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By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING – At first glance, SMU's schedule seems conducive to the Mustangs' goal of going to a bowl for the first time since 1984.

However, when you haven't been to a bowl in 22 years, you can't take anything for granted.

"Our schedule is better," SMU coach Phil Bennett said during Conference USA media days Tuesday at the Sheraton Grand. "But we better gear up. We don't have any gimme games."

The Mustangs open Sept. 2 at Texas Tech, a Big 12 power. But the rest of the nonconference slate shouldn't overwhelm the Mustangs as it did two years ago, when they opened with Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State.

And there are no momentum-killing trips to sweltering College Station, like last season. The Mustangs wilted at Texas A&M, 66-8, seven days after handing TCU what turned out to be its only loss.

After opening at Tech, SMU plays North Texas, Sam Houston State and Arkansas State. Playing two Sun Belt teams and a I-AA team (Sam Houston) gives SMU a chance to finish with a winning record in September – something it hasn't done since 1992.

Although some teams virtually ensure a bowl berth with wins in September, it's been the cruelest month for the Mustangs. Since 1992, SMU has had only one season in which it entered October with more than one win. That year, 1996, SMU won a game in August to be 2-3 entering October.

SMU has had five winless Septembers since 1998. Because of the way the calendar falls this year, SMU will have five September games. The last one is Sept. 30 at Tulane when the Green Wave will make its emotion-packed return to the Superdome after being evicted by Hurricane Katrina.

"We can't let that affect us," Bennett said. "We have to be mature."

That's not the only trap on SMU's schedule. Four of the first six are on the road, including the game at North Texas, an area rivalry that's being renewed for the first time in 14 years.

"It seems like [the schedule] is down, but really it's not," receiver Reynaldo Pellerin said. "Arkansas State is a tough team. I saw their bowl game [the New Orleans Bowl]."

SMU went 3-1 against bowl teams last season on the way to a 5-6 record. Bennett isn't tempering talk of a bowl berth, but he doesn't want anything taken for granted simply because there aren't two or three Big 12 teams on the schedule.

"It's challenging," Bennett said. "If you think that it's not challenging, it can jump up and bite you in the butt."

SMU has had five winless Septembers since 1998, but Phil Bennett is optimistic that the first five games won't be losses. Getting started: SMU had 101 players report for fall workouts Monday. Four others – LB Tyler Jones, QB Zach Rhodes, LB Justin Smart and OG Lee Gonzales – will report after playing in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game. The first practice is at 7:30 a.m. today.

101 players reported? How does that compare to years past?
Seems like a lot.

I think there is some sort of limit to players in pads until a certain date...

85 are on scholarship, the rest are walk-ons. There is a limit to the number of walk-ons that can report on the first day of practice, there will be more on the first day of school.

I am amazed that we rated a full third at the top of page 3. Usually we are an after thought at the bottom of page 11.

I also noticed that Phil is sporting a new look with his gottee

[quote="Ponymon"]I am amazed that we rated a full third at the top of page 3. Usually we are an after thought at the bottom of page 11. [/quote]

They hear us, my friend....

Great article. This is the exactly the type we should get every year.

Thanks Keith!!

Yeah, thanks Keith and DMN. Nice article and prominently displayed too.

Go Mustangs!

Not to get picky, but the location and size of a story has nothing to do with Keith Whitmire or Calvin Watkins or any other writer -- that's all up to the editors. Having said that, it was a nice article.

Not to be picky myself, but word is Brian Davis and Gerry Fraley from the DMN were also there at the CUSA Media Days. Whereas Davis is one of the DMN college beat writers, Fraley is a baseball-centric writer and is extremely negative in most of his copy. It's like seeing Blackistone coming to one of the games or attending an SMU media event. You run for cover - either something's about to hit the fan, or the writer is going to drop a bomb on the program somehow. Ripping something/someone is second-nature to Fraley. Usually it's the Rangers - perhaps it's our turn now.

My guess - Fraley and/or Davis are preparing a story in the DMN football preview section about Bennett and how this is his put-up-or-shut-up year at SMU. But Fraley will slant it to say SMU's underachieved under Bennett to this point, so why the expectations for this season?

Just my two cents.

ALEX LIFESON wrote:85 are on scholarship, the rest are walk-ons. There is a limit to the number of walk-ons that can report on the first day of practice, there will be more on the first day of school.

That's what I was getting at.

Ponymon wrote:I also noticed that Phil is sporting a new look with his gottee

Coach Bennett's first 'public appearance' sporting the goatee was on Channel 52 last week. He said it's a carryover from his vacation in Cabo, Mexico a couple of weeks ago. He's not sure if he's going to keep it, though. Sounds like an opportunity for a ponyfans poll!

Throwback wrote:Not to be picky myself, but word is Brian Davis and Gerry Fraley from the DMN were also there at the CUSA Media Days. Whereas Davis is one of the DMN college beat writers, Fraley is a baseball-centric writer and is extremely negative in most of his copy. It's like seeing Blackistone coming to one of the games or attending an SMU media event. You run for cover - either something's about to hit the fan, or the writer is going to drop a bomb on the program somehow. Ripping something/someone is second-nature to Fraley. Usually it's the Rangers - perhaps it's our turn now.

My guess - Fraley and/or Davis are preparing a story in the DMN football preview section about Bennett and how this is his put-up-or-shut-up year at SMU. But Fraley will slant it to say SMU's underachieved under Bennett to this point, so why the expectations for this season?

Just my two cents.

Doesn't Fraley do occasional columns, like when Cowlishaw is out playing 18? I think Fraley is a back-up columnist (I think I saw him at a basketball game last year, but it was hard to tell from my seat, going off just his mugshot in the paper). I've always had a problem with a lot of columnists, because if you stop by a team once a year, how can you really know what's going on? You're sitting at your desk and you hear that Terrell Owens is joining the Cowboys, so you run out to Valley Ranch .... and write a long column about the thought process that went into the hiring, even though you know nothing more than what is said in a carefully choreographed press conference. In other words, I agree -- I don't like the fact that Fraley was there.

Davis I don't have a problem with. Isn't he the DMN beat writer who covers Tech? Just getting a feel for the first opponent, I'd guess.

[quote="Corso"]Not to get picky, but the location and size of a story has nothing to do with Keith Whitmire or Calvin Watkins or any other writer -- that's all up to the editors. Having said that, it was a nice article.[/quote]

I know that. Just threw that in, professor.