Tech, TCU

[rlm1951]

I thought we played better against Tech and TCU than we did against Army. I really don't get why the team didn't improve as the year went on but seemed to become more and more inconsistent.

There's really no way to spin this game to the good, in my opinion, and I'm usually an optimist.

[Longtime]

You'll have a hard time convincing me that we took Army seriously. The players all talked a good game to the media, but Army was the more fired-up and focused team. They were excited to be there, while our players were constantly being reminded by the media and everyone else that they weren't in Hawaii.

Plus, we just don't play option teams well. It's a bad matchup for us because we don't have the overwhelming athleticism to make up for our lack of experience playing the option.

We had better overall talent than Army, but it wasn't significantly better enough that we could play a poor game and still beat them.

Rich and Hampton were talking on the postgame show about what is needed for SMU to take that next step in the progress of the program. The answer is simple: We need better talent, and lots of it. We are much more talented than we were in the darkest days of the Cavan and Bennett eras, but we've still got a lot more work to do in recruiting.

[RGV Pony]

Plus, we just don't play option teams well. It's a bad matchup for us because we don't have the overwhelming athleticism to make up for our lack of experience playing the option.

The defense allowed 9 points, and Army's offensive production was the least of any opponent we faced this year.

[Longtime]

Good point. Maybe my perspective is skewed because of the anguish of the loss.

Officially, Army was just 4-of-12 on third downs and 1-for-1 on fourth downs. They ran the ball 50 times and averaged four yards a carry.

They didn't gash us with big runs, but their option still made it a slow death because they gained yards on nearly every play. Penalties and negative yardage kill option offenses, and Army had neither. We didn't stuff them enough or get enough TFLs to put them in obvious passing situations. They threw just seven passes.

And of course, Army played mistake-free football. They had no penalties and no turnovers. Hard to beat a team that does that, even if they only gained 229 yards. And when you hand them a touchdown...Sigh.

[mustangbill67]

bottom line, when you allow only 9 offensive points in the first half and 0 in the second, you should win especially if you are a so-called "high powered offense".

[b_caesar]

Yup - Army won the battle of wills today. Easily.