Hypothetical Question

[CA Mustang]

As for all the talk about the recruiting process for Forte:

The top individual game for rushing yards came against a C-USA defense. SMU (33) surrendered 342 yards to Tulane's Matt Forte (34). (The Mustangs have earned a potentially historic distinction, giving up a 300-yard rushing game and a 300-yard receiving game in the same season. Which helps explain why they're 1-6.)

But it would be wrong to simply scoff at all the missed tackles in C-USA. It's worth appreciating offensive talents like Avery (No. 2 nationally in receiving yards) and Forte (No. 1 by a good distance nationally in rushing yards).

Forte is averaging 180 yards per game and has the season's only 300-yard games -- two of them, the explosion against SMU but also a 303-yard performance against Southeastern Louisiana. It's been a pretty fair season -- and a pretty fair career -- for a senior who was almost universally unwanted coming out of Slidell, La.

"I never imagined having even one 300-yard game," Forte said Monday.

He grew up idolizing Emmitt Smith, even wearing his number and the words "Emmitt Jr." on the back of his jersey in little league. College coaches failed to see the resemblance.

Forte and his dad sent out 15-20 videotapes of his high school work to Division I-A schools around the country and got almost no response. Virginia Tech was nice enough to write back and say he looked good, but the Hokies already had all the running backs they needed. LSU "had a thousand running backs," Forte said with a laugh.

His only scholarship offers were from the Green Wave and in-state Division I-AA schools McNeese State and Northwestern State. That at least made choosing Tulane fairly easy.

Forte was a part-time starter his first two years and then took over the job last year before a knee injury shelved him for the last three games. The 6-2, 225-pounder entered his senior year with 2,138 rushing yards -- and could double that this season alone.

"He's supposed to be 220-225 pounds, but he is fast," said the next C-USA coach who has to deal with Forte, Memphis' Tommy West. "I haven't seen anybody catch him from behind. You don't run for 300-plus yards by accident. That's unbelievable."

It takes a durable back to pound it like Forte against defenses designed to stop you. He's had four games with at least 32 carries and says he's ready for more, thanks to a rigorous offseason conditioning program.

Tulane split its squad into two groups for daily weight and conditioning workouts during the summer. Forte often worked out with both groups, building the stamina he's shown this fall.

"Once the defense wears down, it's like putting a hot knife through butter," he said. "I can't wear down -- I won't let myself."

Matt Forte has five more opportunities to wear down C-USA defenses. More huge numbers could follow.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/ ... ortCat=ncf

[CA Mustang]

Mike Fox in Carolina calls PB every year, tryin to get him to come to the next level.

Isn't it John Fox?

[bigdaddy08091]

Mike Fox in Carolina calls PB every year, tryin to get him to come to the next level.

Bet Bennett hopes he calls this year....

I see why we are not worth a [deleted]! Does anybody really want to win? We can copy and paste these post for the last 20 years. Insanity.....

[CA Mustang]

Mike Fox in Carolina calls PB every year, tryin to get him to come to the next level.

Bet Bennett hopes he calls this year....

There's no guarantee John will be in the position to make that call this year. In fact, their upcoming calls may be to share job leads.

[jtstang]

Mike Fox in Carolina calls PB every year, tryin to get him to come to the next level.

Bet Bennett hopes he calls this year....

I see why we are not worth a [deleted]! Does anybody really want to win? We can copy and paste these post for the last 20 years. Insanity.....

Not that it has anything to do with whether we are worth a sh_t or not, but I want to win. That said, right or wrong, I think Bennett will be fired, and that's why I posted it. You may think it is insane to fire this coach, and so may I for that matter, but no matter. It's gonna happen.

[bigdaddy08091]

Mike Fox in Carolina calls PB every year, tryin to get him to come to the next level.

Bet Bennett hopes he calls this year....

I see why we are not worth a [deleted]! Does anybody really want to win? We can copy and paste these post for the last 20 years. Insanity.....

Not that it has anything to do with whether we are worth a sh_t or not, but I want to win. That said, right or wrong, I think Bennett will be fired, and that's why I posted it. You may think it is insane to fire this coach, and so may I for that matter, but no matter. It's gonna happen.

I wish you could play. You sound fired up! Pony up jstang! Well if we fire PB, at least you will have something to do for the next 10 years, [deleted] and moan about how bad the HC is.

[jtstang]

I think he needs to be fired, but it has nothing to do with how bad he is. Go back and find my post on how to fix the football program at SMU.

[bigdaddy08091]

I think he needs to be fired, but it has nothing to do with how bad he is. Go back and find my post on how to fix the football program at SMU.

He has the respect of the players, so what is it? Just the easy way out of the situation we are in. Fire PB because of what, because we are SMU. How about we fire Turner and the board of regents, and get someone in that gives a [deleted] about athletics.

