Blue Ribbon Preview - SMU

[PonyPatrol]

The Blue Ribbon preview for each CUSA team is now being featured in the college football section of espn.com for those with an "insider" subscription.

BR is usually about as in-depth a preview as you'll find in a national outlet.

[Chuck Norris]

paste it here >>>>

[untitled]

Enjoy!

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Team preview: SMU

COACH AND PROGRAM

In the five years before June Jones arrived at Hawaii in 1999, the Warriors won 12 games. In his first year on the job, the Warriors won nine games. He went on to win 76 times in nine seasons at Hawaii, topped off by a 12-1 record and a trip to the Sugar Bowl in 2007.

In many ways, Jones loved life in Hawaii. He loved the players, the people, the lifestyle. What he did not love was an administration that rarely seemed to understand the challenge he faced, including a $50,000 recruiting budget for a program isolated on an island located 2,559 miles from Los Angeles.

Jones also came to realize he had done about all he could at Hawaii. It was time for a change. After spending most of his career trying to turn losers into winners, Jones needed a change. That's when SMU came calling.

"The same thing that originally took me to the job at Hawaii are some of the reasons why I came here," Jones said. "It was just time for me to get re-energized and take on a new challenge. The condition of this program is pretty similar to the program Hawaii was in when I came there. Pretty much every job I've had has been that way. It gets you going."

It took more than a five-year deal worth an estimated $2 million a year to get Jones to SMU. It took better facilities, including an on-campus stadium that opened in 2000. It took a recruiting budget of $500,000. It took a commitment to winning from university president Gerald Turner and athletic director Steve Orsini. Former coach Phil Bennett continually pleaded for some academic relief in the form of majors that might attract more athletes. He never got it, but Jones will with the decision to offer a sports fitness management and promotion major in the School of Education and Human Development.

"The leadership here is very strong," Jones said. "The president of the school is just fantastic and he believes in the same things I believe in. Same thing with the athletic director. He's a strong leader and motivated to build a Top 25 program."

The last time SMU had a Top 25 program, it required so much unadulterated cheating that the NCAA had to deliver the "death penalty" in 1987. SMU has never recovered, with only one winning season since the program returned to the field in 1989.

"They've been through heck the last 22 years trying to get the program back where it was," Jones said. "Everyone's committed to that."

The Mustangs appeared to be on the verge of turning the corner under Bennett after going 5-6 in 2005 and 6-6 in 2006, but instead finished 1-11 a year ago. With four games left in the season, Bennett was out.

On paper, the Mustangs were absolutely awful last season. In reality, they lost five games by a touchdown or less and often appeared to be one big play away from getting on the right track. The truth is, the situation Jones and his new staff inherited isn't as bad as it seems.

"I sure do get a sense of that," Jones said. "It's very interesting to analyze those games. I think we have a long way to go to build the principles we believe in, but I also think the way we approach things and the things we believe will be good for this team. It will be interesting to see how fast we come along.

"We feel like we've got some kids on campus who can play. And we're bringing in some guys who can play."

All the enthusiasm and excitement Jones has generated with eager SMU fans wouldn't matter if the players didn't get on board. From what Jones was able to see in his first spring at SMU, the Mustangs bought in and responded like a team hungry for something positive.

"No question," Jones said. "That, probably more than anything was the most positive thing about spring. We've got a lot of good kids. They want to win. They're just trying to figure out a way to get it done and they're committed to working hard over the summer. "I have a great coaching staff and we're all working together to make this a positive thing."

Assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison, offensive line coach Dennis McKnight, receivers coach Jeff Reinebold and running backs coach Wes Suan all followed Jones from Hawaii to SMU. Defensive coordinator Tom Mason spent the last seven seasons coaching linebackers at Fresno State. Bert Hill will coach the defensive line after working in strength and conditioning the last two years with the Miami Dolphins. Secondary coach Derrick Odum spent the last three years at Utah. Linebackers coach Tim Hundley worked the four previous years in C-USA as UTEP's defensive coordinator.

