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1. Put pressure on Kolb, shake him up some.
2. Secondary needs play their best game.
3. Aldridge ran for 136 yds against Tulsa. He was able to make Tulsa vulnerable to both the pass and the run. We have to stop him.
4. Houston's defense isn't looking so weak anymore. We are going to have to step it up offensively. Bust the playbook wide open, get creative.

This game is definitely winnable, but it's going to take a lot to win it.

While we're on the topic, would someone mind shooting an email to the guy who has forgotten more football than most of us have ever known and ask him to not necessarily load up for the run, but mix in a little passing game defense in preparation as well?

One of my concerns is that Houston ran a lot during the Tulsa game. Are we going to prepare again for the run, leaving them open for a big passing game? Tulsa is one of the top passing defenses. Houston knows that SMU is one of the worst. Before the Tulsa game, I thought Houston was primarily a passing team. I hope that Bennett has prepared for a passing game and won't let this game influence his game plan.

just score more than they do...that's all I'm asking. Don't really care how that happens.

Oh...and it would be nice to have somewhere near the 22,000 Houston had for their game with Tulsa in the stands at Ford...with most of them being Mustang fans returning for Homecoming

This is a bit of a repost from another thread:

I'm honestly terrified of our last 3 opponents because they all have balanced attacks.. they can and will run on you when you don't stack the line, though Rice and Tulsa worry me both because unlike Houston, they aren't as willing to give up on the run.. and if they are effective (ala ECU) we will have no chance. We simply don't have the personnel to be a smothering defense. We're flexible, and we seem to shut down the run well at home, which if effective against Houston will force them to pass to beat us. And they may just succeed.. the point is though.. a one-dimensional football team (ala UTEP) is a lot less daunting to prepare for and play than the balanced teams we are facing to finish out our season. Our only shot is to shut down one aspect of their offense (and thats going to be the run of course), play a lot of cover 2, and force them into a short passing game.. allowing them yardage and TOP then shutting them down against a shorter field inside the 20 (ala our strategy all season long).. which works for us when we actually HAVE made a team one-dimensional.

I say we have the best shot at beating Houston.. Tulsa is a maybe only because it's at home.. and Rice is a hell no because we play terrible on the road, and they're too good a team to lose to us at home.

Coaching is easy guys.. most of the time opposing coaches have a pretty damn good idea what you're going to focus on, both in attacking their own defense and in what defensive schemes youre going to throw at them. Everyone watches film.

It's about execution. You can coach to death.. but football games are still won by exploiting weaknesses that most of the time, havent been missed by a coach, but missed by a player.

I got an idea why don't we all script the first 15 plays-vote on them on ponyfans and then send them to Phil so we can be sure SMU is properly prepared. That would be swell. Go Ponies. Ya Gotta Win!

Stallion wrote:I got an idea why don't we all script the first 15 plays-vote on them on ponyfans and then send them to Phil so we can be sure SMU is properly prepared. That would be swell. Go Ponies. Ya Gotta Win!

You know your sarcasm just inspires them.

Stallion wrote:I got an idea why don't we all script the first 15 plays-vote on them on ponyfans and then send them to Phil so we can be sure SMU is properly prepared. That would be swell. Go Ponies. Ya Gotta Win!

That would be no fun. Half of them or so would be DeMyron plunges into the line. Add to that the ill-fated off-tackle runs on third and short or fourth and short, and there you have most of your plays.

Seriously, you know what would be 'swell'? That our teams had a reputation that preceded them of always being well-prepared.

I just wish the Coog players, felt the same way about our team as their fans do. Reading some of their post on the Coog site, their fans claim SMU is "HORRIBLE" after watching the UAB game.

Peruna2001 wrote:Before the Tulsa game, I thought Houston was primarily a passing team.

That's a common misconception, for some reason.

2006 is the first season under Art Briles that UH has thrown the ball more than we've run it.

We've run the ball only 327 times, compared to 328 pass attempts.

That being said, the Coogs have run for over 200 yards in each of our last 3 games. We've run for over 200 yards in 4 of our 10 games this year (plus 196 yards against OkSt).

If you want to stop the Coogs, you need to stop our running game. In our 3-game losing streak this year (@Miami, @USM and ULaLa) we gained a total of 156 yards rushing.

Of course, at the time, we were still working out OL kinks after losing three Offensive Tackles for the season. I think we got the kinks worked out.

ALEX LIFESON wrote:I just wish the Coog players, felt the same way about our team as their fans do. Reading some of their post on the Coog site, their fans claim SMU is "HORRIBLE" after watching the UAB game.

Every team has claimed we are horrible. Even SHSU and Ark St were calling for their coach's head for getting blown out by us. Tulane pretty much gave up on their season after losing to us and also called for their coach's head. UTEP was embarrassed that it was that close. Marshall wanted their QB pulled and their coach pulled too. UAB is hoping that was the last straw for their coach. I'm sensing a pattern of assuming everyone SMU is still horrible.

ALEX LIFESON wrote:I just wish the Coog players, felt the same way about our team as their fans do. Reading some of their post on the Coog site, their fans claim SMU is "HORRIBLE" after watching the UAB game.

Did you watch the UAB game? I would have to agree that we did look horrible. Yes we won. And a win IS a win but we certainly didn't earn any style points there. As a casual fan I would have to assume that SMU and UAB are both teams near the bottom of CUSA based on that one game.

A big key to the UgH game is domination of the LOS by our DL. Kolb can make mistakes, and he's pretty good at making them so he needs to be put in a position that gives our secondary the advantage against his [hopefully] haphazard pressured passing. He's no JWill, he can't dodge tackles for 30 seconds.

smu diamond m wrote:A big key to the UgH game is domination of the LOS by our DL. Kolb can make mistakes, and he's pretty good at making them so he needs to be put in a position that gives our secondary the advantage against his [hopefully] haphazard pressured passing. He's no JWill, he can't dodge tackles for 30 seconds.

You have absolutely no idea what you are are talking about.

smu diamond m wrote:Kolb can make mistakes, and he's pretty good at making them...

Kolb has 3 INT's on the season, and all three of them were passes that hit the recievers in the hands. All 3 INT's have been the receivers fault, not Kevin's.