Why don't we have a baseball team? We are a D1 school and probably the only one without a baseball team. This is the kind of crap I continue to struggle with.

[MrMustang1965]

I think he needs to be fired, but it has nothing to do with how bad he is. Go back and find my post on how to fix the football program at SMU.

He has the respect of the players, so what is it? Just the easy way out of the situation we are in. Fire PB because of what, because we are SMU. How about we fire Turner and the board of regents, and get someone in that gives a [deleted] about athletics.

Why don't we have a baseball team? We are a D1 school and probably the only one without a baseball team. This is the kind of crap I continue to struggle with.

SMU doesn't have a baseball team because 1) when it did have one, they sucked and 2) Title IX.

Baseball at SMU was not profitable for the school. And, at this rate, football won't be, either.

If you want to watch a really good Div. 1 team in the D-FW area, go check out the Dallas Baptist University Patriots.

[jtstang]

He has the respect of the players, so what is it? Just the easy way out of the situation we are in.

Because he has the stink of a losing program on him after six years, and you can't get that off with just a shower, and therefore he cannot get the recruits he needs to turn it around. We are woefully behind everyone on our schedule in talent at virtually every position, and certainly collectively, and you need to be able to recruit talented players to overcome that. And I don't care if you lifted every restriction from him and gave him a bag of cash tomorrow, the fact that he has presided over this train wreck for six years will not allow him to get the caliber of player he needs to lead SMU back to respectability.

[bigdaddy08091]

I think he needs to be fired, but it has nothing to do with how bad he is. Go back and find my post on how to fix the football program at SMU.

He has the respect of the players, so what is it? Just the easy way out of the situation we are in. Fire PB because of what, because we are SMU. How about we fire Turner and the board of regents, and get someone in that gives a [deleted] about athletics.

Why don't we have a baseball team? We are a D1 school and probably the only one without a baseball team. This is the kind of crap I continue to struggle with.

SMU doesn't have a baseball team because 1) when it did have one, they sucked and 2) Title IX.

Baseball at SMU was not profitable for the school. And, at this rate, football won't be, either.

If you want to watch a really good Div. 1 team in the D-FW area, go check out the Dallas Baptist University Patriots.

I played at DBU. Thank you! Schools profit off the conference, not individual achievements, ie.. Baylor, SMU, Iowa, Iowa State, and I could go on and on.

[bigdaddy08091]

He has the respect of the players, so what is it? Just the easy way out of the situation we are in.

Because he has the stink of a losing program on him after six years, and you can't get that off with just a shower, and therefore he cannot get the recruits he needs to turn it around. We are woefully behind everyone on our schedule in talent at virtually every position, and certainly collectively, and you need to be able to recruit talented players to overcome that. And I don't care if you lifted every restriction from him and gave him a bag of cash tomorrow, the fact that he has presided over this train wreck for six years will not allow him to get the caliber of player he needs to lead SMU back to respectability.

What makes you think anyone else can do it? We have been loosing for 20 years. Blame it all on PB. We continue to wipe our butts before we take a [deleted]!!!! This needs to change and the change is now. Fire the administration, so we can compete with everyone else.

[jtstang]

What makes you think anyone else can do it? We have been loosing for 20 years. Blame it all on PB.

I'm not blaming it on him, did you not read my post? The reason he was not been able to recruit talent in his earlier years had more to do with policies than his ability. I'm not sure we know what his ability to recruit is in an unrestricted fashion. But I also know its too late for him. And I don't know if anyone else can do it, I just know that he can't. It's too losing much to overcome.

And honestly, which do you think is more likely to happen, firing the football coach, firing the "administration" as you put it?

[bigdaddy08091]

What makes you think anyone else can do it? We have been loosing for 20 years. Blame it all on PB.

I'm not blaming it on him, did you not read my post? The reason he was not been able to recruit talent in his earlier years had more to do with policies than his ability. I'm not sure we know what his ability to recruit is in an unrestricted fashion. But I also know its too late for him. And I don't know if anyone else can do it, I just know that he can't. It's too losing much to overcome.

And honestly, which do you think is more likely to happen, firing the football coach, firing the "administration" as you put it?

Just trying to make the same point I have been trying to make all along. Do I know the answer, no. Do you, No. And obviously the admin does not either. We need to create a foundation and run with it. The easy way out is to fire PB and make it seem like we are trying to do something/anything different. The truth is, we are not. It is just a smoke screen for failure to continue to happen to this program.

[jtstang]

Just trying to make the same point I have been trying to make all along. Do I know the answer, no.

Them why do you think this "foundation" you speak of begins with keeping Bennett after six years of futility?