DMN's Chuck Carlton gives his take

[RednBlue11]

Don't disagree with you JT, my point was just that JW wasn't the second coming (Obama's already secured that position), and a 1-11 record doesn't buy much credibility or good will with a new coach when you aren't picking up the offense.

if the Cowboys defense was a bad as SMUs last year, the cowboys probably would have been 1-15. You saw that when the D collapsed last in the season, Romo was not enough to overcome it. I bet you enjoyed that cowboy collapse East.

Willis has proven he can put points on the board, and he was still a relatively young qb last year. once again, the offense wasnt our problem last year, defense was.

lets be honest the cowboys have about 3 quality defensive players

You are on crack, my friend

"Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack."

[MustangIcon]

I just think you have to find a way to win at Rice any way that you have to. If that means simplifying the new offense a bit so your veteran qb can be effective, then that seems the better way to go than throwing your freshman into the fire. Its not ideal that willis does not know the ins and outs of the offense. Not many qbs do in the first game under a new coach anyway (truly, how far ahead can mitchell really be in his understanding?). I hope this is about winning games now, and not about the future.

Throwing out an idea here but I don't think it is that Bo Levi is ahead in his understanding of the offense but more that he is far ahead in his willingness to embrace the principals and foundation of it. As a freshman coming in to SMU this year I'm guessing Bo has adopted the offense with open arms and has run it the way it is supposed to be run. Willis on the other hand is a guy who has had a great deal of success, to the point where he is a "star" at SMU. He might be reluctant to truly give himself up and run the offense the way it was intended.

I think its similar to a hoops coach that wants to run a certain offense- lets say the motion offense. He has a "star" player like Stephon Marbury who is a great talent and more than capable of running the motion offense the way it is supposed to be run. However, coach can't get that star player to buy into that offense fully and run it how it is supposed to be. In which case, you might have another player, who right now is not as talented or seasoned as Stephon Marbury but is a better fit for the offense and team bc of his execution of the system.

I think that scenario is possibly part of the explanation.

[smupony94]

Bo got a brief blurb in the Houston Chronicle

[MustangIcon]

Not to mention that any time you see two players as about even, the edge should go to the younger player that has more time in your system. In addition, it widely held that Bo Levi has a much stronger arm than Willis and June Jones has often reffered to Bo as "the most accurate highschool passer I have ever seen". Yes, I realize its highschool but thats a bold statement from a man who knows a little something about QBs.

My shock is not in that Bo Levi was chosen as starting QB but that SMU would ever have a player with 50+ TDs in his first two seasons that was deemed not good enough to start (or be the backup) in his third season. Its really jaw droppingly shocking, but I think it could be that Bo presents us the best chance for success.

[EastStang]

Obviously any Cowboys loss makes this Redskins fan very happy. Although my hate for Philly has almost equalled my antipathy for the Cowboys. Their fans are horrible. What has kept Philly in second place is the one redeeming Philly fan who asked me to act as a screen while she went in the parking lot at FedEx. She had a nice tatoo where the sun doesn't shine except at certain beaches in Jamaica.

[TheBestAvailable]

what else can sanders say? more likely than not the upperclassmen are looking around thinking to themselves WTF?

You start a freshman qb when you have to, not by choice. The only way this is a good decision is if Mitchell plays very very well right from the start. anything else and it would have been better to ease him into it. Why not start with Willis and if he doesnt get it done to Jones satisfaction after a few weeks switch to the freshman? that would be better for all involved 99% of the time, most of all the freshman to keep the pressure off of him. what happens to his confidence now if it goes badly and willis comes in mid way through the season? you've ruined two guys and perhaps thrown a season away in the process.

Oh well, win at Rice and all will be well for the time being.

I agree 100%.

[TheBestAvailable]

Not to mention that any time you see two players as about even, the edge should go to the younger player that has more time in your system. In addition, it widely held that Bo Levi has a much stronger arm than Willis and June Jones has often reffered to Bo as "the most accurate highschool passer I have ever seen". Yes, I realize its highschool but thats a bold statement from a man who knows a little something about QBs.

