Smut Student Paper Article: "what's In Smu Football's Fu

NT80 · May 4, 2007

What's in SMU football's future?

By: Jordan Hofeditz, Sports Editor, jhofedit@smu.edu

Posted: 5/4/07

With the end of the year here, I'm going to leave you with what we will pick up with next year: football.

Next year will be a season to remember. The Mustangs came so close to a bowl game this year, and everyone is pointing to next year as the season in which it will all come together.

If it isn't, there could be some drastic changes to the Mustang team. But if it is the Mustangs' year, it will be without some key components.

The Mustangs' defense was crucial to a lot of SMU's success this past season. But the problem is there were a lot of seniors on that defense. Adrian Haywood, Justin Rogers, Brandon Bonds and Joe Sturdivant were leaders on the SMU defense but will not be returning next season. Also leaving will be offensive powers Bobby Chase and Reynaldo Pellerin.

And if you don't think much of their absence, Rogers was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the NFL draft and Haywood was just signed by Tennessee Titans to a free-agent contract. Chase will also get to play football next season in the Canadian Football League. Chase was signed by the Montreal Alouettes.

The team will, however, return Conference USA Freshman of the Year Justin Willis at quarterback and will have a healthy DeMyron Martin in the backfield. Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Columbus Givins proved their worth last season and will be joined by a young group of receivers including Red and Blue Game standout Zach Zimmerman.

The focus from the defensive side will be two guys with experience: Cory Muse and Reggie Carrington. Muse is the only returning starter on the defensive line who did not graduate, and Carrington started all 12 games at the linebacker position. Both will be seniors next year and will need to lead an otherwise young Mustang defense.

The schedule for the Mustangs also poses some interesting match-ups. SMU will get to open up the season at home, but under some special circumstances.

The Mustangs will be televised in their season opener against Texas Tech. But because of the schedule that game will be on Labor Day and will turn around and play North Texas on Saturday.

After the Mustangs' performance in Denton last season, the Mean Green will still be a focus of this SMU team. Even though Rice was the game that kept SMU out of a bowl berth, the Mustangs could have had it locked up going into Houston with a win against UNT.

Then comes the game people have waited over a year for as the Mustangs travel to Fort Worth for the Horned Frogs. The Mustangs will be defending the Iron Skillet, as SMU defeated TCU at Ford Stadium in 2005. And even after a year off, don't expect this rivalry to cool down at all.

Then wrapping up the non-conference schedule is Arkansas State. SMU used the Indians to kick-start the better part of the season, along with Sam Houston State to get the offense going. Expect ASU to be a little more prepared for the Mustangs next season. But don't expect that to make much of a difference. As long as SMU doesn't overlook this game, it should be a walk in the park.

As for the Conference USA schedule, well, we will get to that next year. But the thing to know is that SMU won't be a throw-away game for big-name teams anymore.

Cr1028 · May 4, 2007

Why does it seem that SMU sees TCU as a rival but TCU doesn't see SMU as one? Seems the same for SMU and us. Maybe I'm the only one but it seems like the big dog in both cases swats the smaller dog down. Guess we'll have to become a bigger dog to get them to want to be out rivals.

PlummMeanGreen · May 4, 2007

Why does it seem that SMU sees TCU as a rival but TCU doesn't see SMU as one? Seems the same for SMU and us. Maybe I'm the only one but it seems like the big dog in both cases swats the smaller dog down. Guess we'll have to become a bigger dog to get them to want to be out rivals.

Rivals seem to be like this throughout the Southwest these days especially since the SWC broke into pieces years ago. Actually, when the SWC imploded, most of its schools lost their 2 biggest rivals when the Texas Longhorns and Texas Aggies were no longer on their annual football schedules.

This was one of Frank Broyles biggest gripes in the (then) infamous "Haves/Have Nots" feature article (by Bob "Chicken Fry" Galt?) in the now defunct Dallas Times Herald. Arkansas AD Broyles (in essence) was telling the rest of the "Haves" in the SWC that there were really some deep, internal problems within the SWC family because of the "Have Nots" (and he based much of that on their poor attendance numbers when they played each other minus the (then) SWC's Big 3 football schools.

