Everybody wants to end the season after North Texa

[NT80]

SMU needs 'A' game against I-AA foe

08:03 PM CDT on Friday, September 15, 2006

By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – SMU coach Phil Bennett said Division I-AA teams are dangerous.

If you don't believe it, check out the first two weeks of the season. Northwestern, Colorado, Duke and New Mexico all lost to I-AA schools.

And there were one-point victories by Kansas State over Illinois State and Navy over Massachusetts.

New Hampshire's 34-17 win over Northwestern elevated it to No. 1 in the I-AA poll.

"There was no question they were hungry and they wanted it," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "They went out and executed their game plan extremely well."

Saturday, an 0-2 SMU squad struggling to find a consistent offense and stability on defense hosts Sam Houston State.

"We don't know a whole lot about them because they didn't show a lot of their packages against Arkansas-Monticello," Bennett said. "It's dangerous. Their defensive secondary is very aggressive. They blitz and play a little man."

Most I-AA schools have players who have transferred from bigger I-A schools. Such is the case at Sam Houston, which is expected to start Phillip Daugherty at quarterback, a transfer from Texas Tech.

One of its top receivers, Michael Malone, is a transfer from Virginia Tech. There are 10 players from Division I-A programs on Sam Houston. And that doesn't include quarterback Rhett Bomar, a transfer from Oklahoma who is awaiting eligibility clearance from the NCAA.

"We do have a lot of depth," Sam Houston coach Todd Whitten said.

SMU has changed the way it schedules. In previous seasons, SMU played higher-tier I-A programs and its rivals, TCU, Baylor and now North Texas in nonconference games.

This season, a I-AA team and a two lower-tier I-A squads (North Texas and next week's opponent, Arkansas State) are on the schedule.

The goal this season is to win at least six games and reach a bowl.

But after its slow start, including a loss at North Texas, today's game is bigger than what it seems.

"Everybody wants to end the season after North Texas," Bennett said. "I understand completely how everybody feels, but things change. The season is not over yet. Right now, our goal is simple – find a way to win."

E-mail cwatkins@dallasnews.com

Edited September 16, 2006 by NT80