Life After Death: The Todd Rutledge story [Archive]

aztarheel

12-07-2007, 10:08 AM

My first attempt at a Bowl Bound College Football dynasty. Enjoy...

Nearly everyone Todd Rutledge consulted with about the job opening told him the same thing: Stay away.

"It's a coaching graveyard," one of his colleagues said.

"You can't win there, at least not long term," another told him. "Recruiting will be a nightmare. You're already in a tough region with tons of competition for players, and all the other schools have you-know-what to always hold over your head — and they will use it."

"You're an up-and-coming coach with great credentials," yet another said. "This will kill your promising resume. You're better off remaining an assistant than jumping at this one."

Rutledge listened intently to all the advice and simmered over it as the weekend passed. Despite the warnings, he still found himself enchanted by the position and the opportunity. And he wasn't that worried about you-know-what.

Getting the blessing of his dad and his kids, he followed through with an interview, visited the campus, got called back for more talks and then on a cool Tuesday in mid-December 2005 signed a contract. He would meet his team officially the next morning, and then a press conference would follow in the afternoon to introduce him to the media and the rest of the world.

For the first time in his life, Todd Rutledge was going to be a head football coach, even if it was at THAT program...

aztarheel

12-07-2007, 10:29 AM

There wasn’t much unique about Todd Rutledge’s introductory press conference.

The media room was decorated with the usual trappings — a shiny helmet at the front of the podium and a large banner behind it, decorated from ceiling to floor with the school’s colors and logo (and of course with the athletic program’s major sponsor).

The athletic director spoke first, giving the usual remarks about this being the “dawn of a new era” for the program and about the school‘s renewed commitment to football.

Then Rutledge, a big beaming smile on his face, appeared before the throng of reporters, players and university dignitaries. He, too, said all the right things.

He stressed that academics, character and training up “young men of honor” would be just as important as X’s and O’s.

He vowed to improve recruiting, build deep relationships with high school coaches across the state, bring in a top-notch staff , run an exciting offense and make watching football overall a treat for the fans who come out on fall Saturdays.

He even threw in a joke or two about the school’s biggest rival, which drew laughter from even the most callous old reporter in the room.

Rutledge was a hit, especially when he talked of winning more football games than his predecessors — at a place where winning once was expected.

“I really do think that we can return this program to national prominence,” the 40-year-old first-time head coach concluded. “There is no reason why we can’t win a lot of games, contend for conference championships and play in big bowl games like those glory teams of old from here did.

“I’m truly excited to be here, and that will be my quest as your new coach.”

But behind all the pomp and circumstance lay this reality. Rutledge, a long-time successful assistant coach at the Division I-A and I-AA level hadn’t exactly landed a plum job, like at Florida or Alabama or USC or even his alma mater Texas.

Heck, this wasn’t even North Texas.

Rutledge was being introduced on that cool winter day in December 2005 as the new coach for Southern Methodist University…

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/Mustangs.jpg

aztarheel

12-07-2007, 10:36 AM

Yes, that Southern Methodist — the only team in NCAA football history to have received the death penalty. The Mustangs program was killed off in 1987 because of major recruiting violations (paying players, etc.). The school was allowed to play road games only in 1988 but opted to cancel that season as well because it lacked enough talent to be competitive.

SMU's football program, once very proud with alumni like Doak Walker, Craig James, Eric Dickerson and Don Meredith, has yet to recover. Eventually, the entire Southwest Conference crumbled over the SMU affair, with the other big name programs in the state going off to the newly formed Big 12. The Mustangs went to the WAC and now play in the low prestige Conference USA.

The black cloud of the death penalty still hangs over SMU, which has only defeated two ranked teams and had one winning season since 1989. The Mustangs went 47-119-3 from 1990-2005. The coach who just got let go to make room for Rutledge was only 6-29.

Such sub-par numbers in two decades aren't exactly a boon for recruiting. And it's tough to swallow for long-time followers who remember SMU for having the best record in all of college football from 1980-85, compiling a 55-14-1 mark and earning national rankings of No. 2, No. 7 and No. 8 three of those years. Only a media vote kept a national championship away from an 11-0-1 SMU team in 1982. A one-loss Penn State team, led by Joe Paterno, took the crown instead after beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

And now, here comes Rutledge, an eternal optimist, eager for some crazy reason to change the culture at SMU and prove to the college football world that there is life after death.

“While it’s the dream of most football coaches to finally get the chance to take over their own program,” a columnist for the Dallas Morning News wrote, “one has to wonder if this move may have been in haste by an assistant who could have had a better gig with his glowing resume. Let’s hope we’re not back in that press room three or four years from now circling back around the mountain…”

aztarheel

12-07-2007, 11:00 AM

Rutledge was plenty familiar with the concept of life after death. He was the son of a West Texas preacher (and the grandson of a West Texas preacher).

For as long as he could remember, Rutledge had heard numerous stories and sermons on what is the pillar of the Christian faith — that God loved a sin-filled world so much that he sent his own son, Jesus, to die in our place. Jesus was executed on a cross but three days later rose again, conquering death and sin once and for all, and promising this same new life to all who believed and followed him.

Rutledge had believed deeply since childhood and remembers the tears on his dad's face when he "walked the aisle" as a 10-year-old in that little church on the corner in his hometown.

Rutledge had pondered going into the ministry himself after, even taking a few semesters worth of seminary classes. But he's always been smitten with football. He wasn't much of a player after high school, walking on at Texas and eventually earning a scholarship as a special teams and mop-up player.

Yet, he loved the camaraderie of the game and the strategy involved to try and beat an opponent. He was a natural at coaching, getting his start as a graduate assistant with the Longhorns. After finishing his degree programs, he spent a month over the summer wrestling with whether to go into coaching or follow in his dad's footsteps as a pastor.

"Son," his dad told him. "Remember the sign that stands on the front lawn of our church every Sunday. As soon as you walk out of the door, it reads, 'You are now entering the mission field.' You don't have to be a pastor to be a minister. As Christians we are all ministers wherever we are. If God has blessed you with a love and passion for football, go and be a missionary on the gridiron."

And so he did, growing in reputation and knowledge with each assistant's job he took on.

Rutledge was familiar with life after death scenarios for more reasons, though. He was currently experiencing that in his personal life. His soul mate, whom he had dated since eighth grade and married as a sophomore in college, passed away three years ago after a bout with cancer. They thought they had the disease licked, but then like a defensive end blind-siding an unsuspecting quarterback, the disease returned stronger than before. It spread quickly and left Rutledge a widow in his late 30's.

Nothing else has tested Rutledge's faith more than the past three years, trying to be a dad to his two boys (ages 13 and 8) and precious daughter (age 5) without her beside him. There are times where he doubts God and wonders about this mysterious plan that took his wife — a far better person of character than he — so young. But then he remembers his dad's sermons and is comforted.

"Jesus wept, too, when he lost someone close to him," his dad would usually say at funeral services. "He knows death personally. And remember that he knows and promises life after death to those who hold fast to their belief and trust in him."

Yeah, Rutledge had found the right experience to begin his head coaching career. When his father gave his blessing (as glad as anything to have his boy back in Texas) and his kids enthusiastically jumped on board (little Timmy, age 8 - "my dad is going to be famous!"), Rutledge knew this was the path he should take.

Bring on SMU.

aztarheel

12-07-2007, 11:05 AM

OK, I guess you know the set-up here. I had been tinkering around with the demo for this game over Thanksgiving. Then I caught the tail end of an ESPN documentary revisiting SMU 20 years after the death penalty verdict. I immediately thought to myself: "DYNASTY IDEA!" when the narrator asked at the end of the show, "Can there be life after death for SMU football?"

We'll find out, though I have a feeling it's going to be a lot tougher to bring a cellar dweller alive in this game than in Tournament Dreams College Basketball.

Right now, I plan to play out most or all of the games. I just want to be in control too much. So, this story may slog along at a slower pace than some would like. Feedback is always welcome...

aztarheel

12-08-2007, 02:29 PM

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Coach Rutledge had thought about trying to get his alma mater, Texas, on the schedule in his first season at SMU. But then he thought that going for wins would be more important than scheduling a lot of big dogs. So, in addition to the annual rivalry game with Texas Christian, SMU added Arkansas State, Hawaii and Louisiana Tech as non-league games.

