College Football News (CFN) Comments on our 2004 Schedule

[Water Pony]

SMU

9/4 Texas Tech
9/11 at TCU
9/18 at Okla State
9/25 San Jose St
10/2 at Boise St
10/9 at Rice
10/16 La Tech
10/30 at Fresno St
11/6 Tulsa
11/13 Nevada
11/20 at UTEP

This isn't exactly a schedule conducive to turning a program around right away with a difficult three games to start the year. While the Mustangs miss Hawaii, they have to go on the road to face Boise State and Fresno State. Eight of the 11 games will be played in Texas, but there aren't any sure-thing wins.

Nastiest Road Game: at Oklahoma State

Cupcake: at UTEP

Make or Break Game: Louisiana Tech

[BUS]

How can you call any game a " CUPCAKE". We can not have that attitude and I sure hope the team does not.

SMU will be improved but, oh nevermind.

Go Mustangs

[EastStang]

When you go into the season with a 12 game losing streak, no team is a "cupcake".

[The PonyGrad]

My guess is that the publication picks what they think the harded and least difficult games are, naming the easiest game on the schedule as the cupcake.

[OldPony]

Every time we take the field, we have a cupcake competing. Let's hope this group can change that perception but without looking, I'll bet we are the cupcake on the schedule of everyone we play in this publication. I just keep on trying to keep the faith that things are changing.

[PonyTales]

Fearless prediction time:

Texas Tech 23, SMU 17 - A loss is a loss, but for the second time in two years, Tech starts a new signal caller, and for the second time in three years, SMU scares the hell out of them.

Oklahoma State 37, SMU 16 - Still a decided underdog, but with Rashaun Woods gone (thank god) and possibly a new QB, OSU takes a couple of weeks to iron out the wrinkles.

SMU 27, TCU 17 - Frogs snuck out of Ford Stadium with a win last year, then lost a ton of extremely talented seniors. They have talented replacements, but hopefully they'll mirror last year's performance.

SMU 23, San Jose State 17 - Spartans have better athletes, but lack of discipline will cost them with untimely penalties. Ponies pull upset for first WAC win.

Boise State 42, SMU 20 - Maybe the best team (even without Ryan Dinwiddie) on SMU's schedule, and this game's in Idaho.

SMU 27, Rice 23 - Improved team speed and size/strength makes up for Owls' advantage in experience.

LaTech 24, SMU 23 - Luke McCown's in Cleveland (with Sterling Harris?), but this will be this year's heartbreaker.

Fresno State 31, SMU 17 - too many athletes with experience for FSU. And it's on the road, in a tough stadium for visitors.

Tulsa 17, SMU 13 - Tulsa was better last year than it's been in eons, but I just can't believe they were that much better.

SMU 16, Nevada 9 - Should have beaten them last year. Now their pass rush is hurt by the departure of Cordova. And the game is at home.

SMU 26, UTEP 17 - Mike Price is going to crank up the UTEP program .... but not quite yet.

OK, I'm an optimist. In actuality, I predict maybe three wins this year. But it's not like I called anything too ridiculous here. (Had I predicted wins over Boise State and OSU, then I'd be getting fitted for a straightjacket.)

[BUS]

We could win a few more game if our team has a much better offense. Tulsa, La Tech. I still hope for something BIG and unexpected.

[Water Pony]

A reasoned discussion. Optimisitc when compared to last year but the investments over the last two years will reveal themselves in at least three, maybe four wins.

Question: What is the break through game or surprise win for us? TCU?

[mrydel]

Please do not get your hopes up too high for September. If confidence is not destroyed, we will have a chance against San Jose State, but realize that we are 0-12 and will probably be starting a still green Sophmore at QB, or an untested in D1 QB. Our opening month is horrendous. Just hope that Coach Bennett can keep the spirits high enough to finish strong. 2005 is the year for us to be talking about upsets and surprises...2004 is still rebuilding a program with youngsters. Now with that said, I am very optimistic about the future, and think we can turn the corner with the players we are signing. The key is for us, the fans, not to get down on the players if we do not see tremendous results immediately this season. The teams that beat us last year have not stood still. We need to not only equal their growth, maturity, and confidence, but exceed in all areas just to pull even with any of them. Now is the time to support the team in attendance and be prepared to feel the pain of another tough September. Just keep in mind that we have bottomed out and will come back but the hole is deep.

[Southland]

SMU

9/4 Texas Tech
9/11 at TCU
9/18 at Okla State
9/25 San Jose St
10/2 at Boise St
10/9 at Rice
10/16 La Tech
10/30 at Fresno St
11/6 Tulsa
11/13 Nevada
11/20 at UTEP

Expect 2 wins
Be very happy with 3-4
Be thrilled with anything above that

[PonySnob]

How much longer will the program continue to be so bad? SMU posters say that we should be happy with 2 wins next year. Why can't we turn our program around like TCU has done? Wouldn't it be great if our program could become a regular in the top 25, go to numerous bowl games in a row, talk about going undefeated? What has TCU done that our administration refuses to do? TCU's attendance per home game was almost double what ours was. What teams came into ACS that brought a huge crowd of visiting fans? It sad that our program has even been passed up by UNT. When will SMU fans expect results?

[gostangs]

Of first four games only S.J.st. is a maybe - we scare TCU again but still a L (its an away game after all - circle 05 on your schedule - we thump them at Ford).

Boise - L
Rice - W (upset)
LTech - W (they have a tough time with us at home)
Fresno -L
Tulsa - W
Nev - W
UTEP - L


4, maybe 5 wins - poised for 05

- pull upset at TCU & Fresno and Bennett gets coach of the year.

[EastStang]

We can't turn it around like TCU did because we actually have had admission standards unlike TCU. We relaxed them, but not to the extent TCU did. We started behind the curve and are working out of it. Unless we get four wins I will consider this year a failure. We need to step it up. We have a three early tough games to learn blocking assignments, learn pass routes, learn defensive assignments. So by the time we meet San Jose our guys (unless we have a bunch of injuries) ought to start winning. We ought to be able beat SJS, La. Tech, Nevada, Tulsa, Rice, and UTEP. So out of those six games I expect four victories. If we get an upset of OSU,TCU, Tech, Fresno, or Boise, it will be a coup.