2004 WAC Media Day Fancast

[SmooPower]

For those of you not at your computers during this, or lacking the bandwidth or software to view the fancast, I'll be posting a running log in this thread, hopefully updating it every few minutes. Coach Bennett is scheduled for 12pm - 12:30pm CST.

Edit - Don't think I will be able to post my notes until after it is over, anything activity over the internet is ruining the stream.

[buspen]

Is anyone else having feed problems with this broadcast?

[SmooPower]

Yes, the feed problems were pretty bad. But I managed to get most of it.

ready for 3rd coach, from smu, phil bennett

mornin guys
i'll give a brief overview
2003 was a rough year
look at season last year, winning and losing is a fine line, we proved it
we weren't as bad as our record
young team, we were youngest in ncaa
3 weeks in a row last drive loss
baylor, nevada, utep
as young team, hard to pull out of
positive with exception of one game, kids played hard
didn't lose passion for playing and trying to win
since we lost QB first year, it was my fault, not kids
they were put in tough situtation
averaged 11 points a game, hard to win that way
and yet we were in 6 games until the final drive of the game
if you asked other coaches, we were not a gimme game
kids played hard, did have some deficiences, had offensive problems, esp in red zone
attitude - how is attitude of group of kids, esp young group with no wins
it's amazing what mind can do when you can work through things
attribute asst coachs, keep kids positive
vision of success a hard thing
constantly remind them it's not what you are going through, it's what you are going to
high aspirations
two good recruiting classes
will probably take one more, get back on solid footing

offensive overview
quarterback, last 4 games played freshman QB chris phillips
runner and a passer
was in tough situation, kept us in some games
100 rushing 180 passing against tcu
thrown into fire, was not ready, spent most of year as redshirt
great competitor
improved greatly in spring
rusty burns (OC cincy last two years) vinklark (UH with ware, OK state, middle tenn, bills, titans)
chris adapting well to burns offense - max str, min weakness
burns has unique offense
year they won CUSA, burns lost 9 starters
with 9 new starters, they were 3rd in conf in offense (from 35 to 28 points a game)
two juco QBs which says a lot about what smu is trying to do (tough admin restrictions)
eckert (lumberton, tx) and romo (lancaster, ca)
Where are we at? can't say who starter will be, chris is in lead with experience
will be a fun competition
3 guys that are capable, they have intangiles
chris more a threat running and throwing
tony touch pass pocket passer
jared has the strongest arm
chris and jared both run 4.5
running back foy munlin
has made the team better, paid own way last year
made defense better
extremely tough
one year, has been voted team captain
power back, nice hands
will give us durability
5'11" 230, excellent spring
massey behind him, redshirt last year, bad spring due to injuries, will get into mix
darren brown can do multiple things
dorsey redshirt fresh 4.41 compete at T back
two freshmen henderson and martin will get oppotunities
jessie is a scat back
demyron is a big guy, power back
going to more of a spread offense
young receivers last year
warren, cleveland, someone else all fresh last year
griffen, rushbrook back (missed spring, must get healthy)
juco wr in bobby case
lowery
walk on also help
swafford at tight end
one of few seniors
kennedy will back him up, redshirt soph
offensive line, will be young, but will look like oL
both tackles over 6'5"
darrin johnson extemely athletic, started last 5 games
urbanus started last 4 games
will step and give up foundation
kiesnick moved to center, will be oldest on line
lots of snaps will make line calls
edison will start at LG, missed spring which gave peveto chance to come in, good battle
poytner is redshirt freshman
burley
feel like we have a foundation
vinklarek been around a lot of OL, is excited
going to be JV team instead of freshman team
can't win with 11 points a game
will be a good battle
good position
won't be a dominating offense, but capable offense
more threats, package will give us ability to take advantage of threats
package that is easily learned, what i was looking for
we have got to improve on scoring

defensively
14 guys that have started games
-something garbled-
dd lee to OLB
best set of LB since i've been here

