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2009 SMU College Football Predictions
Written by Jimmy Boyd
Head coach June Jones wanted a challenge and he got one as SMU finished just 1-11, including 0-8 in league play, in his first season at the helm. Can Mustang fans expect to celebrate a few more wins this season or will it take a few more recruiting classes to see the W’s start piling up? Get my take in this 2009 college football predictions article.
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Offense – Jones, known for his high scoring offenses at Hawaii, should have his team putting up bigger numbers than the 21.3 points per game they scored in 2008. The biggest reason will be the improvement of starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell. In Mitchell’s true freshman season, he passed for 2,865 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he only completed 58 percent of his attempts and threw 23 interceptions. With a year in the system under his belt, and with all four starting wide receivers coming back, I expect Mitchell to make better decisions with the football in the upcoming season.
Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson will be on the receiving end of most of Mitchell’s passes. Sanders caught 67 balls for 958 yards and nine touchdowns last season. His 95.8 receiving yards per game were good for 11th in the country. While Robinson didn’t end up with as many total yards, his 104.7 yards per game average was even better. Robinson is a threat to go the distance every time he touches it with his superior speed.
While Jones’ offensive scheme does not call for many running plays, he does need to pose more of a threat on the ground to create easy big play opportunities when the defense is dead set on defending the pass. The Mustangs ranked last in the country in rushing with 41.4 yards per game. I would like to see them double that number this season.
Defense – The Mustang defense was awful a season ago, allowing their opponents to carve them up any way they wanted to. They allowed 38.2 points per game (115th nationally), 225.6 rushing yards per game (116th nationally), 253.9 passing yards per game (101st nationally), and 479.5 total yards per game (118th nationally). Last year’s performance has defensive coordinator Tom Mason switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme to get more speed on the field. The guy to watch in this new alignment is the athletic Youri Yenga. Mason is moving him from defensive end to linebacker to widen the scope of plays his position allows him to make. He is the teams returning leader in sacks with 6.5. He’ll team with returning tackles leader Pete Fleps to improve the linebacking corps. The defensive line figures to struggle once again with three new starters. Mason and Jones are counting on juco transfer Marquis Frazier to be able to bring the heat off the corner at defensive end. The secondary returns all four starters, but these guys just weren’t equipped to shut down anyone last season. The coaching staff is hoping that former starter Bryce Hudman, who was suspended in 2008, and Sanders, who will fill in at the nickelback spot, can help this unit succeed.
Prediction: 4th Conference USA West – June Jones is excited about the progress his team is making, saying that his players have bought into the system. That’s a good start, but the wins aren’t going to start piling up until the defense can get stops. Stephen F. Austin, Rice, and Tulane are winnable home contests and UAB and Washington State can be challenged on the road. If Jones takes this team from one win in year one to four wins in year two, it would have to be viewed as a major success. Our readers are eligible for up to 145% in sign up bonuses at BetUS!
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