Morrison and Jones have worked together for nine years, but Jones remains his own offensive coordinator and will continue to call the plays in the run-and-shoot offense he has employed so successfully throughout his coaching career.

The first time Jones coached in the state of Texas, in 1983, he was working with Mouse Davis to install the run and shoot with the USFL's Houston Gamblers. At the time, spreading the field with four receivers and passing the ball the majority of the time was heresy, especially in a rough-and-tumble state where Darrell Royal and Earl Campbell are icons. Critics said no one would ever win with the run-and-shoot. Now Jones finds himself pouring through tape after tape of Texas high school games looking for prospects, including hundreds who play in offenses linked in some way to the original run-and-shoot.

Jones inherits an offense with seven returning starters and some experience in the skill positions but plenty of uncertainty up front and concerns about depth at offensive line and receiver. "I think there are some guys on campus that are talented players, but we need more of them obviously," Jones said. "We've signed six or seven kids who can help us at the skill positions. We signed a bunch of young kids in the offensive line, too, because we've got to have more depth. A lot of the young kids will not be able to redshirt this year." Mason faces a unique challenge as Jones' defensive coordinator, simply because Jones' offenses tend to score quickly or return to the sideline quickly. There isn't much time for rest, but Mason doesn't want his defense standing around anyway. "I liked June's attitude when he hired me," Mason said. "He said, 'Hey, let's get after them on defense. If you give one up, you give one up. We'll get it back on offense.' I said, 'OK, that sounds good to me.'

"I believe in playing defense fast and forcing the offense to make mistakes. I've always said let's take the offensive play call sheet and take it down to about a handful of plays instead of giving them a hundred different plays they can run at you. Let's force them to do things they don't want to do, take the game away from the coaches and put it on the quarterback and get in his head.

"I've already seen that in this league you've got to account for the quarterback, because it has so many running quarterbacks. So you'd better keep them off balance." The Mustangs ran more of a read-and-react defense under Bennett, who has been one of the game's most respected defensive coaches the last two decades, but injuries took a big toll last year on a defense that allowed more than 40 points eight times and allowed 498.7 yards per game.

"What they needed more than anything was to have some success and a new outlook on life," Mason said. "Anytime you have a coaching change, there's always going to be some fears about what the new coaches are going to be all about and how they're going to fit in with what the new coaches are doing.

"But they seemed to realize that the system is not 100 percent different from what they were doing. We just tweaked it a little more. Our goal in spring ball with this group was to get them to play hard and play fast. We changed some technique stuff, but more than anything we got them to hustle. My message from day one was, 'If you're going to make mistakes, make them fast. You'll outrun a lot of mistakes if you'll play fast and play hard.' "

QUARTERBACKS

When Jones took over at Hawaii, it wasn't long before he kicked the team's top running back and top defensive player off the team. When Jones took over at SMU, it took less than two months for him to suspend junior quarterback Justin Willis (6-1, 210).

As a two-year starter who has passed for 51 career touchdowns and set a school season total offense record with 3,643 yards in 2007, Willis is the only experienced quarterback on the roster. With his experience in the spread the last two years, he would seem to be a good candidate for Jones' offense, but Willis had a habit of abandoning the pocket on passing plays in favor of tucking and running. Willis is a good runner, but Jones isn't looking for another Mike Vick. He's looking for someone who can hang in and make the passing game work like former Hawaii quarterbacks Colt Brennan and Timmy Chang.

"On film it's obvious he has some ability," Jones said. "He's made plays and there's something to be said for a guy who's done it before."

The only problem is that Willis missed all of spring practice and wasn't re-instated to the team until mid May. He has a lot to prove on and off the field before he can regain the starting job.

"It's pretty wide open," Jones said. "I'd say after the summer and three weeks of fall camp we'll have to settle on someone, but for now on, anybody can win the job. We're not counting anyone out."

