Final Turnover Ratio: -12

[Mitch McConnell]

I don't really get into a lot of stats like passing yards, total offense and points per game. IMO all of those are secondary to the above number.

If you're giving it up a lot more than you're getting it, then you're just asking to get beat -- and that's what happened in the bowl game.

The fact that SMU went 7-7, played for the CUSA title and went to a bowl game for the second consecutive year is nothing short of miraculous when it comes to this number because turnovers are such an emtional killer.

-12 usually gets you a losing record and using December as the month to begin your offseason program. On Dec. 30, you're usually lifting weights and running on the track in sweats.

On the other thread, the PPG were listed. Pretty good numbers. What was Hawaii's TO ratio in those years?

The SMU defense, while it played pretty solidly all year, was very poor in creating opportunities -- something that is as the heart of what June Jones preaches.

He wants short drives, big plays and have the defense create opportunities so the offense can strike quickly. That just didn't happen this year. This offense struggled because it was forced to drive the field a lot more than I betcha even Jones thought it would.

As that evolved, I think Jones said, "Ok, if I'm not going to get turnovers, I need to be balanced and I've got to run the football better.'' So Zack Line's emergence may have been as a result of that and Jones knowing he also needs to play a more physical brand of football. Again, I don't see where June will ever play a style of Run and Shoot in Texas like he did in Hawaii. He can get more talented players here.

-12? When you think about it, we should feel pretty fortunate that we had a reason to watch SMU football in late December.

Just providing a different perspective.

[SMU89]

Yes. When you look at last year vs this year...


Last yr:
- special teams and defensive TDs
- + in turnovers
- blocked kicks

Several games were won by a small margin

This yr:
- all those stats are substantially to the negative

Yet we still won enough for CC and Bowl

[sbsmith]

Hawaii Yearly TO Margin and Record under June Jones


1999- Even (9-4)
2000- -7 (3-9)
2001- +9 (9-3)
2002- -14 (10-4)
2003- -8 (9-5)
2004- -2 (8-5)
2005- -3 (5-7)
2006- +1 (11-3)
2007- -6 (12-1)


76-41 -30 TO margin