TCU defensive tackle Cody Moore sacks SMU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in last Saturday’s 7-48 loss at Ford Stadium. (Lindsey Perkins)
When June Jones became the head coach at SMU, everyone’s focus went to the offense. People saw what Jones was able to do at Hawaii with Colt Brennan and they expected that here.
Jones made a somewhat surprising announcement with two weeks of practices left before the season started: freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell and Braden Smith were his top two candidates for the starting quarterback job.
Two-year starter Justin Willis wasn’t even mentioned as a third string option, the only quarterback on the team with collegiate experience. Willis has taken a few snaps this year, mostly to run the option, he has also lined up as a wide receiver late in games against Texas Tech and TCU.
“It’s just frustrating,” Jones said after the TCU game. “Got a young quarterback that is trying to fight his way through and didn’t obviously do anything very good tonight.”
After SMU’s only win, against Texas State, Jones said that Mitchell would look at the tape and realize that he should have completed each of his 13 incompletions from that game, and he would learn from it. Mitchell had 11 incompletions and five interceptions against Texas Tech and 16 incompletions and two interceptions against TCU.
“We’re just not where we need to be to have a chance to win a game,” Jones said.
The June Jones offense isn’t built to put up big rushing numbers. But the Mustangs ran the ball 12 times for -8 yards against TCU. When the rushing game is that ineffective it makes it harder to pass the ball.
The only time in the past nine meetings between TCU and SMU where the Mustangs have won was in 2005. In that game running back DeMyron Martin carried SMU with 121 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns as well as two catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Martin carried the ball an average of nine times for 35 yards in the first three games, but only got the ball three times against the Horned Frogs.
“[The TCU defense] did a lot of stuff to try to confuse us, our pass protection and what not,” Martin said. “But for the most part we kind of beat ourselves.”
The defense has allowed a lot of points so far this season, but not all of that is their fault. Mitchell has had interceptions returned for touchdowns, interceptions returned for good field position and others have fumbled the ball giving opposing offenses a short field to work with.
The idea is that the offense scores enough points that the defense just needs to get a stop here and there and a timely turnover now and again, as they did against Texas State. But the offense has not been holding up its end of the bargain.
A combined 14 points and eight turnovers by the offense has left the defense to pick up the slack, and it has been unable to do so.
But that is what might be expected all season long, as it does not appear much will change in the offense.
“We’re kind of just right where we are,” Jones said. “We can’t really do anything else. I think that Bo does a lot of good things, and in practice is getting better each week.”
This week the Mustangs won’t have as much time to prepare as they face Tulane on Thursday at 7 p.m.
