Shades Of Navy: Rain Reminds Mustangs Of Poor ’08 Showing at Annapolis

DALLAS – Saturday, as heavy rain poured down on SMU’s practice at Ford Stadium, one thing sprung to mind for more than a few Mustangs: Navy 34, SMU 7. That’s the final score from SMU’s rough outing at Annapolis, Maryland, last October – a game played in near monsoon conditions from start to finish.

“When we played against Navy,” said senior wideout Emmanuel Sanders, “it was cold and wet and guys weren’t mentally there. So when it started raining [today], I was like, ‘Hey, guys. Ya’ll remember Navy, right?’ This is the same situation, so you’ve got to come on with it.’ We got beat pretty bad that game.”

Indeed. The Mustangs managed just eight first downs that day, with minus-13 yards rushing and 157 yards through the air. Navy led, 20-0, after one quarter and finished with 404 bruising yards on the ground. The Midshipmen never attempted a pass.

“This wasn’t quite as inclement as that Navy weekend,” said SMU coach June Jones after Saturday’s practice, adding he was pleased with how the team responded to the conditions. “I think the guys had good spirit and tried to turn it up, so it makes it nice.”

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell sets to throw during a lull in Saturday's rain. Mitchell said practicing in heavy rain can affect a team in "a good way."

Jones eschewed rain gear for this deluge, as is his custom, and got soaked. “I’ve never really worn it, unless it’s 30 degrees out, I’ll put a jacket on,” he said.

Sanders said Saturday’s soggy weather didn’t impede the Mustangs’ progress. “We accomplished a lot. During the season, it’s going to rain too, so we’ve got to get used to it.”

“You’ve got to zone yourself out and you’ve just got to be mentally tough.”

Sanders said heavy down-pours affect all aspects of a receiver’s game. “It’s just the whole thing, because when it’s raining it messes your head, from alignment to the play-calling to just focusing on catching the ball. Also, turnovers go up when it’s raining, so you’ve got to focus on keeping the ball close to your body so you won’t turn it over.”

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell said practicing in wet conditions can actually affect a team “in a good way.”

“I mean, coming out here, you know, you get focused,” he said.

Mitchell said just getting the snap can be tricky in a heavy rain. “When it’s all dry and hot out here, the ball just sticks right to your hands. … But you’ve also got to get your head around and get your read in. So, it’s really just, ‘Get focused, right here. Get through this play. Get through the next one, so you can get out here and get a win.’”

With a few cold days and now rain, how much has the weather affected the Mustangs’ spring preparation? “It’s been pretty good, actually,” Jones said. “This is the first day it kind of rained, but I didn’t think it really affected [our preparation].”

Would Jones prefer an indoor facility? “Well, everybody would like to [have one], you know?” he said. “And I think [SMU AD Steve Orsini] has that in the plans for where we’re headed. So I think that’ll happen.”

A crowd gathers after Emmanuel Sanders retaliated for a late hit on fellow receiver Cole Loftin.

For now, the weather continues to serve as a poignant reminder: The game must go on.

Saturday Notes:
*Emmanuel Sanders didn’t take kindly to a late hit on fellow receiver Cole Loftin during the scrimmage period. Sanders dove hard, head-on, into the offending tackler and a brief scrum ensued. “I’m a leader out here,” Sanders said later, “especially when one of our receivers goes down and they get done bad. We’ve got to stick together. … I see one of my receivers get hit late, I don’t play that, because I care about my receivers.” Said Jones, “You do stupid things in practice, you’re going to do them in a game. That was a late hit, a fifteen-yard penalty. It costs everybody. You’ve got to learn how to practice and learn how to play.”
*Several recruits attended Saturday’s workout and Jones spent a generous amount of time with them after practice.