Boosters

[Mustangsabu]

Recruiting is key, and everyone knows that. But so is coaching, and while our D struggled this year, I believe that better coaching would get better results.

A good coach would be able to address the issue of starting games flat;
Our D was at its best when the other team was in their own half - a good coach could instill the confidence to make the big plays when the opposition is in the red zone;
If you can make big plays on D sometimes then you can do it more of the time. Our kids were HORRIBLE at tackling - that is fundamental, not all ability;

The most important thing that a new, good coach is going to bring is this, and this will apply even if he does not show up until the recruiting deadline has passed -

He knows our D is atrocious, and he has time to address it before the season starts with the players he had. PB was talking bowl when he should have been accutely aware that our D was going to sink us.

We will go to a bowl next year. I said it.

Offense - is fine (50th-ish in the Nation last year despite some games - TCU, Ark State, Tech - where it did not show up). D will be much better with new blood calling the shots.

Now I have to get back to billing hours, but my heart is full so I don't mind.

[Stallion]

and my point is that you can find no AD this year or in recent memory that was willing to forfeit a recruiting class to get a Coach. Out on a limb in this case despite the fact that SMU was easily the first job opening. The guy we get will be no better than the availiable Coaches who should have been hired by December 1.

[jtstang]

We will go to a bowl next year. I said it.

I have no expectations that will come to pass.

[Mustangsabu]

I might be missing something but how do we know that we will lose our recruits?

As far as the recruits know they are going to be going to a school with the biggest name coach in 20 years. they were prepared to commit to PB and you're saying they are all going to bail becasue it is uncertain but looks pretty likely to be Francione, Coker or someone BETTER.

That does not make sense to me. I would have thought them more likely to bail if PB was still in charge after a 1-11 season in his 6th year.

[jtstang]

We will go to a bowl next year. I said it.

I have no expectations that will come to pass.

Also, just for the sake of honesty, did you say it last year too?

[Stallion]

quite frankly none of the recruits we have committed are worth worrying about. And that's why you ought to be worried. Seriously if you can't figure out the concern then I damn sure ain't going to spend time explaining it. Keep living that life of blissful ignorance. SMU hasn't worried about recruiting in 20 years and look at all we have accomplished.

[Mustangsabu]

Oh I am happy to hold up my hand and say I thought 8-4 for sure. But I, alas like PB himself, was unaware of the state of the D at the time.

I had picked us to beat
UNT - at least we did that
UTEP - should have anyway
Ark State - If we had just showed up in the first quarter we had a chance
Tulane - tackling? Anyone?
Houston - we started well
Rice - I just cant talk about it yet, it's too soon
Memphis - now that's what I call an open game
TCU - our D actually showed up, Willis & Co didn't.

[EastStang]

To be honest a stop here, a late touchdown there and we could have been 7-5. As Al Pacino said, this is a game of inches, and the inches add up to win or loss. We were a little short all year.

[jtstang]

Oh I am happy to hold up my hand and say I thought 8-4 for sure. But I, alas like PB himself, was unaware of the state of the D at the time.

And now that you know the state of the D, you're picking a bowl game?? Amazing....

[Mustangsabu]

quite frankly none of the recruits we have committed are worth worrying about. And that's why you ought to be worried. Seriously if you can't figure out the concern then I damn sure ain't going to spend time explaining it. Keep living that life of blissful ignorance. SMU hasn't worried about recruiting in 20 years and look at all we have accomplished.

I think you'll find that that is one of the things they are trying to fix be getting in a coach that kids will want to play for. Sure we might miss out on some talent this year, but if we have a good coach then next year's crop will be much better. Frankly, despite being 1-11 we were in many of the games we played this year. A few better players, even two years down the road, we'll compete in C-USA.

[Mustangsabu]

Oh I am happy to hold up my hand and say I thought 8-4 for sure. But I, alas like PB himself, was unaware of the state of the D at the time.

And now that you know the state of the D, you're picking a bowl game?? Amazing....

Only because I think the D can play, if they are shown how to tackle, put in the right place and at the right time. It's fundamentals. We'll still give up some big plays to better athletes but at least I belive that with the right guidance and approach we can stop losing to sucky teams.

[biggin]

I think the comparisons of Stallion to Biggin and Bigdaddy are misplaced.

Oh c'mon Blogger - you are just mad at me because I call you out on your lack of breaking news and erroneous assumptions. Your contemporaries at other schools are far more in tune with the news and events for their respective teams (e.g. the Navy blogger). Your blog is more like a message board where you just speculate and pontificate. Why not just do that on here and cede your thrown (blog) to someone who is better connected with SMU athletics? I am not meaning to be rude - serious question.

[SMU Football Blog]

I think the comparisons of Stallion to Biggin and Bigdaddy are misplaced.

Oh c'mon Blogger - you are just mad at me because I call you out on your lack of breaking news and erroneous assumptions. Your contemporaries at other schools are far more in tune with the news and events for their respective teams (e.g. the Navy blogger). Your blog is more like a message board where you just speculate and pontificate. Why not just do that on here and cede your thrown (blog) to someone who is better connected with SMU athletics? I am not meaning to be rude - serious question.

Have I broken any more or less news than mustangmaniacs.com, which is in part a pay site? The Navy blogger is a newspaper employee. I am legal counsel for a fortune 500 company and want to keep my job as well as the jobs of the ungrateful Holy Cross, UT and Okie State grads that work for me. Ergo, I won't be spending too much time wandering the halls of the AD's offices. Oh, and I forgot where I promised a whole bunch of breaking news to anyone.

I have two offers to one and all:

1) a complete refund;

2) after the coaching search is over, if anyone wants the blog, if I deem him or her anything other than a total idiot, they can have the blog.

[BIGHORSE]

[quote="Stallion"]and my point is that you can find no AD this year or in recent memory that was willing to forfeit a recruiting class to get a Coach. Out on a limb in this case despite the fact that SMU was easily the first job opening. The guy we get will be no better than the availiable Coaches

Would you rather S.O. forfeit getting the right coach

for the sake of this recruiting class, even though the

class is important, but we are talking about the long haul

and need to be sure we get the best coach we can.

[Stallion]

No I think the best candidates that fit this program the best have been availiable since before December 1 and specifically that there is no way in hell June Jones (I don't consider June Jones the best candidate for the job) is going to Coach at this school based on
a) what he has said in the past about SMU's academic standards
b) the players he recruits at Hawaii-criminal records, 35 JUCOs/Transfers
c) 78 Polynesians-(you will find all kinds of academic issues with these kids)
d) he said he has no interest in SMU
e) if he had interest in any school it would be UCLA which could mine this Polynesian goldmine.
f) he is an alumnus of Hawaii and his admiration and love of Hawaii
g) the fact that he is using SMU to get a raise and better deal from Hawaii

I think this is an enormous, silly and unnecessary waste of time that has and will continue to hurt the competitive strength of this program.