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With 20 returning starters, that would mean that very FEW seniors were starters last year, an indication of youth.

Seems pretty accurate so far.

The fact that 20 starters return actually CONFIRMS that this team was young last year.

EVERY roster across the country includes walkons .

No misinformation here. All you can accuse the administration of is using information in the best light possible.

- Sort of like when they say 20 starters are returning, when you also know that not ALL of those 20 will be the starters anyway. It's just a general way to make general tendencies when you compare teams.

THAT'S ALL IT WAS. SMU was one of the youngest teams last year.

The fact that 20 starters return actually CONFIRMS that this team was young last year.

If you read further, the STARTERS that are returning this FALL are mostly JRs and SOPHs, so again, how was this team NOT young??

Now, that doesn't mean they were good, bad, or ugly. W's and L's will play that out in '05 and '06.

the truth is SMU started ZERO true freshman high school recruits at the time the claim was made and 7 Seniors and 7 juniors plus 2 junior specialists. In fact, 22 out of 24 had lettered at the NCAA Division 1A level. Only a couple of true freshman even saw the field and even less saw significant minutes. Counting walkons to establish that you aren't experience is just a bunch of crap. The problem had a lot less to do with youth and a lot more to do with the fact that SMU suffered some catyclismic recruiting seasons in the senior and junior classes-a point first pointed out to this board during the years of their recruitment-when I was bashed by people like you for not knowing what I was talking about. Of course, that became the conventional wisdom even by those that bashed me then once Bennett let out to his buddies on this board that those classes were devoid of talent as he stared at the first 0-12 season in SMU history. Just remember who told you first.

Cortley Blackmon and Jonathan Lindley each started at one point last year, and Wilton McCray started almost all year. They were true freshmen. That's three guys -- three is not zero.

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PonyFan wrote:Cortley Blackmon and Jonathan Lindley each started at one point last year, and Wilton McCray started almost all year. They were true freshmen. That's three guys -- three is not zero.

As did unheralded walkons at LB, and Dawson.

Stallion wrote:the truth is SMU started ZERO true freshman high school recruits at the time the claim was made and 7 Seniors and 7 juniors plus 2 junior specialists. In fact, 22 out of 24 had lettered at the NCAA Division 1A level. Only a couple of true freshman even saw the field and even less saw significant minutes. Counting walkons to establish that you aren't experience is just a bunch of crap. The problem had a lot less to do with youth and a lot more to do with the fact that SMU suffered some catyclismic recruiting seasons in the senior and junior classes-a point first pointed out to this board during the years of their recruitment-when I was bashed by people like you for not knowing what I was talking about. Of course, that became the conventional wisdom even by those that bashed me then once Bennett let out to his buddies on this board that those classes were devoid of talent as he stared at the first 0-12 season in SMU history. Just remember who told you first.

It would not behoove a coach to come in on day one and declare that the 3 classes ahead of his first recruiting season SUCKED...it doesn't help their psyche, and those are the guys you HAVE to play with regardless of desire to let younger ones play.

So, did he LIE when he came in here and said the cupboard was not empty - PROBABLY so, for the aforementioned reason.

Also, he probably misjudged CAVAN'S last few classes that on paper were decent, but had too many defections after they were here for several years.

Either way, being upbeat and positive is better than declaring how aweful your ingredients are when you try to make dinner. You hope some spices will hide the bad food, but in the end, it's pretty bad.

I will say this: Bennett is NOT the coach to come in and sprinkle magic dust and make a bad team better (a la Fran), so he might as well have played all those young recruits.

In many respects, he's probably a lot like CAVAN - probably a good coach once he gets talent around him, but unable to be imaginative in coaching. Had CAVAN had the relaxed standards, he probably would have ended up doing much better.

GoRedGoBlue wrote:As did unheralded walkons at LB, and Dawson.

I'm drawing a blank -- who's Dawson?

The simple fact is that you do not even need all of your fingers on one hand to count the number of wins the last 2 years!

Get a hobby, Frog.

Stallion wrote:the truth is SMU started ZERO true freshman high school recruits at the time the claim was made and 7 Seniors and 7 juniors plus 2 junior specialists. In fact, 22 out of 24 had lettered at the NCAA Division 1A level. Only a couple of true freshman even saw the field and even less saw significant minutes. Counting walkons to establish that you aren't experience is just a bunch of crap. The problem had a lot less to do with youth and a lot more to do with the fact that SMU suffered some catyclismic recruiting seasons in the senior and junior classes-a point first pointed out to this board during the years of their recruitment-when I was bashed by people like you for not knowing what I was talking about. Of course, that became the conventional wisdom even by those that bashed me then once Bennett let out to his buddies on this board that those classes were devoid of talent as he stared at the first 0-12 season in SMU history. Just remember who told you first.

So if you start 1 game, you are a returning starter? Anybody who was at Senior Day knows the reality of the situation. 7 starting seniors? According to the Techas Tech game notes, you are right. But how many of those even remotely contributed? Munlin, Brown, Adami. Rushbrook had 1 touchdown. Pretty short list.

Let's be honest. Senior Day was pretty ,uch a non-event. With the possible exception of Adami, was anybody saying to themselves, "Boy am I going to miss that guy? How are we goign to fill that hole?" Truth is, there were no holes to fill. These guys hardly played.

At end of the day, you keep arguing experience to say SMU lied about youth. Which ain't the same thing.

Stallion wrote:the truth is SMU started ZERO true freshman high school recruits at the time the claim was made and 7 Seniors and 7 juniors plus 2 junior specialists. In fact, 22 out of 24 had lettered at the NCAA Division 1A level. Only a couple of true freshman even saw the field and even less saw significant minutes. Counting walkons to establish that you aren't experience is just a bunch of crap. The problem had a lot less to do with youth and a lot more to do with the fact that SMU suffered some catyclismic recruiting seasons in the senior and junior classes-a point first pointed out to this board during the years of their recruitment-when I was bashed by people like you for not knowing what I was talking about. Of course, that became the conventional wisdom even by those that bashed me then once Bennett let out to his buddies on this board that those classes were devoid of talent as he stared at the first 0-12 season in SMU history. Just remember who told you first.

So if you start 1 game, you are a returning starter? Anybody who was at Senior Day knows the reality of the situation. 7 starting seniors? According to the Techas Tech game notes, you are right. But how many of those even remotely contributed? Munlin, Brown, Adami. Rushbrook had 1 touchdown. Pretty short list.

Let's be honest. Senior Day was pretty ,uch a non-event. With the possible exception of Adami, was anybody saying to themselves, "Boy am I going to miss that guy? How are we goign to fill that hole?" Truth is, there were no holes to fill. These guys hardly played.

At end of the day, you keep arguing experience to say SMU lied about youth. Which ain't the same thing.

Otto wrote:

GoRedGoBlue wrote:As did unheralded walkons at LB, and Dawson.

I'm drawing a blank -- who's Dawson?

Sorry, that kid from Grand Prarie, was a true freshman started early (he was 2years out of HS, but a true freshman nonetheless)...was great in teh spring game in 04...

LAWRY...I think. I am thinking Kickers (Lawry-CHIEFS ) and Phil DAWSON... I think his name was lawrey or something.

Devin Lowery

GRGB: do you know Phil Dawson? He lives in Frisco now.