Who was the RB in same SMU class with Dickerson & James?

[EastStang]

I remember going to the SMU/Penn State game up in PA when Ford was a freshman, and they were passing on virtually every down, it was fun to watch and we almost won that game. We had no running attack in that game at all. I also remember going to the Cotton Bowl game, and I thought that Ford was still on the roster.

[jtstang]

I remember going to the SMU/Penn State game up in PA when Ford was a freshman, and they were passing on virtually every down, it was fun to watch and we almost won that game. We had no running attack in that game at all. I also remember going to the Cotton Bowl game, and I thought that Ford was still on the roster.

No, he was gone by '82. Played a year or two in the NFL for Tampa Bay.

[originaloverthehilltop1]

around the time ron meyer was recruiting lance, i remember the coach was quoted saying "he'd be my quarterback today if i could get him". was meyer already intending to bench a good quarterback to use those stud runners in the option? does anybody else remember this?

also, charles waggoner was the best of the three studs as freshmen, clearly an NFL caliber talent. wonder who would have transferred? people say dickerjames was one of the best tandems of all time. nobody now remembers that we may have had the best trio of all time. throw in mike charles and one could argue it may have been the most talented college backfield ever.

here's a question for discussion. take the best passer of the three (waggoner?) and move him to quarterback. lance was fine on the option execution, but not a threat to break long runs. was lance that much better as a passer? what would have happened then?

[mrydel]

around the time ron meyer was recruiting lance, i remember the coach was quoted saying "he'd be my quarterback today if i could get him". was meyer already intending to bench a good quarterback to use those stud runners in the option? does anybody else remember this?

also, charles waggoner was the best of the three studs as freshmen, clearly an NFL caliber talent. wonder who would have transferred? people say dickerjames was one of the best tandems of all time. nobody now remembers that we may have had the best trio of all time. throw in mike charles and one could argue it may have been the most talented college backfield ever.

here's a question for discussion. take the best passer of the three (waggoner?) and move him to quarterback. lance was fine on the option execution, but not a threat to break long runs. was lance that much better as a passer? what would have happened then?

The option QB is not judged by his speed, or arm but rather his head. Reading the defense is the key and just tossing Waggoner, Dickerson, or James into the QB position would not have bettered your option offense. McIhenny, James Street at UT, and several at OU and Nebraska were superior option QBs who all had better runners behind them, but the QB made it happen.

[EastStang]

James might have been a decent option QB.

[Stallion]

McIllhenny made it all happen-as can by the mediocre performance of an All-American candidate in the wrong system. He was one of the greatest option QBs in the history of the game-every bit as good as James Street, Mildren et al.