My shock is not in that Bo Levi was chosen as starting QB but that SMU would ever have a player with 50+ TDs in his first two seasons that was deemed not good enough to start (or be the backup) in his third season. Its really jaw droppingly shocking, but I think it could be that Bo presents us the best chance for success.

In the future but not this season. If I'm buying tickets for this season, I want to see the players who give us the best chance to win now.

I could be wrong but I think it will become very clear during the Rice game as to how big of a mistake this move is. Rice is not that good of a D1 team, so if he struggles against them, I will look the other way when TCU and Tech show up.

[MustangIcon]

Not to mention that any time you see two players as about even, the edge should go to the younger player that has more time in your system. In addition, it widely held that Bo Levi has a much stronger arm than Willis and June Jones has often reffered to Bo as "the most accurate highschool passer I have ever seen". Yes, I realize its highschool but thats a bold statement from a man who knows a little something about QBs.

My shock is not in that Bo Levi was chosen as starting QB but that SMU would ever have a player with 50+ TDs in his first two seasons that was deemed not good enough to start (or be the backup) in his third season. Its really jaw droppingly shocking, but I think it could be that Bo presents us the best chance for success.

In the future but not this season. If I'm buying tickets for this season, I want to see the players who give us the best chance to win now.

I could be wrong but I think it will become very clear during the Rice game as to how big of a mistake this move is. Rice is not that good of a D1 team, so if he struggles against them, I will look the other way when TCU and Tech show up.

I feel no more or less confident about the Rice game than I would if Willis were starting. Our biggest problems are at areas other than QB in my opinion.

[Get_Some_Ponies]

BLM will be ok. I predict JWill never takes another snap. Unless Jones is using some super motivational voodoo and Willis takes us to the promised land (the Shreveport Bowl).

[Mexmustang]

No question, Willis put himself deep into the depth chart by missing spring practice. JJ will have only 1.5 years wilh Willis, while he will have 4 years with Bo.

Willis is a senior at SMU, yet not as diciplined a player as an incoming freshman who obviously will buy in to a new coaches sytem without any second guessing.

But, what is frightening to think, is that JW and the rest of last year's team were really not very good football players, as reflected in their record. In other words, JW simply got beat out by two freshman that are better football players!

[One Trick Pony]

[quote="George S. Patton"]To all the Justin Willis backers,



What is it they don't get?

[TheBestAvailable]

[quote="EastStang"]The all time leader was 1-11 starting last year. We lost to Arkansas State. Imagine if the Cowboys went 1-15 this year, do you think the QB would be in a small amount of trouble?[/quote]

SMU had 6 games that were lost last season when the offense scored over 28 points and in 4 of those 6 games, the O scored 40+ points. That doesn't look like a QB problem to me.

http://www.thespread.com/index.php?opti ... eason=2007

JJ has made his decision and we have to live with it.

Regardless, you guys should really stop discounting what JW did here in an attempt to help this team win the last two years.

Do some research and you will see that it's not easy to find QB's who put up 2,600/2,900 yards in consecutive years (especially with a horrible O'line, no running game and few receivers to catch the ball).

What you guys are doing to JW would be like bashing Morstead and saying he failed simply because we went 1-11 last year.

No, Morestead is one of the best punters in the country and he did the best he could to help this team win. No single player can do it by themselves in football.

[J.T.supporta]

No single player can do it by themselves in football.

but didnt you say earlier that JW did most of it by himself the previous years?

[jtstang]

Regardless, you guys should really stop discounting what JW did here in an attempt to help this team win the last two years.

I don't discount the fact that he was a good player on an island by himself over the last two years, but unfortunately the reality is at 7-17 he didn't do much that helped SMU win.

[Nacho]

If the o-line can do anything at all we may be ok. That is a big if. If they can't the QB is going to be under a ton of pressure.

That 7-17 may have had a lot to with the D not being able to stop anyone in the 4th quarter.