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3 Keys to a Winning Season

1. The Running Game (The O-line)

Cedrick Dorsey and Richuell Massey have to be huge for us this year. No way around it. I would have put the O-line as my number one key, but this is all one big issue. If the running backs aren’t good it either means (a) the O-line is bad or (b) it doesn’t matter how bad the O-line is. Quite simply, we need Tony the Pony upright and with at least enough time to make two or more reads. I have complete confidence that IF Eckert gets a two Mississippi count back there (before having to avoid the rush or gun it); both Kennedy and Chase will have huge years. But this is all dependant on the O-line. And the O-line is dependant on the run game. I’m not talking about a KK type running game - I mean some real gashes. I believe that both Dorsey and Massey have the skills to do just that, but they have to get passed the line of scrimmage untouched… they did just that in the scrimmage – so is the O-line that good? the D-line that bad? or, the backs that good?

2. Dropped Passes

While I have complete confidence in Kennedy, Chase, and, to an extent (the extent he is thrown to), Foster, to hang on to the ball… I have my doubts about our other receivers. But that’s three targets that I expect to catch the ball. You add Dorsey to that mix, and I should hope he can catch the dump off. So that leaves any number of options that the defense won’t cover on 4th and long. Pellerin, Cleveland, Givens, or that kid Lowery that Stallion was high on at the beginning of last year… whoever’s the deep threat needs to hang on to the ball… Too many passes were dropped in the scrimmage the other day… not good.

3. Special Teams

Deep snapping. (Sounds like a blues band, right?) The deep snapping was awful in the scrimmage. There is just no excuse for this. We have enough depth that we should have a deep snapper. Someone who practices an hour every day, just snapping - this position is just that critical. Also of massive importance is our return defense, it doesn’t matter that McMurtray and Mentzel can knock the laces off the ball (which they can, and in Mentzel’s case, if he gets the ball from the snapper), we were just horrible at covering kicks and punts this year. Field position, field position, field position! (Location. Location. Location.) More games will slip out of our fingers than we even new we had a chance in, if we can’t bust arse on the coverage.


(And lastly, cut down on the stupid penalties. Play disciplined. But we’re getting away from the horrible refereeing of the WAC, so the phantom calls will be cut down by about 95% .)

4. Get the f-in ball in Phillip's hands.


Heh.

um...score more points than the team you are playing?

abezontar wrote:um...score more points than the team you are playing?

Wow, I hope not, 'cause we'll be in trouble....

In order for SMU to have a winning season, that would mean wins against Baylor, Tulane, East Caroline, Rice, At Tulsa, At Houston.

No, whether you think it is "probable" or not, it is certainly "doable". My keys to winning those games are pretty simple, and I think by the end of the Baylor game we will be able to figure out pretty easily if we are above 500 at the end of the year.

1) Offensive line. We have to have a psitive push off the line and get a consistant running game. If our backup QB leads the team in rushing, that is a major problem. Consistant running game and a good performance by the o-line will allow us to move the ball against the toughest of those teams, Baylor and the away games at Tulsa and Houston. Most importantly, it will keep the Tulane and Houston offenses off the field.

2) Turnover Margin. Two parts to this. As Bennett says, the QB ration needs to be reversed. Also, our D needs to put pressure on the QB and force turnovers. How smart our QBs perform in the first game as well as the aggressiveness of the defense will tell us a lot.

3) Defensive line. Defensively, the secondary should be pretty good. Linebackers have depth and should be decent. Rumors abound that the coaching staff are very, very high on our defensive tackles and depth at that position. IF we can control the defensive side of the line and allow our linebackers to play aggressively, we will force more turnovers and stop the run. That is going to help us in the clost games as well as against Rice.

I know, those are pretty much the keys to every team in the country, so nothing ground breaking here. But that is some pretty simple stuff to watch during the Baylor game and should give us a pretty strong indication for the rest of the season.

Last year, out of 119 D1-A schools, only 10 teams scored fewer points per game than SMU and only 6 teams gave up more points per game than SMU.

On average we scored 20 points less per game than our opponents, which was the absolute worst in all of college football.

Solve that problem and we should be OK.

Boy I really think our DTs are completely unproven and BIG HUGE ?s. Hope you're right because I guarantee you that Baylor's gameplan is to show up the inexperience and lack of size, speed and depth in our DTs. I'd be licking my chops if I was a Baylor RB.

Stallion wrote:Boy I really think our DTs are completely unproven and BIG HUGE ?s. Hope you're right because I guarantee you that Baylor's gameplan is to show up the inexperience and lack of size, speed and depth in our DTs. I'd be licking my chops if I was a Baylor RB.

Good since RB & OL are probably two of our best positions.

We'll find out quick if in fact our DTs are that much improved or not. Why? If they're not improved...AND our rb's looked good in the scrimmage, BU will ram it up the middle & those annoying prophesies over on Baylorfans.com about Mosely will come true.

If that's not the case, though, and in fact our rb's and o-line IS that good AND our d-line is improved, those are factors we haven't seen in...awhile.

I have a sinking feeling that the former is the more likely reality.

Oh ye of little faith. This year's SMU team is a bigger more experienced and more mature team than the one that started the season last year. We most certainly are not a top 25 team or even a top 50 team yet, but neither is Baylor...so think positive and know that Dooby is going to retire the Kathy Bates avatar right after September 3rd.

JasonB wrote:In order for SMU to have a winning season, that would mean wins against Baylor, Tulane, East Caroline, Rice, At Tulsa, At Houston.

Don't leave out the froggies. They will be dessimated after Blowklahomeslice.

'Course, it won't matter how dessimated they are, we'll need to beat the Cubbies first. We don't stand a chance against anyone if we can't beat back the baptist horde.

ThadFilms wrote: .... and, to an extent (the extent he is thrown to), Foster, to hang on to the ball….

Didn't he lead the team in receptions last year? I assume they'll throw his way quite a bit.

Horseshoe wrote:

ThadFilms wrote: .... and, to an extent (the extent he is thrown to), Foster, to hang on to the ball….

Didn't he lead the team in receptions last year? I assume they'll throw his way quite a bit.

I agree fully... but for some reason, we haven't been hearing much about Chris "Australian for Touchdown" Foster over the off-season. Which concerns me/interests me... why not? ... which, is why I wrote the "to the extent he is thrown to" ... also, I don't remember him being thrown to (that much) in the scrimmage.

Anybody got the inside dope?

I don't remember how many he caught Saturday -- one or two. He caught 6 the week before, though. The only reason I can think of for him not being mentioned is that Bobby Chase and Ryan Kennedy got a lot of attention toward the end of last year, and he's not as big as those two. I think Australian For Touchdown will get plenty of catches. Hopefully a bunch of them will be in the end zone.

Horseshoe wrote:Hopefully a bunch of them will be in the end zone.

Yeah... that'd be nice.