DMN'S: Fresh horses could keep Bennett in the saddle

[ponydawg]

Looked and for some reason no one had posted this for the out of towners. (unless i missed it)
It is the lead story under the college section.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... fb7e0.html

Fresh horses could keep Bennett in the saddle
11:44 PM CST on Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Columnist:
Jean-Jacques Taylor

UNIVERSITY PARK – Phil Bennett doesn't like comparing recruiting classes, so I'll do it for him.

Without question, Bennett signed the best class in his time at SMU. On paper, no other class is even close. Bennett signed 10 players on The News' area Top 100 list; last year he signed two.

"I think it's a class that will play and win championships here at SMU," he said.

But Bennett knows the deal. He won't be around to reap the benefits of this stellar class – at least by SMU standards – if the Mustangs don't win this year.

The "try hard" days are over on The Hilltop. It's about winning. Plain and simple. And that's a good thing.

Steve Orsini, entering his second football season as athletic director, nearly fired Bennett after last season because he thought SMU had the talent and schedule to play in a bowl game. SMU wound up bowl eligible after a 6-6 finish, but lost any shot at postseason play when it dropped its final game to Rice.

And maybe Orsini would've fired Bennett, who's signed through 2009, if SMU weren't already still paying former basketball coach Jimmy Tubbs and former AD Jim Copeland. Don't forget, SMU also spent a bunch of money to hire Matt Doherty and his assistants, while significantly increasing the basketball budget.

Unlike Texas or A&M, SMU doesn't have a zillion-dollar budget that allows it to fire coaches without examining the financial consequences.

Whatever the reason, Orsini gave Bennett a second chance. There won't be a third.

Orsini wants to win, and he expects to win. So does Bennett. The coach knows that if the Mustangs don't end their season with an all-expenses paid trip to some locale – it doesn't have to be exotic – he'll have to dust off his resume.

"We didn't reach our expectations this year. I will say it. But there were some positives and those positives are our best players were our younger players," Bennett said. "Extra is the word. Good is not good enough. To be a championship team you have to reach excellence and that's what we have to do.

"... I like the fact that I'm getting to know Steve Orsini better, we're getting our plan together and he's getting his people in place. I think it's a very good time to be on The Hilltop."

SMU has made slow but steady progress in Bennett's first five seasons. Its won-loss record has increased each of the last three seasons. Quarterback Justin Willis, who completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 2,047 yards with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions, gives Bennett a centerpiece to build around.

The game is always about the quarterback, and Willis gives Bennett one of the best in Conference USA.

None of it will matter, though, if SMU doesn't get help from last year's recruiting class. Two seasons ago, SMU played two freshmen. Last year, they played two freshmen and walk-on Sam Bennett, the coach's son.

That's huge for a program like SMU's, which has been so bad for so long. In the past, Bennett needed to play anyone with talent because SMU had so little of it. These days, he has the luxury of red-shirting players, giving them time to grow in the weight room, learn the nuances of the offense and adjust to college life.

Ask the coach which freshmen from the class of players he signed Wednesday will help SMU this year, and he struggles to come up with names aside from junior college transfer Rock Dennis. He's willing to concede safety De'Von Bailey, one of the top players in Oklahoma should help, and maybe one of the offensive linemen.

But ask Bennett which red-shirt freshmen he expects to help SMU this year, and he quickly rattles off a list of players. Then repeats the list because he said it so fast no one could catch all of the names.

This is the first time in a generation that SMU will begin a season with real expectations. No longer will they sneak up on opponents. Teams will prepare in earnest to play the Mustangs. We know that hasn't always been the case.

"I like this football team I have coming back," Bennett said. "I've waited my whole time here to get a group of guys like this."

Now, they must perform. Bennett's future depends on it.


BUILDING PROJECT
A look at Phil Bennett's season records and members of the area Top 100 list:
Season Top 100 Record
2002 5 3-9
2003 5 0-12
2004 7 3-8
2005 2 5-6
2006 2 6-6
2007 10 ?
Totals 31 17-41

[Stallion]

Based upon a completely incorrect assumptuion that recruiting from the bottom of the Area Top 100 will help you win championships. Who gives a flying hell about the Area Top 100?

[MustangIcon]

Based upon a completely incorrect assumptuion that recruiting from the bottom of the Area Top 100 will help you win championships. Who gives a flying hell about the Area Top 100?

While I do not think we are yet recruiting at the level we need to be, even you must admit a marked improvement from last season. I think we have a long ways to go but I would rather be stuck with 10 area top 100 guys receiving offers from other D1A programs as opposed to the super sleepers offered by noone other than us.

[The PonyGrad]

Stallion, it is just one metric, which leads to the same conclusion as you have made about this class I believe.