tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46165223173376390262024-02-18T23:03:48.502-06:00Tap the BoulevardTy Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-27207698730477215332010-09-10T21:46:00.003-05:002010-09-10T21:49:48.133-05:00Home Opener EveA short note on the eve of the Ponies' home opener against UAB. I'm currently watching UTEP-UH. Is it somehow possible for them both to lose? <br /><br />Ty and I will be on the Boulevard tomorrow at our spot in front of Cockrell-McIntosh. Hope it's a good turnout and that plenty of SMU faithful are there.<br /><br />Cheers.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-25745729525168696032010-09-08T15:07:00.003-05:002010-09-08T15:18:56.367-05:00Drink, Watch, ListenDrink This: <a href="http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/102/">Sam Adams Octoberfest</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL3_bR2dfbJ8Z_zJ13O2cKwPxB_M5J1JM67KjXH_P_9QhtEt1YlnlECGyLIBVtPNOTgAOsbEt45xeF45yH4l-GOVtXMYzpQtK1FhLCEe2As6KrnVjhXgNTvEs6ODY3rA_NH_eAmTwruf_/s1600/Sam+Adams+Oct.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL3_bR2dfbJ8Z_zJ13O2cKwPxB_M5J1JM67KjXH_P_9QhtEt1YlnlECGyLIBVtPNOTgAOsbEt45xeF45yH4l-GOVtXMYzpQtK1FhLCEe2As6KrnVjhXgNTvEs6ODY3rA_NH_eAmTwruf_/s200/Sam+Adams+Oct.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514637822802521042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Watch This: <a href="http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090710aaa.html">SMU: The Climb</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Listen to This: <a href="http://vimeo.com/14620338"> Run This Town(SMU remix) - J-Makk</a>Ty Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-71778044078340241212010-09-08T14:01:00.003-05:002010-09-08T15:07:09.320-05:00Tap the Boulevard: now with more bloggingA lot to catch up on since this thing went dormant last year. Let's do this Quickly (That's What She Said).<br /><br />The ponies went to and won their first Bowl game in 25 years on Christmas Eve in Hawaii and pony fans everywhere rejoiced with excess eggnog, <a href="http:////www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocOYBrQfJb4">Tiny Bubbles</a> , and cries to their wives that if they just believed hard enough anything is possible. Yes Virginia, last year there was a Santa Claus and he was wearing red.<br /><br />Last Year's Big Factors<br /><br />Margus Hunt: SMU discovered the hidden talents of the Eastern Bloc. The 6'8 discus wielding Estonian decided he didn't like field goals very much and need to block them all. The Wolfman probably accounted for the most momentum shifts for the ponies last year.<br /><br />Kyle Padron: After being a revolving door of QBs since the great Ramon Flanigan left the program in the late 90's, the Ponies may have finally found a program quarterback. A true Freshman last year, Padron has the ability to think on his feet, make plays, and learn from his mistakes. He's young, and he is only going to get better.<br /><br />Special Teams: Yes the reporters love to talk about the previously mentioned Estonian Terminator, though he reminds me more of Ivan Drago from Rockey IV "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygQvB6OjHOU">I must block you</a>", more credit needs to go to Coach Mcknight and his entire squad of Special Teams. Yes, Hunt was the highlight but the entire Special Teams deserves credit. The ponies won a lot of close games last year because of fantastic game changing plays made by this squad.<br /><br />Looking Forward:<br /><br />Expectations have never been higher in my lifetime for an SMU Football season with the exception of the return of football to campus in 1989. We are witnessing the rebirth of a program. The 2009 season was a big step, but by no means was it the final step. There will be stumbles, there will be disappointment, but this 2010 team looks tougher and more talented than ever before. We have a young quarterback in Padron who is a student of the game, a D Line that likes to hit people, a squadron of young fast receivers, and for once the expectation to win with the goal of winning a championship.<br /><br />Go PoniesTy Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-41335259586005696932009-11-30T01:02:00.003-06:002009-11-30T01:10:27.957-06:00Article 19 and the Remaking of SMU FootballI haven't posted all season due in large part to the demands of grad school and life in general. But in light of SMU successfully completing a 7-5 season, the most wins in a season since 1984, sealed by the emotional win against Tulane on Saturday, I thought I would write a quick post. In addition to the win yesterday and the season as a whole, SMU grad and Austin filmmaker Thad Matula has completed a teaser trailer for his documentary on the life, death, and rebirth of SMU Football entitled "Article 19" (a reference to the portion of NCAA rules dealing with the so-called Death Penalty). I watched the trailer today and was quite impressed by it. Thad is still filming (I saw his camera operators at tailgate on Saturday and at the Senior Walk on the field after the game) and will likely head to Hawaii to cover the Mustangs at the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. What he has done so far is very intriguing: interviews with Forrest Gregg, Dale Hansen, Lance McIlhenny, Reggie Dupard and June Jones. The footage he has is excellent. I'm looking forward to watching the final product. <br /><br />Teaser Trailer:<br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7715279&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7715279&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p>Untitled from <a href="http://vimeo.com/dlpentertainment">DLP Entertainment</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-32603677645315612322009-10-02T11:06:00.007-05:002010-08-04T16:45:24.945-05:00Frog WeekIt's frog week for the ponies and we all know what that means, the traditional frog smack that TCU is too good to play the ponies nowadays. That's like a fat girl getting a make over and then acting like shes to cool to hang out with her smarter, wealthier, prettier next door neighbor that's been sick for 2 weeks (decades) because she has lipstick on...she's still fat. Speaking of...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4g528iSQsgXsprne4vm_6bCN4xN08IJ93ijuEDMSfV25TN6YiHKxIr0MMKRwRaMJayfnJnb9NhcgIpWKzVSrAgJbQfWiK4M8xvjAaVqXyPhZOjYiSycrwra2SazIxg4PW7TPn1uN3fou/s1600-h/Gary+Patterson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4g528iSQsgXsprne4vm_6bCN4xN08IJ93ijuEDMSfV25TN6YiHKxIr0MMKRwRaMJayfnJnb9NhcgIpWKzVSrAgJbQfWiK4M8xvjAaVqXyPhZOjYiSycrwra2SazIxg4PW7TPn1uN3fou/s320/Gary+Patterson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388043257479152626" border="0" /></a>TCU does have Patterson and his one size too small mock turtleneck sitting on the sideline. But hey, at least the guy can rock out some Hall and Oats.<br /><br />I will be the first to admit, yes TCU has made huge strides in football over the past few years, and I congratulate them. In fact I think it's great... bring down the BCS, the other little guy in town fighting for press space over the Evil Longhorn Empire, etc....<br />But come on froggies don't get to cocky or the ponies will have to give you another dose of humility much like in 2005. This is a Rivalry game, one of the few our two schools have, it's tradition, and it's fun. It's fun to have a cross town rival, hijinks occur, smack talk, and it's usually a pretty good game. So you frogs might have had a few winning seasons under patterson's large belt but June and his boys are gaining some ground and the next few years are going to be good.<br /><br />I'll let my more educated associate Irving disect the frogs (pun!) and breakdown what this game will look like Saturday night. However, I'll give you my top reasons why TCU sucks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJofDrWxk_ldGxOzToMEGO5SIPUbbiiuQakCIaRACOSS59Ak_FkCVS6cXtnxCXlKIrcCs4FWAkKZlqqOc0Jqw7p_weeZR1rqon5Ja8ZNJNRctIiyv0LLW-lpaPxfqcI1mZqv0pnYpgcKry/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJofDrWxk_ldGxOzToMEGO5SIPUbbiiuQakCIaRACOSS59Ak_FkCVS6cXtnxCXlKIrcCs4FWAkKZlqqOc0Jqw7p_weeZR1rqon5Ja8ZNJNRctIiyv0LLW-lpaPxfqcI1mZqv0pnYpgcKry/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388054660949210546" border="0" /></a><br />5. Purple: Who thought this was a good idea? Look how angry this guy is because he has to wear it week in and week out. Give me the Red & Blue anyday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0p1lBK_aA1qXuTCsCuBcyfuqb5u7iUwVVf8-x5THqP_faUNvb_EKBRM1aSzC9adcz4W4_M6lx8C7d-ViGykSCDJG9to5GOL4E-ow9Cx5znhWJNIb8MOc9t-pn9ojmOhhiNGqWk-VGUE8/s1600-h/tcu-cat-300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0p1lBK_aA1qXuTCsCuBcyfuqb5u7iUwVVf8-x5THqP_faUNvb_EKBRM1aSzC9adcz4W4_M6lx8C7d-ViGykSCDJG9to5GOL4E-ow9Cx5znhWJNIb8MOc9t-pn9ojmOhhiNGqWk-VGUE8/s200/tcu-cat-300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388055530522991874" border="0" /></a>4. Super Frog: What the hell is this? Is it a cat? Did Lisa simpson breed with an alien? No it's super frog the delightfully cuddly mascot of TCU...Peruna may be a mini horse but he's a bad ass.