Rivals Radio on Serius/XM and Notes on SMU

[GeorgiaMustang]

I'm sure many of you have listened to Bill King on Rivals Radio on Serius. This morning I called in with a question regarding his thoughts on the program. He said that he felt the UAB win was a huge win for us. He also said that SMU seems to have turned the corner but is still too young at this point to truly challenge for the C-USA crown (agreed). However, he did say that he feels SMU will begin to be a consistent performer/challenger in the conference within the next 1-2 years. He seems to really think, as I believe the rest of us do as well, that SMU is on the verge of becoming a good team again. As far as this season is concerned, he said that a 6-6 season and a small bowl would be a great way for the season to go. I was very encouraged by his thoughts and am glad that we're not the only ones taking notice of the changes.

One thing he noted that I thought was interesting was not concerning SMU directly but did mention Phil Bennet. He believes that Phil is one of the best defensive minds in college football, and he attributes Pittsburg's ability to beat Navy last year to Phil's experience with that type of offense. I agree with his thoughts on Phil as a D-coordinator. It's too bad he wasn't able to get the same level of production here.

I was curious as to what your thoughts were on Phil as a defensive mind and wanted to share with you what Bill King had to say regarding the Mustangs.

[MustangLaxer]

great with special teams too, that phil bennett! i long for the days of the swinging gate...

[kull]

I don't know that much about Bennett's history as a defensive mind or his influences, but these are my observations FWIW, please add, subtract, and rip this to shreds for clarification.

Phil runs a hybrid 4-3 Eagle defense, and a multiple 3-4 defense built off 5-2 principles from the 80's. In either case the gap responsibility for linebackers was kind of goofy (perhaps due to talent) from time to time regardless of formation, and they were called wrinkles. After going to Kansas State he adopted some of the incumbent schemes from a talented and functional defense in place. Then there was SMU. Pitt's defense was solid before he got there, he is on staff and hopefully for him that is a good situation.

[San Antonio Mustang]

Phil is a very good defensive coordinator. Unfortunately his skillset falls short when faced with all the requirements of a head coach. He will be very successful in a program that has a strong head coach and offensive coordinator. He has and will make some head coaches look very good.

[jtstang]

All out!!

[Dooby]

Was the special teams comment a joke? With teh exception of Morestead, special teams vascilated between mediocre and cr@p.

We lost the NTSU game in large part because of a blocked punt. I don't know if you ever heard teh NTSU George Dunham radio call of that blocked punt, but Dunham spent the 20 seconds before the blocked punt on how the NTSU coaches saw something on film and were confident they could block a punt in this game. A second later they did, and SMU never recovered.

Given SMU's ineptitude against Rice during the Bennett era, I don't understand how anyone can say that Bennett is the reason Pitt beat Navy. Have we forgotten that Wanstead was a pretty good defensive coordinator himself?

Have we forgotten how the defense statistically declined when Bennett was here?

Bennett is a car salesman. There is a place for him in college football in recruiting.

[Junior]

But the swinging gate! The swinging gate? Who does that?

[MidlandMustang]

I'm sure many of you have listened to Bill King on Rivals Radio on Serius. This morning I called in with a question regarding his thoughts on the program. He said that he felt the UAB win was a huge win for us. He also said that SMU seems to have turned the corner but is still too young at this point to truly challenge for the C-USA crown (agreed). However, he did say that he feels SMU will begin to be a consistent performer/challenger in the conference within the next 1-2 years. He seems to really think, as I believe the rest of us do as well, that SMU is on the verge of becoming a good team again. As far as this season is concerned, he said that a 6-6 season and a small bowl would be a great way for the season to go. I was very encouraged by his thoughts and am glad that we're not the only ones taking notice of the changes.

One thing he noted that I thought was interesting was not concerning SMU directly but did mention Phil Bennet. He believes that Phil is one of the best defensive minds in college football, and he attributes Pittsburg's ability to beat Navy last year to Phil's experience with that type of offense. I agree with his thoughts on Phil as a D-coordinator. It's too bad he wasn't able to get the same level of production here.

I was curious as to what your thoughts were on Phil as a defensive mind and wanted to share with you what Bill King had to say regarding the Mustangs.

I think PB is one the best defensive minds in college football. I just don't think he could recruit the typ of athletes at SMU to execute his defense.

[couch 'em]

Anyone can win a war with better weapons. The best general one is the one who can do the most with what he has.

[DallasDiehard]

But the swinging gate! The swinging gate? Who does that?

Lots of teams do it, actually. So far this year, I've seen Boise State, Boston College, Oregon and Arizona do it, and based on a preseason practice I saw, we have a version of it in the playbook, too. There has to be a reason for it.
This horse is dead.

[davidpaul123]

Good to see someone else calling into Bill King's show on Sirius. I listen to it every morning and have called in a couple times over the past year and a half or so.

He is high on June and what he can get done at the Hilltop. He had a similar response when I called him during the offseason.

The man knows ALOT about college football.

[MustangLaxer]

Was the special teams comment a joke? With teh exception of Morestead, special teams vascilated between mediocre and cr@p.

We lost the NTSU game in large part because of a blocked punt. I don't know if you ever heard teh NTSU George Dunham radio call of that blocked punt, but Dunham spent the 20 seconds before the blocked punt on how the NTSU coaches saw something on film and were confident they could block a punt in this game. A second later they did, and SMU never recovered.

Given SMU's ineptitude against Rice during the Bennett era, I don't understand how anyone can say that Bennett is the reason Pitt beat Navy. Have we forgotten that Wanstead was a pretty good defensive coordinator himself?

Have we forgotten how the defense statistically declined when Bennett was here?

Bennett is a car salesman. There is a place for him in college football in recruiting.

yes sarcasm...the swinging gate should have tipped you.