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Houston Chronicle
UH tries to focus only on SMU game
Briles preaches need to take care of 'little picture'
By MICHAEL MURPHY
Nov. 4, 2007


It would be easy to assume that the Houston Cougars might overlook tonight's game against SMU.

After all, the game, which will be televised from Robertson Stadium by ESPN, sits in the middle of two key Conference USA West Division road games — last week's trip to UTEP and next Saturday's jaunt to Tulsa.

Add to the mix the facts that the Mustangs have won only one game thus far and already have fired coach Phil Bennett, who will finish out the season, and you have the makings of a classic trap game.

Except that Cougars coach Art Briles never sees the schedule that way.

To Briles, last week's 34-31 victory over the Miners was the biggest game of the season. And for the Cougars (5-3, 4-1 C-USA), tonight's game against the Mustangs (1-7, 0-4) is the biggest of the season.

In UH circles, it's called "the little picture," and that's all Briles wants his players to focus on.

"To me, it's a conference game, and it's a conference game that we need to win to keep up our pursuit of winning the West title," Briles said. "That's how we look at it. We look at it as the small picture, not the whole picture. And the small picture is that we have to play for 60 minutes Sunday."

Not that the Cougars have any reason to overlook SMU.

Two seasons ago, the Cougars were on the verge of bowl eligibility when the Mustangs delivered a 29-24 stunner at Robertson Stadium.

Last season, the Cougars, heading toward the conference championship, turned the tables, denying the Mustangs their sixth victory with a 37-27 win in Dallas. Anthony Alridge had a spectacular 225-yard rushing day on only 13 carries, two of which were 77-yard sprints to the end zone.

Another subplot to tonight's game developed when Bennett tried to explain how Alridge, from nearby Denton, had escaped the Mustangs' notice. Bennett said that SMU's stringent academic standards kept Alridge from wearing a Mustangs uniform.

Alridge remembers it a bit differently but shrugged off the slight.

"They never really (recruited) me," Alridge said. "If he wanted me, he could have gotten me in, and that's all I've got to say about it."

Preview: SMU at UH
• When/where: 7:05 p.m.; Robertson Stadium.

• Records: Houston 5-3, 4-1 Conference USA; SMU 1-7, 0-4.

• TV/radio: ESPN; 790 AM.

• Series record: Houston leads 12-9-1.

• Last meeting: Houston won 37-27 at Ford Stadium on Nov. 11, 2006.

• What's at stake: For the Cougars, it's maintaining the lead in the West Division race and becoming bowl eligible. For the Mustangs, it's mining a bit of respectability.

• SMU at a glance: The Mustangs, who started out with dreams of contending in the West, have struggled, losing six in a row. They fired coach Phil Bennett, even though he will coach the last four games of the season. The defense has been the biggest problem, surrendering 36.5 points and 483 yards per game.

• Mustangs to watch: Quarterback Justin Willis has talent but has been inconsistent, passing for 14 TDs but throwing 11 interceptions. Defensive end Cory Muse has five sacks and 6 1/2 tackles for loss.

• Houston at a glance: The Cougars have won three consecutive C-USA games, putting them at the top of the West Division. They have become a running machine, totaling over 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 1984.

• Cougars to watch: Senior running back Anthony Alridge is coming off a 204-yard game, pushing his season rushing total to 1,063. Senior wideout Donnie Avery needs 19 receiving yards to break 1,000 for the season.

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This is a quote from Rivals on January 20-signing date is the first week in February. I'll let that speak for itself.

"The final official visit for Alridge is scheduled for January 31. He will take his SAT tests this coming weekend."

Stallion wrote:This is a quote from Rivals on January

The final official visit for Alridge is scheduled for January 31. He will take his SAT tests this coming weekend.

So does that mean PB recruited him?

He is quoted yesterday in Blog's post with a DMN article that says saying he visited an SMU camp in his Junior Year and would have loved to have attended SMU. See below:

While Alridge always considered himself a football player who happened to run track in high school, not everybody agreed.

