July 31, 2008

• Watch the CBS College Sports Preview of SMU's Season

The new mantra coming out of the SMU athletics marketing office in preparation for the upcoming season is "June Cometh." To the Pony fans who have waited two decades for their team to return to its previous form and have watched the offensive show new SMU head coach June Jones orchestrated at Hawaii for the last nine years, he can't cometh soon enough.

If there's one thing for which Jones and his staff are known, it is offense. His Run-and-Shoot system is potent enough that he was able to orchestrate the largest single-season turnaround in NCAA history when he took over at Hawaii. Whether he will be able to engineer a similar revival in Dallas remains to be seen, but he has said the talent he inherited on the Hilltop exceeds what he had in his first year in Hawaii, and he says he has been overwhelmed by the talent - specifically the speed - available on the recruiting trail in his new home state.

Who runs his system has not yet been determined. Junior quarterback Justin Willis returns after throwing a school-record 51 touchdowns in just two seasons, but sat out spring drills. Redshirt freshman Logan Turner is the only quarterback to go through all of spring drills, and true freshmen Braden Smith and Bo Levi Mitchell are talented passers who have yet to take a snap in practice, making it a four-way competition heading into the season.

The quarterback - whoever it is - will be flanked in the backfield by a pair of big senior running backs, in tailback DeMyron Martin (6-2, 230) and fullback/special teams kamikaze Andrew McKinney (6-4, 263). The Mustangs will use a large group of receivers, headlined by junior Emmanuel Sanders (74 catches for 889 yards last year, 18 touchdown receptions in first two seasons) and burner Aldrick Robinson.

The offensive line will undergo a significant facelift after losing three starters and a key reserve to graduation. Center Mitch Enright and right tackle Tommy Poynter lead a big, young group that is adjusting to the new pass-blocking schemes required in the Run-and-Shoot.

The SMU defense will be improved this year, if only because of the change in personality and approach. New defensive coordinator Tom Mason's scheme calls for more aggressive play from the defense, from the line all the way back to the secondary, which will be much more physical against opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Senior Patrick Handy slides inside from his former defensive end spots to join fellow senior Serge Elizee as the anchors on the interior defensive line. A collection of speedy defensive ends, led by sophomores Youri Yenga and Anthony Sowe, will take advantage of the high-pressure pass-rushing schemes favored by new defensive line coach Bert Hill.

Sophomore Justin Smart moves from defensive end to the middle linebacker spot, where he will make all the calls and direct the Mustangs' defense. He'll be joined by Pete Fleps and 2007 defensive MVP Will Bonilla, but newcomers also are expected to contribute at the linebacker spots.

The secondary is another area that should feature some new faces this year, at least with JUCO transfer cornerbacks Deyon McElroy and Bennie Thomas, as well as the addition of safety Rock Dennis, a JUCO transfer who was expected to start last year before being injured in the preseason. The Mustangs also welcome back a pair of talented cornerbacks in sophomore Derrius Bell and Bryan McCann, who coaches say has an NFL career waiting for him in a couple of years.

Arguably the team's best player, however, is punter/kicker Thomas Morstead, a preseason All-Conference USA pick who was eighth in the country last year with an average of 44.8 yards per punt. Morstead also has 26 field goals in two seasons as the team's placekicker, and will compete to add kickoffs to his list of duties.