"Well, no matter what happens in my career, I'll at least get a trip to Hawaii out of the deal," Rutledge quipped to the press after a practice on hot August afternoon.

Here is the Mustangs' 2006 schedule:

1 Arkansas State
2 at Hawaii
3 OPEN -
4 at Rice
5 at East Carolina
6 Houston
7 Alabama Birmingham
8 at Marshall -
9 UTEP -
10 at Tulane -
11 OPEN -
12 Tulsa -
13 OPEN -
14 Louisiana Tech -
15 at Texas Christian

aztarheel

12-08-2007, 02:43 PM

As they have been for awhile, expectations were pretty low at SMU going into the 2006 season.

“Just don’t finish last in Conference USA this season and play competitive against TCU,” SMU administrators told Rutledge. “We know this is a building process.”

Some facts on the program as Rutledge enters:

Prestige: 30
Conference Projection: 10th out of 12 teams
Recruiting Class: 112th

The Mustangs will rely on a vertical passing game this season and will employ a 3-4 defense. There isn’t tons of talent on the roster but Rutledge likes junior running back Benjamin Jones and senior wide receiver Tommy O’Leary. Redshirt junior Edward Hawkins is an OK quarterback, but probably not the right fit for a pass-happy offense. Big 315-pound senior Oliver Torres leads the way on the offensive line.

Defensively, the Mustangs will rely heavily on junior defensive lineman James Nguyen and senior linebacker Tom Dodd. Coach Rutledge plans to red shirt 6-7 guys who are young, promising but way down the depth chart to start the season. Hopefully that won’t have negative repercussions (I.e. result in transfers).

Arkansas State, SMU’s first opponent, is projected to finish fourth in the Sun Belt Conference this season. So, the ‘Stangs will receive a nice test on opening day at Ford Stadium.

Rutledge is nervous and pretty much doesn't know what to expect out of his first team. But he's also excited and spends the night before the game dreaming about accepting SMU's first bowl bid since the 1980s...

aztarheel

12-08-2007, 10:52 PM

2006 Season — Week 1

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Arkansas State 27, Southern Methodist 7
Rude awakening for Mustangs' new coach

New coach Todd Rutledge surprised fans when he and his staff went strolling along Bishop Boulevard several hours before kickoff of the Mustangs’ first game of the season. It was a great PR gesture for a coach seeking to build trust in his program, considering that‘s the happening place before an SMU football game. He spent probably 20-30 minutes shaking hands and complimenting all the tailgaters on their wares. He even sampled a brat cooking on an older gentleman’s portable grill. One of the best he’s ever had.

Unfortunately, SMU’s opener didn’t go nearly as well as the pregame festivities. Starting quarterback Edward Hawkins left with a groin injury after throwing just three passes and will likely be out for several weeks. His replacements, Jon Key and Phillip Watkins combined for four interceptions.

Arkansas State went on to spoil Rutledge’s debut, 27-7.

The one SMU touchdown came in the third quarter. Watkins, the third-string quarterback, came in and led the Mustangs on an amazing march right down the field, completing all four of his pass attempts, including a 17-yarder to Terry McCollum for the TD. But Watkins got picked on the next possession and the Mustangs limped back to the locker room like so many games and years before with a humbling defeat.

This is going to be harder than Rutledge thought.

“We actually didn’t play that poorly overall,” he told the media afterward. We just kept shooting ourselves. If we can hang on to the football, this is a much closer game.”

Here’s the box score (how nice of the Indians to kick a field goal with two seconds left in the game to rub it in a little more):

Arkansas State 14 7 0 6 - 27
Southern Methodist 0 0 0 7 - 7

First Quarter
ARKS TD 08:48 7-0 Rodney Wells 2 YD Pass from Kyle Hughes (David Heath Kick).
ARKS TD 01:53 14-0 Martin Webb 47 YD Run (David Heath Kick).
Third Quarter
ARKS TD 00:00 21-0 James Smith 2 YD Pass from Kyle Hughes (David Heath Kick).
Fourth Quarter
SMU TD 13:19 21-7 Terry Mccollum 17 YD Pass from Phillip Watkins (Henry Colbert Kick).
ARKS FG 05:13 24-7 David Heath 35 YD
ARKS FG 00:02 27-7 David Heath 40 YD

SMU Leaders:
Passing: QB P. Watkins 7 of 13 for 110 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
QB J. Key 9 of 30 for 96 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: RB B. Jones 20 carries for 67 yards,
Receiving: WR T. O’Leary 6-109
WR T. McCollum 3-42, 1 TD

Arkansas State Leaders
Passing: QB J. Guillory 10 of 21 for 169 yards, 1 INT
QB K. Hughes 5 of 12 for 43 yards, 2 Tds
Rushing: RB M. Webb 15 carries for 92 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: WR R. Wells 6-68, 1 TD
WR J. Smith 4-65, 1 TD

Attendance: 21,005
Temperature: 80
Weather: Slightly overcast

Other scores around Conference USA in Week One (note that only one of eight C-USA teams won. Yikes):

Arkansas State 27, SMU 7
Navy 10, Tulane 7
No. 21 Arizona State 23, Houston 16
Alabama 38, Memphis 24
California 43, Southern Miss 0
Arkansas 17, Alabama Birmingham 10
Troy 33, Marshall 16
Tulsa 51, Central Michigan 13

Standings After Week One

East Division Conf. Total
East Carolina 0-0 0-0
Central Florida 0-0 0-0
Marshall 0-0 0-1
Memphis 0-0 0-1
UAB 0-0 0-1
Southern Miss 0-0 0-1

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 0-0 1-0
UTEP 0-0 0-0
Rice 0-0 0-0
Tulane 0-0 0-1
Southern Methodist 0-0 0-1
Houston 0-0 0-1

aztarheel

12-09-2007, 02:14 PM

2006 Season — Week 2

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SMU 37, Hawaii 6
Big passing attack the 'Key' for Mustangs

Maybe it was the promise of an extra day in Hawaii if the Mustangs won. Maybe Hawaii really isn't that good in football this season. Or maybe coach Todd Rutledge is getting the hang of this coaching thing after all.

Whatever the case, even Rutledge found himself happily surprised and amazed at the blowout victory, his first as a college head coach. SMU improved to 1-1 overall, showing great strides after getting blown out by Arkansas State the week before

Back-up quarterback Jon Key, subbing in for the injured Edward Hawkins, had a field day against the Warriors' defense, throwing for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Receivers Bryan Simpson (7 catches, 146 yards, 1 TD), Tommy O'Leary (5 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs) and Thomas Miller (6 catches, 130 yards) each had career afternoons hauling in Key's aerials. Even back-up quarterback Patrick Watkins got to enjoy the fun, completing five of his eight attempts for another 123 yards. Wow. Fourth-stringer Gaston Robinson got one series, completing one of two throws for 5 yards (his other was picked off however -- that's what Rutledge gets for throwing so late in the game).

SMU converted on five of six trips inside the red zone and held Hawaii to 262 yards of total offense. A complete victory, worthy of Rutledge getting an ice water bath from his team after the contest. Normally, he'd protest, considering the opponent and this only being the second week of the season. But hey, it was hot out there, and the ice bath felt good. So did the win, and so will that extra day on the islands, provided courtesy of having a bye from game action this upcoming Saturday.

Here's the box score:

SMU 10 10 14 3 -- 37
Hawaii 0 0 3 3 -- 6

First Quarter
SMU FG 9:51 3-0 Henry Colbert 30 YD
SMU TD 2:12 10-0 Tommy O'Leary 29 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Second Quarter
SMU TD 5:52 17-0 Benjamin Jones 2 YD run (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU FG 0:19 20-0 Henry Colbert 41 YD
Third Quarter
SMU TD 13:31 27-0 Tommy O'Leary 45 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
HAW FG 8:51 27-3 Robert Toney 39 YD
SMU TD 5:54 34-3 Bryan Simpson 14 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Fourth Quarter
HAW FG 14:06 34-6 Robert Toney 49 YD
SMU FG 5:12 37-6 Henry Colbert 31 YD

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB Jon Key 13 of 20 for 335 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
QB Patrick Watkins 5 of 8 for 123 yards, 0 TDs, O INTs

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 21 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD
RB David Noel 3 carries for 13 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Bryan Simpson 7 catches, 146 yards, 1 TD
WR Tommy O'Leary 5 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs
WR Thomas Miller 6 catches, 130 yards
RB Troy O'Connell 1 catch, 42 yards (33 yards after catch!)