Teams wondered how they might use Alridge and his sprinter's speed.

He had some contact with Big 12 and Southeastern Conference schools. Alridge said he would have loved to stay close to home and attend SMU. He even made an unofficial visit as a junior. But he never was offered a scholarship.

Bennett said he and his staff didn't ignore Alridge. He saw the talent, too.

The problem was SMU's high academic standards

"We were recruiting him, and we couldn't get him in school," Bennett said this week. "Every time I play him, it just magnifies. He's very explosive."

Stallion wrote:This is a quote from Rivals on January 20-signing date is the first week in February. I'll let that speak for itself.

"The final official visit for Alridge is scheduled for January 31. He will take his SAT tests this coming weekend."

Stallion you can say whatever you want or post whatever article your heart desires. You heard it from the horse's mouth. We no longer have to wait for BIG DADDY TO GET HIS PHONE NUMBER AND REPORT CARD. He said Bennett didn't recruit him and he would have gotten in if he were recruited.

dcpony wrote:

Stallion wrote:This is a quote from Rivals on January

The final official visit for Alridge is scheduled for January 31. He will take his SAT tests this coming weekend.

So does that mean PB recruited him?

He said "They never really recruited me, if he wanted me he could have gotten me". Pretty clear. PB is just making excuses for poor talent evaluation.

another reason why PB only has 4 more games as head coach on the Hilltop....................

PonySnob wrote:another reason why PB only has 4 more games as head coach on the Hilltop....................

Sounds like Alridge is still pissed about not being recruited by PB. He might rush for 400+yards tonight...I will not be watching this massacre.

Look famouslydumbguy: You don't understand what you are talking about so just stop before you make yourself look more silly to those that understand the significance of the facts posted.

[quote="dcpony"][quote="PonySnob"]another reason why PB only has 4 more games as head coach on the Hilltop....................[/quote]

Sounds like Alridge is still pissed about not being recruited by PB. He might rush for 400+yards tonight...I will not be watching this massacre.[/quote]

I dont think he sounds pissed, were 1-7 now...im sure hes glad. he just wants to try and clerify this situation and make PB pay for "lying" or however you wanna see it

why do we keep talking about this kid? i mean, its ridiculous to keep with all the coulda-woulda-shoulda nonsense

Stallion wrote:Look famouslydumbguy: You don't understand what you are talking about so just stop before you make yourself look more silly to those that understand the significance of the facts posted.

Will you ever respect anyone's opinion? Or should we all expect that saying anything that is in disagreement with you will just bring on personal attacks?

If you come on here with broad generalizations based on incorrect and poorly investigated information then I will lay you out on this board. I have a lot more invested in this program than the Great 2004 Boycott the Boulevard Campaign. Get your facts straight or be responsible for your [deleted] conclusions.

Stallion wrote:If you come on here with broad generalizations based on incorrect and poorly investigated information then I will lay you out on this board. I have a lot more invested in this program than the Great 2004 Boycott the Boulevard Campaign. Get your facts straight or be responsible for your [deleted] conclusions.

So what do you have invested in this program that others of us do not?

Stallion wrote:If you come on here with broad generalizations based on incorrect and poorly investigated information then I will lay you out on this board. I have a lot more invested in this program than the Great 2004 Boycott the Boulevard Campaign. Get your facts straight or be responsible for your [deleted] conclusions.

I didn't make a broad generalization. I quoted Alridge and his quote is the exact opposite of what you told us about SMU's attempt to sign him.

You Stallion are the one who makes a broad generalization that we lose out on all the great athletes simply because of grades as opposed to poor talent evaluation or just being out sold.

You spout off a lot of empty numbers and expect us to just accept everything you say.

We can debate all day long as to why Alridge didn't sign with SMU but when the man is quoted there is no argument. He made it pretty clear as to why he's not a mustang.