With Willis out, redshirt freshman Logan Turner (6-0, 179) took advantage of the extra reps and came out of spring as the first-team quarterback. He has the background Jones looks for; at Springtown (Texas) High School, he led the state in passing yards (more than 3,000) and touchdowns (37) as a senior and racked up 7,790 yards and 94 TDs in his career. "Logan did a nice job [in the spring]," Jones said. "We threw a lot at him. Physically he can make the throws. He has the physical tools to play [Football Bowl Subdivision] football."

Sophomore Zach Rhodes (6-2, 205) missed the end of spring because of grade problems and is likely to transfer over the summer, leaving redshirt freshman Daniel Miller (6-0, 186) as the backup quarterback -- for now. Jones is particularly excited about the prospects for incoming freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell (6-1, 185), who had committed to Jones at Hawaii, and Braden Smith (6-0, 190). Both are from talent-rich Texas.

RUNNING BACKS

Hawaii didn't have any backs with more than 68 carries or 388 rushing yards in 2007, but it did have three backs who averaged at least 5.7 yards per carry and combined to catch 41 passes.

Senior running back DeMyron Martin (6-2, 234) has admitted in interviews that he was concerned about his role in the new offense but said he feels re-energized and excited about the new offense. Jones said Martin and sophomore Chris Butler (5-10, 210) came through with strong springs and senior Jessie Henderson (5-9, 170) adds a different element with his speed.

Senior Andrew McKinney (6-4, 255) moved from tight end to fullback, where he'll be more than just a blocker.

"With the things we do, I would say our fullback catches anywhere from 35 to 60 passes every year," Jones said. "He'll see a lot of snaps."

Add them all together and Jones said, "We've got four kids that are going to be productive there. All of them catch the ball pretty well."

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

While SMU has had some productive receivers the last two years, it doesn't have enough to suit Jones. He wants at least six receivers he can count on, and that leaves a lot of playing time to be earned in the preseason.

The only proven receiver is junior Emmanuel Sanders (6-1, 175), who caught 74 passes for 889 yards in 2007.

"Emmanuel Sanders had a good spring and we have a pretty good idea of what he can do," Jones said.

The most talented receiver is sophomore Aldrick Robinson (5-10, 170), who showed flashes of his talent last season and showed a lot more in the spring. "Aldrick is something special," Jones said. "He's got a chance to be really special in our offense."

Other receivers showed potential in the spring, including sophomore Josh Bryant (5-8, 176), junior Zach Zimmerman (6-1, 166) and redshirt freshman Bradley Haynes (6-3, 205) but Jones said, "Behind those it's really wide open. That's an area where we still have a lot to learn and we're going to learn quickly."

Any of the six incoming freshman receivers who learn quickly will likely be playing in the fall. "Some of those kids will give us some more talent and depth," Jones said.

Jones' teams have never been deep in tight ends, so the coaches experimented in the spring by moving senior Vincent Chase (6-5, 252) to offensive tackle and junior Mario Walker (6-3, 230) to defensive end and using sophomore Patrick Fleming (6-4, 220) at both defensive end and slot receiver. "We're looking at them at different positions," Jones said, "but when we get to the fall we'll put one of those guys at tight end."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The post-spring depth chart at offensive line included five redshirt freshmen and one freshman. Add four incoming freshmen who will get a legitimate chance to compete for playing time and it would seem to be a dangerous spot for the Mustangs. So why isn't Jones worried?

"It's a little scary, but what we do gives us a chance," Jones said. "It's going to be OK." Jones' confidence starts in the middle with the return of junior center Mitch Enright (6-2, 272).

"He's someone we think we can count on," Jones said.

Jones also liked what he saw of senior Sean Lobo (6-3, 300) at left guard, but beyond Enright and Lobo, there's a lot to be determined on the offensive line.

Senior Tommy Poynter (6-4, 277) returned from a broken leg and torn ligaments in his foot and moved from right guard to right tackle in the spring, but Jones said it's likely Poynter will move back to guard. Chase showed some positive signs in his first spring as a tackle but still has a lot to learn.

