Help Me on This

[Arkpony]

I was at the Game in Tulsa. I am not going to comment on the inept defensive back play, nor the poor blocking and arm tackling, nor the lack of enthusiasm shown by our Ponies. Instead, I ask for your thoughts on the issue others have raised here, including Stallion's excellent post: Why butn Pjhillips redshirt if you're not going to play him? Instead, the coach takes HIM out of the game after a few series and brings in the SAME players who have for 7 previous games, failed to generate ANY offense! And, of course the predictable happens...no scoring! I had posted before the game that I hoped the coach would "turn Phillips loose". Alas, he hardly even played him. Frankly, I feel betrayed by the coach. I went to Tulsa enthused and expecting to see the Freshman do his best to turn things around. He never got a fair chance and we set an historical first.
Someone help me on this, please.
Signed,
Deeply betrayed by the Coach

[The PonyGrad]

Just a guess, but based on the post game comments it seems that Tulsa was using a defensive alignment that either Phillips was confused by or had not prepared for. As a result Bennett played Tate. My guess is that Bennett wanted to shield Phillips from having a bad experience against that defense. FWIW.

[Hoofprint]

That's the sense I got, too. He thinks enough of Phillips that he didn't want to torch his confidence by getting him beaten up facing a defense he hadn't seen much (if at all) on film this year and a defense that is hard to imitate in practice with the scout team.

[Stallion]

well obviously Wallis had never seen it before either because he was simply dumbfounded!!!!!! BTW did you all notice that Phillips had 49 yards rushing-44 net in limited playing time. At least he can make something happen when he has too. On several occassions Phillips rolled out(several times to reverse side of the play) and there was no one to contain him-guess he was trying to think pass first but he could have had much more rushing yardage if he had taken off which he likely will do in the future. Look when you have no clue about how to attack a defense like SMU's offensive coaches-give me the athlete at QB. If nothing else it gives to LBs, DEs and blitzing DBs another read they have to make rather than attacking the usual sitting duck SMU QB. And if it was so confusing how come we drove the length of the field for a TD in the opening drive. That's ridiculous as an excuse when SMU was attacking the defense very well.

<small>[ 10-26-2003, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: Stallion ]</small>

[Nacho]

I wrote this really long and very good reply to your question about burning Phillip's red-shirt. I erased it. I remember the bottom line though. Here it is: I can't figure Bennett out.

<small>[ 10-26-2003, 02:13 PM: Message edited by: Nacho ]</small>

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

What's even worse about this is that Bennett says he still hasn't decided who will start for the Fresno St. game. All I know is that if I had a guy on my team that I feel is going to be "the man" and I've gone as far as to waste the redshirt on then I start him. It can't be any worse than starting a guy who was projected as a TE by the previous coaching staff.

[Diehard Pony]

As one of the few in attendance supporting SMU, I totally agree with Arkpony and Stallion's comments. My buddy and I made the 4 hour drive to see Phillips play. He takes them on the first opening drive for a touchdown we have generated in over a year and Bennett pulls him for the same old Tate Wallis. I admire Tate's grit, but he has nowhere near the talent that Phillips does. This was the first time I had seen Phillips play, and he is big, smooth and athletic, but he needs experience. I thought that Phillips was going to play the rest of the year, and that Tate would only play if Phillips was hurt or needed a breather. With his redshirt gone, that is what we need to do IMO. Playing Tate at this point in the season is not only a waste of playing time, it is hard to stomach. No personal offense to Tate, it just doesn't happen on offense when he is in there, and it appears Phillips has the potential to be a very good quarterback.

As a side note, I haven't been that cold at a football game since the Jan '83 Cotton Bowl game. Didn't bring nearly enough warm clothing.

<small>[ 10-26-2003, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Diehard Pony ]</small>

[ponyte]

Tulsa reviewed Phillips high school films to prepare for him. They probably had a better idea how to defend him than we had of playing him.

Also, Tulsa put in a few pass patterns they noticed that OSU had a little success using against us.

Bottom line, Tulsa was very well prepared for our offense and defense.

We have inconsistent QB play, inconsistent O-line play, inconsistent receiver play and an incredibly inconsistent kicking game. So putting together a coherent offensive plan is just about impossible.

