I checked the entire DMN website and couldn't find anything remotely related. Besides, check out the typos in the "story"
Anyway, I did find this new story:
Despite 3-24 record, SMU stands behind football coach
09:16 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 22, 2004
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
UNIVERSITY PARK – The losing streak is a school-record 15 games. The team has been outscored, 130-20, in its first three games.
The scoring offense ranks 116 among 117 teams nationally.
And yet, SMU's power brokers say coach Phil Bennett's job security is as strong as ever.
"Yes, he's got my unequivocal support as a football coach," athletic director Jim Copeland said. "We have to show progress on the field, and we will."
Those closest to the football program won't speculate about another winless season, but all expect improvement during conference play.
Copeland said if improvement is made – not necessarily in terms of wins this season – the expectation for victories rises in 2005.
Saturday night, the Mustangs open WAC play at home against 1-1 San Jose State, a team coming off its first victory of the season, against I-AA Morgan State.
Bennett and others associated with the program agree it's the first opponent all season that SMU should be competitive with.
SMU officials acknowledge the Mustangs were simply too young to defeat Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State.
SMU has 85 underclassmen, 57 freshmen and 28 sophomores on its 112-man roster. It's the youngest team in the nation, according to an SMU survey of all Division I-A schools. Bennett has had two full recruiting classes at SMU.
"There is a lot of support for Phil," SMU president Gerald Turner said. "He has a young team, and people take that into account. They like to see the team sort of mature as it shows improvement. But who would have thought we'd have so many injuries."
Two starting linebackers, Reggie Carrington and D.D. Lee, have been lost to season-ending injuries. Last week,Cory Muse, SMU's best pass rusher injured a knee and also was lost for the year.
"In my entire coaching career, I've never seen all these injuries," Bennett said.
SMU coaches say improved recruiting the last two years has aided depth, but most of those players are simply too young to make an impact.
Feeling the need to turn around an offense that ranked last nationally last year, Bennett brought in a new offensive coordinator and signed two junior college quarterbacks. Still, none of SMU's three quarterbacks has been responsible for more than a touchdown through three games.
SMU administrators have stressed the need for patience from fans and boosters.
"I understand where people are coming from, when they say, 'Where are the wins,'" said Mark Meyer, president of the Mustang Club, an athletic department fundraising arm. "You have to tell people to be patient. It's tough, but it's something we're willing to do. The great thing about Phil is his communication. He tells you everything that's going on with the program. He holds nothing back. He gives you an opportunity to see and understand."
Scheduling has been another major factor in the Mustangs' struggles.
In the first three weeks, SMU has played two Big 12 bowl teams, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State and rival TCU, a team that has reached a bowl game the last six years. TCU beat SMU, 44-0.
"We had a tough nonconference schedule, made some time ago," said Gerald Ford, namesake of SMU's stadium and one of SMU's top financial supporters and a member of the school's athletic council. The kids are playing great. The TCU game was a disappointment, but he's got the type of kids who can come back. He didn't have control over that schedule, and I think he'll turn things around."
Nobody around SMU wants to speculate on what happens if SMU loses to San Jose State.
SMU visits No. 21 Boise State after San Jose State. Boise State has the nation's longest home winning streak. Then, there's a road game at Rice, where the Mustangs haven't won in Houston since 1986. Louisiana Tech, featuring the nation's leading rusher in Ryan Moats, comes to SMU following Rice. A road game at No. 17 Fresno State caps a tough October.
Turner said that once the Mustangs enter conference play, SMU should see improvement. Ford said he expects SMU to be on an even playing field for the rest of the season.
Bennett and his supporters don't believe a winless season is a possibility.
"I don't even want to talk about that," Copeland said.
"It's not in my equation," said Bobby Leach, a former SMU player who was on the search committee that selected Bennett. "I really believe we can turn this around. Usually the better teams win in football games, and that's been the case with some of our games."
Bennett said he has not been told he needs to win a certain number of games.
"We're in a unique situation," he said. "It's almost like a startup. I'm not going to worry about that."
Bennett said he understands coaches are judged on victories. He owns a 3-24 record at SMU.
Few coaches in recent years have survived such stretches.
In the last 20 years, 14 programs have had a losing streak of 16 games or more. Of those, three coaches were hired in mid-losing streak. Of the 11 programs where one coach was responsible for at least a 16-game losing streak (which is the minimum kept by the NCAA), eight coaches did not return for the next season. Only coaches at Duke, Northern Illinois and Ball State kept their jobs.Bennett won't think about such situations.
"I'm focused on what I can control," Bennett said. "I'm trying to work the program. I'm a grown man, and I think [SMU officials] understand what we're up against."
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