Houston and CUSA

[Hoop Fan]

anybody see Houston vs. Miami Fla last night? UH has lots of playmakers and made plays against Miami. Their OLine blocked, the rbs ran hard and their qb looked dangerous. On defense their secondary got burned alot but they also showed they had guys that could compete one on one. I know they lost to Rice, but the flashes they showed against Miami indicate how tough CUSA is going to be. We better quit crying about the schedule like the excuse fest yesterday in the paper. I'd probably rather play Tech than Southern Miss or Marshall.

[SMULLET]

You're right Houston looked really great last night. I think this really proves how good Rice has become. I think Rice may really take it to us this year. Rice wont lose to "TU" by 33 this weekend.

[Cheesesteak]

I am excited about CUSA for lots of reasons. A few are...

* Our division (SMU, Houston, Rice, UTEP, Tulane and Tulsa) has appealing regional rivals - better for Ford Stadium attendance and more interesting matchups for SMU fans home and away.

* More games in Texas is a plus for recruiting.

* Both football divisions of CUSA have tough, improving programs.

* Mostly central time zome games.

Add in non-conference games against TT, Baylor, TA&M, etc. and SMU will have home opponents Dallas fans will care about.

[Dutch]

In response to SMULLET. Rice is good, but they run the option. the University of Texas or UT (not TU - c'mon, we're not aggies, don't act like them) has a D-Line that will shut down Rice's option attack, just like they did last year against rice and Nebraska. Mistakes happen when you stack the line and force a running team to put the ball in the air.

we will get beat by Rice with all our injuries on defense.

[Hoop Fan]

I like CUSA too, its a no brainer. However, if Houston and Tulane start beating our brains in next year, it will be a rude confirmation of the feeling I'm starting to get that our admin still hasn't done enough to allow this program to be competitive. All of the things said in the Watkins article yesterday may be true, but there is no excuse for Rice and Tulsa to ever knock us physically around on the football field like they did last year. We'll see in a couple weeks if we can compete like all of the powers-that-be predict, ie Dr Turner. I hope his definition of competing isn't losing by 2 or 3 touchdowns instead of 6 or 7. The injury thing is also not a fluke, its from not protecting the qb and not being physical enough. If it sounds like I am worried, you're right, while no one expected a win the first 3 weeks, the signs are not encouraging. Thats not a slap at Bennett either.

[SMULLET]

Mustache-
Rice beat us by 20 last year. They will beat us by 30 this year. And I didnt say Rice was going to beat UT (not "TU", sorry sir!), I said they would cover the spread.

If the option sucks so bad how has Rice won 6 of their last 7 games? How did they put up over 40 pts in 5 of those games? Sure, some of these teams were cupcakes (like us) but something happened down there halfway through the season last year and it is carrying over to this year. They might just be 7-1 when they face Fresno in November.

I wonder how SMU would do with an athlete like Phillips (healthy) running the option?

[MustangStealth]

The option doesn't suck, it's just that everyone knows how to beat it: speed and discipline on defense. Overrated as they are, Texas has enough of both to completely shut Rice down.

[SMULLET]

Everyone knows how to beat it!?!? Why do they keep winning?

Everyone knows how to beat a spread offense too ('speed and discipline on defense'). It's a matter of getting it done. Even good teams havent gotten it done against Rice (at least recently).

[MustangStealth]

They keep winning because knowing and executing are completely different matters.

And for the record I think it would be cool for us to run the option.

[Mike Damone]

Saying "TU" is horribly gay. No doubt about it.

[Sewanee Stang]

Hearing the misnomer "TU" reminds me of the endless drivel from an Aggie fan with an inferiority complex.

[mrydel]

The only thing wrong with referring to them as tu is that you keep capitalizing it.

[abezontar]

maybe the poster meant not the University of Texas with which we are all familiar but the University of Tulsa which I do believe goes by the moniker TU, I've heard it at quite a few basketball games.

[Mike Damone]

maybe the poster meant not the University of Texas with which we are all familiar but the University of Tulsa which I do believe goes by the moniker TU, I've heard it at quite a few basketball games.

Which would make sense if Rice was playing Tulsa this week.

[Sam I Am]

The DMN article about Navy's football turn around cited the triple option as an offense that allows an out manned team to win in college football. Funny, I always thought it was the spread formation passing game that SMU used in the early years after the DP that was supposed to be the little guys chance at winning now and then. Apparently you have to have lots of real talent to run the I formation, pro-sytle offense. Rice and Navy may be using outmoded offenses, but they are working better than what we have. Rice's win of UH is looking better and better. Then again, they have a proven winner as the head coach. Say no more.