SMU Total Yards
518 yards = 463 yards passing, 55 rushing

HAW Passing
QB A. Lloyd 15 of 29 for 144 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
QB J. Taylor 2 of 8 for 18 yards, 1 INT

HAW Rushing
RB J. Davis 18 carries for 84 yards
FB R. Moore 4 carries for 18 yards

HAW Receiving
TE W. Scott 5 catches for 60 yards
RB J. Davis 4 catches for 49 yards
WR E. Weber 2 catches for 32 yards

HAW Total Yards
264 = 162 passing, 102 rushing

aztarheel

12-10-2007, 10:02 AM

2006 Season — Week 2 in Conference USA

Almost forgot. Here are scores from this week's games involving the mighty C-USA. A better week overall for the league:

SMU 37, Hawaii 6 (wahoo!)
No. 18 Purdue 41, East Carolina 10
Iowa State 36, Houston 0
Memphis 41, Louisiana-Monroe 10
Southern Miss 46, Utah State 3
South Florida 19, Tulane 6
UAB 27, Florida Atlantic 3
Navy 27, Central Florida 17
San Jose State 20, Marshall 19
Miami Ohio 41, Tulsa 14
UTEP 31, Western Michigan 14
Rice 30, New Mexico 19

Standings After Week One

East Division Conf. Total
Memphis 0-0 1-1
UAB 0-0 1-1
Southern Miss 0-0 1-1
East Carolina 0-0 0-1
Central Florida 0-0 0-1
Marshall 0-0 0-2

West Division Conf. Total
UTEP 0-0 1-0
Rice 0-0 1-0
SMU 0-0 1-1
Tulsa 0-0 1-1
Tulane 0-0 0-2
Houston 0-0 0-2

aztarheel

12-10-2007, 11:07 AM

2006 Season — Week 3

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SMU has the week off, recovering from its trip (and win!) at Hawaii. While the Mustangs get ready for a Week 4 trip to Rice, here is what happened this week in Conference USA:

(It's a rough one as the "big name" schools give the little C-USA guys a beating. Tulsa salvages some league pride with an upset of Arkansas...

Maryland 38, Alabama-Birmingham 20
No. 21 Georgia Tech 35, Central Florida 28
Iowa 58, Memphis 13
Michigan State 24, Southern Miss 10
Minnesota 21, Tulane 7
Colorado 49, Marshall 21
No. 2 Florida 41, East Carolina 14
Houston 21, Kentucky 19
Miami Ohio 21, UTEP 0
Wyoming 12, Rice 8
Tulsa 43, Arkansas 21

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Memphis 0-0 1-2
UAB 0-0 1-2
Southern Miss 0-0 1-2
East Carolina 0-0 0-2
Central Florida 0-0 0-2
Marshall 0-0 0-3

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 0-0 2-1
UTEP 0-0 1-1
Rice 0-0 1-1
SMU 0-0 1-1
Houston 0-0 1-2
Tulane 0-0 0-3

aztarheel

12-11-2007, 07:31 AM

(not sure if too many people are reading, but at least I'm having fun...)

2006 Season — Week 4

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Southern Methodist 26, Rice 17
Mustangs claim 'Mayor's Cup,' improve to 2-1

Things looked bleak for SMU against lowly Rice when the Owls jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Then SMU turned the ball over on downs at the Rice 40 when a fourth-down pass from Jonathan Key fell incomplete.

But an interception by Glenn Stratton early in the second quarter helped turned the tide the Mustangs' way. Running back Benjamin Jones had a monster game, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The comeback was complete when Jones carried in his second TD of the game midway through the fourth-quarter, giving SMU its first lead at 23-17.

A Henry Colbert field goal with 2:00 left sealed the contest and gave SMU a win in its conference opener. Colbert had a big game overall, making four field goals in all, including one as time expired in the first half that proved crucial to the comeback. Coach Todd Rutledge found himself tempted to go for some fourth downs after falling behind, but remained patient and let Colbert help kick the Mustangs back into contention.

SMU outgained Rice 490-198. The two-platoon quarterback system with Key and Patrick Watkins seemed to work well. Coach Rutledge, now 2-1 as a college coach, just kind of stuck with the hot hand. Both QBs had their moments, though Key (sacked three times) tends to hang out in the pocket too long without getting rid of the ball.

Rice was projected to finish 12th in the conference and SMU 10th, so this was a much-needed win for the Mustangs, who have been charged by administrators to stay off the bottom of the C-USA standings...

Here's the box score:

SMU 0 10 3 13 -- 26
Rice 14 0 3 0 0 -- 7

First Quarter
RICE TD 5:47 7-0 Max Gay 3 yd pass from Christopher Bab**** (James Bird kick)
RICE TD 1:22 14-0 Paul Adams 18 yd pass from Bab**** (Bird kick)
Second Quarter
SMU TD 7:30 14-7 Benjamin Jones 1 yd run (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU FG 0:00 14-10 Colbert 25 yd
Third Quarter
SMU FG 5:19 14-13 Colbert 34 yd
Rice FG 0:52 17-13 Bird 25 yd
Fourth Quarter
SMU FG 11:52 17-16 Colbert 26 yd
SMU TD 8:13 23-17 Jones 5 yd run (Colbert kick)
SMU FG 2:00 26-17 Colbert 30 yd

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB Jon Key 12 of 25 for 175 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
QB Patrick Watkins 8 of 15 for 156 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 34 carries, 120 yards, 2 TDs
RB Tim O'Connell 4 carries, 30 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Tommy O'Leary 7 catches, 124 yards
WR Thomas Miller 4 catches, 63 yards
WR Bryan Simpson 3 catches, 52 yards
WR Edward Smith 3 catches, 50 yards
WR Terry McCollum 2 catches, 35 yards

SMU Total Yards
490 yards = 331 yards passing, 159 rushing

RICE Passing
QB Christopher Bab**** 12 of 35 for 140 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

RICE Rushing
RB D. Chang 13 carries, 22 yards

RICE Receiving
WR M. Carpenter 3 catches, 57 yards
WR P. Adams 5 catches, 44 yards
WR M. Gay 3 catches, 26 yards

RICE Total Yards
189 = 140 passing, 49 rushing

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Scoreboard

Only five games involving C-USA teams this week, and all are league games. Marshall has been projected as the front-runner. and the Herd took care of biz in its opener.

Southern Methodist 26, Rice 17
Alabama-Birmingham 41, Southern Miss 9
Marshall 37, UTEP 17
Tulane 17, East Carolina 14
Tulsa 21, Memphis 3

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
UAB 1-0 2-2
Marshall 1-0 1-3
Central Florida 0-0 0-2
Memphis 0-1 1-3
Southern Miss 0-1 1-3
East Carolina 0-1 0-3

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 1-0 3-1
SMU 1-0 2-1
Tulane 1-0 1-3
Houston 0-0 1-2
UTEP 0-1 1-2
Rice 0-1 1-2

ShaunGBD

12-13-2007, 03:23 AM

Keep it up. I like it so far

aztarheel

12-13-2007, 02:22 PM

Keep it up. I like it so far

Thanks Shaun... I was beginning to wonder if I anyone was still hanging out on these boards .. I've played a few more games and will post as soon as I can ... the next game was down to the wire...

AZ

Big Six

12-13-2007, 06:42 PM

Yeah, AZ, there are a few of us who stop in every once in a while. :)

I see you decided to try to resurrect the Mustangs. I hope Coach Rutledge and the 'Stangs can keep up their winning ways.

That Week 12 visit from Tulsa could turn out to be crucial...they put up a big win against Arkansas and, with the exception of the beating they took in their loss to Miami/Ohio, their defense looks like it's been pretty stout.

I'll be reading with interest!

luismiranda

12-15-2007, 08:30 AM

aztarheel

12-15-2007, 07:03 PM

sorry I didn't have this earlier luis, I had to work all day also ....

2006 Season — Week 5

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East Carolina 24, Southern Methodist 20
Pirates pillage victory in final minutes

Coach Todd Rutledge didn’t want to face the media after this game. He stewed for a good 15 minutes before finally making his way to the press room.

Sure enough, some yahoo reporter asked the question he least wanted to hear: “So coach, how did this one get away?”

