Is losing in the past for SMU?

Fans wonder if Jones can rescue the football program from losing

Chris Dell, Staff Writer, cdell@smu.edu

Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: John Schreiber

SMU's offensive and defensive squads face off in the Red and Blue game.

SMU football fans had been anxiously anticipating Saturday's Red and Blue Scrimmage for months -years, actually. And who can blame them? There hasn't been this much excitement on the Hilltop since, well, before many can remember.

Saturday's scrimmage was a chance for fans to get a first glimpse of next year's squad and head coach June Jones, who will be paid a hero's salary to save the program from indignity. But, for many SMU football enthusiasts, the last 20 years have taught them to guard optimism with caution.

"It was a terrible thing that happened," said SMU alum Joe Abbey, referring to the penalties handed to the university by the NCAA for recruiting violations in the 1980s. The program has had only one winning season since the debacle.

Did Saturday's scrimmage signify the beginning of the end of the plague that has stricken the program for so long?

Mike Hadju, a 1984 SMU graduate, thought so. He was impressed with the offense's new look and said the Mustangs can return to the state of prominence they experienced while he was a student, when they won a national championship in 1981.

"The offense is going to be great, and I look forward to coming to all the games this year," he said. "I really do think that June Jones is going to bring them back."

Junior David Fleury, who was at the game to watch a couple of friends play, said the last couple of seasons have been frustrating, but he shares Hadju's optimism.

"I thought [the scrimmage] was good," he said. "I feel good about this season. I think, if not this year, definitely [the team will produce a winning season] the next year."

The Mustangs gave fans some justification for their high expectations on Saturday, but at times showed that there is work left to be done.

SMU's offense performed sensationally in seven-on-seven drills. Redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Turner completed one touchdown pass after another with impeccable accuracy. He floated a 45-yard pass into the outstretched arms of Aldrick Robinson for a touchdown on the first play of the drill scattered a handful of touchdown passes to other receivers.

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