The main thing we need to solve for UTEP...

[RGV Pony]

...that is, aside from the obvious. And that one thing?

Capitalizing when our defense creates a third and long. How many times on Saturday did we see a sack, a penalty & an incomplete pass, a run play stuff, or any combination thereof leading to 3rd and long, only to be followed up with a play for yardage of the following excel formula:

[yardage needed for first down]+1. Or more.

Every friggin time, seemed like. And someone else mentioned they noticed 1-on-1 coverage...I saw a lot of cover two with man on the outside; I thought PB's defenses focused on zone to prevent mismatches. We better do this with the threat of Higgins. Hopefully in the future McCann becomes a shutdown corner.

[PonySnob]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

[Stallion]

RB averaged less than 1 yard per carry with most coming in the last 5 minutes.

[RGV Pony]

I agree-for the most part-about the abover running game comments. For that matter, I'd say that's accurate for any running play the Mustangs ran outside of the red zone. For whatever reason, inside the twenty, the running game looks much better. The plays look like actual running plays...not delayed handoffs that the D has read before the back moves. Each time there was yardage gained.

[mustangfan01]

UTEP's D is weak. They lost their stud LB to a fractured leg early in the season I believe.


We REALLY need our running back running game to be solid this week. Controlling the clock and keeping Palmer off the field will be huge this week. Our team is last in the conference in time of possesion...but the 2nd half hurry up offense Tulane ran on Saturday caught us back up a little bit. We just need to hold on to the ball and keep their offense off the field and we will have a game on our hands.

If we decide to score quickly, that is just fine by me...as long as we score.

[J.T.supporta]

The main thing we need to do is PRESSURE Jordan Palmer...

Football runs deep in Palmers blood as his brother, Carson, was the heisman winning QB at USC and now with the Bengals.

In last years game we got consistant pressure by our front 4 and our LBs were able to find gaps to run through. The key to winning this game is to not let Palmer get started. When he has a bad 1st QTR he has trouble picking it up from there in the rest of the Game. His best game in my opinion was his game against Tech where he was out done by Tech in OT.

If the Defense can blitz and disguise zone coverages, SMU will be leaving El Paso with a W.

The key to winning this week is DEFENSE...they need to ALL step up and stop J. Palmer like they did last year in a thrilling upset to end the season

[J.T.supporta]

The main thing we need to do is PRESSURE Jordan Palmer...

Football runs deep in Palmers blood as his brother, Carson, was the heisman winning QB at USC and now with the Bengals.

In last years game we got consistant pressure by our front 4 and our LBs were able to find gaps to run through. The key to winning this game is to not let Palmer get started. When he has a bad 1st QTR he has trouble picking it up from there in the rest of the Game. His best game in my opinion was his game against Tech where he was out done by Tech in OT.

If the Defense can blitz and disguise zone coverages, SMU will be leaving El Paso with a W.

The key to winning this week is DEFENSE...they need to ALL step up and stop J. Palmer like they did last year in a thrilling upset to end the season

[J.T.supporta]

The main thing we need to do is PRESSURE Jordan Palmer...

Football runs deep in Palmers blood as his brother, Carson, was the heisman winning QB at USC and now with the Bengals.

In last years game we got consistant pressure by our front 4 and our LBs were able to find gaps to run through. The key to winning this game is to not let Palmer get started. When he has a bad 1st QTR he has trouble picking it up from there in the rest of the Game. His best game in my opinion was his game against Tech where he was out done by Tech in OT.

If the Defense can blitz and disguise zone coverages, SMU will be leaving El Paso with a W.

The key to winning this week is DEFENSE...they need to ALL step up and stop J. Palmer like they did last year in a thrilling upset to end the season

[J.T.supporta]

The main thing we need to do is PRESSURE Jordan Palmer...

Football runs deep in Palmers blood as his brother, Carson, was the heisman winning QB at USC and now with the Bengals.

In last years game we got consistant pressure by our front 4 and our LBs were able to find gaps to run through. The key to winning this game is to not let Palmer get started. When he has a bad 1st QTR he has trouble picking it up from there in the rest of the Game. His best game in my opinion was his game against Tech where he was out done by Tech in OT.

If the Defense can blitz and disguise zone coverages, SMU will be leaving El Paso with a W.

The key to winning this week is DEFENSE...they need to ALL step up and stop J. Palmer like they did last year in a thrilling upset to end the season

[tmustangp]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

please remember that this week we might have all our horses available at RB.. remember that the field was brand new at the superdome.. if you watched the monday or sunday night game you would have noticed that even Reggie Bush was having a hard time on the field b/c of footing..

the field conditions at the superdome were not ideal for Mapps strong points, b/c he was slipping every time he tried to make a cut.. that is why our ypc(yards per carry) were low

[tmustangp]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

please remember that this week we might have all our horses available at RB.. remember that the field was brand new at the superdome.. if you watched the monday or sunday night game you would have noticed that even Reggie Bush was having a hard time on the field b/c of footing..

the field conditions at the superdome were not ideal for Mapps strong points, b/c he was slipping every time he tried to make a cut.. that is why our ypc(yards per carry) were low

[tmustangp]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

please remember that this week we might have all our horses available at RB.. remember that the field was brand new at the superdome.. if you watched the monday or sunday night game you would have noticed that even Reggie Bush was having a hard time on the field b/c of footing..

the field conditions at the superdome were not ideal for Mapps strong points, b/c he was slipping every time he tried to make a cut.. that is why our ypc(yards per carry) were low

[tmustangp]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

please remember that this week we might have all our horses available at RB.. remember that the field was brand new at the superdome.. if you watched the monday or sunday night game you would have noticed that even Reggie Bush was having a hard time on the field b/c of footing..

the field conditions at the superdome were not ideal for Mapps strong points, b/c he was slipping every time he tried to make a cut.. that is why our ypc(yards per carry) were low

[OC Mustang]

RGV, I agree with your observations, but I in the very little that I saw in the 4th quarter, the one defense posture that stood out was the zone blitz, and the corners were playing to contain, not to crush. Two differences from the first half to the second is that Tulane figured out how to give Ricard an extra second in the pocket, and our 2ndary was getting torched because Bennett was sending the house.

And (not directed at anybody in particular) I think our running game was bottled up because Tulane focused on it. I think they wanted to create turnovers by Willis being forced to pass (which they did, and it arguably got them back into the game). They simply didn't have the scheme nor the personnel to take away the run, pass, and Willis on every play. Hence, Willis gets most of SMU's ground yardage, and he does so because they were tight on everybody else.

What I am not saying is a) that SMU had any phase other than its kicking game and defensive line that deserves an overabundance of kudos or b) that any part of the rest of the team did particularly good or bad.

Bottom line is that we won, and as I heard an esteemed colleague make reference, "Isn't it so cool that we are dissected a WIN instead of a loss?"

[tmustangp]

I think we'll need to get our running game going better as well from our RB's. Overall, we only averaged about 2.6 yards per carry against Tulane.

please remember that this week we might have all our horses available at RB.. remember that the field was brand new at the superdome.. if you watched the monday or sunday night game you would have noticed that even Reggie Bush was having a hard time on the field b/c of footing..

the field conditions at the superdome were not ideal for Mapps strong points, b/c he was slipping every time he tried to make a cut.. that is why our ypc(yards per carry) were low