• E-mail

The best quarterback on the SMU campus, the one who has tossed 51 touchdown passes the last two seasons, is suspended and won't play in today's spring game.

Neither will his backup, the only other quarterback currently on the roster who has ever thrown a pass in a college game.

You would think that would make new SMU coach June Jones just a tad nervous. Or uncomfortable.

After all, he needs a quality quarterback to make his Run and Shoot offense work. That, however, is not the case.

Jones isn't worried at all.

He figures freshman Logan Turner – the only scholarship quarterback left on the roster – can get the job done. If not, then freshmen Michael Morse or Daniel Miller will.

Each will get a chance to seize control of the position and enter fall practice as one of the main competitors for the starting job. If none of them moves to the forefront, Jones will give freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell or Braden Smith an opportunity to win the job.

All of that could change if Justin Willis, the starter the last two years, or Zach Rhodes get their off-the-field issues settled and return to the team.

The point, of course, is that Jones has such immense faith in his system and his ability to teach it that he doesn't really care who winds up winning the quarterback job as long as he's smart and accurate.

"We'll find a quarterback," he said. "There are only two types of quarterbacks: One who gets better during the game and one who gets worse.

"We'll be fine. The system works."

Enough said.

So I guess the air at Gerald J. Ford Stadium will be filled with footballs on Saturday as Jones' offense makes its first public appearance?

"The air is going to be filled with footballs for the next five years," Jones said laughing.

Jones said he's installed the offense, and the players seem to have done a good job of absorbing it, but his scheme isn't one that can be mastered by spending hours in the film room or on the practice field.

Certainly that helps, but Jones' offense can only be mastered with the experience that comes from playing in games. That's because his scheme, filled with four- and five-receiver formations, is built around option routes.

A receiver runs one route if the defense uses a man-to-man coverage and another if the defense opts for a zone look. When the quarterback and receivers are in perfect sync, the offense is virtually unstoppable.

All you have to do is look at the numbers Jones' offense put up at Hawaii the last few years.

They are spectacular.

Hawaii's offense was so prolific, quarterback Colt Brennan finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting while leading the Warriors to a BCS game.

SMU is a long way from that, but the Mustangs will finish much better than 1-11 in 2008. Frankly, SMU should have won five or six games last year.

The outlook would be even brighter if Willis were participating in spring practice. He has shown the ability to be an excellent quarterback – he's passed for 4,991 yards with 51 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his first two seasons – and should thrive in Jones' system.

"Justin has some things to do, and if he does them, he'll be back," Jones said. "Justin seems like he's a pretty good kid, and I don't hold grudges. I told him that if he comes back and he's the best player, he'll play."

For now, Jones is more concerned with changing the culture of losing at SMU. It's about changing the mind-set of players who have been deluged with negativity about SMU's program since the moment they arrived on campus.

He does it by focusing on fundamentals, which eliminates mistakes, and using positive reinforcement to gain the players' trust so they will believe in what he's teaching.

SMU has the talent to compete with every team in Conference USA. Jones is working on the players' mentality.

"It's all of the intangibles and chemistry that makes ordinary teams great," said Jones, "and makes below-average teams better."

Still, it seems it would be a little easier if Jones knew the name of his starting quarterback against Rice in the opener.

SMU Red and Blue Scrimmage, 1 p.m. Saturday, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, free admission.