It was a tough one to swallow for sure. SMU had been down 17-3 at the half and looking like they were going to get blown all the way out of Greenville, N.C. But then Rutledge made a bold move, moving away from the two-quarterback system and turning the reigns over to sophomore third-stringer Phillip Watkins (starter Edward Hawkins is still hurt).

Watkins responded by throwing two touchdown passes and helping SMU take a 20-17 lead. His first TD strike came just minutes into the third quarter, an 11-yard zinger to Tommy O’Leary. His second was a 90-yard highlight reel post-pattern throw to Bryan Simpson on the last play of the third quarter. Simpson beat his defender and huffed-and-puffed his way to the end zone.

That made the score 20-17 Mustangs. But SMU couldn’t hold it even though it forced ECU to punt twice in the fourth quarter. Watkins completed a big 48-yard pass to O’Leary to get the Mustangs out of the shadow of their own end zone, hoping for the icing touchdown. Another 19-yard completion deep into ECU territory was waved off because of a flag, and a potential chance to put the Pirates away for good stalled.

The Pirates moved 80 yards in just six plays to take the lead 24-20 with 3:54 left. SMU had two cracks at getting back ahead but couldn’t even get a first down. The game ended with quarterback Jonathan Key -- not Watkins, who was benched down the stretch after throwing some poor passes -- ending up on his back for a big loss.

“So coach, how did this one get away?” The reporter asked again. Rutledge groaned, knowing that he and his players made some mistakes that cost one of the lowliest programs in the country the chance to be 3-1, 2-0 in Conference USA instead of 2-2, 1-1.

Here's the box score:

SMU 0 3 17 0 -- 20
ECU 7 10 0 7 -- 24

First Quarter
ECU TD 5:32 7-0 Paul Trujillo 88 YD Pass from Kenneth Lopez (Brian Wright Kick).
Second Quarter
SMU FG 12:23 7-3 Henry Colbert 26 YD
ECU TD 11:22 14-3 Kasey Flores 22 YD Pass from Kenneth Lopez (Brian Wright Kick).
ECU FG 02:25 17-3 Brian Wright 37 YD
Third Quarter
SMU TD 11:48 17-10 Tommy Oleary 11 YD Pass from Phillip Watkins (Henry Colbert Kick).
SMU FG 03:32 17-13 Henry Colbert 26 YD
SMU TD 00:00 20-17 Bryan Simpson 90 YD Pass from Phillip Watkins (Henry Colbert Kick).
Fourth Quarter
ECU TD 3:54 24-20 Lamont Jennings 11 YD Pass from Kenneth Lopez (Brian Wright kick)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB Jon Key 11 of 26 for 159 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
QB Patrick Watkins 7 of 18 for 249 yards, 2 TD’s, 0 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 17 carries, 42 yards
QB Phillip Watkins 1 carry, 3 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Tommy O'Leary 7 catches, 148 yards
WR Bryan Simpson 5 catches, 176 yards
TE Michael Acosta 3 catches, 51 yards

SMU Total Yards
490 yards = 29 rushing, 408 passing

ECU Passing
QB K. Lopez 22 of 34 for 361 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT

ECU Rushing
RB L. Jennings 25 carries, 74 yards
RB W. Smith 10 carries, 50 yards

ECU Receiving
WR P. Trujillo 3 catches, 150 yards, 1 TD
TE J. Williams 5 catches, 78 yards
WR K. Flores 5 catches, 67 yards, 1 TD
RB L. Jennings 6 catches, 42 yards, 1 TD

ECU Total Yards
469 = 108 passing, 361 rushing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

Only five games involving C-USA teams this week, and all are league games. Marshall has been projected as the front-runner. and the Herd took care of biz in for the second week in a row...

East Carolina 24, Southern Methodist 20
Marshall 28, Southern Miss 3
Memphis 21, Houston 7
Central Florida 20, Alabama Birmingham 10
UTEP 17, Rice 13
Tulsa 17, Tulane 10

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 2-0 2-3
Central Florida 1-0 1-2
UAB 1-1 2-3
Memphis 1-1 2-3
East Carolina 1-1 1-3
Southern Miss 0-2 1-4

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 2-0 4-1
SMU 1-1 2-2
UTEP 1-1 2-2
Tulane 1-1 1-4
Houston 0-1 1-3
Rice 0-2 1-3

aztarheel

12-17-2007, 09:40 AM

2006 Season — Week 6

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpghttp://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/Houston2006.jpg

Houston 27, Southern Methodist 17
Cougars own fourth quarter, earn win in Dallas

The Mustangs fell behind 17-0 in the first half and rallied to tie it 17-17 in the third quarter. But Houston proved too much down the stretch to take the pivotal Conference USA victory.

SMU had the ball at the Houston 17-yard line in the fourth quarter, trailing 20-17. But quarterback Jonathan Key had a pass intercepted in the end zone. The Cougars marched 80 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

"The one thing I did like about this game is that we didn't quit when we got behind," coach Todd Rutledge said afterward. "I know we struggled in the final quarter, but I like the fight of this group. Maybe in past years, SMU would have folded the tents after getting behind by 17 in the opening half.

"And Jonathan didn't throw a bad ball on the interception. The defensive back just made a heck of a play."

SMU had its best rushing output of the season, 163 yards. Benjamin Jones finished one yard shy of 100. Backup Tim O'Connell rushed for 67 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The Mustangs' defense had a tough time stopping Houston quarterback Alfonso Pena, doing his best David Carr imitation. Pena threw for 304 yards and two TDs on 19-of-33 completions. Both scoring strikes went to Stephen Vick, no relation to Michael Vick.

One note, Edward Hawkins — who began the season as SMU's starter — returned in a limited way to this game. He was pretty awful, missing on all five pass attempts. Jon Key looks like the starter to beat out from now on (though he's no world-beater either).

Also should be noted that Houston was picked to finish 11th in Conference USA. This was a game SMU had to have...

Here's the box score:

Houston 10 7 0 10 -- 27
SMU 0 10 7 0 -- 17

First Quarter
HOU FG 9:54 3-0 Robert Pitts 37 YD
HOU TD 7:57 10-0 Stephen Vick 72 YD pass from Alfonso Pena (Robert Pitts kick)
Second Quarter
HOU TD 13:21 17-0 Alfonso Peny 3 YD run (Robert Pitts kick)
SMU TD 6:30 17-7 Tim O'Connell 3 YD run (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU FG 1:37 17-10 Henry Colbert 27 YD
Third Quarter
SMU TD 4:33 17-17 Tim O'Connell 5 YD run (Henry Colbert kick)
Fourth Quarter
HOU FG 10:25 20-17 Robert Pitts 35 YD
HOU TD 4:51 27-17 Stephen Vick 22 YD pass from Alfonso Pena (Robert Pitts kick)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB Jon Key 10 of 26 for 164 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
QB Edward Hawkins 0 for 5, 0 yards

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 21 carries, 99 yards
RB Tim O'Connell 13 carries, 67 yards, 2 TDs

SMU Receiving
WR T. McCollum 3 catches, 99 yards
WR Bryan Simpson 2 catches, 36 yards
WR Tommy O'Leary 4 catches, 27 yards

SMU Total Yards
327 yards = 163 rushing, 164 passing

HOU Passing
QB Alfonso Pena 19 of 33 for 304 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

HOU Rushing
RB J. Webster 12 carries, 70 yards
RB M. Yu 18 carries, 45 yards

HOU Receiving
WR Stephen Vick 3 catches, 97 yards, 2 TDs
WR B. Kim 6 catches, 68 yards
WR W. Wilkinson 3 catches, 59 yards
WR R. Coulter 5 catches, 47 yards
RB J. Webster 2 catches, 33 yards

HOU Total Yards
436 = 304 passing, 132 rushing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

It's a full weekend of league games for Conference USA Teams. Tulsa and UTEP moved to the front of the West Division. Marshall looks like the team to beat in the East.

