The Future of SMU Football

[overcusser]

Hey all,

I'm knew to the boards though I keep up with it regularly...In light of the recent debacle in Denton, there are some obvious changes that need to happen before we can except SMU to field a competitive team:

1. Fire Phil Bennett. You know, I believed in the guy at first, thought he was a great defensive mastermind and a superb hire for the university, you know, the right guy for the job... but that was in 2002 and since then, then, the guy hasn't won jack. The man has a losing record (don't know what the numbers are), has not taken our team within [deleted] distance of a bowl game, and he clearly has idea how to run an offense. We blindly accept his tired excuses as we watch a horribly unprepared team get the snot beaten out of them. We get bored to tears by his horrendously offensive offense (draw plays that get stuffed for a loss, short ineffective passing game, swinging gates on field goals, etc). Most of all, under Coach Bennett WE LOSE plain and simple. This guy's been given his shot and he's failed miserably. Get us a guy who knows X's and O's, or at least get a guy who can maximize the talent on the roster (there IS talent on the roster - maybe we just need someone to bring out the best in Willis, DeMyron, et al).

2. Bring back the old blue unis and white striped helmets. Remind them they have a tradition to uphold, that they're playing for a program that once fielded Craig James, Eric Dickerson, Forest Gregg, Doak. Also getting rid of the current "flamingly fabulous" ridiculous unis after firing Bennet would subtly suggest that we are trying to distance ourselves from Bennett's losing ways.
Plus, they look more simple and professional, like the never-changing unis of such great college programs like Penn State, Michigan, USC, and Texas.

3. Fill up Ford Stadium. You know, I was at SMU as an undergrad when Ford Stadium opened in September 2000 when we thrashed Kansas 31-17. Awesome game, awesome atmosphere...the closest thing to a real college football I've ever experienced.
Hhhh...no real practical way to implement this except to WIN. We all know what winning does to stadium attendance.

4. Schedule old Southwest Conference foes. For nostalgia reasons, back in the good ol' days when I was a wee lad and SMU was one of the most feared programs in the SWC. Also for competitive reasons, the team will never get better playing their little sisters. Also to fill up Ford Stadium, even if it means the other team's fans.

I can't think of any other suggestions. It's 2:40 AM in the morning and I'm dead drunk. Shoot me later.

you forgot one

5. Start paying football players again. That's the only time SMU football was competitivie.

[PonyPride]

How did it turn out the last time we played NTSU (sic), when our "slow, undersized" team was looking for the handout you describe?
Oh, right: 28-14.

But by all means, be proud of your four wins against SMU -- in 32 meetings. Puff your chest out a little, and work a little swagger into your walk. At least you have a great stadium and live in a cool town, so you've got that going for you, too .... which is nice.

[Pony in Dawg Land]

good one...very original. now go away. you have nothing to be proud of. you beat a pathetically under coached team. your school still sucks. i wouldn't trade an smu urinal for anything ntsu has to offer.

[MrMustang1965]

It's going to be interesting to see how everyone responds to Sam Houston's victory over the Mustangs next week since I imagine very few - if any of you - have ever set foot on its campus.

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Give up football, drop out of CUSA so The University of North Texas can take your place.

Haha, are you kidding? Your team was a joke saturday - sure less of a joke than ours, but still pathetic.

24-6 less of a joke. Be thankful that this game wasn't scheduled back in '02, '03, or '04. Any of those NT teams would have easily crushed SMUt into glue.

[Spaz]

Go find something better to do, Bluto...

[Peruna Knight]

It's going to be interesting to see how everyone responds to Sam Houston's victory over the Mustangs next week since I imagine very few - if any of you - have ever set foot on its campus.

I have..it is hilly and orange..ish..

[Peruna Knight]

Give up football, drop out of CUSA so The University of North Texas can take your place.

Haha, are you kidding? Your team was a joke saturday - sure less of a joke than ours, but still pathetic.

24-6 less of a joke. Be thankful that this game wasn't scheduled back in '02, '03, or '04. Any of those NT teams would have easily crushed SMUt into glue.

24-6 is less of a joke cause the first half neither offense did anything. if memory serves me right..
also i notice you failed to list the '05 team... were they not up to the high caliber of the Big Sunbelt conference...

granted our offense couldn't click for long periods which is what killed us..cause our defense was solid but eventually the wore down..
also our SP teams especially our return team did its part when it needed to with big returns giving the offense a shot which they used to shoot themselves in the foot with..but i still believe that the Mustangs will wake up.

[Peruna Knight]

[quote="PonyPride"]How did it turn out the last time we played NTSU (sic), quote]

What it NTSU??.. Of what i saw of the Band it look like NTHS

[EastStang]

Why are you criticizing our futbol team? They are 6-0 and are probably going to be ranked 2nd this week. The state of futbol is great at SMU. Oh wait, you're talking about the sport where we don shoulder pads and helmets. Well when we can recruit the same players that every other program is allowed to recruit, we might do better on the field.

[jtstang]

Well when we can recruit the same players that every other program is allowed to recruit, we might do better on the field.

Here's our biggest problem, if you gave Bennett carte blanche AND started him a new slush fund we STILL couldn't get the same players that every other program does because we have sucked for so long. Good players want to go to good programs, and we ain't one, and without good players we ain't gonna be one. Catch-22, same as last year and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and.....

[Big10Ponyfan]

Can I get an Amen from those who are [PROUD of the fact that our football program sucks and that this program will never see its way into doing anything right?

[smu diamond m]

Can I get an Amen from those who are [PROUD of the fact that our football program sucks and that this program will never see its way into doing anything right?

No.

[RGV Pony]

Well when we can recruit the same players that every other program is allowed to recruit, we might do better on the field.

Here's our biggest problem, if you gave Bennett carte blanche AND started him a new slush fund we STILL couldn't get the same players that every other program does because we have sucked for so long. Good players want to go to good programs, and we ain't one, and without good players we ain't gonna be one. Catch-22, same as last year and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and.....

It looks like Rice is on its way to having a way to answer that very situation.

[jtstang]

It looks like Rice is on its way to having a way to answer that very situation.

TCU answered it too. NTSU too, for at least a few years. It does not seem to be unanswerable to anyone but SMU.