to play for but pride, get Rhodes and some other kids on the field for experience. Don't we have another running back that had a good spring but has not seen the field. Hasn't Fred Turner forgotten how to fumble by now? Get them on the field. Use some of those kids tearing things up on special teams and let them get some game time experience. As long as the redshirts at this point stay intact, play all you can.

[tristatecoog]

A&M players have a lot of pressure but thumped Nebraska in Lincoln. Oh, yes, and then they lost by 8 at home to a Top 10 team.

I believe the SMU players and staff probably have been tight. Everyone gets conservative. This weekend will be interesting. As a UH alum, I'm quite concerned about this game.

[mrydel]

A&M players have a lot of pressure but thumped Nebraska in Lincoln. Oh, yes, and then they lost by 8 at home to a Top 10 team.

I believe the SMU players and staff probably have been tight. Everyone gets conservative. This weekend will be interesting. As a UH alum, I'm quite concerned about this game.

Are you concerned about the line or the over/under? With no disrespect to my team, I am concerned about a 300/300 rushing and receiving by Alridge and that 2.3 40 guy you have at receiver.