Bennet is really just "one big excuse" right now..

[DandyDon]

....we're young...we are playing 40 freshman and sophs/red shirts...small recievers...injuries...is it ego, ignorance, or an excuse to buy time?? Are you telling me we have ZERO jr.'s and sr.'s who can compete vs. Rice, La Tech and SJSU?? No one?? Is PLAYING ALL "his" kids vs. Cavans an ego thing? WHY? Thought this was a TEAM? We STILL look really small..we still look really slow..we still look really UNMOTIVATED....quite frankly, no real change from 1986....maybe Coach IS good on some kid's front porch in Dibol or talking to some lineman's grandmother in Kilgore, but, WOW, to be THIS uncompetitive, this late in the year, VS.the WAC, after two years, makes me wonder if we have a dud or a stud?? They look unorganized, unmotivated, and unprepared......THAT'S COACHING my friends, that's coaching......hope we can handle UAB in a few years....

[Nacho]

Thanks for the truth, man. We don't get much honesty around here. Spin, we got.

After the game I heard someone say, It's all good. From where I sit, it's all bad.

Long live Rufus Cormier!

[Hoop Fan]

The players were unmotivated, and coaches failed to get them motivated. The players failed, the coaches failed. Players have to get themselves ready to play for the most part though. You can't put it all on the coaches when guys are that lackadaisical. I think its a combination of things. Losing close games to Baylor and Nevada were demotivating . Losing the Utep game was devastating. Talk about whatever wind that was left going out of the sails. If you were there, you know. The season was over. I've said from the beginning that Bartel is a talented guy, but that we needed a scrambler behind our line. Bartel is still talented, but he deserved to lose the job yesterday. Sorry thats the plain truth as much as anything else. The other truth is that we have two senior cornerbacks who don't compete and don't make plays. If thats just Bennetts fault so be it, but I don't buy it. Seems like Bennett coached guys like Dat Nguyen and Terrence Newman that know how to play. It looks like the players have lost confidence in each other more than the coaches (see KKs quote today) and several of the seniors, not all, are packing it in right now.

[Stallion]

well that and Dat Nyuen and Terrence Newman were both highly recruited players-yeah I guess he really motivated them. I guess that means that it is alot easier to motivate kids with talent.

<small>[ 10-19-2003, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Stallion ]</small>

[McAndless]

Sorry if I don't give Bennett credit for recruiting major talent to major schools. Assistant coaches at those schools are supposed to do that. But head coaches are supposed to be managers, managing players, coaches, etc. What we have on our hands is an imcompetent personnel manager. But let's give him time to continue spinning this current mess to buy more time, and if we are truly lucky, some outrageously talented recruits will sign, play well and make him look like a good coach. And anyone placing blame anywhere but him is lying to themselves. Sure players play the game, but coaching is much more important than anything else. He's not solely to blame, but it starts at the top. What really concerns me though, is how a quarterback change is what he views as an adjustment. He really needs to evaluate himself as a personnel manager, because thats where most of the problem lies.

[JasonB]

"Are you telling me we have ZERO jr.'s and sr.'s who can compete vs. Rice, La Tech and SJSU?? No one??"

Well, not quite, but almost. By my count, we have 7 upperclassmen who were recruited by decent colleges.

[PlanoStang]

"we still look really UNMOTIVATED....quite frankly, no real change from 1986...."

WAY OFF BASE!!!!

The 89 - 92 teams were highly motivated! A lot of them were Rudys. Some were very talented, and wanted to play in the SWC. They were over looked given the scholarship limits, and no exact way to measure HEART, and talent of an individual player.

[KnuckleStang]

Thanks, fellas, I really had no idea how easy coaching is. I mean, so many people know SO MUCH more about football than a 25 year professional, it must be the easiest thing in the world.

There's a reason for the saying, "coaches get too much of the credit for the win, and too much of the blame for the loss." It's because they can preach all they want, but on gameday, the players have to do it. Hell, I counted 3 delay of game penalties on Bobby Bowden last night, but nobody's calling him a crappy coach.