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC162mV11SHyIOwCnB-sV0VZTGJvW1EDfShbNOCrCxIDf7HA4dcQqu1Ou6qSW0nhx1zKtUzVo6nkfpkdJjsEA3Au8rPFe-qvvFfJOd8xMI_YEWiBEM12K1FPD_6_yKlOoY5DEUxmuPQ3rO/s1600-h/tcu+campus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC162mV11SHyIOwCnB-sV0VZTGJvW1EDfShbNOCrCxIDf7HA4dcQqu1Ou6qSW0nhx1zKtUzVo6nkfpkdJjsEA3Au8rPFe-qvvFfJOd8xMI_YEWiBEM12K1FPD_6_yKlOoY5DEUxmuPQ3rO/s200/tcu+campus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388059156652560274" border="0" /></a>3. The Campus: pretty....the guy who decided to use yellow brick with a red roof must have been on the same committee that selected purple as the school color and an alien cat as the mascot. Sweet tall, horn thing, cone fountain too. You know I briefly cosidered going to TCU until I vistited the campus, realized frat house shared dorms together, there was a major street dividing campus, and the buildings looked like well like that...advantage Hilltop...<br /><br />I was going to keep going but I got too bored looking up TCU stuff..... TCU Sucks...<br /><br />Go PoniesTy Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-75828991796297201062009-09-01T09:43:00.004-05:002009-09-01T09:54:18.442-05:00It's the most wonderful time of the yearIn honor of the college football season starting and seeing the first oktoberfest beer of the year in the store yesterday and me remembering my password for this blog I will celebrate in song.<br /><br />It's the most wonderful time of the year<br />when the footballs are flying<br />and everyone's lying that this is the year!<br />It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br /><br />It's the hap happiest season of all<br />with the rivalry meetings<br />oktoberfests for drinking<br />it's finally the fall!<br />It's the hap happiest season of all<br /><br />They'll be tailgates for hosting<br />and wins that we're boasting<br />and losses that make us feel low<br />they'll be underdog stories<br />and tales of the glories of<br />Conference Championships long long ago<br /><br />It's the most wonderful time of the year<br />The ponies will be winning<br />and we'll all be grinning<br />cause the horned frogs are Queer<br />It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!<br /><br />Happy football season everybody!!! So go grab a paulner munich and get ready for saturday.<br /><br />Go PoniesTy Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-21249986305433634892009-04-28T10:04:00.003-05:002009-04-28T10:27:56.136-05:00RIP Coach GanszFrank Gansz, SMU Special Teams Coach, passed away yesterday at Presbyterian Hospital here in Dallas after experiencing complications from knee replacement surgery. Gansz was a salient figure in both college football and the NFL where his knowledge of football in general and special teams play in particular put him high in the esteem of many.<br /><br />"He was the finest football coach I ever worked with," [Dick] Vermeil said Monday. "The quality of the human being matched his coaching skills. ... His vibrancy will live forever in the people that he touched." <br /><br />Junes Jones coaxed Coach Gansz out of retirement in 2008 to help reshape SMU's football program. <br /><br />Coach Gansz's family was with him when he died. He was 70 years old. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/topstories/stories/042809dnspoganszobit.3df272b.html">Dallas Morning News Story on Coach Gansz</a>Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-12592854670590699482009-04-26T20:54:00.001-05:002009-04-26T20:55:44.151-05:00Thomas Morstead Drafted by the SaintsFrom ponyfans.com:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/med-VZoOy7g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/med-VZoOy7g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-31257664154087182762009-03-15T22:14:00.006-05:002009-03-15T22:53:54.496-05:002009 Baseball Season OutlookWell its mid-March and it has been about a month since pitchers and catchers reported to spring training sites in Florida and Arizona. The upcoming season has been somewhat in the back of my mind lately and I think this is due to the fact that there is not much to look forward to, as an Astros fan, in the 2009 season. The release of Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA standings projections and Sean Smith's similar CHONE projections seems to bear me out in my lack of enthusiasm for this season.<br /><br />Please do not mistake: I remain an avid baseball fan. There are few better feelings than coming home from work at the end of a long day and knowing that the odds are good that I can turn the TV on and find a game on somewhere (even if it is the Cubs, Yankees, or Red Sox). I remain a fanatic Astros devotee. I came of age in the early to mid 90s after the Astros had traded away the foundations of their 80s success. Glen Davis, Alan Ashby, Bill Doran, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Jim Deshaies, Terry Puhl, Kevin Bass, Billy Hatcher, Gerald Young, the list goes on. By the atrocious 1991 season (when the Stros went 65-97 and averaged under 15,000 in attendance per game in the cavernous Astrodome) most of these players were either gone or on their way out the door. I went to games and followed the team on my Astros Buddy pocket radio every night as I fell asleep. My faithful fandom remained intact. <br /><br />This upcoming season does not bode well though. The team has made no serious personnel changes aside from shedding Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, and Ty Wigginton and everyone else is a year older. Ausmus needed to go as he was past his prime as a defensive catcher and was an out and out liability at the plate, but Loretta and Wigginton had productive bats that will be missed. <br /><br />The aging of Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, and Miguel Tejada along with no significant replacements for Loretta or Wigginton (Geoff Blum will likely start at 3rd in what will probably turn into a platoon situation) and the fact that the Astros have, outside of Roy Oswalt, no starting rotation to speak of compute into a PECOTA record projection for 2009 of 67-95; second to last in the NL Central. The CHONE projections are hardly better: a record of 72-90, good for last in the NL Central and tied for worst in the MLB. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8528">2009 PECOTA projections</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.baseballprojection.com/2009standings.htm">2009 CHONE projections</a><br /><br />By the most respectable SABRE-metric projections, the Astros look as though they will be the worst or close to team in all of Major League Baseball for 2009. Fans, I know, are supposed to say things like "well they play the games for a reason", but PECOTA and CHONE have both proven to be accurate predictors of a team's success in a given year and so my attitude for this season is glum. <br /><br />I will do a full season preview closer to Opening Day. Until then I will be conjuring up beer posts and perhaps at some point an analysis of SMU's 2009 season schedule. Oh, if you want a Rangers preview, talk to Ty.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-35665297076430923742009-02-25T10:35:00.005-06:002009-02-25T10:43:47.095-06:00Back When Things Went Our WayHard to believe that there was a time when SMU caught breaks in a game, but there is video proof of it.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mE1yIiQumek&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mE1yIiQumek&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I was only 2 when that game was taking place, so unfortunately my only memories of SMU football prior to being a student are from the '90s on Fox Sports Southwest (and it's precursors Prime Sports and HSN) when SMU played brutal schedules and occasionally succeeded in scoring a few upsets under Tom Rossley. <br /><br />You know the last two season have been rough when you look back on the '90s as halcyon days.