Moral Victories are Not Victories

by **LakeHighlandsPony** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:54 am

We lost plain and simple. Ponyboy, You and your frolicking band of sunshiners please do not spin the fact we have won 2 games in over 2 years (guessing). Rock Dennis catches the ball we win. Cole Beasley catches the ball we win. Sanders catches the ball and we have a first down and maybe win. June refuses to go for it on 4th down opting to send an exhausted bunch of high schoolers back on the field.

by **SMU2007** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:27 am

i agree. that's a tough loss. that's 3 games in a row now that we were definitely in the game in the last 2 minutes and ended up losing. can't take too many of those without it really hurting team morale. it is nice to see us improving but losses are still losses.

by **FWMustangGirl** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:36 am

SMU2007 wrote:i agree. that's a tough loss. that's 3 games in a row now that we were definitely in the game in the last 2 minutes and ended up losing. can't take too many of those without it really hurting team morale. it is nice to see us improving but losses are still losses.

It didn't make the loss go down any easier, but I am thankful that I see improvement since the earlier games.

by **BUS** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:39 am

Since the second half of Tulane game... This team has GROW UP.

Played really hard and improved.

Bottom line truth " My Friends"

by **PonyDoh** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:44 am

Do you people still care about this year? Wins would be nice, but this is about maturation, and giving the staff a full year to evaluate what we have, and more importantly, what we need. This program needs a serious talent infusion and I'm hoping JJ gets it done on the trail.

by **Hoop Fan** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:55 am

PonyDoh wrote:Do you people still care about this year? Wins would be nice, but this is about maturation, and giving the staff a full year to evaluate what we have, and more importantly, what we need. This program needs a serious talent infusion and I'm hoping JJ gets it done on the trail.

the last thing we need is for JJ to go out on the recruiting trail with a Phil Bennett like 1-11 in his back pocket. A win over tulsa would have been nice for the fans who drag themselves to these games too. Given that smu supposedly is on a true level playing field now in recruiting, if we dont get at least 5 jucos this December, preferably 7 or 8, next year isnt going to be much better. Yea, we will sneak up on some teams who are flat and not ready to play like Tulsa last night, but dont mistake that for being anywhere near their level. Tulsa handed us an upset on a platter last night and SMU simply found ways to avoid winning the game. New coach, same fourth quarter blunders.

by **Treadway21** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:27 am

You are on crack if you don't think this team has improved.

by **Mustangs35SMU** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:41 am

PonyDoh wrote:Do you people still care about this year? Wins would be nice, but this is about maturation, and giving the staff a full year to evaluate what we have, and more importantly, what we need. This program needs a serious talent infusion and I'm hoping JJ gets it done on the trail.

A'freakin'men

This team has come a longggggggggg way since that TCU game. Am I upset we lost? Yea...SMU had it in the bag. But this year isn't and was never about wins. If you honestly thought this year was about that, then you were just setting yourself up for defeat.

I stepped into Ford Stadium last night expecting another TCU-like loss. And what did I get? One of the better SMU games I've seen in a long long time.

Every single one of those players deserved to win that game, but they realize it's a work in process. The defense played unbelievable against the so called "Best offense in America." And again, if that's the best team in OUR conference and is a Top 25 team in this country, well that just makes me feel even better about how far this team has come.

Patience is all that's needed. And after a game like last night, I'm willing to wait for June to turn this thing around. He's headed in the right direction and last night proved it IMO.

by **03Mustang** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:44 am

Exactly - we're getting better. Could be worse...look about 40 miles up I-35.

by **gostangs** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:54 am

Or 180 miles down 45 to the south -

We have a generally positive spin about where the program is going due to JJ's crediblity - we need to make sure we do not squander that by underperforming in the next two yrs - and JUCO's will get that done for us. UNT and A&M have no such momentum and are strarting to look like stalled out programs.

by **Alaric** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:47 pm

LakeHighlandsPony wrote:We lost plain and simple. Ponyboy, You and your frolicking band of sunshiners please do not spin the fact we have won 2 games in over 2 years (guessing). Rock Dennis catches the ball we win. Cole Beasley catches the ball we win. Sanders catches the ball and we have a first down and maybe win. June refuses to go for it on 4th down opting to send an exhausted bunch of high schoolers back on the field.

Relax. The team's getting better every week. There's no pixie dust. The team's obviously learning, it's a good system, they're playing hard, pretty much everyone's back next year and we'll get more talent in every year...it doesn't happen overnight. Clinching your teeth and having unrealistic expectations isn't good for you or anyone else.

by **Mustang1991** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:04 pm

It would be easy, and understandable, if this team just mailed in the rest of the season after the beating it took from Rice, Tech and TCU. Instead, they've hung in there and, at least from the second half of the Tulane game forward, have shown grit and determination. That says a lot about the character of the players and probably something about their faith in the June Jones system. We will win; it won't be this season but it WILL happen.

by **mustang1108** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:13 pm

It is one of the things smu has struggled to do almost as long as i have been watching and that is knowing how to win and knowing especially how to win a close game. every week especially the past few years look at every championship team in the past few years and as much as i hate saying it usc in particular knows how to win close games. and with out style of play this team needs to learn how to find the slight edge and win those games.

by **KellerPony** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:15 pm

I am glad to have a group of sunshine pumpers that clear my eyes and let me see that Lombardi had no idea what he was talking about when he used the "winning isn't everything it is the only thing" quote.

Now my outlook on this team won't be near as dark. I see the light, it is all about losing better and we are accomplishing that. It's not the wins and losses that matter. Now JJ can go into living rooms and tell kids how improved we looked for one week in October.

I am glad we looked so bad in the early games, it helps me understand how far we have come! :roll:

by **mustang1108** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:32 pm

All that really does matter is winning i agree, but with the way college football is one bad coach or in our case several can put us in bad positions with little to no talent and you cannot always expect a coach to come right in and win overnight. What makes some of the best teams in college football year in and year out is their ability to recruit and since the DP we havent done a good job of that. give june a chance and once his recruits come through that is when it will come down to winning being the only thing. let the team build first

Moral Victories are Not Victories

Moral Victories are Not Victories

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