Finally, grass is greener on Hilltop

[perunapower]

Finally, grass is greener on Hilltop

07:23 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 17, 2006

UNIVERSITY PARK – You didn't have to be a pessimist or any kind of Phil Bennett hater at all to figure out that a football coach's job was on the line this fall.

A new AD on campus ... an 8-35 record for Bennett before SMU finished 2005 with a three-game win streak ... a steadily decreasing profile for a college team trying to carve its niche in a big-city pro sports market.

Then Bennett did a funny thing. He pushed his chances of being dismissed one step further.

Having finally found a quarterback who could take this program somewhere in his fifth year as head coach, Bennett suspended Justin Willis for one game. And this was despite the fact that Bennett and his staff really weren't certain of what had taken place in an off-campus incident in which Willis hit another student.

SMU lost that game to UT-El Paso, 24-21, when backup Corey Slater threw as many interceptions (three) as Willis has all season.

Bennett, trying to do the right thing when other college coaches would have let it slide (there was no police report filed), might have cost his team a victory.

And that's something new AD Steve Orsini should consider when he's pondering the direction of the football program after this season. But he may not have to think too hard about Bennett's future after all.

The Mustangs, for the first time in Bennett's tenure, are a winning team. Their 3-2 record after beating Tulane was the first trip above the .500 mark that deep into a season since Mike Cavan managed a 6-5 record in 1997.

Now at 4-3 and headed to East Carolina, Bennett and Willis may have the Mustangs headed toward a bowl for the first time since Texas governors stopped helping SMU buy players.

(At least I don't suspect that Aggie Rick Perry is involved).

As much as Bennett is thankful for and encouraged by the turnaround, he made clear he wanted no talk of bowls from his players at Tuesday's press luncheon.

"We've got to stay ahead of this curve," he said. "[Being] 4-3 is not good enough for us. We need to be a team that plays with great passion every week, and I think we will."

It's easier for the Mustangs to take the field with passion and confidence with Willis in the huddle. It's not often that a redshirt freshman saves a veteran coach's job. But that's precisely what the Denton Ryan product is doing.

He leads Conference USA in passing efficiency. Nationally, Willis ranks in the top 10. Since opening with two defeats, Willis has led SMU to a 4-0 record with a 72 percent completion rate, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Had Bennett let Willis play in El Paso, the Mustangs likely would be 5-2 and that much closer to a bowl.

"I thought we did the right thing," Bennett said. "It's important to me our guys see this as a privilege, not a right."

To that end, Bennett has suspended two more Mustangs for this week's game – including wide receiver Zack Sledge, who caught Willis' first touchdown pass Saturday against Marshall. Sledge and holder Duke Hasson were involved in an incident outside a bar that, reading reports, doesn't rank near the top of the college athletes' screw-up list.

But they were arrested, and Bennett wants to keep driving home that message.

Meanwhile, Willis is driving this team places it has never been. Or at least not since coming back from the NCAA's death penalty in 1989.

"We thought there was going to be a learning curve," Bennett said. "And against [Texas] Tech, he tried to run too fast. Against North Texas, he missed throws. Then the game slowed down for him.

"He's still a little reckless with the ball, and that scares me to death. But he has the ability to make plays. Justin does what good quarterbacks do. He makes good players better."

When is the last time anyone could honestly sit back and say that about an SMU quarterback?

Lance McIlhenny?

Things are changing at SMU. The coach is holding his players accountable even while, finally, helping them find success.

SMU's may not be the biggest football story in this town. But for a change, it's a positive story today with a chance for even better things tomorrow.

[expony18]

nice story!

[Corso]

Seriously, when was the last time we had a positive opinion column in the DMN? We had someone blasting the whole Malin saga, and Blackistone ripped the Tubbs firing (yet remained deafeningly silent about the Doherty hiring) .... this column is something of a benchmark. Here's hoping there's many more.

[PK]

Can we assume this was brought to us by the KBG?????????