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-90143820911776403922009-02-20T14:50:00.010-06:002009-02-23T09:50:33.582-06:00New Class, New Faces, New Positions...A Look at the New ClassOn the first Wednesday of February, June Jones signed his second class of recruits to Letters of Intent to play football at SMU. The reviews of the class, the first one where Jones had an entire year to recruit, are generally positive with some writers going so far as to say this is the best class that SMU has signed in 20 years. Another reviewer said that this class is a severe disappointment because it was light on linebackers and defensive linemen and too heavy on defensive backs and 'project' offensive linemen. <br /><br />Generally speaking, I think this is a solid class. It is comparable to Phil Bennett's best class in 2003. But I think what makes most individuals feel warm and fuzzy about this particular class is that June Jones--quite unlike Phil Bennett--has a proven ability to get the most out of a player's level of talent. A few players are steals: Joey Fontana, Darius Johnson, and Chris Atchison are all three considered excellent recruits that will fit well into the Run N' Shoot offense. June Jones also mentioned at his Signing Day Press Conference that Johnson--nickname, The Truth!--may also return punts. I also personally have high expectations for safety James Scott out of Houston Strake Jesuit (my high school's archrival!). <br /><br />Here is my breakdown of the class:<br /><br />Chris Atchison, Joey Fontana, Darius Johnson, Mike Loftus, James Scott, Ryan Clark, and Marquis Frazier are all players that enter SMU with high expectations. Frazier and Clark were JUCO teammates at Navarro College and both should start this fall. Frazier has been enrolled on the Hilltop since January and Clark--a Rivals 4 star recruit--will enroll this summer most likely. Frazier and his huge 6-4, 260 lb frame should be at either DT or DE for the season opener depending on the results of spring practice and how Tom Mason and company decide to re-align the defense (rumor is that the Mustangs will be switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 but nothing has been confirmed yet). Clark will compete for time at safety right away and could supplant Rock Dennis. <br /><br />With James Scott, I would not be surprised to see him red shirt but nor would I be surprised to see him get spot time, especially in nickel situations. He has great hands and size, and good enough speed to have played QB for Jesuit in 2008. June Jones has often said that he believes in putting the best talent on the field right away and if Scott proves himself in August practice, he could forego a red shirt year altogether. But because of the depth already extant in the secondary, he could just as easily take a red shirt and spend a year getting adjusted to college.<br /><br />Atchison and Fontana are premiere offensive lineman. Atchison is a guard and Fontana can play anywhere on the line. Both have the skills to play right away, though Atchison could use some bulking up during the summer. Though the Mustangs offensive line played better than could have been expected in 2008, either Atchison or Fontana could challenge for playing time very soon particularly in running situations, the blocking for which was lamentably poor last year (which is part of the reason that the running game only netted 490 yards).<br /><br />Mike Loftus is the heir apparent to the great Thomas Morstead. Loftus was graded in the top 10 of high school kickers in 2008 by ESPN and Scout and in the top 20 by Rivals. Loftus, however, will not be thrust into a starting role just yet. Kickoffs for next year will still likely be handled by Kellis Cunningham (who may also get time at safety in spring practice according to Jones...anyone who saw him level Memphis's kick returner last year knows why) and placekicking/punting duties will be handled by Matt Szymanski, who sat out 2008 after transferring to SMU from Texas A&M. In all likelihood, Loftus will red shirt and not even see the field in 2009. So Mustang fans should take heart that we will continue to be set at kicker "for 4-5 years" in the words of June Jones. <br /><br />Finally, Darius "the Truth" Johnson out of Fort Bend Hightower should make it onto the field very quickly. Based on statements by Jones about Johnson's ability and talent, I would be extremely surprised not to see him starting in 2009 alongside Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson. At 5-10, he has decent height, but will need to pack some more muscle onto his 160 lb frame in order to stand up to the more physical secondaries he will face in the NCAA. Johnson, with his great hands, blazing speed (he ran a 4.4 40), and excellent body control (see the one handed end zone grab he made in the state playoffs in 2008) will make a great target for Bo Levi Mitchell right away. He'll face a steep learning curve as the Run N' Shoot will be more complicated than any offense he has ever contemplated being a part of, but expect him to be a star for the Mustangs. <br /><br />How does the rest of the class shape up? It is very light on defensive linemen and linebackers. Brandon Henderson and Braylon Williams are the only two high school lineman to have been signed and I would not be surprised to see either one of them gray shirt or red shirt. The Mustangs have little depth on defense, especially with the recent release of Anthony Sowe and the graduation of Serge Elizee and Patrick Handy. Moreover, Adrian Dizer had a terrible neck injury during the 2008 season and it is unknown if he will be able to return to football at all. Taylor Thompson has reportedly bulked up to 260 in the weight room since the end of the season and Evan Huahulu could see quite a bit of playing time at DT/NT. As mentioned previously, JUCO transfer Marquis Frazier will very likely start while Mickey Dollens will see more time as will Chris Parham. 2008 walk on (and Army veteran) Jesse Andrew could get on the field as well. <br /><br />Margus Hunt, even with his 6-7, 280 lb frame and plaudits from Junes Jones (and JJ has been very free flowing with his praise), still has never put on pads or played a down of football in his life and so cannot be considered anything more than a project for the future at this point (he will have 4 years of eligibility). Justin Smart could move back to DE from outside linebacker, but this move is a wash as Youri Yenga is likely to move from DE to LB. So even with all of the unknowns surrounding the defensive line, I still expect both Williams and Henderson to sit out next year to develop physically and for Tom Mason's defense to rely on a strong, fast secondary for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />Jones and his staff have, however, earmarked the defense as the area to focus on for 2010. This very day, SMU received its first commitment for the next recruiting cycle in the form of DT Michael O'Guin. O'Guin is already being called one of the best recruits that SMU has picked up in 20 years. It is early yet and players have been known to switch commitments, but this is a great start. <br /><br />Other notable signees are Kyle Padron out of Southlake Carroll who provides much needed depth at QB, Beck Coulter, Deonte McDade, Chayse Joubert, Aron Franklin, Ben Hughes, and Jordan Favreau . <br /><br />With Bo Levi Mitchell expected to start again, New Mexico State transfer J.J. McDermott sitting out 2009 per NCAA rules, Logan Turner and 2008 red shirt Winston Gamso transferring to other schools, only Braden Smith (who kept his red shirt intact throughout 2008) will be immediately available to back up. It will be interesting to see if Justin Willis is even listed on the depth chart as a QB after spring practice, but my feeling is that he will not be. I think June sees Willis solely as a receiver now and I cannot imagine Willis throwing the ball again outside of some sort of trick play. Additionally, with the emergence from the shadows of Michael Morse (who came in and got a couple of snaps in relief of Turner against Memphis last season) Padron will likely be red shirted, but I can see Jones not hesitating to burn the red shirt if the other QBs on the depth chart do not deliver. <br /><br />McDade, Joubert, and Franklin are all receivers with excellent speed and athletic ability. Expect McDade to see the field in 2009 but Joubert and Franklin red shirting. With a decent amount of depth at WR between Sanders, Robinson, Bryant, Wilkerson, Medford (if he's fully recovered from his shoulder injury), E.J. Drewery (who did not lose his red shirt last year), and others there will not be a need to rush either one onto the field as was done with the Coles Loftin and Beasely. <br /><br />Ben Hughes was listed by some writers as a potential heir at center to Mitch Enright, though I think it more likely that either Blake McJunkin--who performed admirably well as a slightly undersized true freshmen during the middle of the season--or Joey Fontana will eventually take over at center for Mitch Enright. Enright only played in 3 games due to a hand injury and so still has eligibility as he now pursues his MBA. It is rumored that Hughes has agreed to gray shirt along with Christian Miller, so the Ponies may not get