Red-shirt freshman Bryce Tennison (6-3, 292) had a strong spring at right guard but could end up at right tackle. Red-shirt freshmen Kelvin Beachum (6-3, 283) enters the preseason as the No. 1 left tackle and two other redshirt freshmen, guards Josh LeRibeus (6-4, 332) and Kelly Turner (6-3, 281), have a chance to earn some playing time.

"Spring was just so fast and we put so much in that sometimes it was hard to tell," Jones said, "but we look like we have a chance to be pretty good up there."

KICKERS

If there's one player Jones doesn't have to worry about this fall, it's senior kicker Thomas Morstead (6-5, 233). Morstead made 13-of-20 field goals, with four of those misses coming from 52, 49, 49 and 46 yards.

"He's an NFL kicker," Jones said. "He's already been invited to the East-West Shrine Game. He's got a strong leg and he can kickoff, kick field goals and punt, so he's a unique talent."

Morstead also made all 43 extra-point attempts in 2007 and enters the season having converted 77 straight.

DEFENSIVE LINE

No position was hit harder by injuries last year than the defensive line. Yet, by the time the Mustangs were done with spring practice, Mason was convinced the starting unit of sophomore ends Youri Yenga (6-2, 235) and Anthony Sowe (6-2, 240) and senior tackles Patrick Handy (6-2, 256) and Serge Elizee (6-1, 301) might just be one of the team's strengths.

"I was actually impressed with our defensive line," Mason said. "You've always got to have those two rush ends, and with Anthony Sowe and Youri Yenga, those are two pretty good rush ends. Then you've got Elizee at the nose and Handy at the other tackle, that give us a good solid front four. You build your defense with the front four and your corners and we've got a good start."

Even as the 2007 season went down the tubes, Yenga finished his freshman season with some strong performances and then added 10 pounds in the offseason. Sowe didn't play much as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and almost came out of nowhere to emerge as a starter in the spring.

Behind them, Mason is intrigued with junior Adrian Dizer (6-6, 240) because of his size and athleticism and liked what he saw of sophomore Jordan Johnson (6-3, 255) after Johnson returned from an ankle injury. "That gives us four pretty solid ends," Mason said. "In this league you can tell you're really going to need guys who can rush the passer. With those four guys we've got some guys who can put some heat on the quarterback without bringing six or eight and exposing your defense all the time."

Inside, Elizee and Handy bring much-needed experience while Elizee gives the line an anchor at nose tackle and Handy brings some quickness as a three-technique tackle. They'll be backed by junior Chris Parham (6-3, 286) and possibly sophomore Zac Thomas (6-4, 250) when he returns from offseason shoulder surgery.

"I really like the Elizee kid at the nose and I thought Handy had a good spring," Mason said. "The Parham kid showed us some things. We lost Zac Thomas to the shoulder injury, but I think there's enough depth inside to have two guys for both positions."

LINEBACKERS

Senior Will Bonilla (5-11, 225) is the only returning starter at linebacker and gives the Mustangs a solid presence and leadership from the strong side.

Bonilla missed some practice time in the spring with a hamstring injury, but Mason saw enough to know that, "Will's a good, solid football player, a steady Eddie guy. He doesn't fit all your measureables, but you can win with guys like him. You don't go 'wow' when he gets off the bus, but you can count on him."

The most impressive linebacker in the spring was clearly sophomore Justin Smart (6-3, 240), who started six games at end as a freshman but emerged as SMU's starting middle linebacker in the spring.

"He's got that presence that you want from your middle linebacker," Mason said. "He's a tough guy, he can run fairly well, he's big enough and strong enough to be a true between-the-tackles guy, he's smart and he reads defenses well. More than anything he shows the mentality I've always looked for in a middle linebacker. He sets the tone for the defense, doesn't back down from anybody and plays with his motor on all the time."

On the weak side, sophomore Pete Fleps (6-2, 226) came out of the spring as the starter but that could change if redshirt freshman Julian Herron (6-0, 205) takes care of his academics and works his way back on to the team.

