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In my estimation (and I'm just a dumb UT grad, so what do I know?), this team will succeed or fail on the shoulders of DeMyron Martin. I do not overstate this in the least. As good as Willis was last year, he could have gotten a lot more help from the run game (which he contributed to more than some people realize). If Martin can stiff even a modicum of the success he had in his frosh campaign, I think there will be cause for much optimism Pony Land. But that is just one man's opinion.

Good point. Thanks for bringing it up. I believe that D-Mart's health and ability to play at least as well as he did as a frosh will have a huge effect on the team as a whole.

Two things - it's no secret, a solid run game takes pressure off Willis. Willis with freedom means Willis can tear opposing defenses a part. Secondly, we have plenty questions about the defense - sure a good run game isn't going to keep our shaky defensive backfield from getting torched, but it will keep the defense off the field. Plus, we might be able to grind the opposing defense down so much that even if their offense comes out and hits a quick strike that the defense will be too tired to prevent us from answering.

I think a healthy and productive DeMyron will be the difference between us competing/hoping for a bowl bid and competing for the conference championship.

I think how demyron plays will have a big effect on how this season goes, but the play of the o-line is even more important. Mapps & Dorsey are both capable if demyron doesn't play well, but it all starts with the big boys upfront.

I hope DeMyron has a good year.. but, I certainly wish we could mix Jesse Henderson in the backfield a little. Or at least get him involoved in the slot or something.

I know he's a bit injury prone and small.. but he can break open any game with his speed.

I'm also hoping our WR's are able to pick up their level.. excluding Sanders. As much as a running game opens up the passing game.. I think with Willis and Sanders being such a weapon and Martin not having the best year in '06.. the passing game could open the running game.

We'll see..

Last Summer I called it: 6 wins, no bowl. This was based on Martin playing at near his freshman level while Willis learned the game and didn't screw up too many games.

This year, Willis is the one who is going to need to repeat his Frosh performance, but Martin's return to form is truly the best hope the team has for getting to that elusive bowl game. It has already been mentioned that having a running game should help keep the defense off of field longer, giving them some time to take O2 before going out and getting pounded again. Additionally it should keep opposing defenses from selling out against the pass. Though it would be ironic if this actually hurt Willis, who makes great things happen when he's under pressure.

I'm not as sold as Thad, but I would go so far as to say that Martin playing well (or in the alternative, Bowling Ball Butler turning into magic), will be the difference between the Ponies playing for a Bowl or the Ponies playing for a different coach in '08.

-CoS

WorldStang wrote:I hope DeMyron has a good year.. but, I certainly wish we could mix Jesse Henderson in the backfield a little. Or at least get him involoved in the slot or something.

I know he's a bit injury prone and small.. but he can break open any game with his speed.

I'm also hoping our WR's are able to pick up their level.. excluding Sanders. As much as a running game opens up the passing game.. I think with Willis and Sanders being such a weapon and Martin not having the best year in '06.. the passing game could open the running game.

We'll see..

\\


They slid Henderson over to WR, so I imagine we'll see him on the field a good bit this season.

-CoS

WorldStang wrote:I hope DeMyron has a good year.. but, I certainly wish we could mix Jesse Henderson in the backfield a little. Or at least get him involoved in the slot or something.

I know he's a bit injury prone and small.. but he can break open any game with his speed.

I'm also hoping our WR's are able to pick up their level.. excluding Sanders. As much as a running game opens up the passing game.. I think with Willis and Sanders being such a weapon and Martin not having the best year in '06.. the passing game could open the running game.

We'll see..

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I think you're selling Martin a little short. He basically single-handedly beat TCU two years ago and I think he's a back that's capable of beating almost anyone on your schedule if he's given enough of the load (and assuming everyone else on the team is doing their part to an at least competent level). Willis aside Martin is the best weapon this team has and to not use him to his full potential would be sad thing.

I don't disagree with you either.. but keep in mind.. Martin came in when Dorsey and Fitz were not effective vs TCU. TCU had not prepared for a big back like DeMyron.. and it was a change-up to have him pounding on them in the 2nd half.

My point being.. use DeMyron.. but he's more effective on a DLine that's been worn down. SMU has to keep him fresh to be effective. Using a scatback to change the pace of the game a bit would only make him more effective.

Now.. all this being said.. I know there's something to be said about a RB getting into rythym. Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young last year is a perfect example. I hated watching Charles being taken out after he seemingly found his rythym in games.

If Martin stays healthy last year, we beat north texas. Chances are we'd have converted on 4th and short versus houston and rice to beat them both.

There's no reason to think a healty DMart can't have the success of his frosh year.

