Word of Southern Methodist head coach Phil Bennett’s termination spread quickly when it was announced Sunday, but the development likely came as no surprise to anyone familiar with the situation.
SMU athletic director Steve Orsini made it clear before and throughout this season that anything less than reaching a postseason bowl would not be acceptable and that he would not discuss Bennett’s job status as long as that goal remained attainable.
But after SMU (1-7, 0-4 Conference USA) dropped a 29-23 decision to Tulsa on Saturday that snuffed out the Mustangs’ chances of earning the six wins needed to become bowl eligible, one had to know that Orsini was soon going to pull the plug on Bennett.
Orsini told The Dallas Morning News that he decided to fire Bennett following Saturday’s loss because he wanted to immediately begin the search for a replacement.
"We didn’t want to wait anymore for that step," Orsini told The Dallas Morning News. "Coach Bennett and his staff know it is about results in our business. That’s the standard I’m being held to, as well."
Bennett, 18-48 in five-plus seasons at SMU, will be allowed to coach the Mustangs’ four remaining games, a slate that ends with the Nov. 24 season finale at Memphis. The school will honor the remainder of Bennett’s contract, which runs through December 2008, but his coaching staff’s contracts won’t be renewed when they expire in May. According to the Dallas Morning News, Bennett’s contract pays nearly $500,000 a year.
Bennett, who declined to comment, met with the team on Sunday with Orsini in attendance, and "got choked up a little bit at one or two parts," senior offensive lineman and captain Ben Poynter told The Dallas Morning News.
It was an emotional meeting for both parties.
"Whether people disagree or agree with him leaving, no one has worked harder than that guy," Poynter told The Dallas Morning News. "A lot of guys were upset. Regardless of their feelings for him, all of us respect him."
The Mustangs, on a six-game losing streak, don’t have much to play for this season. Chances are the team will attempt to rally around Bennett for its final four games, meaning opponents should be doubly alert.
Still, there’s nothing the Mustangs can do that will bring Bennett back for a seventh season.
"He’s a passionate coach, and he loves coaching," sophomore quarterback Justin Willis told The Dallas Morning News. "He wanted to come in here and change things, and I know it’s tough to swallow."
C-USA owns the top runners
Last season, C-USA gained some recognition for featuring standout wide receivers such as Rice’s Jarett Dillard, Texas-El Paso’s Johnnie Lee Higgins, Central Florida’s Mike Walker and Houston’s Vincent Marshall. The league also showcased exceptional quarterbacks such as Houston’s Kevin Kolb, UTEP’s Justin Palmer and Southern Methodist’s Justin Willis.
This season, however, the league is getting a lot of attention because of its running backs.
Well, because of five particular running backs: Tulane senior Mike Fort’eacute;, Central Florida junior Kevin Smith, Houston senior Anthony Alridge, UTEP senior Marcus Thomas and Southern Miss sophomore Damion Fletcher.
All five are ranked in the top 25 of the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) in rushing, with Fort’eacute;, Smith, Alridge and Thomas sitting in the top 10.
C-USA is one of only two FBS conferences to have five running backs in the top 25 (the Big Ten is the other). The distinction of having four running backs among the top 10 belongs solely to C-USA.
Fort’eacute; sits atop the nation with 1,539 rushing yards, and Smith checks in at second with 1,260 yards. Alridge is sixth with 1,063 yards, Thomas is eighth with 886 yards and Fletcher is 19th with 923 yards (Thomas is ranked higher than Fletcher because he has played one less game than Fletcher).
No doubt all five will finish the season as 1,000-yard rushers. Fort’eacute;, who has rushed for more than 300 yards twice this season and has 15 touchdowns, has a shot to rush for more than 2,000 yards with four regular-season games remaining.
Moreover, Fort’eacute;, who has rushed for at least 200 yards in his last four games, will likely be named to the Associated Press All-America team at the conclusion of the regular season.
"He is one of the greatest backs I have ever been associated with," Tulane head coach Bob Toledo told the Times-Picayune (New Orleans). "He’s very deserving of being an All-American, very deserving of being a Heisman Trophy candidate.
"I think he’s the best running back in the country."
The first win always feels good
Considering how poorly Marshall has played this season, it’s only fitting that the Thundering Herd would snatch its first victory against Rice, a team that is equally inept at playing good football.
Marshall (1-7, 1-3 C-USA) took down Rice 34-21 on Saturday in Huntington, W.Va., to snap a seven-game losing streak to start the season and an eight-game losing streak that dated back to last season. Meanwhile, struggling Rice fell to 1-7 overall and 1-3 in C-USA.
Regardless of Rice’s record, Marshall is going to bask in its win. And because it came in the Thundering Herd’s homecoming, it probably carries more weight.
"I wish I could explain what this feeling is, what the locker room is," junior linebacker Maurice Kitchens told The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington). "It’s a huge sense of relief. It’s a great accomplishment.
"It came late in the season. But at least we have a win under our belt. We finally got the win that we needed.
"Homecoming? We had to get that win."
Bower not throwing in the towel
Things aren’t looking up for Southern Miss.
The defending C-USA East Division champion dropped a 34-17 decision to Central Florida on Sunday to fall to 4-4 overall and 3-2 overall. The loss also dropped the Golden Eagles to fourth in the East Division behind East Carolina (4-1 C-USA), Central Florida (3-1) and Memphis (3-1).
With three C-USA matchups remaining, the Golden Eagles will be hard-pressed to win the East Division and make an appearance in the conference championship game on Dec. 1.
Southern Miss head coach Jeff Bower, however, still has faith in his team despite Sunday’s loss.
"It’s a loss, but we’ll bounce back," Bower told the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American. "There are a lot of guys on this team who know how to win. I told the team we probably felt like this last year when we had our second loss, and we ended up going to the championship game. A lot can happen."