Houston 27, Southern Methodist 17
Marshall 24, Memphis 10
Tulsa 27, East Carolina 3
UTEP 26, Southern Miss 0
Alabama-Birmingham 26, Tulane 20
Rice 44, Central Florida 10

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 3-0 3-3
UAB 2-1 3-3
Central Florida 1-1 1-3
Memphis 1-2 2-4
East Carolina 1-2 1-4
Southern Miss 0-3 1-5

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 3-0 5-1
UTEP 2-1 3-2
Houston 1-1 2-3
SMU 1-2 2-3
Rice 1-2 2-3
Tulane 1-2 1-5

luismiranda

12-17-2007, 10:01 AM

Don't take the loss to harsh. Houston has a tendancy in my games to surpass expectations and sometimes even win the conference. Greay story so far.

aztarheel

12-17-2007, 11:41 AM

Keep on putting it up, I started reading your post today. I'm doing a leauge now with ECU so it's interesting to see what you have going on. I'm at work today for 12 hours so if you can keep posting an entertaining me it would be great. :D

So Luis, are you a Pirates fan or did you just decide to take ECU for random reasons? I live in NC, so I've followed the Pirates for a long time ...

luismiranda

12-17-2007, 02:09 PM

To be honest I really hate ECU and any NC team for that matter, with the exception of Duke Football. I'm a sucker for the underdog. My favorite team is Florida State. I've been pulling for them since 93 when I was a wee boy living in Florida. To this day I still bleed Garnet and Gold. I just never play as them on my games because I feel like I have to earn the right to coach them. So far in two different attempts I have yet to get the job offer.

aztarheel

12-20-2007, 04:25 PM

2006 Season — Week 7

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpghttp://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/UABHelmet.jpg

Southern Methodist 27, Alabama-Birmingham 14
Big third quarter puts Mustangs back on winning track

SMU gave up on early touchdown but responded with 27 unanswered points to claim a Conference USA victory over the Blazers.

The Mustangs' defense was huge, picking off three passes, recovering two fumbles and recording eight sacks (!). SMU had its problems moving the ball but used big plays -- touchdown passes of 40, 66 and 21 yards -- to put points on the board. Tommy O'Leary hauled in two touchdown strikes from quarterback John Key.

O'Leary, who finished with 137 yards in receptions with a long of 62, was named the game MVP.

Henry Colbert booted a pair of field goals for the home team, which improved to 2-2 in the conference and 3-3 overall. SMU now gets ready for a big game at Marshall, considered one of the teams to beat in Conference USA.

Here's the box score:

UAB 7 0 0 7 -- 14
SMU 3 7 17 0 -- 27

First Quarter
UAB TD 12:53 7-0 Henry Hanson 67 YD pass from Charles Parsons (Charles Mayfield kick)
SMU FG 2:35 7-3 Henry Colbert 44 YD
Second Quarter
SMU TD 10:52 10-7 Tommy O'Leary 40 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Third Quarter
SMU TD 8:24 17-7 Tommy O'Leary 21 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU TD 6:06 24-7 Bryan Simpson 66 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU FG 3:14 27-7 Henry Colbert 35 YD
Fourth Quarter
UAB TD 10:41 27-14 Dean Becker 57 YD pass from Charles Parsons (Charles Mayfield kick)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 9 of 23 for 257 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
QB Patrick Watkins 0 for 1, 1 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 22 carries, 49 yards
RB Tim O'Connell 7 carries, 20 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Tommy O'Leary 5 catches, 137 yards
WR Bryan Simpson 4 catches, 120 yards

SMU Total Yards
316 yards = 59 (ugg) rushing, 257 passing

UAB Passing
QB C. Parsons 18 of 37 for 317 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs

UAB Rushing
RB C. Allen 23 carries, 128 yards
RB J. Hyatt 4 carries, 7 yards

UAB Receiving
WR D. Becker 8 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD
WR R. Artis 6 catches, 73 yards,
TE H. Hanson 1 catch, 67 yards, 1 TD

UAB Total Yards
406 = 89 yards rushing, 317 yards passing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

It was another full weekend of league games for Conference USA Teams. Tulane beat Marshall, which surprised me. Tulsa keeps marching on, the only undefeated team left in the conference standings. Southern Miss certainly isn't what it is in real life in my world...

Southern Methodist 27, Alabama-Birmingham 14
Tulane 26, Marshall 12
East Carolina 20, Central Florida 3
Memphis 27, Southern Miss 13
Tulsa 29, UTEP 20
Rice 28, Navy 17

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 3-1 3-4
UAB 2-2 3-4
Memphis 2-2 3-4
East Carolina 2-2 2-4
Central Florida 1-2 1-4
Southern Miss 0-4 1-6

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 4-0 6-1
SMU 2-2 3-3
UTEP 2-2 3-3
Tulane 2-2 2-5
Houston 1-1 2-3
Rice 1-2 3-3

luismiranda

12-21-2007, 01:09 PM

Big win against UAB. Conference USA is a lot tougher than people give it credit for. I finally won the conference title for the first time after 7 yrs as the coach of ECU.

aztarheel

12-21-2007, 01:11 PM

Big win against UAB. Conference USA is a lot tougher than people give it credit for. I finally won the conference title for the first time after 7 yrs as the coach of ECU.

wow, seven years ... that's a long time ... of course, that's probably pretty realistic ... as you'll see in my next post, coming in just a bit, SMU still has a ways to go...

aztarheel

12-21-2007, 01:38 PM

2006 Season — Week 8

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Marshall 51, Southern Methodist 6
Thundering Herd thunders to easy win over Mustangs

SMU coach Todd Rutledge, who had served for several years as an assistant coach at West Virginia (a school he had grown very fond of, despite his Texas roots), had hoped his return to the Mountaineer state would be a proud one. But Marshall, the other big team in the state, sent Rutledge back humbled.

It was by far SMU’s worst game of the season. Against Arkansas State, the Mustangs played OK but beat themselves with foolish penalties and turnovers. Against Houston, one bad quarter did them in. Against ECU, it was just a heartbreaking finish after a nice comeback.

But this was a beat down, plain and simple. Marshall outgained SMU 461-214. The Mustangs posted MINUS 20 yards rushing, getting sacked six times for 48 yards in losses. Ugg. SMU threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball away twice. And the Herd took full advantage of every opportunity, pouring it on with 17 points in the fourth quarter (after yours truly pulled the plug by clicking on “Exit Game“ because I was so frustrated).

Coach Rutledge, though a forgiving and upstanding fellow overall, took notice that Marshall had its starting running back in the game late in the fourth quarter -- and that RB took off on a 62-yard touchdown to put the Herd over 50 points for the game with 1:26 left.

It’s back to the drawing board time for the Mustangs, now 3-4 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA. Next week brings a game against UTEP. It can’t get here soon enough…

Here's the box score:

SMU 0 0 6 0 -- 6
Marshall 17 10 7 17 -- 50

First Quarter
MRSH FG 10:34 3-0 Herbert Castillo 38 YD
MRSH TD 5:54 10-0 Thomas Black 19 YD pass from John Walker (Herbert Castillo kick)
MRSH TD 1:58 17-0 Morris Ball 1 YD run (Herbert Castillo kick)
Second Quarter
MRSH FG 6:57 20-0 Herbert Castillo 22 YD
MRSH TD 3:14 27-0 John Walker 2 YD run (Herbert Castillo kick)
Third Quarter
SMU TD 11:32 27-6 Tommy O'Leary 5 YD pass from John Key (2 Pts failed)
MRSH TD 0:05 34-6 62 YD punt return by Thomas Black (Herbert Castillo kick)
Fourth Quarter
MRSH TD 9:10 41-6 Thomas Black 6 YD pass from John Walker (Herbert Castillo kick)
MRSH FG 4:23 44-6 Herbert Castillo 41 YD
MARSH TD 1:26 51-6 Morris Ball 62 YD run (Herbert Castillo kick)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 15 of 33 for 182 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
QB Edward Hawkins 5 of 13 for 52 yards, 1 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 10 carries, 12 yards
RB Tim O'Connell 6 carries, 20 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Bryan Simpson 7 catches, 95 yards
WR Tommy O'Leary 8 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD
WR Terry McCollum 2 catches, 28 yards

SMU Total Yards
214 yards = minus-20 rushing, 234 passing

MRSH Passing
QB John Walker 21 of 33 for 298 yards, 2 TD’s, 0 INT’s

MRSH Rushing
RB Morris Ball 21 carries, 130 yards, 2 TD’s
RB J. Collins 9 carries, 14 yards
RB John Walker 5 carries, 14 yards, 1 TD

MRSH Receiving
WR T. Black 7 catches, 156 yards, 2 TD’s
RB Morris Ball 2 catches, 46 yards
WR S. Cooper 6 catches, 41 yards

MRSH Total Yards
461 = 163 yards rushing, 298 yards passing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

Most teams in action. UTEP, who Southern Methodist plays next, won its game this week. Tulsa kept its conference unbeaten streak alive.