their first glimpse of him until spring practice in 2010. Favreau is another lineman who has gained praise for his technique, if not his size. At 6-3 and 245, he has the height but not the weight he needs before he can effectively play guard at the NCAA level. <br /><br />Beck Coulter is one of the most intriguing signees of the entire class. A late add to the commit list, Coulter hails from Pago Pago in American Samoa and was targeted early by recruiting extradonaire Jeff Reinebold. Coulter has decent size and great speed at linebacker (a place the Mustangs need immense help), but I have my doubts that he will be academically eligible to play. Coulter was forced to sit out his senior season in high school due to grades and if he has not found the ability to balance his time between football and class, it is unlikely that he will ever see the field as a Mustang. If he does, he will be a huge help to a linebacking corps that has struggled for two years and could, along with Evan Huahulu and new signee K.J. Vaifale, be the start of a great recruiting pipeline within the Samoan, Tongan, Polynesian communities. <br /><br />Rounding out this recruiting class are LB's Byron Brown and Taylor Reed, OL's Christian Miller and Bryan Collins, DB's Kievon Gamble, JR McConico, Sterling Moore, K.J. Vaifale, and ATH's Ja'Gared Davis and Chris Frazier. Less is known about this group. Christian Miller is huge, 6-5 285, but apparently very raw and will need time to develop his technique. Byron Brown and Taylor Reed are the sort of quick, hard hitting LB's that June Jones, and by extension Tom Mason, have said they prefer, but what sort of impact either will have is difficult to predict. Any of this group could end up being a star as we have seen in the past and what positions each plays will slowly be sorted out in August practice. But until then, they are all wild cards with something to prove. <br /><br />There will be a just as long post about positions and possible depth charts when spring practice starts in late March. More posts about subjects other than football will be coming in the next few days. Thanks for reading guys, don't forget to check back for updates.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-43532975621643432512009-02-19T23:11:00.001-06:002009-02-19T23:13:10.214-06:00New Post Coming SoonI intend to write very soon about the Mustangs new class of football recruits. Until then, this will have to suffice:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tk5fyBfUAhs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tk5fyBfUAhs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-5180079068609704622009-02-12T21:24:00.011-06:002009-02-13T00:21:19.347-06:00It's Been AwhileHello there to the dedicated hangers on and those who have randomly found this blog (possibly while looking for porn) and have decided to keep reading out of boredom. <br /><br />It was a busy several months between Halloween and, well, now. But I, Irwin Fletcher am back to talk beer, SMU, football, and whatever the hell else is on my mind. Let's get to it, shall we?<br /><br />The 2008 football season did not end up quite how we in Mustang Nation had hoped. When June Jones became head coach on January 5, 2008, I think most observers expected or prayed for at least a 3-4 win season. If you go back to my season preview--which shouldn't take too long to find since we haven't written very many entries--you will see that I predicted, rather extravagantly a 5 win season. So what happened to cause another 1-11 season? <br /><br />For starters, the defense simply could not stop the other team. It seems overly glib to say it like that, but the problem truly was as basic as that. Many fans called for the head of Defensive Coordinator Tom Mason, but one must consider that Mason, Tim Hundley, and Bert Hill just did not have much to work with. With the exception of Serge Elizee, who drew double teams from o-linemen all season, the other spots on the defensive line were a revolving door of players; some too small, some too slow, some not big enough to challenge his opposite number. Adrian Dizer and Anthony Sowe could not provide a fast pass rush from the end positions and neither held onto their starter slots either as Dizer was injured and Sowe was ineffective (and is now no longer with the team, more on that in a minute). <br /><br />Youri Yenga, who continues to be the single most effective pass rusher than the Mustangs possess, quickly found a full time role at both end positions while true freshmen Taylor Thompson got lots of valuable playing time as well. Patrick Handy shared time with Mickey Dollens and others alongside Elizee at tackle. The result of this constantly changing cast? An inconsistent pass rush and an opposing quarterback with lots of time to make a pass. <br /><br />The linebackers, with the exception of the reliable senior Will Bonilla, were a non entity. Unable to stop the rush and ineffective in nickel coverage, the linebacking corps had an undistinguished year. <br /><br />Only the secondary, anchored by Derrius Bell and Bryan McCann at the corners with Rock Dennis and true freshman Chris Banjo at the safety positions, was oustanding as a unit. All four will be returning in 2009, though Bell is suspended per Conference USA rules for the first half of the first game next year for getting in a fight during the season finale against Southern Miss. Bell, McCann, Dennis, and Banjo will provide in 2009 the core of a powerful secondary which will include recent juco signee (and 4 star Rivals recruit) Ryan Clark and other promising prospects like Houston Strake Jesuit's James Scott. Derrick Odum has quite the stable of young players to form the Ponies' secondary into a force over the next couple of seasons. <br /><br />What it all comes down to is the defense could not stop opponents in third down situations, could not pressure the quarterback, and could not read the run. The futility of this defense was best demonstrated against Houston when the Mustangs, with less than 90 seconds left and the Cougars with no timeouts, could not prevent Houston's offense from marching 60 yards down the field and scoring the game winning touchdown. If SMU is to return to bowl eligibility, that will have to change. <br /><br />The offense, which had embarassing sputters at the beginning of the season, seemed to finally coalesce around Bo Levi Mitchell, Emmanuel Sanders, and Aldrick Robinson in the second half (the Navy game aside...I mean come on, that weather was ridiculous). <br /><br />Lacking among the names I mentioned above was a running back. The Mustangs had an absolutely pathetic ground game in 2008 with only 490 yards gained on the entire season! Senior DeMyron Martin never found the magic that he had as a redshirt sophomore while B.J. Lee and Chris Butler struggled through injuries. Bryce Lunday showed streaks of greatness and he will be relied on next season along with Chris Butler if Miami transfer Shawnbrey McNeal does not receive his NCAA waiver to play in '09 and since B.J. Lee will likely become a full time kick returner (replacing the redoubtable Jessie Henderson, the all time NCAA leader in kickoff return yardage, who is graduating). <br /><br />Bo Levi Mitchell showed fantastic growth in the second half the 2008 season. Starting in the Tulane game, fans could sense an attitude change in him. Bo Levi became crisper in his decisions, learned to scramble when no receivers were open (though not to stiff arm), and did not force passes. Injuring his throwing shoulder against Memphis effectively ended his season with two games left. It seems that June Jones and Mustang Nation both expect Bo Levi to benefit greatly with a year of the Run N Shoot under his belt and with most of his receiving corps still intact from 2008 and he should. There has never been any doubt of Bo Levi's arm, rather the question has been about his head: can he fully grasp June Jones's complex offense with it's multiple reads in a two step drop? June has a reputation as an excellent talent evaluator and if he believes that Bo has the ability to succeed in this offense, then I trust that judgment. <br /><br />Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson return for their senior and junior years respectively to be the focal point of June Jone's offensive attack. Both had career years in their first season in the Run N Shoot and with even more targets for Bo Levi Mitchell to be throwing to in 2009, the receiving corps is looking primed for another record setting campagin. <br /><br />One of the surprises of the Mustangs 2008 season was the offensive line. Cobbled together by coach Dennis McKnight from a returning center (Mitch Enright) and Guard (Sean Lobo), combined with freshmen at guard and tackle (Beachum and Tennyson) and a converted tight end (Vincent Chase) at right tackle, the situation looked ripe for disaster. As events turned out, the line turned into one of the more consistently good units for the Mustangs. Enright was injured and replaced by true freshman Blake McJunkin who performed as well as could be expected in his situation and red shirt freshman Josh LeRibeus proved that he belongs as a starter. Beachum and Tennyson performed admirably and senior Tommy Poynter was a jack of all trades, filling in all over the line wherever needed. With the accumulation of talent and prospects, a pool of greyshirts will be built up that will join LeRibeus, Beachum, Tennyson, and promising recent signees Joey Fontana and Chris Atchison in a couple of years to form a powerful front line for Bo Levi Mitchell and the running backs. <br /><br />So what does the future hold? Yesterday, 9 football players found out that that future did not include them. The players--CB De'Von Bailey, LB Taylor Bon, RB Ben Goldthorpe, LB Julian Herron, DE Jordan Johnson, CB Deyon McElroy, LB Alex Odiari, OL Andrew Robiskie, and previously mentioned DE Anthony Sowe--were all informed that their scholarships were not being renewed for 2009 due to academic and disciplinary reasons. Anyone who doubts that June Jones does not want to clear out anyone who he sees as not being a positive impact on this program should reread that list of players. Bailey and McElroy were highly prized recruits out of high school as was LB Herron. Alex Odiari was a high profile transfer from Oklahoma State--symbolizing the type of player that SMU was open to enrolling for the first time since the Death Penalty--and who was expected to provide a physical presence at linebacker. But Odiari never found his footing with the defensive coaches and saw very limited time in 2008. <br /><br />There has been much said since the end of last season about the culture within the football program. In a widely circulated quote, June Jones remarked that he had never seen a weight room as empty during off hours as that in Ford Stadium. This statement openly questioned the commitment of some upperclassmen who it has been felt have become accustomed to and even okay with losing. Around the same time, another widely publicized quote by Bo Levi Mitchell indicated the he, as the team's starting quarterback, was not ok with the contented attitude of some upperclassmen. Such comments, and the subsequent actions by Coach Jones mentioned above, belie a new sentiment for SMU football. Mitchell was the starting quarterback for the 4A State Champion Katy Tigers in 2007-08 and has made it clear that he has brought that winning attitude with him to the Hilltop. It is thrilling, as a fan of SMU football, to see a salient figure make his voice heard so loudly in regards to the team's discipline and attitude towards success. One can only hope that it bodes well for the future. <br /><br />Well, with that I will call it a post friends. Very soon (perhaps Friday) I will post about the Mustangs newest class of signees and how they could impact the team in 2009 and beyond. More frequent updates will begin again, I promise. So please return for more SMU football, baseball, beer, and perhaps even some politics! <br /><br />Until next time, Pony Up!Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-65224600197867757472008-10-31T18:33:00.008-05:002008-10-31T19:19:09.888-05:00Updates All AroundGreetings and salutations to all in Mustang Nation who have been coming to this blog everyday for three weeks and pining for new content. We have a lot of ground to cover with this post, so let's get to it, shall we?<br /><br />The month of October has been no kinder to Mustang football than was the month of September. In fact, with heartbreaking losses to undefeated Tulsa and underachieving Houston, this month has been decidedly harsh to Pony fans. The Mustangs, in the words of Tulsa coach Todd Graham, "smacked us [Tulsa] in the mouth". If not for a dropped pass in the endzone by freshman Cole Beasley, the Mustangs would have recaptured the lead late. Shortly thereafter, Mitchell underthrew a 4th and 2 pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given the Ponies a new set of downs inside the Tulsa red zone. The defense, which has undoubtedly struggled all season, managed to hold the number 2 offense in the country down for most of the game, but simply could not close the deal and the Mustangs fell 37-31.<br /><br />The following week, the Ponies hosted UH at Ford Stadium. The Cougars were actually making their second trip of the year to Dallas, having their home game against Air Force relocated to Ford Stadium on campus in September when Hurricane Ike pounded the city of Houston and the Gulf Coast. From the beginning, the Cougars displayed signs of sloppiness, by committing two personal foul penalties on the opening drive, which allowed Bo Levi Mitchell and the Mustang Offense to get on the board first. The Cougars would respond as SMU's defense was simply unable to stop Case Keenum and the Cougar Offense. This inability to halt UH on 3rd down would manifest itself again on the game's final drive, where the Cougars--without timeouts--managed to drive from their own 40 into SMU's red zone--after a kickoff by the normally reliable Kellis Cunningham that went out of bounds.<br /><br />The truth of the matter is that everytime a lead was built by Bo Levi and the offense, the defense would allow the Cougars back into the game. No lead seemed to be safe. I remarked to Ty that I would not feel comfortable until the Mustangs were up by at least 3 TD and preferably 4. This was, of course, not to be. For every mental mistake UH made, SMU was there to match; including an inexcusable roughing the passer penalty on 3rd and long in the late 3rd quarter. Not even a heroic goal line stand by the defense--UH would still kick a field goal to chip further into the lead--could provide sufficient fire to the front line. Serge Elizee was injured in the 3rd quarter and never returned. Youri Yenga was also injured in the 3rd and returned, only to reinjure himself during UH's last drive with 1:17 left in the game which in turn forced an official time out so that Yenga could be helped off the field. <br /><br />It is a difficult thing to describe what it is like to be an SMU fan. It is close to impossible for those who have not experienced it, to realize the simultaneous feelings of disbelief, yet expectation. The best way I can think of to describe it is re-watching a war movie where we know the main character is going to die in a gruesome and/or heartbreaking manner, but watching it happen still inspires utter shock and yet just as immediate acceptance.<br /><br />Looking to the future, the Mustangs will attempt to salvage this season with a few wins to close out and build momentum for next year. Homecoming next Saturday (11/8) against a streaky Memphis team provides an opportunity to get back on track. Following this are enigmatic UTEP (which dropped 50+ points on UCF, but also surrendered 77 to Tulsa) and finally a rebuilding Southern Miss team. It is not impossible to end the season on a 3 game winning streak, particularly since the offense appears more and more to be on the same page (the Navy game and its abominable weather excluded). <br /><br />This is a pretty long post, so I will wrap it up and write about other subjects which I had intended to write about this evening, on another day. Since I will be at a Halloween party tonight--getting thoroughly drunk--I doubt I will be posting again until Sunday or Monday. I may convince Ty to throw something out there, but I am not even sure he exists anymore since he has not written anything since late August. Hey, maybe he is in another country and has not seen the Ponies's season. Perhaps he is still thinking we partially fulfilled his season predictions....8 wins? Really Ty?<br /><br />I will have posts on new beer and politics coming up in the next couple of days. No I will not be dogmatically reciting my personal beliefs (you're disappointed I can tell), rather I will be previewing the upcoming election. I encourage everyone, regardless of your political beliefs or preferences, to go out and vote next Tuesday (11/4). Afterall, if you do not vote, you are not allowed to complain. <br /><br />Until next time, go Mustangs and vote for Kodos. Kang is too inexperienced for me....Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-12342655154409489322008-10-27T09:38:00.004-05:002008-10-27T09:41:30.449-05:00Yes We're Still Here...It's been a busy couple of weeks for both Ty and myself, but there is a new blog entry coming this week. In it, I will update the Mustangs season of 'progress', some political thoughts, and have a review of Budweiser's new American Ale (Shiner Bock should consider sueing for copyright infringement). <br /><br />Until then, go Mustangs.