Aug. 29, 2006

Quotes from SMU football press conference
Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Head Coach Phil Bennett:

Quick review of fall camp -
"We've had a productive fall camp. With 29 practice opportunities in 40 days, we've tried to mix it up. We're like all the other football teams in the state of Texas, fighting the 100-degree heat. At this time, we're relatively healthy and been able to accomplish some things that we've been wanting to. Going into fall camp, we wanted to solidify our quarterback situation. Offensively, we have quite a few guys that have come back and have played. We weren't as consistent early in camp as I thought we would be after spring training. We had some guys nicked up with minor injuries. In the last week and a half, we've become better in what we're trying to get accomplished. At QB, Justin Willis will start at Texas Tech. One of the new things offensively is that we're starting a redshirt freshman at QB. As I have told Justin many times, we're not asking Justin to win the game for us - we're asking him to manage the game. What I like about Justin is that he has played on national TV before - he's been in big games - but he understands that this a new level for him. I've been impressed with our other two QBs. They've gotten better and better. This is a position that potentially, as the season progresses, will be a good position for us. We have our same offensive line back. There's no question that we're an improved offense. The last four games last season showed the offense that I imagined when I came here to SMU - being able to be effective in the run and the pass. I hope that after being in this system for one year, Justin can continue to grow and learn from that. We potentially have a very good group of tight ends. This will give us the opportunity to do some things offensively that we hadn't been able to do in the past. Defensively, we like the fact that our front four is a quality front four. I've always try to gauge things by places I've been and people I've coached - I believe these guys can play on any defense that I've coached. Their work ethic and maturity is better than any time since I've been here. We have a chance to make improvement in our kicking game. Thomas Morstead is our new placekicker and will be our punter. These guys are talented, fast in their kicks."

Vs. Texas Tech -
"Playing a Big 12 team at their home is more than a challenge. I would like us to go out there with the mind set that we're more than capable not only to win this game but to play well in it. It seems like every year we play Tech that they're starting a new quarterback and breaking the previous quarterback's records. Tech does a great job of putting their quarterbacks in a great position to be successful. One of things that is not talked about enough is Tech's defense. They have gotten dramatically better on defense from year to year. They're very similiar to SMU defensively. They make you work for everything you get - they give up very few plays and they play very good red zone defense and that is what I would like people to say about us. We need to get better in the red zone and score touchdowns. Looking at the matchups - we're close than we've been in a lot of areas in matching up with them. I've been asked if this is a make or break game and to me, it's not. It's a game we're capable of playing well, going out and winning. It's a game that is a big challenge. It's not easy to play a game in Lubbock. They have great, supportive fans. My goal for this team is to handle the situation and execute on both sides of the ball. Go out and play like a team that has matured and expects to win."

Season expectations -
"Our expectancy is higher than it's been and it should be. We have a very good core group coming back. We have five games in September that are big for us to get off to a positive start . Our goal is to win the Conference USA championship - plain and simple. To do that, you have to have a finishing team. We must be a better finishing team. There is a lot of parity in this league week in and week out. What we must do is to keep a balance. You can't get too high on a win and too low on a loss - we learned that last year. Developing team chemistry to keep that balance is crucial."

Easing in the new quarterback and not overload him the first game?
"One of the things about Justin (Willis) is that he has a lot of intelligence about what we want to do offensively. To say that we're going to spoon feed him? - no. He has to do some things for us to beat TTU. He must do the things that he is capable of doing and that all starts in practice. We must be able to help Justin with our supporting cast. Ideally, you want to run the ball and pass it equally and be good at it."

DeMyron Martin's role -
"I hope he plays the role of a 235-pound bruiser. DeMyron is a legit player - part of an balanced offense is getting the ball in your best player's hands. It will all start up front on the offensive line. We must do a good job in the middle."

Defensive philosophy -
"Keep the gains to a minimum - prevent any pass over 20 yards - make them work for everything that they get. The hardest thing for a defense to do is to call 2nd and short, 3rd and short. Try to get the offense to do things they are not comfortable doing. Blitzing is a double-edged sword - we're not a true man-to-man team - we've got to be careful. Any good defensive coordinator will tell you that if you can make another team one-dimensional, then you have a chance to be better. Tech spreads the field not only to throw the ball. Good teams stop the run. I want to make them one-dimensional."

Magic by Leach? -
"He has a system and believes in it. Their bread-and-butter is what he's done forever. That's why I have so much respect for him. It's not a gimmick offense. You know some of the things they're going to do. He says we're going to execute it - come try to stop us. That's about the fun thing about defending. I love this challenge of putting our kids in a position to be successful. I don't anticipate a whole lot of difference in what they've done in the past."