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there are an unusually large group of generalized "SMU got outcoached" "poor tackling technique" "Phil just can't motivate the boys" claims on this board without explaining how SMU could lose a game where they had 4 14 point leads based on poor coaching decisions. So lets list them here. Of course, we all agree on No. 1:

1. Phil does not understand NCAA rules on ending the half on a defensive penalty-loses his temper-resulting in a 15 yard penalty, onsides kick and UTEP's first second half TD

I think he thought our player was downed with a second left on the clock and due to the flag the clock should have stopped immediately, not that he had the rule wrong because he kept saying 1 second and held up one finger. But I could be wrong on that. That's what it looked like on TV.

With an ALL CUSA kick returner, you tell him to bring the ball out with seven seconds left in a tie game.

Taking a knee on the final drive. You have 7 seconds why not at least attempt something to win seeing how overtime has not been good to the Ponies.

Next to last drive when a first down or two probably runs out the clock and wins. Three Mapps runs are stuffed. Why not attempt something? - a Willis roll out with a pass/run option or maybe even throw it downfield? At least try and win the game!

How does UTEPs punter hesitate for several seconds and then scramble for 40 yards!!! Is he a 4-star punter with 4.3 speed?

Way too conservative play calling with the momentum swinging in UTEPs favor.

The 2nd and 1 from the 1. Why in the world would you try a gimmicky quick snap instead of pounding it up the gut? Get that and there is no OT.

Passing on 1st down, and 2nd down, with a lead with less than 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Price pulled out every trick in the book

Bennett played it conservative

who won?

Stallion wrote:there are an unusually large group of generalized "SMU got outcoached" "poor tackling technique" "Phil just can't motivate the boys" claims on this board without explaining how SMU could lose a game where they had 4 14 point leads based on poor coaching decisions. So lets list them here. Of course, we all agree on No. 1:

1. Phil does not understand NCAA rules on ending the half on a defensive penalty-loses his temper-resulting in a 15 yard penalty, onsides kick and UTEP's first second half TD

Stallion - you are wrong on this one....

Bennett was arguing that there was still 2 seconds on the clock, not that he got one more play on the penalty. His mistake was that he decided to have a melt down with the ref.

EastStang wrote:he kept saying 1 second and held up one finger

Was it his middle finger?

maybe Bennett was lulled into a false sense of security by Price who orchestrated the perfect upset with a second rate defense

maybe the fact that Bennett didn't realize he was in a street fight until Price left Ford with an ear to ear smile

Is Bennett an Aggie?

I'm pretty sure he proved it yesterday

When they had a bad snap on the punt late in the game and still got off a 50 yard kick with a flag and we decided to tack it onto the end of the kick. They had been having long snapping issues all day. Why not make them repunt from inside their own 5?

EastStang wrote:I think he thought our player was downed with a second left on the clock and due to the flag the clock should have stopped immediately, not that he had the rule wrong because he kept saying 1 second and held up one finger. But I could be wrong on that. That's what it looked like on TV.

I agree, i think that is exactly what it was in fairness to bennett

i had issue with calling a pass play right after willis got his bell rung. He throws a terrible pass, loses a down and stops the clock when we needed to be managing the clock. Bad call. Plus, with a tired defense, I dont think you can settle for a field goal in that overtime. That was suicide.

No Special Teams coach...

botched FG
fake punt for UTEP works well
kick returner catches a ball at the 12 yd line that was going to go out of bounds...then proceeds to step out of bounds immediately, gaining no yards
7 seconds left, kick returner takes a knee in the endzone (so Phil could take a knee and go to overtime...not to conserve time).

Other mistakes:

Trying to run out the clock in the 1st half (prior to the 15 yard penalty fiasco), with a little less than a minute and 2 timeouts.
All play calls inside the 20 yard line.
Continuing to run Mapps up the middle after UTEP called a timeout that was so obviously to stop that ONE play.

Simple...SMU is inside the twenty in Q4 with a 14 pt lead.
UTEP has 6 guys definitely in the box, with one additional hanging out...

...And Rusty calls two passes on 1st and 2nd downs.

6 guys in the box inside = RUN THE BALL. Football 101.

THAT alone is enough to question coaching.