Wednesday El Paso Times

[50's PONY]

SMU coach chimes in on media guide flap
By Matthew Aguilar / El Paso Times
After a few minutes of X's and O's, SMU head coach Phil Bennett got to talking about what everybody else is talking about Tuesday.
The Mustang media guide.

"I love (UTEP head coach) Mike Price, but he's off base on that," Bennett said, referring to Price's comments this week that SMU's media guide -- which shows Miner running back Marcus Thomas on his back -- was disrespectful. "Our guy, (media relations director) Brad Sutton, is as classy as he can be. It was totally unintentional and meant no disrespect whatsoever.

"I never knew who the guy (in the photo) was. It was just a picture that we had. I didn't even know (about it) until yesterday, when I started getting calls from radio and television stations. (But) we're on the cover of Marshall's media guide, and our running back is getting drilled. So it's just how you look at it.

"Mike's trying to get the stadium full, isn't he?"

Whether Saturday's game between the Miners and Mustangs is a sellout or not, Price certainly provided El Paso fans a reason to get excited. And maybe this game needed the extra boost.

While Texas Tech and New Mexico State were hot tickets because of proximity and local ties, SMU may be a tougher sell -- because of proximity and local ties.

But football-wise, the Mustangs beat the Miners last year in Dallas. And that speaks for itself.

"They beat us solid (last year)," Price said. "(And), right now, they're strong. They're scoring 100 points in their last two games. They have a freshman quarterback (Justin Willis) that can really run. In one game, he was 16-of-18 passing. So he's a streak passer."

At 3-2, Willis may be the key to SMU's title hopes.

On the season, Willis, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt freshman from Denton, Texas, has gone 80-of-118 for 841 yards and 12 touchdowns -- an average of 168.2 yards a game -- and three interceptions. On the ground, he is SMU's second-leading rusher with 45 carries for 210 yards, an average of 29 yards a game, and two touchdowns.

And he's learning a little bit every game.

"He didn't have a great game (against Tulane). But he's a competitor," Bennett said. "He's enjoying what he's doing right now, and he's competing. He's come a long way."

However, the Miners apparently won't have to worry about sophomore running back DeMyron Martin, who rushed for 117 yards on 30 carries last year in SMU's 40-27 victory over UTEP.

Martin has been suffering from a foot injury since the North Texas game on Sept. 9 and is not expected to play Saturday.

In his place, the Mustangs are expected to use a combination of redshirt freshman James Mapps (36 carries, 210 yards, touchdown), and juniors Cedrick Dorsey (26-132) and Fred Turner (9-105).

Without Martin, the SMU running game is averaging about 30 yards a game.

Overall, the Mustangs are averaging 343.6 yards of total offense per game (194 pass, 149.6 rush).

"I think we're relatively balanced," Bennett said. "We have the same receivers we had last year. We don't have a (Johnnie Lee) Higgins. But we have a freshman guy (Emmanuel Sanders) who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and has scored in every game. Until we get DeMyron back, we're kind of a running back-by-committee. Our line is getting better. I think we're capable of executing and scoring points."

Defensively, SMU boasts one of the better front seven in Conference USA. Last week, senior defensive tackle Adrian Hayward earned C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors with three tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in a victory over Tulane.

The Mustang defense held the Green Wave to minus-33 yards rushing, one of their best defensive performances of the year. Overall, opponents are averaging 350 yards a game on the SMU defense.

"It was a good game for us, but we should have closed the door on them earlier," Hayward said.

Price said: "The defensive line is big and solid, and they beat us around and beat us to the punch and outplayed us last year, no question about it. (Defensive end) Justin Rogers went on the Mike Price diet when he went to college and gained 40 pounds. He's a real good player."

Bennett said: "(Defensively), we've changed some things. We've come to El Paso before, and when we had momentum, we had a competitive first half and then got our tails kicked the second half. Hopefully, we'll have a better game than we did last time we were there (57-27 UTEP in 2004)."

Hayward said the Mustangs have a ton of respect for UTEP's offense.

"They have a lot of experience and put a lot of points on the board," he said.

Bennett agreed.

"With them, everything starts with (Palmer), who is a very good player," he said. "(Senior receiver) Johnnie Lee Higgins is a guy who will play on Sunday as well as the quarterback. Their tailback (senior Marcus Thomas), last year he had 238 all-purpose yards. He definitely gets your attention. And I think, defensively, they're a little like us. A couple of good linebackers and some corners that they are breaking in. Two good safeties. And I like the middle linebacker (senior Troy Collavo). He's a stud. And I think their front is sound. I think we've sort of had identical seasons up to this point."

Bennett said he is looking forward to playing in what is expected to be a rowdy Sun Bowl.

"It's an electrifying environment -- the best in the conference," he said. "I know they take great pride in that, and I respect that. And, in regards to the (media guide), (Price) is barking up the wrong tree. There's no disrespect there."

Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6166.

[Corso]

This El Paso reporter is a complete clown. How hard is it for him to confirm the numbers Price spews (Willis was 18-for-19 against Sam Houston, not 16-for-18), and considering the performance he had last year against UTEP, don't you think this Woodward & Bernstein wannabe would know that No. 60's last name is HayWOOD, not Hayward?

Come on, dude. Willis's numbers are available on any number of websites (not to mention the SMU game notes), and that last question can be found in the villified SMU media guide that Price seems to think equates to a military invasion of the city of El Paso.

[that's great raplh]

we should attack fromt he west side, then sweep around he franklin range into the stadium

[Peruna2001]

Yeah...I wonder if the 100 points quote was taken from last week, before the Tulane game. Or maybe Price just isn't counting conference play yet. Those people in El Paso must have a hard time with names. Hayward? And on their ghetto message board, they say PB is Chris Bennett.

[me@smu]

I was more curious how we are averaging 30 yards per game since Martin went out but averaging 149.6 over the course of the year?

[EP Pony Fan]

For those of you who don't see it every day: the EPT is the worst daily paper in America, or at least the worst I've seen. It really seems like nothing is ever edited in that thing, and I'm not sure anyone does actual research before writing an article. Not just sports, either -- front page to the back. What a rag.

[SApony]

Give the EPT a break. They have to translate from Spanish to English.

P.S. I am from El Paso so I can crack on it.