It's amazing how many people want to blame everybody but who's actually on the field. And I don't view motivation and intensity as being separate from talent. If you need a lot of motivation from your coach, you're not all that "talented" to start with. You can listen to Bennett and tell it's not to hard to get motivated by him. If you all know so much about coaching, feel free to apply for his job.

[Stallion]

thanks JasonB for saying what I hesistated to post and risk receiving the wrath of the mommies and poppies of the juniors and seniors. Some of the leanest recruiting classes in SMU history have produced some of the worst teams in SMU history. Gee I'm shocked.

[Mexmustang]

After watching the prior week's game on TV, it was obvious the team gave up...last week here in Dallas just reconfirmed it. I am mad, disappointed and frustrated...as we all are. I have seen this team literally go backwards. Now what can we do about it?
How do we support Bennett? How do we get this faculty to understand we are about to lose another graduating class to apathy...that football success leads to pride in the university and the dollars to support their programs and salaries. We better get together, including the people posting on this board and figure a way to get this train wreck back on the tracks.

[PonyFan]

There are juniors and seniors on this team with real talent. There just aren't enough of them. A lot of teams are graduating 25 scholarship guys this year. We're graduating what, 10? To me, the issue is the number of talented upperclassmen, not the talent level of the top individuals in the junior and senior classes. PF.com did a nice job putting all that in perspective with the story last week on the senior class. Check out what Reindl, Bischoff and Kincade had to say. They're some guys I want to go to war with any time. I think the story's still on the home page.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Now I knew it would take some time to get around and start winnin for only the 2nd time in my life but having back to back 0-7 Seasons?! If our 40+ Freshman were even the bit moviated when we played Baylor,UTEP,and Nevada we would be 3-4!! But no we had to go 0-7 once again! This is serouisly giving me doubts we will ever be able to compete again with anybody

[DandyDon]

..you ding dongs act like we are playing Texas, OU, and Mizzou every weekend..for crying out loud, look at who we are playing and comopare that v. our performance....it IS coaching, this ain't the SEC folks, not even the MWC, we should be AT LEAST competitive with our non recruited, 40 plus freshman, new system, poor [deleted] QB, etc.,, etc., etc.....but, we are not....and some freaking JUCO wideout from Bangs will NOT help....Hayden Fry, do you have a grandson??

[JasonB]

Again, look at my previous post. Yes, we aren't playing world beaters in some games, which is why we hung with Nevada, Baylor, and UTEP. All the games we were blown out against were quality teams, other than SJS, and that was a bad matchup because they are a passing oriented team, which we have problems with due to lack of a consistant pass rush and a young secondary.

I am not a huge fan of recruiting JUCOs. However, I will make an exception for 4 next year - QB, RT, DE, and CB. If we fill those four positions with quality JUCO recruits, it will allow our youth to mature in critical positions and, I believe, will give us a chance at a .500 season next year, and even better the next.

Without that infusion, you are looking at unproven youth at QB, OL, LB (although they are good), CB, and nobody opposite Stansbury on the DL. Next year will be another struggle, and it will be the year after that before we make strides as a team.

[mustangmawmaw]

Originally posted by KnuckleStang:
Thanks, fellas, I really had no idea how easy coaching is. I mean, so many people know SO MUCH more about football than a 25 year professional, it must be the easiest thing in the world.

There's a reason for the saying, "coaches get too much of the credit for the win, and too much of the blame for the loss." It's because they can preach all they want, but on gameday, the players have to do it. Hell, I counted 3 delay of game penalties on Bobby Bowden last night, but nobody's calling him a crappy coach.

It's amazing how many people want to blame everybody but who's actually on the field. And I don't view motivation and intensity as being separate from talent. If you need a lot of motivation from your coach, you're not all that "talented" to start with. You can listen to Bennett and tell it's not to hard to get motivated by him. If you all know so much about coaching, feel free to apply for his job.