Our defense is in desperate need of athletes. We just don't have enough strong athletes to play a strong defense.

Remember that TU has been down very low for years. They are improving and so can we.

[Arkpony]

And I REPEAT: Letting Tate run the offense is doing the same $#*%4# thing we have done all season with ZERO results! SO Phillips, being a freshman, might be confused by the opposing defenses?? Holy cow! Can it get any worse than it is NOW?!!!!!!!

Somebody explain our coaches decisions! PLEASE!

[Arkpony]

ponyte--Bowing to your football knowledge, I still can't accept it that the other teams are always prepared for our offense and defense, and we're never prepared for theirs. The other team always "Adjusts" and we never do. Bennett takes the redshirt of Phillips because our offense is non existent, the continues to run the same offense without Phillips with the same dismal results. We're facing meltdown.

[LA_Mustang]

I dont buy the excuse that Tulsa's defense was confusing Phillips or the wind was bothering him. Bennett should have let him stay in there, bottom line. I still have not heard an excuse that I am satisfied with. Its not like we were playing Oklahoma. We were playing Tulsa. If Bennett does not start Phillips next week he has lost me. And I mean let him start and stay in the damn game. Im pissed.

[mrydel]

I share the frustration of all but still say that this is a program in a slow rebuilding process that needs more than just one year to mature. I had hoped for 3 wins this year, but do not see where 3 and 9 is that much better than 0 and 12. It will be at least 2 more years before this team is matured to a winning level. That said, I do want to see Phillips used as much as possible the remaining 4 games. We need someone with D-1 capability to have some experience running this team. Arkpony, I am hoping that Phillips was not used to the fullest extend due to a combination of preparation time, weather, and the fact that Wallis had only won one game in his career and it was against Tulsa last year. Maybe they thought he could do it again. It will be a big mistake, in my opinion, if Phillips does not take almost every snap against Fresno. Rest him for a series if you must, but let him generate some offense that we need to gain some confidence for the future. I truly feel that in a couple of years we will all be surprised as to the progress that this team will make. The only concern I have right now is keeping the recruiting progress positive. If Bennett will show some positve results (not necessarily wins, just positive results) with someone like Phillips, it can help send a message to the prospects that there is a future to being a Mustang.

[Arkpony]

Diehard? I had to comment on your getting cold. My teeth were chattering also..and I also shivered at the '82 Cotton Bowl, but nothing..NOTHING compares to the cold we met in El Paso at the '83 SUn Bowl. THAT was cold! My Gosh it was cold! and Alabama beat us to boot.

[echothat1]

What are you talking about...0-12 is a lot worse than 3-9 you dumb-@$$!! We are the laughing stock of the NCAA (literally)...and now with Buffalo's win SMU will either be #1 or #2 of the WORST TEAMS in the country per ESPN...you dip!!!I HATE you guys on this board who refuse to admit that SMU football is an embarrassment and offer NO meaningful comments other than that it will take 3-5 years to see some results...

Due to the fact that NO ONE CARES about this team (because it is so pathetic), this board is the ONLY place to get any inside info about the team, to vent, to find out what might happen, etc...Many of you people OFFER NOTHING other than this sort of uninformed, grandfatherly stupidity...I love SMU and want more than anything to have a decent football team...but I'm so sick of looking on this board for some positive information about "what the coach is going to say now", alumni outrage/sentiments, inside news, etc...and all I get is this sense of complacency and acceptance. :thumbdown:

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Originally posted by ponyte:

Bottom line, Tulsa was very well prepared for our offense and defense.

How hard is to prepare for a team's offense when all they do is hand the ball off to the running back? I mean, not even Rossley was that predictable on Offense and the other team always knew he was going to run a draw on 3rd down.

You can say that we have inconsistencies at every position but I just can't see how you can use that as an excuse. It's the same ol' song. I would think, at the very least, the coaches could stop the ridiculous penalties. 17 penalties? C'mon, you can't say that's due to inconsistency. That's poor coaching. I think it's getting to the point that all the opposing team has to do is show up and they're already more prepared than us.