Bennett says, \"We're not as good as last year\"

[BRStang]

This comes from the new article on PonyFans by the DMN:

"We're not near as good as last year," Bennett said. "It's been our inability to stop the run. No, I'm not happy about anything...

Also...

During the losing streak, the Mustangs have been outscored, 123-40. In 2003, the 0-12 Mustangs ranked among the top defensive teams in the WAC. This season, SMU is ranked last in the 10-team conference in total defense.

Come again???

Bennett has managed to take a team that was at the bottom of the barrel when he took over and somehow make them progressively worse each year.

How does the "we're too young" argument fit in here? Are SMU's players some new breed of human that actually gets younger and less mature as time goes on?

Where is the outrage? Florida has won 4 games this year, yet fires their head coach IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON for losing 3 games; Nebraska fans are calling for Callahan's head. Incidentally, they fired Solich after a winning season last year. Why? Because the Cornhuskers expect not only to win, but to be a national champion.

OK. That said, I'm not advocating we fire Bennett today or even if we lose to Fresno. No. I'm simply saying I want to see some progress out of our team. We may not beat Fresno, but SMU fans expect to see a decent game at this point in Bennett's tenure. A blow out is UNACCEPTABLE. We also must beat those teams we should beat...SJSU, Rice, La Tech, Tulsa and Nevada.

All anyone expected out of SMU (3 years into Bennett's tenure) was to win at least 3 games. THREE frickin' games!!! Bennett has been here for 3 years. This is not a lot to ask, people!

The "youth" EXCUSE is wearing thin. Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda...Excuses, Excuses, Excuses...C'mon fellas, it's time to turn this thing around and win some ball games!!

Good Luck Mustangs! You have it in you...Just Do It!

[jtstang]

Where is the outrage?

Do you only post here and not read?

[BRStang]

I'm not talking about outrage from you or me or the handful of people screaming in this peanut gallery. Don't get me wrong, I think this site is useful, but I'm talking about outrage from the athletic department, the alumni body as a whole, and the current student population.

Maybe it exists...I could be wrong. Tell me where to look for it.

[jtstang]

I wish I could.

[ponygrad90]

Does that include him?

[PonySnob]

Don't get me wrong, I think this site is useful, but I'm talking about outrage from the athletic department, the alumni body as a whole, and the current student population.

Maybe it exists...I could be wrong. Tell me where to look for it.

Part of the problem is that most SMU alumni from the late 80's to the present don't really care about SMU football. The program was non-existant for a couple of years and his been bad ever since football came back. Most of these alumni voice their frustrations about the program by just not coming to the games.

[Diehard Pony]

Unfortunately, PonySnob is pretty much on target here. The vast majority of the group that I used to get block season tickets with up through 1986 no longer buy season tickets, and only occassionally attend a game.

In many ways you really can't blame them. There are lots of other ways to spend time and money to have fun on Saturday then watch really bad football, especially when you have seen them when they were consistently one of the nations best.

I took the approach that it might be difficult, but fun, watching us rebuild. When we beat Kansas before a full house to open Ford in 2000 I thought we might be finally on our way. Now even with improved admissions standards, facilities and a much higher coaches payroll (head and assistants) we are significantly worse than we were in 2000.

Sometimes I wonder if all my friends who used to come aren't the smart ones, and I am just unbelievably in to self punishment.

[jtstang]

I took the approach that it might be difficult, but fun, watching us rebuild.

Well, you were half right--it's been difficult. Although I have not detected any actual rebuilding yet.

[EastStang]

Well, we can hope it will get better. Those alumni who actually pay the bills (not the [deleted] ones on this board) make the hiring and firing suggestions. When they tire of Bennett and get embarrassed enough they will suggest a course correction and remarkably it will occur. Now to all these new posters on the board who want to spend other people's money, I have a suggestion, if you feel that firing Bennett is the only course needed to make SMU a winner. Mortgage your house, walk into Copeland's office with a cashiers check for $2 Million and say its yours if you fire Bennett now. Otherwise, your opinion means nothing. I'm out.

[davidsmu94]

What should we he have expected? With the change to a passing Offense, the Defense spends more time on the field and their weaknesses are exposed even more. Say what you will about how bad the offensive scheme was last year, but it ate up time from the clock. So we have a few more yards this year, has our scoring gotten much better....well ok maybe very little

[couch 'em]

and the current student population.

Right. None of us even remember a good SMU team. In fact, many, if not most, students don't even know we were ever good. Football is a big joke to them.

[Diehard Pony]

For what it is worth, I meant to add to my post that there is some significant "outrage" among alums who do and have "paid the bills" and have publically stated that they want Copeland and Bennett gone. I sit behind the glass and a group of them made that the primary thrust of their conversation during the first half of the San Jose game. They did not witness the 2nd half.

Also, one of my friends who occassionally posts and whose seats are next to mine, said a group at HP Methodist Church were discussing that as well the following Sunday. In plain terms they were "fed up".

Now the real question is where people like Gerald Ford, Lamar Hunt et al stand. They are the people that can make things happen quickly.

[Bergermeister]

It's amazing that a handful of people are so miserable over Mustang football. Quit being such a freakin' girlie man. The good ol' days are over. Maybe all your good Methodist friends at HPUMC can just organize a prayer service during home games, or maybe take in a rugby tussle at Jesuit. That would be uplifting and you wouldn't have to be around bad ol' coach bennett. Better yet, become a Baptist and be a regular at Floyd Casey Stadium... that oughta improve your bottomed-out self-esteem.

[ponyte]

Yes the defense has problems. And statistically our defense looks better last year as compared to this year. That is because last years offense turned the ball over on our own 20 yard line and the defense only gave up 20 years per TD drive. I can't imagine a worse offense than last years (except Caven's last year when our defense was not on the field to stop our offense from scoring for the opponent). SMU has had absolutely pathetic offenses for years. Burns, nor Switzer or Spurier nor anyone can turn our offense around in a year. It takes time to develop lineman and skilled positions. There is a reason they are referred to as "skilled" positions and it isn't because those skills are just gifts from on high (except in rare cases and I doubt we can recruit those case just now).

Yes, fire the coach that took over one of the worst programs in the country with the worse administration support in the country and see how well we do next year. Maybe, instead of hiring a full time coach, we can just have guest coaches for the week. Then we can spread the blame around and argue which guest coach was the worse.

[Diehard Pony]

It's amazing that a handful of people are so miserable over Mustang football.

Berger, it's not a handfull of people that are unhappy with the state of SMU football. The mass of empty seats every week, and Mustang Club membership that is a fraction of what it was speaks volumes about the number of people who no longer care. I am not one of them. I still spend about $5K a year on Mustang Club dues and season tickets to football and basketball, and I attend and stay at every game. I believe I have a right to post my discontent, and the discontent of others.