Nope, looked it up...Tim Cowlishaw. Cool...more than one person covering the Ponies ...at least for one day.

[RGV Pony]

Can we assume this was brought to us by the KBG?????????

Nope, looked it up...Tim Cowlishaw. Cool...more than one person covering the Ponies ...at least for one day.

yeah, I had to look it up too. When I thought it was KGB, I was impressed that she invoked Lance McIllhenney.

[stangsnumber1]

the thing that i STILL don't understand is why do they keep on saying that bennett suspended willis?? he had no say in it.. the AD is over bennett in any situation. if bennet had a choice, willis would have played and we would have beaten UTEP

[Big10Ponyfan]

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[jtstang]

the thing that i STILL don't understand is why do they keep on saying that bennett suspended willis?? he had no say in it.. the AD is over bennett in any situation. if bennet had a choice, willis would have played and we would have beaten UTEP

Actually Bennett said he suspended him for violation of team rules. I don't think he ever said waht rules were violated, though.

[PonyPride]

True - I'm guessing it's something of a technicality, but I wouldn't surprised if the specifics of how everything went down was: Coach Bennett suspended Willis for violating a team rule, and after the investigation was conducted, the school suspension superceded the team suspension. Doesn't matter now. Suspension's over.

[smuwins]

the thing that i STILL don't understand is why do they keep on saying that bennett suspended willis?? he had no say in it.. the AD is over bennett in any situation. if bennet had a choice, willis would have played and we would have beaten UTEP

Actually Bennett said he suspended him for violation of team rules. I don't think he ever said waht rules were violated, though.

Bennett suspended Willis for breaking team curfew which is 10 pm on Thursday nights. I remember a couple of years ago when Bartel was not taken to Hawaii for the exact same thing.

[mrydel]

the thing that i STILL don't understand is why do they keep on saying that bennett suspended willis?? he had no say in it.. the AD is over bennett in any situation. if bennet had a choice, willis would have played and we would have beaten UTEP

Actually Bennett said he suspended him for violation of team rules. I don't think he ever said waht rules were violated, though.

Bennett suspended Willis for breaking team curfew which is 10 pm on Thursday nights. I remember a couple of years ago when Bartel was not taken to Hawaii for the exact same thing.

Supposedly this was a team gathering not to mention that Willis's room mate was with him. Why was the whole team not suspended for curfew if this was true? (I quit again)

[smupony94]

Can we assume this was brought to us by the KBG?????????

Nope, looked it up...Tim Cowlishaw. Cool...more than one person covering the Ponies ...at least for one day.

I love KGB

[smuwins]

Bennett suspended Willis for breaking team curfew which is 10 pm on Thursday nights. I remember a couple of years ago when Bartel was not taken to Hawaii for the exact same thing.[/quote]

Supposedly this was a team gathering not to mention that Willis's room mate was with him. Why was the whole team not suspended for curfew if this was true? (I quit again)[/quote]

If you are not named, you are not in trouble. Also, do not think Willis is the only one shedding pounds early in the morning for this incident. I am sure he has a couple of "party attendees" with him. You cannot expect a coach to follow his players around at night. If you do call attention to yourself by being named in a police report, then you have a problem which is what happened in this case.

[Big10Ponyfan]

If you are not named, you are not in trouble. Also, do not think Willis is the only one shedding pounds early in the morning for this incident. I am sure he has a couple of "party attendees" with him. You cannot expect a coach to follow his players around at night. If you do call attention to yourself by being named in a police report, then you have a problem which is what happened in this case.[/quote]

Agreed

[jtstang]

Bennett, trying to do the right thing when other college coaches would have let it slide (there was no police report filed), might have cost his team a victory.

Actually, Timmy C is wrong on this count, as there was a police report. I saw that broad on Channel 11 holding it up on TV and the Daily Campus said they acquired two versions of it, one redacted and one unredacted. But accuracy is not important, right, as long as we get the coverage!!!!