Marshall 51, Southern Methodists 6
Southern Miss 13, Rice 10
Houston 26, Tulane 14
Tulsa 17, Central Florida 10
UTEP 13, Florida International 10

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 4-1 4-4
UAB 2-2 3-4
Memphis 2-2 3-4
East Carolina 2-2 2-4
Central Florida 1-3 1-5
Southern Miss 1-4 2-6

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 5-0 7-1
Houston 2-1 3-3
UTEP 2-2 4-3
SMU 2-3 3-4
Tulane 2-3 2-6
Rice 1-3 3-4

aztarheel

12-21-2007, 01:59 PM

Coach Todd Rutledge had watched about an hour's worth of film from the Marshall game with his assistants on Sunday afternoon. Then, he couldn't take it any more. He tossed the remote control to an assistant and stormed out of the room, making a phone call to senior captains Oliver Tores (an offensive tackle) and Glenn Straton (a strong safety).

"Guys, I want you to call all your teammates and have them at the practice field tomorrow morning at 5:45 a.m. Make sure everyone is wearing shorts, T-shirts and running shoes, got it? ... And no one had better be late."

Sure enough, there were only a handful of stragglers the next morning at the crack of dawn (walk-ons mostly and folks buried on the depth chart). For the next 90 minutes Rutledge and his coaches worked their boys as hard as they could run them.

Sprints. Suicides. Up-downs. All the "county fair" type drills that a high school team might do on the first day of practice in early August.

And Rutledge didn't just bark out instructions to his players from the sidelines either. He and his assistants joined in (as best they could). Rutledge amazed some of his most fit athletes by keeping up on most runs.

Around 7:15 a.m., Rutledge blew his whistle and gathered sweaty, sufficiently worn out team around him at midfield.

"Well done, men. You worked hard today. Now, you had better not ever get embarassed like you did against Marshall again, do you understand?"

The message got through loud and clear.

luismiranda

12-21-2007, 05:12 PM

The loss against Marshall must have been hard to swallow. I've had to endure some tough losses from them. Believe me it feels good to return the favor and I've done that a few times now. :D I will let you know however that as frustrating as that loss was it gets even more frustrating that after a few good recruiting classes you can still lose to a lowly Memphis team and not be able to compete for the conference championship. I can't recall how many times I was in the midst of a conference championship race only to lose to Memphis and get jumped by another team.

luismiranda

12-26-2007, 08:25 AM

I thought you might be interested in knowing that SMU won the Conference USA Championship in 2020. They finished with a 7-5 record and then lost in the Liberty Bowl to Boston College by a field goal.

aztarheel

12-26-2007, 11:14 AM

I thought you might be interested in knowing that SMU won the Conference USA Championship in 2020. They finished with a 7-5 record and then lost in the Liberty Bowl to Boston College by a field goal.

Great, all I have to do is keep plugging away for 15 years, and SMU will win something ... :rolleyes:

luismiranda

12-26-2007, 12:33 PM

At least now you have something to look forward too. You know it's possible.

aztarheel

12-28-2007, 11:49 PM

2006 Season — Week 9

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpghttp://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/UTEPHelmet.jpg

Southern Methodist 30, UTEP 17
Renewed Mustangs run, pass, kick their way past Miners

Coach Todd Rutledge got his players’ attention with his Monday morning impromptu conditioning session. He basically sent the message that losing -- and a loser’s mentality -- were no longer acceptable at SMU. The message got through, at least for this week.

This was probably the most complete game of the season for SMU. The defense dominated. The running game (finally) got going, with backup Troy O’Connell enjoying a 100-yard day. Quarterback John Key managed the offense well without turning it over.

Even kicker Henry Colbert was money, booting three field goals, including a 50-yarder.

SMU improved to 4-4 overall with the win, just two games away from being -- gulp -- bowl eligible. Wouldn’t that be something for a program that has been down so long? It’s been a long, long time since the Mustangs have been playing in late December. Coach Rutledge didn’t allow himself to dwell on that too much. There are four games left, and the Mustangs very easily could be 4-8 if they get satisfied now…

Here's the box score:

UTEP 0 3 7 7 -- 17
SMU 3 17 7 3 -- 30

First Quarter
SMU FG 5:38 3-0 Henry Colbert 42 YD
Second Quarter
SMU TD 14:04 10-0 Benjamin Jones 12 YD run (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU FG 6:47 13-0 Henry Colbert 29 YD
SMU TD 2:28 20-0 Michael Acosta 15 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
UTEP FG 0:08 20-3 Scott Davis 48 YD
Third Quarter
UTEP TD 12:53 20-10 Russ Brown 15 YD pass from Jefferey Smith (Scott Davis kick)
SMU TD 4:15 27-10 Tommy O’Leary 4 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Fourth Quarter
SMU FG 7:01 30-10 Henry Colbert 50 YD
UTEP TD 6:31 30-17 Daniel Sullivan 3 YD pass from Jefferey Smith (Scott Davis kick)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 22 of 42 for 210 yards, 2 TD’s, 0 INTs

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 20 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD
RB Tim O'Connell 17 carries, 103 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Terry McCollum 6 catches, 78 yards,
TE Michael Acosta 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD
WR Tommy O'Leary 5 catches, 34 yards, 1 TD

SMU Total Yards
359 yards = 210 passing, 149 rushing

UTEP Passing
QB Jefferey Smith 12 of 27 for 132 yards, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s

UTEP Rushing
RB C. Magana 16 carries, 46 yards
RB E. Moreland 9 carries, 20 yards

UTEP Receiving
WR G. Paul 3 catches, 48 yards
WR D. Sullivan 3 catches, 28 yards, 1 TD
WR G. Lynch 3 catches, 20 yards

UTEP Total Yards
186 = 54 yards rushing, 132 yards passing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

Lots of games in C-USA this week. Tulsa’s now 8-1, wow. Marshall beat up on another foe, so at least that looks better for SMU.

Marshall 44, UAB 15
Southern Miss 19, Central Florida 11
Tulsa 21, Houston 14
Memphis 13, ECU 7
SMU 30, UTEP 17
Tulane 36, Rice 13

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 5-1 5-4
Memphis 3-2 4-4
UAB 2-3 3-5
East Carolina 2-3 2-5
Southern Miss 2-4 3-6
Central Florida 1-4 1-6

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 6-0 8-1
SMU 3-3 4-4
Tulane 3-3 3-6
UTEP 2-2 4-3
Houston 2-2 3-4
Rice 1-4 3-5

aztarheel

12-29-2007, 12:27 AM

2006 Season — Week 10

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpghttp://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/TulaneHelmet.jpg

Southern Methodist 26, Tulane 17
Big returns help Mustangs rally from 17-0 deficit for fifth win

Tommy O’Leary probably should have taken a knee in the end zone for a touchback. But something told him to come on out and go for broke. So he did, found a seam along the left sideline, got a couple of great blocks and brought the kickoff back 98 yards.

That play may have been the turning point in SMU’s win over the Green Wave in New Orleans. Tulane had just scored its second touchdown to go up on SMU 17-0 midway through the second quarter. But O’Leary’s play brought some life back into the Mustangs’ sidelines and coach Todd Rutledge’s team capitalized by scoring 26 unanswered points for the victory.

Granted, the Mustangs only got a field goal after O’Leary’s huge return, but SMU was a totally different team after that. They rose up on defense and did just enough on offense to take advantage of its opportunities.

O’Leary began the second half with an 88-yard kickoff return, setting up SMU’s first TD. That made the score 17-10. The Mustangs tied it up at 17 later in the third quarter, then kicker Henry Colbert (one of Rutledge’s favorite players on his first SMU team) booted three field goals in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

It wasn’t a pretty game for sure for SMU. Quarterback John Key was just 14 of 39 (ugg). But an ugly win will do any day for a program that has so few victories the past few decades.

The Mustangs are now 5-4 overall, 4-3 in Conference USA going into the league finale against Tulsa. If SMU can somehow stop the Golden Hurricane after a week off from game action, Rutledge and his troops really can start thinking about bowls.

