2018 Schedule Released

[No Quarter]

Of Memphis, Stallion said, in part:

AAC is not going to be as strong in 2018. unlikely to have a Top 10 team or 3 Top 25 teams especially with USF and Memphis losing their starting QBs.

Its true Memphis lost their starter but they list five returning players at the position going into spring practice including former Texas HS player (Prosper & Guyer who finished at Milton in GA) Davey Moore who was perhaps HCCM first QB commit to bail. Moore is a sophomore redshirt - has four years to play. Some practice reports said he looked very good.

Had Moore enrolled on the Hilltop, SMU's choices at QB thist year would be interesting.

I agree that SMU is set at QB, cross my fingers, touch wood, etc., thinking of possible injuries to Hicks, but I don't believe Memphis will worry too much about their QB position.

[AusTxPony]

Optimism, yes, but we came oh so close to beating Navy last year, so 3-3 is not unrealistic for the first 6. If Kane can do a great job with our talent, then we should find another bowl game at the end of the season.

[EastStang]

We could be a trap game for the Frogs. They play Ohio State right after us and then Texas. Not that it matters, but one can hope.

[PonyPlayer4]

We can get to 6 wins by beating:

NTSU who we've beaten about 90% of the time in our History
Houston Baptist who has an up-start Division 1AA team

And beating the teams at the bottom half of the AAC last year-Tulsa (2-10), UCONN (3-9), Cincy (4-8), and Tulane (5-6). Those 4 teams won a grand total of 8 AAC games mostly against each other. We don't have to play either USF or Temple.

AAC is not going to be as strong in 2018. unlikely to have a Top 10 team or 3 Top 25 teams especially with USF and Memphis losing their starting QBs. Why sign 5 JUCOs if we are in rebuild mode. We're not-we got the QB who has thrown more TDs than any QB in SMU History, 3-4 great RBs-3 that are already proven and 2 with 1,000 yard rushing seasons, a 20 ypc WR with about as many catches as anyone in SMU History by his Sophomore year, we have plenty of experienced Offensive Linemen and added 3 quality JUCOs.

We've got an All-Conference caliber CB. Got 2 others with starting experience at the other CB plus another JUCO CB. We've got 2 safeties that at least now have multiple year starting experience. Another hybrid that at least makes a lot of plays. Sonny said he thinks our Defensive Line was probably one of the strongest areas on the team. We've got Texas A&M transfer Richard Moore who is expected to be solid at LB. Sonny seems to think Denbow was highly underrated. We've redshirted liberally over the last two years so we should expect some of those to emerge who haven't played much.

Thank you for a productive post.

[redpony]

Moore is a sophomore redshirt - has four years to play. Some practice reports said he looked very good..

I think he only has 4 yrs to play 3. IIRC I watched him in a game last fall. So he should have lost 1 yr. of eligibility. And yes, he looked very good for the few plays he was in and I think I commented here that he could have been our Deshaun Watson.

[skyscraper]

Our team next year is intriguing. Agree with Stallion -- no reason why we can't get to 6-6. Sonny didn't sign a bunch of JUCOs to go 3-9.

[SMU Section F]

Our team next year is intriguing. Agree with Stallion -- no reason why we can't get to 6-6. Sonny didn't sign a bunch of JUCOs to go 3-9.

I'd be really impressed w/ 6-6 next year. Would drastically increase my optimism regarding Sonny Dykes.

[mtrout]

I am worried NTSU and Tulane will give us trouble.

[JasonB]

OL will be much improved, and CB, S, LB will be better as well.

DL will be a question (we think okay, but not a ton of starting experience), and we need to see who the 3 GT WRs are. If we hit on those positions, we will be a much better team than last year.

If you want a chance at a conference title, you want the tough games at home and easy on the road. With the exception of the UCF game, the schedule sets up perfect for that.

If you think you are going to struggle for middle of the pack, last year's schedule is the one you want. Easy at home, tough on the road, to lock in the wins.

Stallion is right - with what we have coming back + GTs + JUCO + a percieved better defensive coaching staff, the expectations should be the conference championship challenging team, not the hope to finish .500 team. That would be a disappointment.

[No Quarter]

Moore is a sophomore redshirt - has four years to play. Some practice reports said he looked very good..

I think he only has 4 yrs to play 3. IIRC I watched him in a game last fall. So he should have lost 1 yr. of eligibility. And yes, he looked very good for the few plays he was in and I think I commented here that he could have been our Deshaun Watson.

Okay, maybe I misread the Memphis website, but here's the link. If its only three then lucky us.

http://gotigersgo.com/roster.aspx?rp_id ... h=football

[sbsmith]

I am worried NTSU and Tulane will give us trouble.

Both are on the road so you can bet on it.

[mrydel]

Moore is a sophomore redshirt - has four years to play. Some practice reports said he looked very good..

I think he only has 4 yrs to play 3. IIRC I watched him in a game last fall. So he should have lost 1 yr. of eligibility. And yes, he looked very good for the few plays he was in and I think I commented here that he could have been our Deshaun Watson.

Okay, maybe I misread the Memphis website, but here's the link. If its only three then lucky us.

http://gotigersgo.com/roster.aspx?rp_id ... h=football

He had 4 years remaining heading into 2017. He now has 3 years remaining heading into 2018.

[Stallion]

Memphis also recently picked up a transfer QB from Arizona St that Norvell had previously recruited while he was Offensive Coordinator out there. -Brady White

[JoeKidd]

My goal for us is 6-6 and sneak into a bowl game....that would be the best start by a new head-coach since the DP era and only the 3rd time since the 1960's a coach had 6 or more wins in his first season.

[Stallion]

Forrest Gregg
Tom Rossley
June Jones
Chad Morris

all started from the very bottom of Division 1A though-total rebuilds

Bobby Collins didn't do so bad.

This team had about 8 returning Offensive starters and about 8 returning Defensive starters (admitedly depending on how you count returning injured players and their replacements-both Offense and Defense have 9-10 who have substantial starting experience) + 5 JUCOs +expected graduate transfers + liberal redshirting in recent years. Probably going to be a relatively high number of returning lettermen