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-72191753068100857282008-10-02T13:59:00.012-05:002008-10-02T15:24:08.744-05:00Still Waiting for that Second WinDoes anyone find it odd that every single final score for the Mustangs this year has ended in 7? 27, 47, 7, 7, and 27 against Rice, Texas State, Texas Tech, TCU, and Tulane respectively. I was not really going anywhere with that, just thought it was interesting.<br /><br />Other thing interesting things: the Mustangs were 2-12 on third down against Tulane last Thursday, but 2-2 on fourth down. Green Wave QB Kevin Moore had 2 fewer passing yards than Bo Levi Mitchell on 2 fewer completions with 20 fewer attempts. <br /><br />The Run N Shoot is designed for short quick passes where the receiver makes plays after the catch (the unfortunately named statistic of YAC-Yards After Catch) and Mitchell's numbers seem to show what we have presumed all along and that commenters on Ponyfans need to remember: that June Jones is still installing his offense one game at a time. Mitchell seems to be getting into a rhythm. Remember that Hawaii QB Timmy Chang said that he did not fully get a grip on the offense until the end of his first season. Mitchell made strides in the second half against Tulane, leading the Mustangs on four scoring drives (2 FG in the 3rd quarter and 2 TD in the 4th quarter) to bring them to within one score while the defense finally showed flashes of brilliance and held the Green Wave offense to a single second half field goal. <br /><br />Expect more from Mitchell this Saturday as the Mustangs travel to Orlando to play a seriously depleted (mostly by graduation) Central Florida team that gave up 58 points and 284 passing yards to a UTEP offense that has had problems getting off the ground and has lost to such luminaries as Buffalo and New Mexico State so far this season. If Mitchell and the receivers are finally on the same page, this could finally be the game where the offense breaks through and takes the pressure off of the defense. <br /><br />June Jones teams are designed to rely on the offense to make quick scores throughout the game which allows the defense to play from ahead and be aggressive. When the offense is sputtering, the defense is on the field more and has to fall back to a cushion coverage defense instead of the aggressive, blitzing unit that Tom Mason has in mind. In other words, other than Texas State, the Mustangs have not been able to stick to their game plan this season. All rests on the offense performing well and if it fails to, this defense is simply not good enough to hold back the tide. We have seen this in the losses to Rice, Tech, and TCU. <br /><br />But against a UCF offense that has not figured out its identity yet this season (24 points in an OT loss to South Florida is the high mark to this point), I would expect Tom Mason to finally unroll more blitz packages as the secondary should be able to defend against George O'Leary's offense. As has been the case almost every week so far, the Mustang linebackers will need to step up and help defend against the run this week or the quality of our secondary's defense will not be worth a Beta jersey at McCartney's (it's a greek joke...because Beta was, you know, kicked off campus...*cough*). <br /><br />I do not usually do predictions (how's that 8-4 season prediction working out for you Ty?) because trying to foretell how this team will continue to develop is both frustrating and ultimately pointless since the first year of a rebuilding job is usually the diciest one. That being said, I'm going to predict that the Mustangs pull out win number 2 on the season: 38-21 over UCF.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-7295417876650839332008-09-25T15:50:00.006-05:002008-09-25T16:21:52.020-05:00Short TCU recap and Tulane PreviewI am not going to write much of a recap of the TCU game because, well what is there to say about a 48-7 ass kicking where Bo Levi had, amongst other unfortunate plays, a 2 yard forward shovel pass intercepted by a TCU lineman. That play pretty much summed up the offensive futility of the game. <br /><br />TCU's defense was the fastest that Bo Levi (who actually wasn't completely terrible: 20-36 218 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) and the offensive linemen had seen to this point in the season and the experience of last saturday shows that there is still much work to do. The line, which performed well against Rice, Texas State, and decently against Texas Tech, was simply overmatched against TCU. Let's hope the offensive units gained valuable experience in this game, because there were otherwise not many positives to take away from the field. <br /><br />The defense could not get pressure on the QB and Andy Dalton, consequently, had a great game (16-25, 210 yards 0 TD, 0 INT). TCU tailbacks Aaron Brown--who very conveniently had his 4 game suspension reduced to 3 by coach Gary Patterson the week before the game--Jospeh Turner, and Marcus Jackson ran through the huge gaps made by TCU's offensive line as if our defense was not even there. At one point I found myself hoping that the defense would call "All Out!" and stack the box against Dalton just to create some entertainment, but then I remembered how much that play was lampooned on Sportscenter last year. <br /><br />In short, the TCU game is a game that's probably best forgotten about until the Mustangs have more success. <br /><br />Moving right along. The Mustangs play Tulane in New Orleans tonight on the CBS College Sports channel. I'll be following the game online (because I'm too cheap for digital cable) once I get home from flag football. This is a very winnable game as Tulane's offense is now anemic with the loss of Mike Forté (he of the 342 yard performance against the Ponies in Dallas last season). The linebackers will have to step up to support the defensive line against the run because Tulane QB Kevin Moore (730 yards passing, 2 TD, 3 INT on the season) does not look to be passing as much. Of course Tulane did not pass much last year and they still ran over the defense, so we shall see how much of an advantage that plays out to be.<br /><br />That's all for now. I'll have something about the ending of the Astros season in a day or so once they are mathematically eliminated from the Wild Card race (3.5 games back as of today). Until then, Go Mustangs and let's please God get another W.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-64999186151047754592008-09-19T16:13:00.006-05:002008-09-19T16:53:45.015-05:00TCU PreviewIt is Family Weekend here on the Hilltop and the Ponies welcome the deformed, blood shooting lizards of TCU to Ford Stadium for the latest installment in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. SMU memorably won the Iron Skillet in 2005 by defeating TCU 21-10 at Ford Stadium just one week after TCU had garnered national headlines for upsetting Oklahoma. <br /><br />The Ponies and Frogs did not meet in 2006, so SMU got to hold onto the Skillet for one extra year only to see it relinquished in a frustrating struggle in Fort Worth last season. Anyone who went to the game--which I did--remembers clearly the frustration coming from the hideously bad officiating and equally horrendous clock management by Coach Bennett and company. The game was winnable and remained close late due to several red zone stops and forced turnovers by the defense. <br /><br />The defense this year has been as disappointingly painful to watch as last year's was. TCU, however, may be without the service of leading running back Aaron Brown who was suspended by Gary Pitstains, er, Patterson for the first four games of this season for violation of team rules. Coupled with the fact that Andy Dalton has not exactly been lighting the world on fire with his passing ability, the defense could catch a break finally this week and get its act together. <br /><br />TCU's Offensive line is not made up of the same behemoths that Texas Tech's is (one of the starting guards on Tech was 6-7, 305 lbs....were he painted green I would've expected him to be selling canned vegetables), but they are also quicker laterally. The pass rush, which has been spearheaded mostly by Youri Yenga, will have to adjust accordingly. The linebackers will have to step up this week and provide support against the run, which TCU is sure to ram down the D's throat all game. <br /><br />Bo Levi Mitchell, as Ramon Flanigan suggested this week in his column for ponyfans.com, will have to forget about his horrendous perfomance against Tech, trust his talent, and focus on TCU. Mitchell's ability to do just that takes on added importance because TCU's defense will be the best Mitchell and the young offense have faced thus far this year. In their first 