"We're going to have to move some guys around," Mason said. "Fleps showed he can do some things, but if Herron can get everything straightened out, he's a player who can help us there, too. He's got a lot of what we're looking for at that position. We're looking for that undersized tweener guy between a safety and a linebacker who can run and hit and Herron can give us that. If not, we might have to move Bonilla."

The depth is uncertain at linebacker, but Mason said sophomore Ryan Moczygemba (6-1, 222) showed flashes at middle linebacker in the spring and the coaches are eager to see what junior college transfer Alex Odiari (6-0, 253) can do when he arrives in August. Odiari was a top Texas prep prospect when he signed with Oklahoma State and started four games in 2006 before getting kicked off the team in August 2007.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Mason is a big believer in building a defense with the front four and the cornerbacks, and junior Bryan McCann (6-0, 176) and sophomore Derrius Bell (5-10, 167) give him a chance to do that.

McCann played corner and safety in 2007 and led the Mustangs with four interceptions. Bell played in nine games as a freshman last season and finished strong.

"We've got two decent corners," Mason said. "I was really impressed with the way McCann and Bell really came on in the spring, so those are two adequate-if-not-good corners. I'd be surprised if McCann's not a next-level guy down the road."

The Mustangs had big plans for junior college transfer Rock Dennis (5-10, 175) last year but the junior suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the spring and SMU never adequately replaced him. He returned in the spring and made an immediate impact.

"I like the kid and I think he's going to be a good player," Mason said. "The only question mark is how fast he can come back off that shoulder injury. He played well in the spring and I like what I'm seeing out of him. The only question mark is can he stay healthy? Because if he stays healthy we've got a hell of a player there."

At free safety, Tyler Jones (6-1, 203) is "a lot like Bonilla -- just a steady-type guy," Mason said. "He's not someone who's going to excite you with his 40 time and all, but he's a good college football player."

One possible solution could be the return of junior Bryce Hudman (6-2, 200), who started eight games at strong safety last year and would allow Dennis to move to free safety. However, Hudman was suspended along with Willis.

Mason will be looking for help from sophomore corner Tim Crosby (5-11, 175), sophomore safety De'Von Bailey (6-2, 209), redshirt freshman corner Chris Castro (5-9, 179) and redshirt freshman safety DiMikel Shankle (6-0, 195), who moved from running back in the spring.

In nickel situations in the spring, Crosby came in at corner and McCann moved to safety, and it's still possible McCann will move back to free safety in the fall. Another possibility is JUCO transfer corner Deyon McElroy from Chaffey (Calif.) Community College. Either way, the secondary is another spot on the depth chart where incoming freshmen will have to help sooner than later.

"We've got to get some of these recruits to help," Mason said. "We've got to build some depth on the back end. We get a couple of those guys to come through and we could be allright. I'm not saying we're going to set the world on fire this year, but we've got a base to work with. At least I'm not walking around saying, 'We'll be lucky if we don't give up 50 a game.' "

PUNTERS

In an on-line chat with fans during the spring, someone asked Jones about Thomas Morstead's value as a punter. Jones quickly replied, "I don't think about punting."

But the Mustangs will have to punt at some point, and Morstead is a better punter than kicker. Morstead earned first-team all-conference honors by leading C-USA and ranking ninth in the nation with 44.6-yard average. Of his 57 punts, Morstead dropped 21 punts inside the 20. Only four were touchbacks and only 18 returned for positive yardage.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Morstead is a good place to start, especially because he helped SMU rank second nationally in net punting last season, but beyond Morstead the Mustangs' special teams weren't all that special last season.

That could change with the hiring of former NFL special teams guru Frank Gansz, who came out retirement to join Jones at SMU.

"Frank is a legend in this business, and we are extremely blessed to have him join our staff," Jones said.

Gansz has a lot of work to do. The Mustangs didn't return any punts or kicks for scores last season, but they allowed one each. They also had a punt blocked.

