DMN's Gerry Fraley's column following SMU v. Texas Tech

[MrMustang1965]

UNIVERSITY PARK – SMU's regrouping football program took a significant step forward Saturday night.

The Mustangs played well enough in defeat to force Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to try a classless move, even by his standards.

With Tech leading, 27-13, and less than 30 seconds remaining, the self-centered Leach tried to salvage his wounded pride. He had the first-team offense throw three more passes in an attempt to get a needless touchdown.

Keeping with the game's tone, SMU stopped all three throws. Mustangs coach Phil Bennett angrily tossed aside his headset and confronted Leach at the end. That brought both teams to a scuffle in the middle of the Ford Stadium field.

"I didn't want my kids leaving that field with that feeling," Bennett said of his response to Leach's play-calling.

That Leach felt the need to run up the score on a team that went winless last season says something about him and SMU.

This probably was Tech's only chance to insult an opponent this season.

SMU is making progress.

Leach made another telling statement two minutes into the third quarter. He took a timeout with Tech's defense on the field.

No team felt the need to take a timeout to solve SMU's offense last season.

Few teams felt threatened by the Mustangs at any point of the second half.

On this night, Tech did. SMU pushed the Red Raiders.

Halfway through the third quarter, the score was tied at 6. Tech was not safe until it scored with 7:25 remaining.

The cold reality is SMU has a 13-game skid and two more difficult nonconference games ahead: at TCU next Saturday and at Oklahoma State the following week. The Mustangs need more than a moral victory.

That said, this game offered the first significant public sign of progress during the Bennett era.

"You can't see it, but I know we're on a path to get to where we need to be," Bennett said. "We might have taken some steps, but I'm not willing to get on a table and say it. ... I do like the chemistry of this team."

SMU had lost the first two openers under Bennett by a total of 79 points. Tech buried SMU, 58-10, in last season's opener.

Bennett has quietly said better days were coming. He is starting to climb out of the deep hole dug by predecessor Mike Cavan, who left behind minimal talent.

The players are younger – 60 scholarship freshmen and sophomores – and better. How many wins that will translate into this season is uncertain.

The key for SMU's hierarchy is to remain patient and pay attention to the progress.

"I told our president last year that we were predominately freshmen," Bennett said beforehand. "I guess we're a JV team now. The biggest thing is the people here understand we didn't get to where we are overnight. It's going to take some time to get back."

The offense, brought in by new coordinator Rusty Burns, has more bells and whistles, but that cannot obscure a shortcoming at quarterback.

Sophomore Chris Phillips, making his sixth start, is better suited for the single wing than the three- and four-wide receiver sets Burns used.

Phillips completed four of his first five passes and stopped, going 8-for-23 for the duration. SMU needed more against what was a bad defense last season and may not be much better this year.

The Mustangs would be better served by switching at quarterback to one of the two junior-college transfers in house and letting Phillips step back to watch and learn. Tony Eckert strengthened that argument by completing 6-of-9 throws on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

The improvement was more dramatic on defense.

Better personnel allowed coordinator Jim Gush to make changes. The new look kept SMU in the game. SMU used five and six defensive backs most of the game. Gush was able to use the blitz with efficiency.

Leach, a self-professed offensive genius, was often checkmated.

No wonder Leach kept throwing into the end zone until the end. His offense was not good at that all game. That is a tribute to SMU. It was a loss but a sign of progress.

[Sam I Am]

The DMN has got it right: SMU needs a better QB. Eckert scored when he got into the game. Give him more of a chance to play int he TCU game and see if we can start winning.

[king_k]

I think we need to hold off on proclaiming Eckert the savior at quarterback. He doesn't have any mobility and will get the hell blitzed out of him. He is just a target back there. Now, if he shows he can make the blitz reads and get the ball delivered quickly it might work, but for now I think we need to really play Phillips and Eckert together because they are real change paces. Phillips single handedly ran the ball down the field on the field goal drives, the offense just stalled when it got in the red zone.

Also when Eckert was playing the Tech defense had lost their "edge" (if they ever had one), Mike Leach might have wanted to run up the score at the end, but his players weren't responding very well.

[Ponymon]

I thought that Eckert did a great job of moving up in the pocket! He showed me that he is mobile enough to intelligently use his blockers.

[Nacho]

I would start Phillips at TCU. If he isn't producing then you have to go to Eckert. We had only scored 6 points when Eckert came in. To beat Tech you have to outscore them. I thought our offensive play calling was too conservative against that kind of opponent. Holding them to 27 was a major accomplishment. They routinely score in the 50s against good competition. We were the lowest scoring O in d-1 last year. We have to play the guy who is going to put points on the board. This will naturaly work itself out.