[SmooPower]

injury, setback -garbled-
adami shows up, extemely strong, fast, sets the tone
both DE back in rogers and williams
redshirt: muse, berry in the mix
jones is back
bonds too
for 9 weeks last year #1 defensive in wac, finished in top 3
only one in top 3 that off wasn't in 30's in scoring
one thing to improve: more of a take away defense
margin for error on defense less when offense struggling
ability and courage to blitz becomes different
you gotta have some "you know what" to call a blitz
in college twice we were #1 in defense in nation
d-coord said "when you blitz, somebody's man comes clean, better make sure it's yours" ???
blitzing causes turnovers, bad situation for offense
would like more aggressive defense
have a sound defense, all of secondary back except for rutledge
three 3rd year starters
akemyni transfer from air force
still be young! dd lee back to middle with no reggie
harris moved
fitzgerald best athlete on team, got go get on field (Safely or LB)
defensively making strides
TCU winning game drive we dropped interception
got to do a better job in causing turnovers
potential to be top echelon of defense

kicking game
only part pleased with was kickoff return, #4 in nation
wasn't pleased, had too do it to many times, too much practice
punting was nemesis, cost us two games (baylor and utep)
punt is most important play in game ??? -garbled-
lost returner last year, fumbled too many returns
warren returned couple for TD
rushbrook capable
freshman named haynes put back there
kickoff coverage, top 20, i can live with
field goals 8/12, not enough attempts, 20-24 range with 75% good

as a whole, will be improved team
fought through adversity
kids are resilent, passionate about getting better
tough schedule
first 4 of 6 games on road, open against TT, @ tcu, @ ok state, san jose, @ boise
it's time for improved football team
stay healthy, better QB play, more opportunistic, consistant scoring

questions (can't hear these)

highest academic school in wac a while ago
right now on par with everyone in the country (admissions)
faculty have been outstanding to get where we are now
recruiting #1 or #2 in wac last two years
pool is much larger than ever been

never be a JC team
if watched us, we needed choices at QB
never be predominate JC
but 3 or 4 a year at certain skill positions, yes
gives us opp to compete

qb position is open, chris is leading and is starter
but competition will make us better
likes chemistry, will make each other better

i want to win
nobody can't put more pressure on me than myself
job toughness - #1 at time in america when i took this job
nobody was pleased with last year
i take responsibility for that, not on players
we had opp to win, didn't do it
i'm excited about this year, not afraid
i love coaching
next 2 or 3 years crucial to get better
level of recruits, it will happen

foy is what we call an ace back
we are a one back team
when go to two backs, he will be tailback

death penalty
our standards were absurd!
recruiting pool was so small
through common since, faculty, admin the pool has opened up
helps diversify us
we had to work within confines of SAT and gpa, smaller pool there

easy group, you already tired?

i asked her a year ago, last season she said "let's see how this one goes"
(who is he talking about)

it will probably be this spring (also don't know)

[KnuckleStang]

i asked her a year ago, last season she said "let's see how this one goes"
(who is he talking about)

it will probably be this spring (also don't know)

Maybe ol' Phil was talking about wedding bells? I don't know either.

[Diehard Pony]

Knuckle,

I'm almost certain he was talking about getting married in the Spring.

I thought Coach Bennett did a pretty good job. Tough act following Coach Kragthorpe who I think is exceptional with the media.

I couldn't believe Coach Price opened with a joke about everybody's "love life". If he keeps that up he will be in Div II as his next stop.

Finally, the quality of the web cast was the worst I have ever seen. It was not what you would have seen coming from SMU if the ESPN contract were not a barrier.

[Diehard Pony]

The fancast site says it will have an archive of today's broadcast up tomorrow.

[Hal]

Big thanks to Smoo Power for typing all that. I looked up the Morning News website, and not surprisingly, they made no attempt to get down everything Coach Bennett said. Thanks for not having a job that requires you to do any work, SP. Those of us who couldn't listen appreciate your effort.

[SmooPower]

Thanks for not having a job that requires you to do any work, SP.

It's called a lunch break.

[The Q]

That's the kind of lunch that can get folks fired - that was a lot of work!
Thanks for doing it, though.