Someone wished Henderson at running back last year and he was put there for the opening play of the next game. He broke his foot and was out for the rest of the year and I have not heard for sure that he is fully recovered yet. He was still having stuff done just recently. He is too valuable on returns. With the possible exception of a wideout, do not put him inside where he will get broken again. It may have been a fluke but it was a major fluke.

regis wrote:If Martin stays healthy last year, we beat north texas. Chances are we'd have converted on 4th and short versus houston and rice to beat them both.

There's no reason to think a healty DMart can't have the success of his frosh year.

That's a really salient point Regis. I think you are right on all three counts. North Texas, Houston, and Rice. I really try not to think about that UNT game, but looking back - what we were trying to do went out the window with Martin getting hurt. We were just trying to manage a game where our superior talent would win out by just playing the grind it out game. The real travesty of that game is we had no back up plan, and at the time PB didn't have the confidence to unbridle Willis.

I am now looking back at last season with new eyes. Maybe I do see why all these publications are thinking we can compete this year. A healthy Martin and we win NT plusr either (or both) against the Houston schools, and if Willis didn't get himself suspended for a game we might have had the UTEP game too.

All that being said, it might have been a blessing in disguise that Martin was injured... allowing Willis to blossom and to be trusted with the keys to the offense. I went back and looked at the TCU game about 4 or 5 months ago. The way Martin just powered through, squaring his hips towards oncoming traffic. We didn't see that from him when he came back last year. Too timid.

This really could be a great year. Darn it! I need to put down the koolaide.

I dont think that we should be relying on Marting as much as everyone thinks. He did not impress me in the least towards the end of the season. He reminded me a lot of Kris Briggs. I huge back with good speed, but he seemed to tiptoe up to the line. Where he was running with his head down and trying to punish tacklers, I saw him start to raise up and look for holes. He is not that kind of runner. And our o-line isnt know for blowing people off the ball. Twice we had the ball withing a yard of Rice's goal line and we could not score. Mapps is a much better fit for our offense. Ok thats enough on that. Go Stangs.

35- what if briggs had been healthy his senior year? i know he wasnt our feature back but it would have been nice..

35straight wrote:I dont think that we should be relying on Marting as much as everyone thinks. He did not impress me in the least towards the end of the season.

Towards the end of last season? Or 2005?

I was under the impression that he was never 100% last season, and in 2005 he ended the season with strong performances.

-CoS

LonghornFan68 wrote:In my estimation (and I'm just a dumb UT grad, so what do I know?), this team will succeed or fail on the shoulders of DeMyron Martin. I do not overstate this in the least. As good as Willis was last year, he could have gotten a lot more help from the run game (which he contributed to more than some people realize). If Martin can stiff even a modicum of the success he had in his frosh campaign, I think there will be cause for much optimism Pony Land. But that is just one man's opinion.

when i first read your post i wanted to disagree for a number of reasons; however, after thinking it over this is my thought:
DM (and the rotation of backs who WILL see a lot of playing time) needs to have a big year:

1. Keep the defense off the field. We all know (and so will all of the teams we play) that our defense is our biggest weakness. With a young defense (although with depth) will need to be on the sidelines more often then it was last year. Too many times we scored quickly (or turned the ball over quickly) which forced our defense to get run down. This played a huge role especially late in the season against teams like Houston. We need ball control and ball security.


2. THE SOPHMORE SLUMP. Sure Willis had a great year last year, and showed more productivity at the QB position then we have seen in a long time, but there is always the fear of a sophmore slump. We need the RB's to step up and take some of the pressure of Willis, so that he does not have to carry the load every game. Too many times last year he "forced" throws and scrambles because the offense could not sustain any significant drives.

3. We don't run the option and Willis isn't Vick. In our offense it should be an advantage to have a QB that can scramble, it should not be the only way that we gain yards on the ground. A lot of people have been critical of Willis for scrambling too often and not protecting the ball when he did (let's chalk this one up to having a freshmen back there), but we need to have the majority of the rushing yards coming from the guys who know how to run down hill and lower their shoulders, not the QB.

4. Help out the OL. Ask any OL coach what the hardest thing to teach is and they will tell you hands down it is pass protection. The RB's are not always going to have huge lanes to run trough, so they need to learn to create plays themselves (without going backwards). This is the reason Massey never made it at SMU. He was stronger then most of the OL and he couldnt keep himself from trying to be reggie bush. Keep your shoulders low, knees high, and keep your legs driving. THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE GETTING "PAID" TO DO. KK was a good RB with a terrible OL, but he made plays. Once a RB starts making plays, the defense starts guessing, and helps to set up the OL blocks better.

5. Play Calling. If the RB's actually step up this year, it will allow the coaches to open up the playbook and be more creative. It also won't make us all have a nervous break down on 3rd and short.