Thoughts from the game

[StingStang]

First SMU game in person for me.

Overall, a very underwhelming performance given some of the (expected) preseason hype.

Let's start with the good:
- McNeal was very legit. His blocking was not incredible, and they seemed to only have one play for him (counter), but he was slippery and quick.
- Punt return was a huge key obviously. Without that play the game could have gotten out of hand.
- I will give credit to any team coming back from a 2 score deficit in the fourth quarter. They didn't quit on themselves and came up with timely turnovers.
- Sanders, running free all night, great routes and speed. Too bad BLM wasted his effort.
- Pass blocking was quite good really. BLM had all the time in the world and has no excuse for his performance.
- Nice 50+ field goal. May have been the difference.

And on to the bad and ugly:
- Pass rush pretty much nonexistent. I didn't see a lot of blitz, except for late. Who is 47 and why is he playing nose tackle?!?
- I'm not sure how, but BLM regressed. A terrible sign for the season. We won't win again behind performances such as that. He had time, open receivers, and did squat.
- Maybe BLM was feeling good about himself after spending all fall practicing against that pillow-soft defense. Giving up 500 yards to SFA was terrible. It could have been 6-700 if SFA had not shot themselves in the foot so often.
- June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum. Also needs to know when to sit the QB for a series.
- Why do we have to give BLM a 50 yard jog before each and every play? 25 yards to the sideline, 25 back. Every play. Poor guy runs about 10 miles. Can we please get some hand signals, send in the play with a sub, something???

[SMUtrojanFAN]

Welcome to SMU football.

[peruna81]

interesting to see the adjustments ( or not ) this week...

If we win 'ugly' this year, I will nevertheless rejoice with each victory...

I am just not sure there will be much more 'rejoicing'...

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

"June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum"

Someone told me the fake punt was not called by June Jones and
the punter did it on his own....can anyone verify if that is true?

[fivemon]

flemming is great at te, saw him put several people on their butt...if he puts on some weight, he could be a player

mcneal came up huge when we needed him, i was suprised our o-line couldn't make a few bigger holes for him, especially against a team lined up against the pass every play

that fg was amazing everyone around me was wtf is going on when he went running out....then man that was awesome, i can't believe they didn't even debate going for it with only 4 yards for a 1st

heard calls for padron to come in since he ran a similar system in hs

[mr. pony]

"June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum"

Someone told me the fake punt was not called by June Jones and
the punter did it on his own....can anyone verify if that is true?

Haven't heard that, but I doubt Szymanski, in his first game for SMU, would do that on his own. Maybe he has Jones' green light to go anytime if he sees something.

[RedTapestry]

Lou Mannheim: Bud... Bud I like you. Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.

Bud Fox: I think I understand.

[menehune_doodoo]

......

June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum. Also needs to know when to sit the QB for a series. ...

he did that again?

lost some serious half time money when he pulled that stunt in the Alabama game a few years ago

[Big Hoss]

Lou Mannheim: Bud... Bud I like you. Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.

Bud Fox: I think I understand.

Ah, Wall Street. Get movie.

[docabel]

"June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum"

Someone told me the fake punt was not called by June Jones and
the punter did it on his own....can anyone verify if that is true?

Haven't heard that, but I doubt Szymanski, in his first game for SMU, would do that on his own. Maybe he has Jones' green light to go anytime if he sees something.

On the radio broadcast, the sideline reporter was commenting that our special teams coach was giving Szymanski a beating for making the wrong read on a checkoff to try the fake.

[MustangLaxer]

5-7 year is not adjusted to 3-9. maybe.

bring on JJ McDermitt

[StingStang]

"June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum"

Someone told me the fake punt was not called by June Jones and
the punter did it on his own....can anyone verify if that is true?

Haven't heard that, but I doubt Szymanski, in his first game for SMU, would do that on his own. Maybe he has Jones' green light to go anytime if he sees something.

On the radio broadcast, the sideline reporter was commenting that our special teams coach was giving Szymanski a beating for making the wrong read on a checkoff to try the fake.

That makes some more sense to me. I couldn't believe that was a sideline call.

[davidpaul123]

"June Jones: fake punt on your own end, with a 1-pt lead? Really?? Absolutely boneheaded call that resulted in the loss of the lead on the long SFA field goal. Very deflating and changed momentum"

Someone told me the fake punt was not called by June Jones and
the punter did it on his own....can anyone verify if that is true?

Haven't heard that, but I doubt Szymanski, in his first game for SMU, would do that on his own. Maybe he has Jones' green light to go anytime if he sees something.

I dont know but Ive never seen a fake punt in which the punter is the one running the ball, considering how far he starts behind the line of scrimage. Usually if youre going to run on a fake punt you hike it to the up back, and if the punter gets it on a fake he will throw.

[ponyscott]

Don't forget about Danny White on the 80's Cowboys teams....he would run all the time out of punt formation and had the green light from Tom Landry. I would doubt that a first time punter would have the green light..must have been another signal problem. Maybe they saw something in the film that alerted them to that possibilty...poor choice nontheless....

[Ralph]

BLM is running a long ways to June because he doesn't fully understand the offense and therefore he is not on the same page with June, Brennan got in sync with June and sought of read his lips and body language to call the play.