Tulsa will be a formidable foe for sure. The Hurricane moved to 9-1 this week with a win over Temple. They’ve already clinched a berth in the Conference USA championship game and are dreaming of being 13-1 with a sweep of its remaining games, the C-USA title game and the Liberty Bowl…

Here's the box score:

SMU 0 3 14 9 -- 26
Tulane 10 7 0 0 -- 17

First Quarter
TUL TD 5:12 7-0 Ross Freeman 7 YD run (Harold Rodrigues kick)
TUL FG 0:00 10-0 Harold Rodrigues 35 YD
Second Quarter
TUL TD 8:57 17-0 Orlando Stoddard 6 YD run (Harold Rodrigues kick)
SMU FG 6:51 17-3 Henry Colbert 26 YD
Third Quarter
SMU TD 14:21 17-10 Bryan Simpson 5 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
SMU TD 4:46 17-17 Tommy O’Leary 9 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Fourth Quarter
SMU FG 9:00 20-17 Henry Colbert 31 YD
SMU FG 6:26 23-17 Henry Colbert 44 YD
SMU FG 0:49 26-17 Henry Colbert 40 YD

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 14 of 39 for 147 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Tim O'Connell 13 carries, 56 yards
RB Benjamin Jones 14 carries, 30 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Tommy O'Leary 6 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD
WR Bryan Simpson 3 catches, 26 yards, 1 TD
TE Michael Acosta 2 catches, 21 yards

SMU Total Yards
244 yards = 97 rushing, 147 passing

TUL Passing
QB V. Martin 21 of 34 for 198 yards, 0 TD’s, 1 INT
QB J. Woodard 3 of 4 for 39 yards

TUL Rushing
RB O. Stoddard 19 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD
RB R. Freeman 18 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
FB. J. Flores 1 carry, 21 yards

TUL Receiving
WR S. Barney 8 catches, 93 yards
WR D. Russell 7 catches, 73 yards
WR B. Smith 6 catches, 53 yards

TUL Total Yards
390 = 153 yards rushing, 237 yards passing

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg
Scoreboard

Lots of league games again this week. Marshall and Tulsa are on a collision course for the C-USA championship game.

SMU 26, Tulane 17
Marshall 22, Central Florida 6
Memphis 29, UAB 15

ECU 24, Southern Miss 10
Houston 24, UTEP 16
Tulsa 23, Temple 17

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 6-1 6-4
Memphis 4-2 5-4
East Carolina 3-3 3-5
UAB 2-4 3-6
Southern Miss 2-5 3-7
Central Florida 1-5 1-7

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 6-0 9-1
SMU 4-3 5-4
Houston 3-2 4-4
Tulane 3-4 3-7
UTEP 2-3 4-4
Rice 1-4 3-5

Holycow98

12-29-2007, 02:08 AM

Good luck with your last three games. If you can go at least 2-1 you may just get in a bowl game.

luismiranda

12-29-2007, 09:18 AM

Who are your last 3 games against?

aztarheel

12-30-2007, 11:54 AM

SMU has a week off, then will play Tulsa, La Tech and TCU ... Tulsa is the last C-USA opponent ... I'll be curious to see how many C-USA teams get bowl berths...

luismiranda

12-30-2007, 01:37 PM

Tulsa and TCU will be tough. However you do have one thing going for you, in my Conference USA game with ECU I realized that sometimes Conference USA was like the SEC on any given Saturday a bad team could beat a good team. I found that out the hard way several times. Hopefully La Tech will be a win and probably guarantee a bowl game for you. Look for about 4-6 Conference USA teams to be in a bowl game.

aztarheel

12-30-2007, 03:17 PM

2006 Season — Week 11

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg

Southern Methodist bye week
Mustangs keep eye on next opponent, Tulsa, which wins 10th game

SMU didn't play this week, but Mustangs coach Todd Rutledge stayed active on Saturday, keeping his eye on Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane, next week's opponent for the Mustangs, improved to 10-1 with a win over Rice. This was the ninth-straight victory for the Golden Hurricane.

Even though SMU will be steep underdogs, Rutledge just has a great feeling about this game. Of course, he felt that way about Marshall, too, and that contest was a disaster.

Anyways, here's a roundup of Conference USA action that did take place in week 11:

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Scoreboard

Just four games this week...

UAB 14, ECU 6
Memphis 40, UTEP 14
Tulsa 35, Rice 21
Houston 30, Central Florida 6

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 6-1 6-4
Memphis 5-2 6-4
UAB 3-4 4-6
East Carolina 3-4 3-6
Southern Miss 2-5 3-7
Central Florida 1-6 1-8

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 7-0 10-1
SMU 4-3 5-4
Houston 4-2 5-4
Tulane 3-4 3-7
UTEP 2-4 4-5
Rice 1-5 3-6

luismiranda

01-04-2008, 02:36 PM

Talk about suspenseful. What was the result of the big matchup against Tulsa?

aztarheel

01-07-2008, 09:53 AM

2006 Season — Week 12

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Southern Methodist 23, Tulsa 17
Miracle Mustangs stun Golden Hurricane on final play!

SMU thought it would have to settle for the moral victory of playing 10-win Tulsa close after turning the ball over on downs at the Golden Hurricane 41-yard line with 39 seconds left.

But then the unthinkable happened. Rather than take a knee, Tulsa -- leading 17-16, decided to hand the ball off to running back Francis Miller (the coaching gaffe of the year for the Hurricane). SMU's Gary Erwin delivered a monster hit after a short gain, and the ball popped loose. Safety Glenn Stratton, the MVP of the defense much of this season, scooped it up the returned it to the Tulsa 39.

Still, receiving a miracle, SMU couldn't move the ball any closer to field goal range for kicker Henry Colbert. Quarterback John Key was sacked on first down and threw incomplete passes the next two downs — and very bad passes at that.

The Mustangs faced fourth down and 12 from the Tulsa 41 with six ticks left. Key rolled out — and getting a monstrous pancake block from 301-pound offensive tackle Mark Marquis — had time to get off a nice lofting pass to the end zone. Receiver Thomas Miller, running an out pattern, beat the cornerback to the spot and hauled in a perfect strike for the winning touchdown as time expired in the left corner of the end zone!!!

SMU had its biggest win under new coach Todd Rutledge, and maybe one of the biggest victories for the school since the 1980s (before the death penalty). Rutledge couldn't believe it. He just stood there with a big goofy grin on his face while players celebrated like crazy and fans rushed the field. Finally, a few walk-ons nailed Rutledge with the ol' water cooler victory bath. Rutledge didn't even feel it.

The Mustangs' defense was the ultimate hero, holding Tulsa to 267 total yards and forcing three turnovers.

Key had an ugly game from a stat perspective, completing just 17 of 40 passes. But his last throw was golden and will go into SMU lore for years to come. Amazingly, Key and Miller hooked up on another Hail Mary pass on the final play of the first half. This one covered 80 yards and gave SMU a 13-7 lead at the break — fueling belief that one of the sorriest teams in college football the past 20 years could knock off the champs of Conference USA's West Division.

The Mustangs led by as much as 16-7 in the third quarter before Tulsa came back to score 10 unanswered points. Rutledge's team had numerous chances in the fourth quarter but something always tripped them up — until the final miracle play...

SMU improved to 6-4 overall and completed its conference schedule with a respectable 5-3 mark (not bad for a "lean" year). Tulsa dropped to 10-2 overall, 7-1 in Conference USA (still will play in the league's title game).

