Life After Death: The Todd Rutledge story

[aztarheel]

[I]My first attempt at a Bowl Bound College Football dynasty. Enjoy...[/I] 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]

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… [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/Mustangs.jpg[/IMG]

[aztarheel]

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 [i]Dallas Morning News[/i] 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]

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]

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]

[IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUletters.jpg[/IMG] 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]

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]

[i]2006 Season — Week 1[/i] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/ArkStateHelmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Arkansas State 27, Southern Methodist 7[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Rude awakening for Mustangs' new coach[/SIZE] 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): [CODE]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[/CODE] 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 [CODE]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 [/CODE]

[aztarheel]

[I]2006 Season — Week 2[/I] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/HawaiiHelmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]SMU 37, Hawaii 6[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Big passing attack the 'Key' for Mustangs[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code]

[aztarheel]

[I]2006 Season — Week 2 in Conference USA[/I] 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 [CODE]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 [/CODE]

[aztarheel]

[I]2006 Season — Week 3[/I] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]

[aztarheel]

(not sure if too many people are reading, but at least I'm having fun...) 2006 Season — Week 4 [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/Rice2006Helmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Southern Methodist 26, Rice 17[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Mustangs claim 'Mayor's Cup,' improve to 2-1[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Scoreboard[/B][/SIZE] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]

[ShaunGBD]

Keep it up. I like it so far

[aztarheel]

[QUOTE=ShaunGBD;336679]Keep it up. I like it so far[/QUOTE] 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]

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]

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

[aztarheel]

sorry I didn't have this earlier luis, I had to work all day also .... 2006 Season — Week 5 [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/ECU2006Helmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]East Carolina 24, Southern Methodist 20[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Pirates pillage victory in final minutes[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Scoreboard[/B][/SIZE] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]

[aztarheel]

Nice comeback but tough loss... 2006 Season — Week 6 [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/Houston2006.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Houston 27, Southern Methodist 17[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Cougars own fourth quarter, earn win in Dallas[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Scoreboard[/B][/SIZE] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]

[luismiranda]

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]

[QUOTE=luismiranda;337834]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[/QUOTE] 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]

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]

2006 Season — Week 7 [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/UABHelmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Southern Methodist 27, Alabama-Birmingham 14[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Big third quarter puts Mustangs back on winning track[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Scoreboard[/B][/SIZE] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]

[luismiranda]

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]

[QUOTE=luismiranda;343466]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.[/QUOTE] 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]

2006 Season — Week 8 [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/SMUHelmetrev.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/MarshallHelmet.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Marshall 51, Southern Methodist 6[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"]Thundering Herd thunders to easy win over Mustangs[/SIZE] 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: [code]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[/code] [IMG]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/aztarheel/conferenceusa.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"][B]Scoreboard[/B][/SIZE] 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 [B]The C-USA Standings[/B] [CODE]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[/CODE]