SMU Begins Push For Football Success in 2007

CUSA Fans SMU Correspondent Rick Atkinson brings you an update on the SMU football team.

DALLAS – With spring just around the corner, the SMU Mustangs have officially turned their attention to the gridiron and improving on last season's 6-6 mark, their best record in 10 years.

Practices began March 1 and will culminate with the annual Red-Blue scrimmage at Ford Stadium Saturday, March 31.

Thursday afternoon, after a week of practice and just before Spring Break, the Mustangs held their first scrimmage.

Sixth year SMU head coach Phil Bennett said the main goal was to look at new formations, get redshirt freshmen plenty of reps and do some hitting. About 45 minutes of practice preceded the scrimmage.

From left, Rock Dennis, Ryan Leonard and D.J. Emerson are 2007 recruits already enrolled in school and participating in spring drills.

Bennett said while he was happy with the team's overall performance, things didn't click at first.

"We were slow," he said. "Anytime you start practice first … it doesn't kick off as fast. But, yeah, once it got going there were some good things."

He said this was the first time since drills began that the team had "really tackled."

"I thought we tackled poorly on defense," Bennett said, "because they were used to ‘thuddin.'"

Berry Back
The defensive line has big shoes to fill in 2007. Gone are tackles Brandon Bonds, Adrian Haywood, and defensive end Justin Rogers. Gone too this spring, due to injury, is senior starting defensive end Cory Muse (6-3, 250).

But another senior, tackle Charlie Berry (6-3, 280), is back after taking a year off to focus on academics.

"The year off was hard," Berry said. "It's not how I would have planned my college experience, but it probably ended up, hopefully, being one of the better things that ever happened to me. It gave me a new perspective and it feels good to be back."

"I think we're fired up. I think everybody's working hard. The competition is good, especially at the defensive tackle position."

Said Bennett of Berry, "I think he's gonna help us. We'll have a little bit different situation on the [defensive] line. I think we can play more guys. We won't have … the experience of Adrian or Brandon, but we'll have five guys that can play, which is a good situation."

Running back DeMyron Martin near the end of Thursday's scrimmage.

Working alongside Berry at Thursday's scrimmage were junior Kyle Griffin (6-4, 230), sophomore Chris Parham (6-3, 295) and junior Patrick Handy (6-2, 250). Griffin and Handy are two-year lettermen.

On the offensive line, senior Ben Poynter (6-4, 295) has moved from center to left tackle, filling the void left by the graduating Darrin Johnson. Sophomore Mitch Enright (6-2, 275) has moved to center and senior Joe Holmes (6-2, 295) is working at guard for the injured Caleb Peveto (6-4, 290).

"Mitch has had a very good spring," Bennett said. "And having Ben Poynter at left tackle has been big. That's puts us with guys who've played a lot. Joe Holmes has done good at guard."

Early Start
Three of SMU's 2007 recruits are already enrolled and participating in spring drills. Suited up for the scrimmage were Ryan Leonard, a defensive lineman from Hebron High in Lewisville, Texas, D.J. Emerson, a defensive back from Royal High in Brookshire, Texas, (near Houston), and Rock Dennis, a defensive back transfer from Garden City Community College in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Leonard, a District co-MVP and member of Hebron's undefeated 4A state championship team, picked the Mustangs over Navy, Syracuse and Arizona.

"When I came for my visit, … they were just real helpful and they told me everything I wanted to know," he said. "I felt like it was a family up here and I just wanted to a part of the SMU Mustang program."

Emerson, a 3A All-State selection and District MVP said academics topped his list of reasons for choosing SMU. "And the people around here," he said. "They showed me that it's a good place to be."

Emerson chose SMU over Boise State and Houston.

Rock Dennis (5-10, 175) also spoke highly of his first experience at SMU.

"When I came, everybody was family, everybody was close-knit together. No one was left on the back end or [anything] like that. They look out for one another."

"I like playing football, man, and these people here showed me what it was about."

Thirteen of this year's 23-member recruiting class had offers from Big 12 schools. Five others had offers from TCU.

Bennett said selling SMU is getting easier.

"No question," he said. "We're sort of validating what we thought would happen - that we could contend for a championship and have a chance to go to a bowl. If [players] know that, it's easier to recruit."

He added having two games on ESPN this year, the season opener against Texas Tech and a late-November game at Houston, helped the Mustangs' cause too.

Martin and Willis Ready
Junior running back DeMyron Martin (6-2, 230) was used sparingly Thursday but found running room when he got the chance. Martin, injured for much of last season, has concentrated on strength and conditioning this off-season. Word is, he and others are lifting more weight now under new strength and conditioning coach Vic Viloria.

Senior receivers, from left, Zack Sledge, Devin Lowery and Jay'Mond Cleveland hope for many connections this season with starting quarterback Justin Willis (16) and Corey Slater (12).

"Everybody's excited," Martin said. "We feel it's a different chemistry going on. Everybody is still young, but our attitude is win from now on. All the older guys, that weren't in Coach Bennett's [first] recruiting class, left and it's a different attitude. Everybody's getting along more than last year."

"We're ready to play," he said. "We're ready to prove ourselves."

Before the scrimmage, Viloria put the team through a spirited (read loud) calisthenics and stretching session. An All-Conference linebacker at SMU five years ago, Viloria said this team is close to attaining something he missed out on.

"I wasn't able to accomplish the goals that I wanted to – winning a conference championship," he said. "But we've got the ingredients right now to accomplish those goals and we've got a lot of hard working kids."

Viloria was LSU's strength coach for two years prior to returning to The Hilltop.

"Right after spring ball, we'll get back and train hard and get ready for the summer," Viloria said. "We're gonna have a tough summer. You have to in order to be a champion at this level."

Record-setting sophomore quarterback Justin Willis (6-1, 210) looked sharp and healthy Thursday. He showed no ill effects from breaking a bone in his (right) throwing hand six weeks ago, when a car trunk door was accidentally slammed on it. The hand was iced after the scrimmage.

"I felt good," he said.

Willis' 2006 performance included school records for touchdown passes in a season (26) and season completion percentage (67.4).

Junior Corey Slater (6-2, 230) remains the solid No. 2 signal-caller.

"I think we've got two guys who can play," Bennett said. "Justin's smarter, better, and the other guy who's really made improvement is Corey Slater."

No. 3 quarterback, Zach Rhodes (6-1, 205), a redshirt freshman from New Braunfels, Texas, showed speed on a couple of long runs Thursday.

"You know, I think he's got a chance," Bennett said. "He was a little bit erratic, but as you can see, he's got some wheels."

Rhodes missed last season after suffering a shoulder separation, followed by surgery.

"Zach's a good guy," Willis said. "He's real athletic and he's real fast. If the play breaks down, he's kind of like me. He can get out of trouble."

Willis said he was looking forward to some time off. "Class along with football has been a tough load," he said. "We're glad to have a break, finally."

That's all for now, folks. We'll break it down more after the Red-Blue game.

SMU Spring Football Notes

• The Red-Blue scrimmage is Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Ford Stadium, followed by the annual Crawfish Boil at the north end of the stadium. Tickets for the Crawfish Boil are $25 and registration is required by March 19 at www.smumustangs.com or call 214-768-7681.
• Brandon Bonds was seen visiting on the sidelines at Thursday's scrimmage.
• For a time last week, it was thought a player may have contracted meningitis. Tests later revealed this was not the case, but as a precaution, the entire team was treated for exposure. Bennett called situation "still scary."
• Also missing spring practice due to injury are running back/return man Jessie Henderson (5-9, 170) and offensive lineman Sean Lobo (6-3, 295).