3 games this season, TCU has allowed 3, 7, and 14 points. Now these are hardly BCS teams that TCU has faced so far (New Mexico, Stephen F. Austin, and Stanford), but these games show that the TCU defense has skill. Bo Levi will have to maintain his patience and not make the same terrible decisions that killed him at Rice and Texas Tech. <br /><br />The battle to watch will be up front. Center Mitch Enright, who missed last week's game against Tech due to a hand injury may be out again this week. If so, freshman Blake McJunkin will be snapping the ball to Bo Levi. McJunkin acquitted himself quite well in his first NCAA game, but the front 4 of TCU will be the fastest, most talented defensive line he has faced yet. DeMyron Martin will need to continue his excellent blocking work, but also needs to be more aggressive in his runs. DeMyron: you're 6-2 and 230 lbs., stop tiptoeing around tackles and run people over. <br /><br />This game could truly go either way. If the defense is able to get key stops, force a few turnovers and otherwise get Bo Levi and the offense back on the field, then the Mustangs could pull off the victory. But if the defense falters again and Bo Levi isn't able to get into a rhythm, then it will be a long night of staring at ugly purple people. <br /><br />Ty and I will be on the Boulevard once again, drinking the High Life and sitting in the shade at our shared tailgating spot by Cockrell. Come by and have a beer with us. <br /><br />Go Mustangs, fry the froggies!Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-31206681734974493082008-09-19T11:53:00.004-05:002008-09-19T11:59:26.300-05:00Astros Baseball, feel the Excitement...Sweet Christ it happened again: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280918128.<br /><br />Since Hurricane Ike, the Astros are now 0-5, have not scored more than 2 runs in a game (and they only did that once) and have been no-hit. <br /><br />Please God make it stop.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-14441392746518948692008-09-18T15:22:00.006-05:002008-09-18T16:12:50.097-05:00Baseball: Hurricane Ike screws over the AstrosAs most of you know by now, Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas coastline near Houston last Friday night/Saturday morning (Houston residents Mother and Brother Fletch are ok). The night before, Roy Oswalt had continued his scoreless innings streak and the Stros smacked Pittsburgh 6-0. Then Ike hit Houston like he thought it was Tina. <br /><br />The Astros cancelled Friday and Saturday night games against the Cubs and then moved up to Milwauke--where the crowd was decidedly partisan for the 'Away' team. (Milwaukee is only an hour and a half away from Chicago dontcha know: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl)--to get the series completed at a 'neutral' site. The result of this quick two game series? The Astros were no hit by internet porn addict Carlos Zambrano in the first game and nearly no-hit by Ted Lilly in the second game (both losses). <br /><br />The Astros are now in Miami for a three game series with the Marlins. How have the first two games gone you ask? Losses of 5-1 and 14-2. <br /><br />I think it is quite clear that the Astros--winners of 14 of their last 15 prior to Ike, 0-4 since--tightened up over the two day break. Baseball players hardly ever get two days off in the midst of the season. This unscheduled short vacation caused late season muscles to tighten up and hitters' timing to go AWOL. <br /><br />Our offense has been good, if inconsistent, over the course of the season and our pitching has never been great. Even Roy Oswalt started slowly before he reeled off 33 1/3 scoreless innings just before the two day Ike instituted vacation (breaking J.R. Richard's record from 1980). So the very last thing the Astros needed was a couple of days to realize that they were playing above their abilities, that they were overachieving. <br /><br />In short I blame you Ike! Je accuse!Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-15197667441257423252008-09-15T15:42:00.006-05:002008-09-15T16:39:52.509-05:00Tech Recap: It could have been much worseFor those of you who do not think that that game could have easily been a much bigger blowout, I submit to you the fact that despite handing Tech the ball twice in a row in the first quarter, Harrell and company were only able to muster a field goal. The Ponies' defense held back the tide as long as they could, but in the end Mike Leach's offense and the Mustangs' continued inability to complete tackles led to the game becoming a rout. <br /><br />Some positives to ponder over this week as the Mustangs prepare to play TCU: Derrius Bell looked good covering the Raiders uber receiver Michael Crabtree for awhile. Bell is not on the same talent level as McCann, but he has learned to reduce the cushion he gives receivers and has improved his timing on hits. The other item of note on defense was how often the lineman--led as usual by Youri Yenga--got to Graham Harrell. Even Patrick Fleming, who doesn't play often, managed to slip past one of Tech's ginormous (and slow) O linemen...that is before he inadvertantly but brutally facemasked Harrell. That bodes well for the TCU game.<br /><br />On offense there were actually positive aspects too. Yes, there were. You just have to look real hard. As far as Bo Levi goes, it bears repeating that he is a true freshman who was only playing his 3rd collegiate game. He will grow and he will learn. I like to think that, in two years when Bo Levi is featured in some nationally televised game where SMU is winning by 5 touchdowns, that the camera will pan in on him and the announcer will talk about how far Bo Levi has come since he threw 5 interceptions in one game two years prior. One can hope.<br /><br />The Offense line has continued to excel. It's time to heap praise on Dennis McKnight. He has done an outstanding job of molding a young, inexperienced unit into a cohesive, effective protection front. In case you had not noticed, true freshman Blake McJunkin started in place of junior Mitch Enright (for reasons I still have not heard) and performed admirably, with the exception of two poor snaps that caused Bo Levi to fumble with the ball rather than look downfield for his receivers. Tennyson and Beachum have continued to improve and Vincent Chase has transitioned well from tight end to right tackle. The quarterbacks and receivers will eventually get on the same page, but it will help them get there much faster with a solid line protecting Bo Levi and giving him time to make reads. The future is bright for the Ponies' front 5. <br /><br />The Mustangs face TCU this Saturday at Ford Stadium. Ty and I will be out on the Boulevard in our usual spot in front of Cockrell-McIntosh (or Cocomo to those in the know) tailgating and drinking the Champagne of Beers. If anyone outside our immediate circle of friends reads this blog, feel free to stop by our tent. It's the huge white one that looks like it could double as a carport. <br /><br />And no, I do not want to talk about the Astros being forced to postpone Friday and Saturday's games against the Cubs only to go to Milwaukee (a neutral site? fuck that, it might as well have been played in Wrigley. A truly neutral site would've been Seattle) and be no-hit by Carlos "I swear I got tendinitis in my elbow from emailing my brother and not looking at internet porn" Zambrano. <br /><br />Until Saturday, Go Mustangs, Go Astros, and fuck the Cubs (and Horned Frogs).Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-26674419011263481912008-09-08T09:41:00.006-05:002008-09-08T10:14:45.814-05:00Texas State Recap and Other NotesSee? All we had to do is be patient and June Jones would reward us with a win. Granted the win was over FCS team Texas State and the Mustang defense still allowed 36 points and 465 yards of offense, but a win is a win and I'll take it.