What They're Saying About Us in Huntington, W. Va

[MrMustang1965]

DALLAS, Texas - Coaching changes haven't worked, perhaps a wholesale change of opponents might help the Southern Methodist University (SMU) football program generate its second winning season in 16 years.

Since resurrecting its football program after receiving the NCAA's "Death Penalty" in the mid-1980s the Mustangs have struggled mightily.
For two years, (1987-88) SMU, a once on-the-rise program, failed to field a team. When a team of 74 freshman took the field in 1989, it marked the rebirth of the Mustangs football program.

However, the program has yet to recover from the NCAA's sanctions - in the form of a winning program.

The team has annually dwelled around the bottom of Western Athletic Conference. Perhaps joining Conference USA will help?

A winning season may or may not be in the cards for SMU in 2005, but the team should be improved from last year's 3-8 record.

SMU returns 22 starters from last season. And, according to the school's spring prospectus, played the nation's youngest roster in 2004.

Still, the Mustangs have some big question marks as they prepare for the 2005 kickoff.

SMU is still searching for its starting quarterback and a featured running back.

Chris Phillips is likely going to be man under center as the Mustangs open play.

Phillips started as a true freshman in 2003 and was poised to lead the team through the 2004 campaign, until he was injured against Oklahoma State and missed the remainder of the season.

Phillips was granted a medical redshirt and looks to return to form this year.

Tony Eckert took over and led SMU to its first win (defeating San Jose State) in 15 games. Eckert finished the year as SMU's top passer throwing for 1,400 yards.

He also threw 13 interceptions.

Jerad Romo, last season's back up, played in nine games.

He might have been a more effective QB had he not been forced to slide back to running back. Romo finished the year as the team's leading rusher, racking up 434 yards and four TDs.

Romo found himself at running back as a last-ditch attempt to revive an SMU running attack that never recovered from a preseason injury to designated starter Foy Munlin.

Cedrick Dorsey, another back up running back, returns to the SMU team as the only other returnee with more than seven carries. Dorsey battled through injuries for most of the season.

Up front, SMU returns all five starters and figures to add more depth to its offensive line.

One of SMU's biggest offensive threats is junior tight end Ryan Kennedy, who was an all-conference player last season.

The Mustangs receiving corps should also be strong with only one player lost from 2004.

Bobby Chase and Chris Foster return as SMU's top pass-catching threats. Chase led the team in yards, while Foster had a team-high 37 receptions.

Defensively, SMU loses only two starters. However, the Mustang defense gave up an average of 467 yards and 38 points per game last year. SMU wasn't helped by its 30 turnovers committed in 2004, versus just 11 takeaways.

The Mustangs will also look to compensate for loss of All-WAC defensive tackle Allan Adami.

The team is relying Desmond Jones, who sat out spring drills, Troy Therien and Justin Rogers, who's looking to bounce back from injury, to lead a more efficient unit.

Rejoining Rogers and Phillips from the injury list are linebackers D.D. Lee and Reggie Carrington.

Like Phillips, the pair of LBs sat out last season with a medical redshirt. Both are expected to be instant starters and bring some legitimacy to the linebacking corps.

The secondary is going to be another strength for SMU as a pair of four-year starters headline the team's pass defense.

Rolando Humphrey and Jamey Harper will join three-year starter Alvin Nnabuife in the secondary.

The Mustangs will look at a couple of junior college players and part-time 2004 starter Joe Sturdivant to fill out the secondary unit.

On special teams, SMU is solid with a pair of seniors handling the kicking duties. The hot spot will be locating a reliable long snapper.

SMU has never played Marshall University. The Oct. 1 meeting in Huntington will be the Herd's first game against an unfamiliar C-USA foe.

Marshall will play at Central Florida the week prior to the SMU game. Like Marshall, UCF is a former Mid-American Conference member making the jump to C-USA.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/sports/s ... 070705.asp

[DallasDiehard]

Other than the fact that whoever wrote that knows nothing about the Mustangs ("relying Desmond Jones"? .... or, if they edited stories in West Virginia, "relying ON Desmond Jones"?), they hit the nail on the head.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

I'll compare football legacy with these hillbillies anyday. Who the heck do they think they are? Other than taking every academic risk and headcase in the country.

Dear Mr. Copeland- We are being pitied and shamed by programs 20 years ago we did not even know where they are located or existed.

