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Signs of Spring: This is from Foxsports.com and it is their take on the new CUSA and its members:

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/3421240 , plus the SMU Recap below:

SMU Spring practice starts March 5, Spring Game April 9

SMU 2005 Schedule

9/3 Baylor
9/10 TCU
9/17 at Texas A&M
9/24 Tulane
10/1 at Marshall
10/8 at UAB
10/15 East Carolina
10/22 at Tulsa
11/5 Rice
11/12 at Houston
11/26 UTEP

Analysis: The Mustangs don't have a true breather (at least for them), but there are several winnable games. There's a nice balance of home and away games over the second half of the year. The finale against UTEP will show how far they've come.

Nastiest Road Game: at Texas A&M
Cupcake: Rice
Make or Break Game: Tulane

What needs working on ... Everything. You're not going to win many games when you score 18 points per game and allow 38. Step one is to find something to rely on offensively. The graduation of RB Keylon Kincaide took away the one player the offense could focus around and it showed as the attack had nothing going for it on a consistent basis. Step two is improving the turnover margin after finishing 116th in the nation last year giving up 30 and forcing 11.

The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. It was rotating quarterbacks last year partly by necessity and partly to search for any sort of production. With three recruited quarterbacks on the way, this is a big spring to see if any one of last year's signal callers can assert himself as the man.

Spring attitude... This is the year for a big improvement. There were signs that things were on the upswing at the end of last year winning two of the final three games. Now there has to be a flirtation with a winning record with experience on both sides of the ball and head coach Phil Bennett in his third year.

"Let's Spring a Surprise on our new Conference mates!"

Water Pony wrote:What needs working on ... Everything. You're not going to win many games when you score 18 points per game and allow 38.

Ain't that the truth.

Who cares what Fox Sports thinks? The Mustangs will show improvement this year in C-USA!

We'll see how good this group is this fall. Redshirt freshmen, sophomores and juniors starting this year, ought to make us more competitive. An early upset against Baylor or TCU would be a big boost to this program. Otherwise, we'll be looking at Tulane, UAB or Marshall as break-through games. If we could win one of those first two games, we might have some confidence going into CUSA schedule.

Rah! Rah! Rah!

I'm not sure the author of this story even knows when KK graduated...swap out the schedule, and it could've been the 04 preview.

I thought the same thing but I don't think SMU should be picked over any CUSA West team based on last year. UTEP? UH? Tulsa?(maybe-but probably), Rice? (never until proven otherwise), Tulane? We are picked right where this program deserves to be picked until we prove otherwise.

RGV Pony wrote:I'm not sure the author of this story even knows when KK graduated...swap out the schedule, and it could've been the 04 preview.

I had to read it twice to make sure, but he got it right; it is just a poorly constructed sentence. What he got wrong is that Bennett's in his 4th, not his 3rd, year.

Stallion wrote:Rah! Rah! Rah!

You've still never explained what's wrong with optimism.

GO MUSTANGS!

ponyboy wrote:You've still never explained what's wrong with optimism.

Nothing, except that it often proves to be unrealistic. Now you should explain what's wrong with realism.

yeah especially when the realists are batting about 1.000%

Ultimately, optimism helps with recruiting, fan support and student involvement. Realism didn't kill these programs, when it was richly deserved:

- Kansas State
- Miami
- Oregon
- Oregon State
- Washington State
- Northern Illinois
- Louisville
- Marshall
- Pittsburgh
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Colorado
- Navy
- Army
- and, god forbid, TCU

jtstang wrote:

ponyboy wrote:You've still never explained what's wrong with optimism.

Nothing, except that it often proves to be unrealistic. Now you should explain what's wrong with realism.

JT, nothing is wrong with being a realist, but don't confuse being a realist as being the opposite of being an optimist. One can be a realist and still be an optimist...or a pessimist depending on his outlook on life. A realist is one who sees the situation as it is, but has no way to see or predict the future with complete accuracy. An optomist will predict that it can and will get better. A pessimist will predict that there is no hope for things getting better. Neither possition is in opposition to being a realist. The classic example is the ole half a glass of water. The reality is that the water level is at the half way mark on the glass. Whether it is preceived to be half full or half empty is a matter of the perspective of the person looking at it...not the reality.

Everyone knows why our athletic programs in FB and BB are where they are today, and that is the reality that no one is disputing. Some of us truely believe that things are going to get better...others obviously think the opposite. Neither of us knows for sure and neither future condition is a reality until it gets there. So find a new term to describe your position, because we are all realist with different beliefs about the future.

PK: Thanks for saying it the way it needs to be said! I'm an optimist...and damn proud of it!

Stallion wrote:yeah especially when the realists are batting about 1.000%

Realists usually decline into hitting closer to 1%.

Optimistically speaking, I hope Bennett is NOT a realistic coach