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Bennett’s time running out at Southern Methodist

The college football season will kick into full gear this weekend, and the pressure continues to mount for head coaches on the hot seat. For the moment, no Conference USA coach senses the heat more than Southern Methodist’s Phil Bennett.

Bennett led the Mustangs to the brink of a postseason bowl appearance with a 6-6 finish in 2006, but the onus is on him to get over the hump this season or receive an inevitable pink slip. Bennett, whose contract runs through 2009, owns a 17-41 record in five seasons at SMU with 11 of those wins coming the last two seasons.

He’s fortunate to still have a job after last season’s disastrous finish that saw the Mustangs drop two of their final three games to fall out of contention for one of C-USA’s five bowl tie-ins. New SMU athletics director Steve Orsini almost dropped the gauntlet after the Mustangs’ season-ending loss to Rice, but decided to keep Bennett around for at least one more season.

Unless Bennett manages to direct SMU to its first postseason appearance since 1984, this season will be his last with the Mustangs, who open Monday against Texas Tech. Surely, he knows this.

Still, Bennett has to like SMU’s chances for this season. The Mustangs return 20 starters from last year’s squad, and they have arguably one of C-USA’s top young quarterbacks in sophomore Justin Willis.

Willis threw for 2,047 yards and 26 touchdowns against six interceptions and rushed for three scores last season en route to being named C-USA Freshman of the Year. He also had C-USA’s second-highest and the nation’s 10th-highest passer rating (158.4) and was the Mustangs’ second-leading rusher with 354 yards.

The Mustangs ranked 11th of 12 C-USA teams in total offense (319.5 yards per game) last season, but should be somewhat improved with the return of nine offensive starters.

SMU also returns seven starters to a defense that boasted the league’s top rushing defense (107.5 yards per game) and recorded the second-most sacks (31) a year ago. The defensive line only has one returning starter in senior defensive end Cory Muse (seven sacks in 2006), but it isn’t likely the defense will regress much this season.

The pieces appear to be in place for the Mustangs to end their 23-year bowl drought. More so, C-USA adds a sixth bowl tie-in this season, meaning SMU could reach the postseason with a similar .500 finish.

The Mustangs made significant progress with last season’s finish that saw them become bowl eligible and win six games for only the second time since the NCAA handed SMU the death penalty in 1987. They almost reached the postseason.

But almost won’t be good enough to save Bennett’s job after this season.

Kudos to Maggard

University of Houston athletics director Dave Maggard should be commended for announcing last week that offensive lineman Jerrod Butler would remain on scholarship despite his football career having come to an abrupt end.

Butler, a redshirt sophomore, suffered cardiac arrest during a workout in the Cougars’ weight room Aug. 13, and had to be hospitalized for 11 days. He was released from Methodist Hospital on Friday after undergoing an operation to insert a defibrillator near his heart.

The operation means his playing days are over, but at least he’ll be able to finish his college education.

"Of course, we’re going to honor Jerrod’s scholarship. You bet," Maggard told the Houston Chronicle Friday. "Jerrod Butler was one of our football players, and what happened to him was out of his control."

Doctors told the Chronicle on that the cardiac arrest was caused by "specific electrical abnormality." The operation corrected the problem, but Butler decided not to take any more gambles on his health by continuing to play football.

Still, Cougar head coach Art Briles hopes someday that Butler will rejoin the Cougars in some capacity.

"As soon as Jerrod feels like he wants to get back around the guys, he’s welcome," Briles told the Chronicle. "He can help out any way he can, whether that’s as an on-the-field coach or in the weight room, helping coach (Larry) Jackson. We want him to be a part of our program."

Extra points

Rice junior wide receiver Jarrett Dillard has recorded at least one touchdown reception in 15 straight games, three short of the NCAA record of 18 held by former Pittsburgh star Larry Fitzgerald (2002-03)…. Dillard and Houston senior running back Anthony Alridge were named to the preseason watch list for the 2007 Walter Camp Award on Wednesday. The accolade is given annually to the nation’s top college football player…. Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith ranks second on the Golden Hurricane’s career list in passing (5,871 yards) and total offense (6,418 yards).

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