[Boston Pony]

Like many of the newer DI programs, Marshall dominated at lower levels. What has been impressive is that they have won with a number of HC's. SMU isn't the team we were 20 years ago and neither is Marshall. No one person has placed SMU in our current spot and no one person is going to get us out...

[Mickey]

Pye put us here.

[PK]

Yeah, with more than just a little help from Gov. Bill, et al.

[EastStang]

Let me say this about Huntington, West Virginia. If they hadn't shot Deliverance in Arkansas, it would have been near Huntington. There aren't a lot of forks in those family trees out there. A guy got married in Huntington and wanted an annulment, it turned out his wife was a virgin, and you know, if she ain't good enough for her kin, she ain't good enough to marry. See, Marshall can be our new A&M.

[PonyFan]

Well said, EastStang. They can say what they want about SMU, but they still have to live in West Virginia, and that's more than enough punishment to even the scales, so to speak. There are parts of WV that are beautiful, bit apparently nobody lives in those parts. And you're right, Huntington is a special kind of bassakward. Don't be so [deleted] Arkansas -- WV makes Arkansas seem like the epicenter of culture and high society.

And I saw Larry Kueck in a grocery store the other day. Is he still on the Marshall staff? Or do he and his wife just retain a residence here?

[KnuckleStang]

Marshall's fans are borderline [deleted]. I am glad to be in the same conference with them if only for the message board smack-talk entertainment it will provide. Believe me, folks, this will be free comedy. BTW, their QB awaits trial in a couple weeks for assaulting a woman in a bar with a bottle. They're hoping they can get his charges reduced so he can play. Here's an idea of the kind of players Marshall recruits:

"HUNTINGTON -- All but one of the seven non-qualifiers from Marshall University's 2004 football recruiting class are now academically eligible.

Cornerback James Houston is the only non-qualifier who sat out last year, but still isn't on the Herd's 2005 roster.

Houston, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Boonville, N.C., came here billed as a tremendous athlete. During Houston's junior season at Starmount High School, he set two state records by intercepting 16 passes and returning three for touchdowns.

However, there were reports questioning Houston's work habits while he sat out last year.

That wasn't the case with the other six non-qualifiers.

The list includes:


Jermaine Filer, 6-4, 210, wide receiver, Clearwater, Fla., Countryside High School: He is beyond a doubt the most high-profile newcomer. MU players and coaches alike are raving about his hands and athleticism during summer workouts. If he can learn the playbook, Filer is expected to be an impact player. He could be the "X" receiver Marshall desperately needs to stretch the field.

Philip Gamble, 5-11, 190, wide receiver, Bainbridge, Ga., Bainbridge High School: Gamble came to Marshall as a running back with tremendous credentials. Due to MU's shortage of wide receivers, he has moved to wideout. Gamble, who was offered scholarships by Auburn and Louisville, has been impressive enough during summer workouts that Herd coaches expect him to play immediately.

Antonio Leath, 5-7, 170, wide receiver, Burlington, N.C., Cummings High School: This little speedster could be an impact player as a kick returner.
As a high school junior, he finished second in the North Carolina 2-A track meet, running the 100-meter dash in 10.98 seconds. He has 4.3 speed in the 40.


Jeff Bush, 6-3, 225, defensive end, Fayetteville, N.C., Jack Britt High School: He is expected to be in the mix for MU's wide-open defensive end positions during preseason camp. He had six sacks and 100 tackles during his senior season in high school.

Deondrea Lindsey, 5-11, 180, cornerback, St. Petersburg, Fla., St. Petersburg Catholic High School: Since MU's offensive coaches got Gamble, the defensive assistants got this former star running back. As a high school senior, Lindsey rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 TDs on 158 carries (8.2-yard average). He also caught 16 passes for 605 yards and 6 TDs. That's why there was some talk of using him as a slot receiver. That still could happen.

Dre Ratliff, 5-10, 195, cornerback, Whitehall, Ohio; Yearling High School: This defensive back was a highly-sought prospect that might have stayed home and played for Mark Snyder at Ohio State, if he had been a qualifier. Coincidentally, now he is going to play for Snyder any way during the former Buckeye defensive coordinator's first season as MU's head coach.
In other roster news, suspended defensive tackle Roger Garrett has been dismissed from the team."