Here Comes Another Measuring Stick Game

[A-town Pony]

It's too bad no one will be there to see this 'must win'! I'm guessing we will be lucky to have attendance of 10,000. Better yet, how many Board of Trustee members actually attend homecoming other than Hunt & Ford?
(http://www.smu.edu/trustees/) I'm sure most of them have better things to do with their time.

[smupony94]

10000 is still 2000 more than at the ECU game.

[Otto]

More specifically to see SMU beat Rice. And yes this is his first SMU game at Ford so please gome to the Blvd and make it to the game

Wouldn't miss it -- the Boulevard or the game!

[smu96]

Southlake could hang 50 on these clowns.

How many would they hang on SMU?

[jtstang]

Southlake could hang 50 on these clowns.

How many would they hang on SMU?

About 52.

[jtstang]

Rice is beyond terrible, I can't imagine how we could screw this one up! Southlake could hang 50 on these clowns. My goodness...it is SHOCKING to see how low, some of you guy's expectations have dropped! It is pathetic, how low our self esteem has fallen! With the low level of competion on our schedule, we should EXPECT to win at least eight games a year! Thank the power brokers for that one! If you don't expect much.................you won't get much!

Let me ask you this: What did you EXPECT this year, and how does it sompare with actual results? Sounds like you DID expect much, and still got little.

[jtstang]

There is one certainty about SMU football.....EVERY TIME we as fans get really excited and set expectations for a game, we end up disappointed. That’s just the way it is....and I have now adopted the jt philosophy – expect us to lose every game and when we do, you wont be disappointed. If we somehow win, you will be pleasantly surprised. That is a pathetic way to be a fan, but that’s what SMU football has come to.

Welcome aboard, but keep in mind, my philosophy is no expectations. If you've gone to expecting to lose, you taken it even a step further to the dark side...

[PonyFan]

I came in to the season expecting five wins, and hoping for six. Six (obviously) isn't going to happen, and let's just say five isn't really likely. So to that end, I've been disappointed. But I'm always disappointed when the Ponies lose, whether it's against Tulsa or Texas.

But I've stopped by practice a few times this year, and from what I've seen through the fence, I can't help but feel excited. Yes, again -- I'm excited about the future. The linemen who are redshirting look like legit college linemen. This isn't one of those deals where we recruited an undersized kid and hoped he grew into a full-size player. These guys are big. And there are some extraordinary-looking athletes out there. But it won't be until the spring that we really get to see them work with the offense and defense. Usually at this time of year, when we have a record like we do, I'm more depressed than this. But somehow, this crop of redshirts has me excited. Real excited. Maybe I've had too much of the SMU Kool-Aid, but this group has a different look about them.

[jtstang]

Maybe I've had too much of the SMU Kool-Aid, but this group has a different look about them.

Yeah, well too bad their record doesn't.

[PonyFan]

Actually, I was referring to the freshmen who are redshirting this season. They aren't affecting the record.

[PK]

Maybe I've had too much of the SMU Kool-Aid, but this group has a different look about them.

Yeah, well too bad their record doesn't.

Read the post jt...he's talking about the redshirts.

[Stallion]

and once again people getting excited because a team has BIG LINEMEN deserve to be disappointed year after year. EVERY TEAM has big lineman-heck most Division 1-AA teams have big linemen. There are hundreds of High School All-District Linemen who are 6-4 + who never get a scholarship to Division !-AA. Big Linemen mean squat unless they are big linemen who can move.

[SMU Football Blog]

Actually, I was referring to the freshmen who are redshirting this season. They aren't affecting the record.

But the seniors that are leaving after the next two games are affecting this year's record and their absence will affect next year's record as well.

[PonyFan]

and once again people getting excited because a team has BIG LINEMEN deserve to be disappointed year after year. EVERY TEAM has big lineman-heck most Division 1-AA teams have big linemen. There are hundreds of High School All-District Linemen who are 6-4 + who never get a scholarship to Division !-AA. Big Linemen mean squat unless they are big linemen who can move.

You're exactly right. And from what I've seen, Nigh, Lankford, Enright and Smith can move. Not sure about the others yet. My only point was that for eons, we were signing 240-pound linemen and were told "by the time he's a junior or senior, he'll be a really good-sized player." That's not the case any more. Now Coach Faucette is getting these guys at a legitimate size, and he can simply trim the baby fat off of them and pack on the muscle. You're right, Stallion -- being big doesn't make someone a player. But it does offer a lot more material to work with. I'd rather have a 290-pound guy who "might" be a player rather than a 240-pounder who "might" be a player.

[BUS]

Come on GUYs and DOLLs.

Remember 4 to five years ago. WE had a small line and NO back ups of any size. On top of being smallish they did not move that well.


Bigger is better. But Bigger and quicker is more better ( thank you Justin Wilson )

WE have more and better linemen today that I can remember in a really long time. We need more because not all that we recruit end up being players. We need to recruit enough that is 20% never pan out... we are still good and have depth.

Sure want to see Phillips play this year.