Here's the box score:

Tulsa 0 7 10 0 -- 17
SMU 6 7 3 7 -- 23

First Quarter
SMU FG 9:12 3-0 Henry Colbert 20 YD
SMU FG 3:06 6-0 Henry Colbert 43 YD
Second Quarter
TLSA TD 9:17 7-6 Jeffrey Tucker 11 YD pass from James Buckley (Jose Hall kick)
SMU TD 0:00 13-7 Thomas Miller 80 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)
Third Quarter
SMU FG 10:28 16-7 Henry Colbert 28 YD
TLSA FG 5:43 16-10 Jose Hall 25 YD
TLSA TD 2:13 17-16 Charles Phillips 12 YD pass from James Buckley (Jose Hall kick)
Fourth Quarter
SMU TD 0:00 23-17 Thomas Miller 41 YD pass from John Key (Henry Colbert kick)

(funny that the game let us do an extra point after the game-winning TD pass)

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 17 of 40 for 287 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 25 carries, 101 yards,
RB Tim O'Connell 11 carries, 65 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Thomas Miller 5 catches, 168 yards, 2 TDs
WR Tommy O'Leary 7 catches, 70 yards
WR Bryan Simpson 3 catches, 43 yards

SMU Total Yards
446 yards = 159 rushing, 287 passing

TLSA Passing
QB James Buckley 11 of 34 for 137 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

TLSA Rushing
RB C. Harrison 12 carries, 107 yards
RB F. Miller 15 carries, 29 yards

TLSA Receiving
WR J. Tucker 3 catches, 51 yards
WR C. Brown 3 catches, 38 yards
WR M. Warner 4 catches, 36 yards

TLSA Total Yards
267 = 130 yards rushing, 137 yards passing

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Scoreboard

Lots of action as the C-USA schedule draws to a close. It's going to be Marshall and Tulsa for the conference championship, with a spot in the Liberty Bowl at stake. Only one C-USA game left, Houston vs. Rice.

Can SMU actually get to a bowl? The Mustangs are now eligible at 6-4! Games remain against Louisiana Tech and rival TCU.

SMU 23, Tulsa 17 (wahoo!)
Marshall 17, East Carolina 14 (sorry luis)
Central Florida 24, Memphis 17
Houston 21, Southern Miss 7
Alabama-Birmingham 17, Rice 8
UTEP 24, Tulane 10

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 7-1 7-4
Memphis 5-3 6-5
UAB 4-4 5-6
East Carolina 3-5 3-7
Southern Miss 2-6 3-8
Central Florida 2-6 2-8

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 7-1 10-2
SMU 5-3 6-4
Houston 5-2 6-4
Tulane 3-5 3-8
UTEP 3-5 5-6
Rice 1-6 3-7

luismiranda

01-07-2008, 02:27 PM

Congrats on being bowl eligible. I bet June Jones read this dynasty post and decided he'd try and make it happen. LOL. ;)

aztarheel

01-10-2008, 11:06 PM

Congrats on being bowl eligible. I bet June Jones read this dynasty post and decided he'd try and make it happen. LOL. ;)

It's funny but since starting this dynasty, I've become a closet SMU fan... I'll be on their real-life bandwagon and hope they can turn things around ... just not before Todd Rutledge does it... ha...

aztarheel

01-10-2008, 11:10 PM

2006 Season - Week 13

No Conference USA games this week ... Louisiana Tech, the team SMU plays next, lost to Fresno State 21-18, dropping them to 4-6 on the season. TCU, the Mustangs' big rival and final regular season opponent, didn't play this week and is 5-6.

Let's hope SMU can finish strong. A bowl game would be a sweet way to start Mr. Rutledge's career in the Big D...

Big Six

01-12-2008, 03:38 PM

Awesome finish against Tulsa, AZ! And congratulations on your bowl eligibility. Two more wins, and an 8-3 record, ought to get you an invitation to a decent bowl. I confess I don't follow C-USA football closely enough to remember which bowls they have agreements with.

Keep up the good work with your dynasty!

aztarheel

01-18-2008, 08:37 AM

Thanks for stopping by, BigSix ... I wish I had more time to play. Between my full-time job and the part-time gig I'm trying to turn into full-time (and having a family that I love to be with), I don't have much time to spend on my favorite hobby...

aztarheel

01-18-2008, 09:00 AM

2006 Season — Week 13

No games in Conference USA this week ...

2006 Season — Week 14
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Louisiana Tech 15, Southern Methodist 6
Mustangs go 'thud' after recent win streak

SMU is bowl eligible but may have lost its bowl appeal after a lackluster effort against La Tech (now 5-6 overall). The Mustangs only generated 193 yards of total offense and were 2 of 16 in third-down conversions. A pair of Henry Colbert field goals -- one in the first quarter and one in the fourth -- were all SMU could muster on the scoreboard.

While the 'Stangs have lived off of big plays in recent weeks to overcome their deficiencies, none of those materialized on this day. Coach Todd Rutledge's team, now 6-5 overall, will have to hope to close well against TCU in its pursuit of the school's first bowl berth since the 1980s.

Here's the box score:

Louisiana Tech 3 6 0 6 -- 15
SMU 3 0 0 3 -- 6

First Quarter
LATC FG 9:32 3-0 Willie Grant 41 YD
SMU FG 6:09 3-3 Henry Colbert 41 YD
Second Quarter
LATC TD 0:39 9-3 Harlan Beatty 2 YD pass from Steven Drury (Willie Grant kick)
Fourth Quarter
LATC FG 12:50 12-3 Willie Grant 29 YD
SMU FG 10:55 12-6 Henry Colbert 34 TD
LATC FG 1:07 15-6 Willie Grant 49 YD

Individual Stat Leaders

SMU Passing
QB John Key 13 of 30 for 128 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
QB Patrick Watkins 0 of 2
QB E. Hawkins 0 of 2

SMU Rushing
RB Benjamin Jones 18 carries, 74 yards
QB John Key 1 carry, 8 yards
RB Tim O'Connell 7 carries, 7 yards

SMU Receiving
WR Tommy O'Leary 4 catches, 58 yards
TE Michael Acosta 3 catches, 21 yards

SMU Total Yards
193 yards = 65 rushing, 128 passing

LATC Passing
QB Steven Drury 11 of 29 for 135 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

LATC Rushing
RB L. Young 20 carries, 74 yards
RB M. Dominguez 17 carries, 70 yards

LATC Receiving
RB M. Dominguez 2 catches, 45 yards
WR H. Beaty 3 catches, 26 yards

LATC Total Yards
270 = 135 yards rushing, 135 yards passing

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Scoreboard

Just two games involving Conference USA Teams this week. One is a dud (at least for SMU fans). Another is a bit of an upset:

Louisiana Tech 15, SMU 6
Rice 17, Houston 14

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 7-1 7-4
Memphis 5-3 6-5
UAB 4-4 5-6
East Carolina 3-5 3-7
Southern Miss 2-6 3-8
Central Florida 2-6 2-8

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 7-1 10-2
SMU 5-3 6-5
Houston 5-3 6-5
Tulane 3-5 3-8
UTEP 3-5 5-6
Rice 2-6 4-7

luismiranda

01-21-2008, 02:39 PM

Tough loss against La Tech. You should still get a decent Conference USA Bowl bid. It's based more on your conference record.

aztarheel

01-29-2008, 01:46 PM

Tough loss against La Tech. You should still get a decent Conference USA Bowl bid. It's based more on your conference record.

That's reassuring news because SMU fell completely flat on its face in its regular season finale...

Not much else to say other than this:

2006 Season — Week 15

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Texas Christian 30, Southern Methodist 0
Is 6-6 good enough for a bowl bid?

SMU didn't have tons of turnovers (one interception). They didn't have lots of penalties (eight). They didn't get stuffed in terms of total offensive yardage (259, not great but not terrible either).

Coach Todd Rutledge's team just couldn't put the ball into the end zone or through the uprights. As a matter of fact, the Mustangs never even ventured into the red zone one time. Ouch. Not exactly the way you tell bowl scouts that you're ready for the post-season.

No need to post a box score and leaders for this game. Just note that TCU took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, then tacked on two touchdowns to pull away in the third. Two field goals in the fourth sealed it, including one with 16 seconds left in the game to pour a little salt on the rivalry wounds. Rutledge took note of that.

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Scoreboard

The Conference USA regular season concludes with three games:

Texas Christian 30, SMU 0
Wake Forest 34, East Carolina 13
South Florida 24, Central Florida 13

The C-USA Standings

East Division Conf. Total
Marshall 7-1 7-4
Memphis 5-3 6-5
UAB 4-4 5-6
East Carolina 3-5 3-8
Southern Miss 2-6 3-8
Central Florida 2-6 2-9

West Division Conf. Total
Tulsa 7-1 10-2
SMU 5-3 6-6
Houston 5-3 6-5
Tulane 3-5 3-8
UTEP 3-5 5-6
Rice 2-6 4-7

One C-USA match-up left, the conference championship game between Marshall and Tulsa. Looking at conference records, it looks as though SMU, Houston and Memphis have a shot at bowl games as well. We'll see. Thankfully for Rutledge, there is a glut of bowl games out there...