<br /><br />Bo Levi Mitchell passed for 370 yards, had no interceptions and 5 (yes five) TD passes. Emanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson both had over 100 yards receiving and 3 and 2 TD catches respectively. As Sanders said after the game "It's going to be scary when we get better". So as in sync as the offense looked on Saturday, there is still room for improvement. Bo is still overthrowing a little and his timing with some receivers (like Wilkerson) is a bit off, but that will come with time. Sanders and Robinson also made him look good on some catches that were thrown down by the hip or short, but I also noticed that Bo Levi was throwing it away from the defenders: either a Mustang was going to catch it or no one was for the most part. This is markedly different from the second half against Rice when Bo floated too many passes and allowed himself to get careless in his decision making. Let's hope he shows further improvement next week becuase Texas Tech's backs are on a different level than those of Texas State. <br /><br />Another interesting development, was the use of Justin Willis as an option-running QB on a couple short yardage situations in the first half. Are the Mustangs going to do the vogue thing and start instituting a direct snap formation too? Time will tell. I certainly support the idea as Justin was always a better runner than passer. <br /><br />All in all, a good performance by the Mustangs. The defense still has a long way to go, but we in Pony Nation should keep in mind that this defense was never meant to shut down the other team's offense. Tom Mason's defense is designed to make aggressive plays and either force turnovers or allow big plays. While turnovers are of course preferred, the general concept is that any play that gets the offense back on the field that much faster is acceptable. This is a different style of defense than what we as fans were used to under Phil Bennett, where the idea was to stop the other team in its tracks (with varying degrees of success as Bennett's 18-52 record demonstrates). This type of defense takes an adjustment of expectations by us the fans. Big plays will happen, but we have to have faith in our offense, and so by extension June Jones, to keep us in the game. <br /><br />In other news, the Astros took 2 of 3 from the Rockies over the weekend and are only 6 back in the Wild Card race. Hunter Pence continued his torrid pace, hitting his 21st home run on Saturday and Roy Oswalt threw a one hitter the same night. The bad news: Brandon Backe and Wandy Rodriguez both injured themselves. Better to have this happen after September callups when the roster is at 40 players I suppose, but it is still a rough break. <br /><br />I also tried with Ty a beer I'd never had before call Steam Engine Amber. It proudly boasts on the can that it is the best American Style Amber Lager in the world. It had notes of fruit and an excellent nose to it. Very solid beer, but more research is necessary. <br /><br />We'll have more entries this week as we face the spectre that is Texas Tech this weekend. Until then, go Mustangs and go Astros (and the Rangers too I guess).Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-68504584359026597052008-09-05T09:38:00.003-05:002008-09-05T09:55:53.555-05:00Home Kickoff Tomorrow and Baseball notesThe Mustangs kick off their home opener Saturday night at Ford Stadium at 7 pm against Texas State (no Ty, not the Armadillos ). This game, against a Division 1-AA--or FCS or whatever it's called--opponent should help Bo Levi and company get on the same page with the offense while the defense will hopefully get it's footing against the Bobcats. The Tech game, afterall, is looming next weekend and so a confidence/experience boosting game against a lesser team this weekend takes on added importance. As previously mentioned, Ty and I will be on the Boulevard experimenting with powering a TV using a deep cycle marine battery (should be interesting...). <br /><br />In the meantime, the Astros wrapped up a three game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley on Wednesday. In three games the Stros outscored the Cubs 16-7 (all seven of those runs game in the second game of the series) and the first and third games were punctuated with great pitching performances from Roy 'Where has this been all season' Oswalt and Randy 'So that's why we traded for him' Wolf. The Astros now have an 8 game winning streak and, dare I say it, are starting to move into the NL Wild Card picture. The odds of winding up in the playoffs are of course pretty low, but considering that with 74 wins, the Stros have already topped their win total from last year, this must be considered a successful season for Cecil Cooper and company. What does this mean for next season when everyone on an already not young team will be a year older? Eh, we'll see...<br /><br />I'll be recapping the Texas State game on Sunday or Monday again. Until then, see you on the Boulevard.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-88807483881107273552008-09-02T09:01:00.003-05:002008-09-02T10:26:07.157-05:00Rice Recap: It wasn't really that bad guys...Ok, so naturally we were hoping for a better debut than a 56-27 defeat doled out by Rice. The score and the loss notwithstanding, there are some positives to take away from last Friday's game. One thing is certain, the new uniforms are kick ass. <br /><br />First of all the, offensive line held up well in its first game. No one is going to confuse Rice's defensive line with a bunch of Reggie White clones, but given that Chase was playing a new position, Tennyson, Boyd, and Beachum were all in their first collegiate games, the line performed as well as could be expected of it. Dennis McKnight has done well at folding two returning starters (Enright and Lobo) in with a converted TE (Chase), a returning reserve (Poynter) and a mixture of red shirt and true freshmen (Beachum, Tennyson, Boyd). The real test is still two weeks away when the Ponies play Texas Tech, but the early results are good. I also thought DeMyron and McKinney blocked well and seemed to fit their new roles nicely. DeMyron was always a tailback to be used on occasion--his performance against TCU in 2005 aside. I think he'll flourish in this offense, particularly as the QB (be it Bo Levi, Turner, or whoever) gets more comfortable in the offense as well. <br /><br />Bo Levi Mitchell...He's a freshman who was making his first start ever at the collegiate level. What did we expect? The picks were bad decisions made based on fatigue. Not much to add to that except that he will get better. Logan Turner looked great in his brief time in at QB. His arm slot when throwing is remeniscent of Vince Young during his UT days. I sincerely doubt Turner has anything like Young's mobility though. Prove me wrong Logan! <br /><br />The defense was....well it was a familiar sight unfortunately. McCann shut down Jarret Dillard in the first half for the most part, only to have the Rice coaches move Dillard to the other side where he was just too much for Derrius Bell. McCann, who played well all game, until the fourth quarter when, after having his great play pointed out by the ESPN crew, he was immediately owned by Dillard on a slant through the end zone...thanks ESPN guys (who the hell were those guys by the way?) The pass rush still needs some work. Elizee was double teamed by the Rice O line all night and so couldn't get to Clement (other than the one side swipe in which Clement appeared to hurt his hand). Dizer, Sowe and Handy were all fighting the humidty induced cramping. Dizer already had hammy issues coming into the game and his mobility wasn't helped by the amount of moisture and heat in the air. Rock Dennis is going to be good. You heard it here first. He needs to get a little more discipline though (the hit out of bounds was a major mental error which gave Rice even more momentum). It was also good to see Banjo get some playing time. <br /><br />Sanders looked great and Robinson has great promise (Aldrick if it hits both of your hands that you mean you should have caught it). If there was any doubt that they will put up huge Crabtreean numbers in this system, then Friday night put away those doubts. It's going to be fun and frustrating to see this offense continue to develop. <br /><br />The Mustangs welcome Texas State to Ford Stadium this Saturday. Ty and I will be on the Boulevard tailgating. I'm looking forward to seeing those new home uniforms. In the meantime, everyone stay patient with this team and with JJ.Irwin Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413350103756264722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4616522317337639026.post-12524897333916294552008-08-29T15:28:00.002-05:002008-08-29T15:34:12.891-05:00GAME DAYIt's Game Day!<br /><br />After suffering through a drought of winless seasons for the past 20 years it all gets turned around tonight. Although I will be in the wretched land of aggie all weekend and miss the opener (hoping to catch the 2nd half somewhere in College Station tonight) I will be blasting Pony Battle Cry all the way down 45, hopefully they can hear me in the disgusting city of Houston.... Go Ponies<br /><br />Beat the Hell Out of Rice...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RANwz4ULKEY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RANwz4ULKEY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />pony up...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SKQQ55zpme4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SKQQ55zpme4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Ty Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989473833669067254noreply@blogger.com0