Again, AD Broyles was saying that the rest of the SWC were not towing their part of the line at the turnstiles and that article would actually become the 1'st shot heard 'round the Southwest which would translate a few years later with the SWC's eventual break-up and (subsequently) what would become the birth of the Big 12. Actually, the University of Arkansas left the SWC for the Southeast Conference not too long after that Dallas Times Herald feature article with Broyles.

The SWC & Some Golden Memories: For the many of us on this board, we remember those Fall Saturday afternoons as we had our radios tuned in listening to pioneer SWC play by play man Kern Tips as he broadcasted each week the SWC's featured game. Those were very magical, nostalgic memories for those of us who listened to those radio broadcasts (which were sponsored by the Humble Oil Refinery). Some memories for me back then was being all nicked/bruised up from playing Texas High School football the night before and then on SWC Game Day I'd either be washing my late dad's car with my Zenith transistor radio blaring out loudly listening to a K. Tips called football game or would be going on a fishing trip with my dad as we'd go to our favorite fishing spots on either Bastrop Bayou or Oyster Creek while we both listenened in on the SWC Game of the Weekend. Matter of fact, such times as those would become some of my favorite memories of my dad.

:thumbsup: Of course, some of us back then who were "renegade" fans of non-SWC/Independent UH Coog would sneak in a listen as Gene Elston did the play by play for Houston Cougar football on the Bayou City's KPRC AM radio station. :rolleyes: OK............I'll spare you all & stop this trip down memory lane while I'm ahead! :lol:

GMG!

Edited May 5, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

ADLER · May 5, 2007

SMU POLL

Please look at the poll on the SMU website linked above.

Its further proof of the fact that THE NORTH TEXAS GAME IS SMU'S SUPERBOWL.

Smitty · May 5, 2007

SMU POLL
Please look at the poll on the SMU website linked above. Its further proof of the fact that THE NORTH TEXAS GAME IS SMU'S SUPERBOWL.

WOW. Look at these current totals from that poll:

North Texas (Sept. 8) - 78.6% (4962 votes)

Texas Tech (Sept. 3) - 17.8% (1124 votes)

Rice (Nov. 10) - 1.8% (115 votes)

UTEP (Sept. 29) - .8% (52 votes)

Tulane (Oct. 20) - .5% (31 votes)

UCF (Nov. 17) - .5% (30 votes)

How they fare against Tech and then rebound a few days later against North Texas will be interesting.

emmitt01 · May 5, 2007

Expect ASU to be a little more prepared for the Mustangs next season. But don't expect that to make much of a difference. As long as SMU doesn't overlook this game, it should be a walk in the park.

Good to see the ego hasn't left them.

FirefightnRick · May 5, 2007

SMU POLL
Please look at the poll on the SMU website linked above.
Its further proof of the fact that THE NORTH TEXAS GAME IS SMU'S SUPERBOWL.

LOL!!! I love it. Last year we stuck it between a couple of ribs. This year we twiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssst it just a bit.

But hey, who are we? Just that little ol' blue collar commuter school just up the road?

Rick

UNTLifer · May 5, 2007

Then wrapping up the non-conference schedule is Arkansas State. SMU used the Indians to kick-start the better part of the season, along with Sam Houston State to get the offense going. Expect ASU to be a little more prepared for the Mustangs next season. But don't expect that to make much of a difference. As long as SMU doesn't overlook this game, it should be a walk in the park.

Agree with emmitt here. I hope ASU whips their @$$!

trud1966 · May 5, 2007

LOL!!! I love it. Last year we stuck it between a couple of ribs. This year we twiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssst it just a bit.
But hey, who are we? Just that little ol' blue collar commuter school just up the road?
Rick

Not anymore! Sorry SMUt, you aint the only program in town with a Law School anymore! WE GOTS ONE OF THEM FANCY PROGRAMS NOW, YA HEAR?