MMQB: SMU finds 2nd half rhythm vs. WSU
* WR Aldrick Robinson had his biggest game of 2010 and maybe it's a sign of things to come. QB Kyle Padron found Robinson several times and the wideout had 3 TDs. Like any smart wide receiver, Robinson was quick to praise his quarterback, saying he got "perfect" throws.
"They have worked hard thoughtout the summer," coach June Jones said. "He had a couple of really nice corner routes. We missed one early in the game, he overthrew it, which I was surprised about. That happens sometimes. Al is a big play player. I’m glad to see him get a little success. He’s a good football player."
* Padron said the team made a concerted effort to work more in practice with him in the pocket. And he needed to trust his offensive line to hang in the pocket longer and try to make plays. That's what he did on Saturday.
* There was a controversial call on a muffed punt in the first half. Darius Johnson dropped it and Washington State got a touchdown out of it. It was close in terms of whether the Cougar player was blocked into Johnson or if he conviently stumbled into Johnson.
"I can’t comment on it," Jones said. "I have an interpretation, but I don’t want to say it because my pocketbook is not big enough for that."
* The Mustangs want Padron to protect himself as best he can. But he ran out of bounds instead of sliding during a critical early second-half drive and it helped SMU. Padron was hit late, getting 15 extra yards on the penalty.
"When you get a competitive kid like Kyle, that happens," Jones said. "I think he thought he'd get out of bounds before he got him. We haven’t protected him and some of those are his. Some of those he should have thrown the ball. I am concerned, to be quite honest."
* The SMU defense did a nice job of getting a pass rush going in the second half. That disrupted the Cougars' game plan and forced some bad or rushed throws. As we blogged on Saturday, Jones was quite complimentary of his defensive front.
* SMU and TCU have a shorter week to prepare with the game on Friday night in Dallas. We'll have much more on that game as the week progresses.
* If SMU plays the way they did in the second half on Saturday, they can hang in with TCU. You be sure that will be the focus this week.
Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.comTEAM RESOURCES
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Kirk Herbstreit joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Bob Stoops' recent comments about the SEC and the pending college football playoff, what appears to be an unpredictable Big 12 in 2013, how the Aggies will handle expectations and more.
Play Podcast Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin talks about the improvements being made to Kyle Field, what those improvements will to for the program, the success of last year, Johnny Manziel's offseason and the expectations for the Aggies in 2013.
Play Podcast Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo talk about Texas A&M's decision to expand its stadium and say although the Aggies had a fantastic year, the school must also be careful not to overextend its resources based on a single hot stretch.
Play Podcast Baylor head coach Art Briles joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys are getting in Terrance Williams.
Play Podcast Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad.
Play Podcast Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium.
Play Podcast Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joins Fizsimmons & Durrett to discuss Cowboys Stadium as a venue, the state of Big 12 basketball, the new 2014 college football format, why there's no hurry to have a Big 12 football championship and much more.
Play Podcast Jay Bilas joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, the intrigue surrounding the Northwest Region and the excitement over FGCU, even though a similar story happens every year.
You must be signed in to post a comment