The truth is...

[Nacho]

I was proud of the guys. I thought they gave great effort.

Truth is we aren't a very talented team. We have issues at a lot of positions.

Maybe in a couple of years we will be there.

Where in the JJ guide does it say we can't play someone else at QB? I just don't see any improvement out of that position. Ints don't surprise me anymore, in fact I expect them.

I do think the team as a whole is improving but QB play is really hurting us.

BTW the play by play guy was horrible. Big UCF homer.

That's about it.

[Pony Up]

I disagree. BLM is getting better.
Yes, he threw interceptions, and the fact is he'll continue to throw interceptions. The great Ramon Flanigan threw a bunch, too - some of it is imperfect mechanics, but some of it also is a result of an offense that calls for 50 passes per game.
That said, his INT numbers will come down. He'll never be one of those guys who skates through a season with single-digit picks, but he'll get better. He IS getting better, as are a lot of the guys around him.
All in all, however, I agree with the gist of your post. Need more talent.

[orguy]

What I saw was encouraging.

It takes time. He will become better at reading defenses as the season progresses.

I have seen some real progress the last two games.

[SoCal_Pony]

I disagree. BLM is getting better.
Yes, he threw interceptions, and the fact is he'll continue to throw interceptions. The great Ramon Flanigan threw a bunch, too - some of it is imperfect mechanics, but some of it also is a result of an offense that calls for 50 passes per game.

Not to trash Ramon Flanigan, but I think SMU was something like 8-22 with him at QB.

I would agree that in this pansy of a conference BLM may indeed achieve an 8-22 record.

[Nacho]

If only ints didn't matter so darn much. But you betcha they do.

Couldn't we let someone else give it a go next game for fun . See how he does. Couldn't hurt ya know. It's not like we are on a 10 game winnin' streak that's for sure. Let some other dude fling it around. Is Logan out of after school detention yet?

I am gonna faint if that guy ever starts a game. I feel like JJ is on a mission from Mars to never start him because I want him to start. It's not personal JJ. I won't say I told you so. So go ahead and put ol Logan in next week. Back to my newspaper.

[SoCal_Pony]

If he is not going to play JWill then I agree with sticking to BLM. Let’s see if he progresses at all this year or if JJ will aggressively go after a JC QB, which I think he should do regardless.

Logan Turner is not going to change these outcomes.

[Pony4Life]

I disagree. BLM is getting better.
Yes, he threw interceptions, and the fact is he'll continue to throw interceptions. The great Ramon Flanigan threw a bunch, too - some of it is imperfect mechanics, but some of it also is a result of an offense that calls for 50 passes per game.

Not to trash Ramon Flanigan, but I think SMU was something like 8-22 with him at QB.

I would agree that in this pansy of a conference BLM may indeed achieve an 8-22 record.

OK, but how many games would SMU have won without Flanigan - an extraordinary athlete who made plays with his arm and his legs, who knew the system inside and out? True, we didn't win all the time, but what wins we did have were largely because of him. That skinny little dude was a sensational player, and won some games by himself. BLM will have the benefot of a great deal more surrounding talent, and will win a hell of a lot more games.

As for a switch - barring injury, it's not happening. Coach Jones has made it clear he believes in playing a guy and sticking with him, and he has made it clear he thinks Willis most helps the team at WR, so unless BLM gets hurt, he isn't coming out. Baptism by fire this year, but he'll be better for it in the long run.

[Stallion]

True-which is why he has opened himself for some harsh criticism because this is beyond ridiculous. 4th String QB my [deleted].

[RGV Pony]

True-which is why he has opened himself for some harsh criticism because this is beyond ridiculous. 4th String QB my [deleted].

who would've thought the Rusty Burns Mustangs of a year ago would have scoreboard on the JJ offense this year?

[ponyte]

This has been one, in a string of many, frustrating seasons. What I would give to see one game were the defense doesn't blow a coverage resulting in an easy and usual long TD. To watch the offense go one game without a series of drive killing penalties. To see a game without SMU turnovers. To see a team that is disciplined enough to do the little things right (protect the ball, avoid stupid penalties, play correct assignments).

BLM is just one of many that has been young, undisciplined (as a football player) and not paying attention to details. That is coaching. Of course kids are making mistakes. Too many young players that just don't know what they are suppose to do. But we have some Sr. leadership (I use the term loosely) that haven't stepped up and demanded the young kids get it right. Why should they, their whole careers have been under coaches that have not instilled football discipline. Stop stupid mistakes and we have a chance to win a few games. Continue stupid mistakes and we remain in the Bottom 10 forever.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

One of the main problems is a lack of a running game. There is no doubt in the opposing Defensive Coordinator what we are going to do.

[redpony]

PONYTE- I couldn't agrree with you more. Overall the team is playing better but dumb mistakes and lack of discipline are killing us and preventing us from winning.
The UCF game was one that we coulda, shoulda, woulda won.

GO PONIES!!!

[OC Mustang]

It is frustrating having seen an offense with JWill at the helm last year and was putting up pretty good to very good stats get turned upside down in favor of a different system, younger QB, and thus an arguably less effective offense this year. The defense this year is a little better than last years, but perhaps without so many turnovers from the offense, that would be enough to raise the play of both sides of the ball.

That's where my criticisms of Coach Jones take root. He wants his system, and I don't blame him. I also think he more than has what it takes to make SMU successful. However, IMHO, he is taking the long way around the mulberry bush, and I don't think, given how much better this coaching staff is, he ought to have to do that.

With a few tweaks to his "system", a junior QB (JWill), signficantly better on-the-field coaching, and progressive focus on the defense, I think the Tulane & Rice games go SMU's way, and the UCF is 60-40 SMU's to take. I base that on how close a freshman led offense was able to do, as well that freshman QB's contributions to the losses (i.e. INTs).

That said, I like the improvement, and I definitely hear/see it from game to game. Hopefully, Coach Jones and staff will build depth and properly exploit talent going foward.

[PK]

Here is my 2 cents worth. I'm as frustrated as everyone else is about where our team is right now. However, after listening to Dan Morrison on Dial M for Mustangs last week, I better understand why JJ is working with Bo and not JW. When they go out to recruit QBs, they go after QBs who are the type that will fit the run and shoot system...they don't want to waste a lot of time trying to change a QB to fit the system.

I like JW and he was a great QB in our no-system offense last year and probably was single handedly responsible for our offense doing as well as it did by using his feet to get us out of bad situations, but that is not the type of QB that works best in the run and shoot. If it were only a matter of getting the QB on the correct page for the system it might be different, but this system requires the RBs and and all the receivers to be on the same page as well as the QB. Its not just Bo learning what to do, but the whole offense is learning what to do. With JW's instinct to run as opposed to staying in the pocket and making quick reads it would have slowed the learning curve for everyone.

South Lake Carroll has a system that is taught to their players way before they get to high school such that when they get to high school they know the system forwards and back. In college, the players only have a few years to get up to speed to be effective. Until we have upper classmen with experience in the system we will be struggling. What you don't want to do is slow that process down by having players in positions that the system requirements are not natural for them. I believe that in a couple of years this offense is going to be very exciting to watch and assuming we can build our defense up to the same standards, we will be kicking [deleted] out there.

[ozfan]

If SMU has a big year it will most likely be 2012 with BS as a 5th year senior at qb . He is getting to learn as a RS is suppose to be very accurate, does not throw interceptions and is a coaches son thus has been trained to quickly understand systems and defensives. Hope by then the D has grown up and improved.