DRC FB Ryan grad coming home (SMU QB)

[OldTimer]

Football: Coming home

Ryan graduate Justin Willis set to lead Mustangs against UNT at Fouts Field

12:50 AM CDT on Saturday, September 9, 2006

By Chuck Cox / Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK — Even though his second career start will be a road game, just like his first one was last weekend at Texas Tech, SMU quarterback Justin Willis is coming home tonight.

Willis, who was 26-4 as a starter for Ryan for two seasons at the prep level, will lead the Mustangs into Fouts Field to take on the University of North Texas. The Ponies and the Mean Green are meeting for the first time since 1992.

The Dallas Morning News

SMU quarterback Justin Willis throws a pass during an afternoon practice on Aug. 17 at the Mustangs' practice field in Dallas.

“I’m going to be pumped,” Willis said. “I get to go back to Denton and show what Denton Ryan football is all about and represent Denton Ryan and my family, too. My family is going to be there, coach [Ryan head coach Joey Florence] is going to be there, so it’s a great way to show them what I’ve been doing and what I’ve learned.”

After earning the starting job with a strong spring during his redshirt season last year, Willis drew a tough assignment for his first start, going into Lubbock to take on the No. 25 Red Raiders. The result was a 35-3 SMU loss in which Willis was 9-of-16 passing for 69 yards and also led the Mustangs in rushing with 12 carries for 39 yards. Willis did not throw an interception but he did have a fumble in the red zone.

“He’s got presence,” SMU head coach Phil Bennett said of Willis. “I think he had presence last week at Tech — he wasn’t intimidated, he just made bad decisions. He didn’t give himself a chance, he ran early, he said, ‘Hey, I can do this,’ and didn’t stay in the pocket. I expect a different quarterback this week. I told him that was his pass, and there won’t be any more.”

Willis looks at his first start as a valuable learning experience — one he plans to take serious advantage of tonight to turn his Denton homecoming into his first career victory.

“It was real useful because I think you learn the most between your first and second game,” Willis said. “I learned a lot looking back at film. It showed what I did right and what I did wrong, so I can learn from it. The talent’s there most definitely on offense — we just have to come out and play this week.”

Willis’ experience at Ryan should provide him with the mettle to play in big-time atmospheres. His junior season, Willis led the Raiders to a 14-2 record and very nearly a third straight state championship. Ryan lost to La Marque, 43-35, in triple overtime, in the 4A Division II title game at the Alamodome. He then guided Ryan to a 12-2 record on the Class 5A level his senior year, losing only to eventual state champion Southlake Carroll twice. Willis played at Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, six times in his high school career.

“He’s been in atmosphere like that,” Bennett said of Willis at the Tech game. “I’ll be quite honest with you, as I told him, I expect more. He’s been in it, he’s good enough to get it done, and he’s got to get himself prepared to get it done.”

One person who will be standing on the opposite sideline tonight knows exactly what it’s like to be in Willis’ shoes. Eighth-year UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan played quarterback for the Mustangs from 1992-97, missing most of the 1995 season with an injury. He is still SMU’s all-time total offense leader with 7,437 yards and is fourth in school history in passing yards, completions and attempts.

“The neat thing about a big media market is it’s good because you are exposed to a lot of things and people,” Flanigan said. “It’s also good because you are playing in a large market with one of the premier sports franchises in the world. You can get a lot of exposure when you do well and the microscope is not as big when you don't do as well. You will never be the No. 1 quarterback in town. Whoever the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is will always be the No. 1 quarterback.”

Willis also got to learn from some of the best college quarterbacks ever when he attended the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., in July, soaking up the knowledge of Archie, Eli and Peyton.

“My brother knew somebody at his high school, one of his coaches and had been doing it for a while and let me in on it,” Willis said. “They invited me to go to camp. I went down there and it was a great experience to learn from some of the best. I got to hear what they do and how they think, and I think it really helped me.”

And now the stars seem to be aligned for Willis to try to challenge Flanigan for some of those school records.

“It’s kind of a special deal,” Willis said. “I think it’s [playing UNT in Denton] really a sign. We’ve got to come out and play hard offensively. I think we can move the ball. … I’m ready to play now because I know what I did wrong, and I know I can go out and show them that I’ve improved since then.”

Staff writer Brett Vito contributed to this report.

CHUCK COX can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is ccox@dentonrc.com.