Gansz made an immediate and positive impact in the spring, but given the lack of existing depth at linebacker, defensive back and receiver, it's possible he will be depending on incoming freshmen for speed on the return and coverage units.

He inherits two experience return specialists in Henderson and Sanders, but Jones is eager to see what his new receivers can do, especially slot back Quincey Whittington. "We have a number of guys who looked good doing it," Jones said. "I think just by osmosis because of the offense most of our slots are ex-running backs and they can return kicks. We'll have so many receivers on campus it won't be hard to find someone."

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

This time a year ago, former coach Phil Bennett was talking about SMU as a contender for a winning season, a bowl and even the C-USA West Division title. The Mustangs went on to lose one close game after another and lost a lot of confidence along the way. Eventually, they looked like a team waiting for something bad to happen.

"We've looked at a lot of tape of all the [C-USA] teams and it's a very talented conference, although I think it's very evenly matched -- it looks like anybody can beat anybody on any given day," Jones said. "That was proven last year when SMU lost five or six games in the final minutes. They could have won six games easily."

Grading the SMU Mustangs
Unit
Grade

Offense
B-

Special teams
C+

Defense
C

Intangibles
C+

Because of that, Jones knows this team needs some early success in games against Rice, Texas State, Texas Tech, TCU and Tulane. Winning at least three of those games -- which is possible -- would do a lot for a team in need of something tangible to build on.

"You're always happy at the end of every season if you win your close games," Jones said. "That's what you have to do. You have to put together a team with players that believe in each other so they can have those intangible factors that you've got to have to win.

"The sooner we put all that together, I think the faster we'll get it all turned around. The bottom line though is the only way to really turn it around is to win. We've got to start getting some wins so they can start getting some confidence."

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/ ... id=3461456

[Stallion]

so it appears that Jones plans to use McKinney not just as a Blocking back but as a safety valve receiver(50-60 catches). Of course, its not too unusual for a Run and Fun RB to get 80-100 receptions(see Texas Tech). Interesting can't wait to see how that turns out.

[J.T.supporta]

Enjoy!

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Team preview: SMU

COACH AND PROGRAM

In the five years before June Jones ....................

(THE REST OF THE STORY COPIED FROM ABOVE)"

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/ ... id=3461456

THANKS!!!

[Stallion]

Thank You for re-copying that 10 page article.

[J.T.supporta]

Thank You for re-copying that 10 page article.

You are welcome good sir!

[StallionsModelT]

That was an awesome read. Thanks for pasting it!

[HB Pony Dad]

That was a great read.

Thank you for posting.

[Treadway21]

That was a good read - Thanks

I like this part:

Senior Andrew McKinney (6-4, 255) moved from tight end to fullback, where he'll be more than just a blocker.

"With the things we do, I would say our fullback catches anywhere from 35 to 60 passes every year," Jones said. "He'll see a lot of snaps."

Can't wait to see McKinney with the ball.

[lwjr]

great article. Thanks for posting.

Go Ponies !

[Grider]

I know it's been made pretty clear the R&S doesn't have a tight-end, but what does this mean?

Jones' teams have never been deep in tight ends, so the coaches experimented in the spring by moving senior Vincent Chase (6-5, 252) to offensive tackle and junior Mario Walker (6-3, 230) to defensive end and using sophomore Patrick Fleming (6-4, 220) at both defensive end and slot receiver. "We're looking at them at different positions," Jones said, "but when we get to the fall we'll put one of those guys at tight end."

[PonyTales]

Chase, Walker and Fleming (and McKinney) were tight ends last season. They've moved to new positions.

[J.T.supporta]

Chase, Walker and Fleming (and McKinney) were tight ends last season. They've moved to new positions.

correct. why wasted the use of a player at a position that doesnt get snaps in the offense.

[kull]

jj actually added the TE to the RnS while in the NFL. Dont expect to see much of it. He used it during his first year at Hawaii but could translate available talent to production better without its use.