What do we have to lose?

[sportchic]

I know that we have talents on the team with both new & old players. I am going to support the mustangs when they're down and one of these days ... they will be on top again. Hopefully soon! As far as the QB's changes, that is a great ideal. Maybe our mustangs should regroup and come together as a team, and start supporting each other instead of fighting. Save the battles for the opponents on the fields. Back to the QB's changes, if coaches are going to take the Red-shirts off their freshmen QB's .... Why not put the Mesquite QB #8 ( Hodges ) last yr. back and let him try too? He was 3rd string last year. By practicing as a scout QB last year on the team, this gives him a little edge of the new redshirts freshmen, don't you agree? What do we have to lose at this point? It's time to pick up the pieces and start building a new strong foundation! Good luck Mustangs! To the futre !

[NavyCrimson]

like someone said earlier on this board regarding what we did back in the early-early 80's with ol'#11, LANCE MCILHENNY, while our offense back then was also going nowhere - well - the rest is history, folks!!!

<small>[ 10-20-2003, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: Navy&Crimson ]</small>

[The PonyGrad]

It seems ironic to, on one hand, call for unity and then on the other push a decision opposite of what the coach announced.

This is not the first poster to push for Hodges and I wonder if this stirring of the pot will become a problem. Who is behind this? I know that one seemed to be a family member.

[sportchic]

There is nothing wrong with wanting the team to unite and to become a strong team! I am not pushing the coaches decision... I am making a suggestion... why not give the mesquite QB ( who won the 5A state championship with I beleive a perfect starting record ) a shot at it, being he has run the scout team for the mustang last year?
I know Phillips have a record and won 5A-Tap championship also. Phillips and Hodges, both can run and both have strong arms and can perform in the QB positions. There is no controversy to this. Another thing PonyGrad... and if one seemed to be a family member... MORE POWER TO THEM for supporting who they believe in! Wouldn't you do the same in their case?

[The PonyGrad]

Perhaps I would, but that can be a devisive and disunifying thing.

Also, I have no trouble with your proposing Hodges get time. It just seemed odd in light of your call to unity and the coaches stated position of using Phillips the rest of the year. Bennett also mentioned that Meeks would get a chance in the spring, no mention of Hodges at QB.

[sportchic]

Do you have something against Hodges? Coach Bennett will do what he feels right for the team.. that's why he the coach and not me! If the coach made his decisions,.... so be it. I just felt like if the offense is going to let the QB run the options, Hodges should be giving a chance to compete! Why not? Who knows, he might not even want to play QB? GO! MUSTANGS !

[RELATIVE-STANG]

Hey! Sportchic, I got a chant for! ----MUSQUITESTANG!----MUSQUITESTANG!----MUSQUITESTANG!---SM-U-KNOW!!!!

[abezontar]

I don't think he has anything against Hodges, I think he was just trying to point out that to call for a QB other than the one that was named as the starter by the head coach doesn't encourage unity. It encourages discord to basically say that Hodges should be the guy rather than the guy the coach named. I don't think anybody here would discourage discussion about who should be competeing for the starting job, but doing that doesn't encourage the unity you described. Isn't Hodges playing TE now anyway, has he even practiced as a QB this year?

[SMUHouston]

This brings up another question that I havn't seen discussed and that's the ability of the assistants to evaluate talent. You look at what Stoops did at OU with Blakes 4-5 win team, National Championship with the only addition of a couple of freshmen and a JUCO QB. Kragthorpe at Tulsa has taken no talent and a 2 yr QB defection and is competitive and winning. We know the head coach isn't making every position decision, the burden is on the assistants.

While I am not familiar with Hodges or a couple of other player's history/potential mentioned before. I know one player's situation, through a family member, although a more minor position, but the Simmonds kid was a lightly recruited TE, out of Tulsa Union, but I know coaches from Alabama and Miss St. who both have talked to him as a DS, he turned down a Wisconsin offer to be close to home (he has a brother who is disabled)
and to attended a university to receive a quality degree. He is a deep snapper, consistant .6 time, he had something like 300 consecutive snaps without error since the 9th grade. Considering our continued punting block problems, with a slow punter, why not play a kid who can shave a couple of tenths to a half a sec. off the punt time. Eidson may be fine but he's slow, why risk another bad snap from a player who in the 4th Qtr after a long drive is liable to float one back on the ground from sheer exhaustion.

While this is the only situation I am aware of, by the sound of things this is not an isolated situation, there is enough talent available (just look at Pellerin and Cleveland why has it taken 6 games to find them) I understand redshirt but Bennett has consistantly said he will play the best talent, no matter who it is, but is it being utilized in the right place?

[SMUstang]

Again, nothing against Bennett, but he has the tendancy of any new coach to want to play his own players and not the players of his predecessor. It is unfortunate because it is usually not good for the team. It is unfair to the players who have been here the longest and put in the time and effort, and should start or at least have significant playing time. Their discontent is probably spread throughout the team creating an uncoorperative attitude in many of the players.

[The PonyGrad]

See. This whole thread is ripe for disunity. :unsure:

Simmonds is listed at 221 lbs. Consistent snaps is a good thing but you need to block as well. At 221 it sounds like he could get run over. Kinda need to trust the coaches who are there every day.

<small>[ 10-21-2003, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: The PonyGrad ]</small>

[abezontar]

It seems to me that Bennett has played a lot of Cavan's recruits. It also appears that he has tried to redshirt the majority of the guys he recruited and instead rely on the talent that was already here. I don't know specifics, but I don't remember too many freshman playing last year (other than the QBs) and freshman, and redshirt freshman have been slow to come into the games now, unless there has been an obvious lack of players at that position (again see the GB situation the past two seasons).

<small>[ 10-21-2003, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: abezontar ]</small>

[Hoop Fan]

Sorry to be callous, but this isn't YMCA ball. Win a game guys. Thats what its all about. Otherwise you have to let young guys get experience. Hey, its happened to me. I was a senior on a below .500 team and my playing time got cut into by young players the second half of the season even though I was somewhat better and had put in "my time". I'm not sure I understood it at the time, but I sure as hell do now. Its really an easy decision and has no similarites to the Flanigan-Womack instance.

[PonyTales]

As Coach Bennett said after the Boise State loss, he doesn't believe in "his players" versus Coach Cavan's players. "Every player in this program is my player."

Without knowing anything about deepsnapping, my guess as to why Simmonds isn't playing: he's listed at 6-3, 221 and might get shoved all the way back to Mentzel before the ball gets there. I don't know that - purely speculation.

And to top it all off, I hear the coaches think Hodges has real potential at TE. Translation: he's probably at TE to stay.

[SMUHouston]

Originally posted by PonyTales:


Without knowing anything about deepsnapping, my guess as to why Simmonds isn't playing: he's listed at 6-3, 221 and might get shoved all the way back to Mentzel before the ball gets there. I don't know that - purely speculation.

I admit I'm a little biased but rules prevent a center from being hit until he raises up, all he need to do is get in the way for a sec. and to date blocking hasn't meant alot we've still had 4-5 punts blocked and I don't know how many have been hurried, last week I think we were last in punt performance. I think it is the overall time to get it off that will make more of a difference.