Another issue in the game last night was the play of CB. One of the guys was getting routinely beaten. Jones or someone else may have to take over that spot.

[PerunaPunch]

Our CBs played great. TTech likes to score 50, we held them to 20 that they deserved. In both of the longer TD throws, the WR pushed off obviously. Made Michael Irvine look like a choir boy. In the second one – the last TD Tech got – their WR tackled our CB who was going for the ball and had a better angle on it. Probably would've been a pick, but the refs called pass interference on us. UNBELIEVABLE. Should have been offensive pass interference.

[Higher Authority]

When you face a team that throws the ball 100 times a game - after all, that's their running game, too - you're going to give up some passes. But I thought Akinyemi, Humphrey and Brandon Jones all played very well. Jones actually got beaten a couple of times, but it was his first game in a new system and he was facing an aerial assault. That trio of CBs is the best SMU has had in years.

Gerry Fraley nailed it in his assessment. SMU is a lot better and Mike Leach should be embarrassed.

[jtstang]

The DB's will have to play well all season to make up for the lack of a D line. No pass rush and no penetration whatsover.

[PlanoStang]

I thought that Eckert did a great job of moving up in the pocket! He showed me that he is mobile enough to intelligently use his blockers.

Yep, he does know how to step up in the pocket, and he has an accurate cannon for an arm. I liked him in the spring game, and thought he'd eventually beat out Phillips for the job. Liked Fraley's comment in the DMN too about switching to one of the Juco QBs, and letting Chris step back, and learn.

Maybe we could still redshirt Chris this year, or next?

[PlanoStang]

The DB's will have to play well all season to make up for the lack of a D line. No pass rush and no penetration whatsover.

Tech has a huge O - line, and we can't blitz all time which resulted in a sack or 2, and hurried throws.

[Stallion]

some of you are easily impressed. Half of Eckert's completions came on simple out passes when the DBs were playing prevent defense 10 yards off their man. Several of those were underthrown. Were you even at the game or just listening on the radio. He was unsteady-dropped two snaps-was stumbling around and simply finding the outlet man-in mop up time when down by 21. He had one great pass into triple coverage-that likely would be picked off 5 out of 10 times. Eckert is the one that needs to stabalize his game before he gets on the field. We've had a lot of QBs in recent years that simply give the game away with a fumble here -an interception here at critical times that were returned for scores. Eckert has shown that tendency of funbling and throwing silly passes on too many occasions I've seen. The real problem is that SMU is seriously deficient at the Receiver position-it is the weakest part of our team this year by a long shot.

[Hoop Fan]

Phillips didn't play up to his potential, but he gives SMU a heck of alot better chance to compete than any qb since Rossley. I'll reserve judgement on Eckert, but like others have said, you have to discount yards at garbage time. Phillips looked to me like he was thinking too much, instead of reacting last night. That is probably the result of being very young, in a new offense and under extreme pressure from the rush. All in all he handled it well, and turned in some good plays. A couple of his throws were excellent. Even one incomplete pass was a great throw on a fly pattern down the sideline. Our receiver got bumped off the route by a stronger db. I would have like to have seen more fakes and roll outs called, but that may not be in the offense.

[OldPony]

I think Phillips sounded a little nervous last night. He has an adequate arm and will improve. I liked that Eckert gives a change of pace but Phillips has a whole other diminsion that he doesn't. Philips should continue to start. It is nice to see a little depth at QB for a change.

[PerunaPunch]

I really would have liked to see Eckert get a second series to help determine if his drive was a fluke or not. And I question the assertion that it was "garbage time". Obviously Tech hadn't given up, and it was the same no huddle we'd been running all day. The throw into traffic was beautiful. And even if that throw wasn't well advised, Eckert still threaded it in there. I also think Eckert made better decisions on which receivers to go to.

Stallion is incorrect on one point, the bobbles by Eckert occured because the ball was snapped at his ankles. Eckert showed tremendous presence by picking up the ball in both cases and making a play out of it. For a guy who is not supposed to be very maneuverable, Eckert looked very comfortable avoiding traffic and stepping up into the pocket.

Both QBs looked much improved over spring.

[The PonyGrad]

At this point Phillips looks like the better ball control guy/starter?

Eckert looks like the guy that emphasizes passing and scoring quickly.

Granted this is with only a limited showing so far.

I thought Eckert should have gone in when we got 14 behind and if it was not for all the armchair QB alumni railing against what Bennett said last week he may have gotten in.

Situational use of our QBs may be good at this time of the season.