In the midst of such typical off-season football practices as lifting weights, running and studying the season’s opponents, sophomore running back Richuel Massey took time to participate in a less-traditional type of workout — yoga.
Massey used the stretching techniques of yoga to become more limber and improve his running speed, and his physical improvement was just one of many Head Coach Phil Bennett highlighted at a pre-season press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Bennett said the biggest differences between this year’s team and last year’s are team maturity, increased athleticism, and the benefit of having two senior quarterbacks.
Seniors Jerad Romo and Tony Eckert are both prepared to be starters at the position, Bennett said, although he won’t make a decision on who will get the start until Thursday.
“Competition doesn’t just happen on game day. It happens in practice,” he said of the contests at quarterback and running back. In addition to Massey, sophomores Cedrick Dorsey and Fred Turner are competing for a spot in the backfield.
In 2004, SMU had the youngest team in the nation; this year, the Mustangs have 22 returning starters (players who started in six or more games), which is the most in Division IA.
Bennett will only play one of the 20 freshmen on the roster this year. Wide receiver Columbus Givens, a native of Killeen, Texas, is second on the depth chart and has impressed the head coach with his athleticism.
“If you watch him practicing, you can tell he didn’t spend a lot of time at home playing video games,” Bennett said.
Another change for the team is that Bennett plans on filling the punt team with starters. He hopes this will reduce the yards gained against the Mustangs on 4th down punts.
Saturday’s game against Baylor University will mark the 79th time the two teams have met. While SMU has a 36-34-7 lead over the Bears, the Ponies have lost in the last eight meetings. The most recent game was a close battle that Baylor won 10-7, a fact Bennett isn’t taking lightly.
“I think they’re an improved team,” he said, “and I think we’re an improved team.”
There are many similarities between Baylor and SMU. Both squads have two rotating quarterbacks and are coming off three-win seasons. Both schools are former Southwest Conference rivals with deep Texas football roots.
“The rivalry is natural for SMU,” Bennett said. He added that the Mustang players are very excited about the matchup and expect it to be a “spirited game.”
In addition to the implications this game will have as the 2005 season opener, it will also affect recruitment in the future.
The two programs tend to recruit many of the same players. Local players knew and played against each other in the high school ranks, and both teams have players on their rosters that were recruited by the opposing team.
Bennett said Baylor has an advantage in recruiting (that being the Bears’ membership in the Big XII) but if the ‘Stangs come away victorious, it would be a great source of pride for Bennett’s stable.
Saturday’s season opener kicks off at 7 p.m. at Ford Stadium.
