Sometimes, there is no way to simulate the experience of a game in practice.
However, SMU and the Texas Tech football team's practice may be the closest thing to this Saturday's matchup between the two.
With June Jones taking the helm at SMU, both the Mustang and Red Raider defenses are getting a preview of Saturday's game every day in practice going up against its own offenses.
"(Jones has) an offense just like ours pretty much," Tech defensive end Jake Ratliff said. "He's a good coach everywhere he goes. They win. They're a lot like us."
Known for being an expert on offense, Jones has pushed the Mustangs to a 1-1 start to the 2008 season. Formerly at Hawaii, Jones led the Warriors to 76 wins, two Western Athletic Conference Championships and six bowl appearances in nine years. His latest accomplishment was leading Hawaii to a Top 10 ranking and an appearance in last year's Nokia Sugar Bowl against Georgia.
Jones knows where the match up could lie in the game against Tech.
Familiar with Tech coach Mike Leach and his offense, Jones used one word to describe the Red Raider offense and its principles over the years: consistent.
"They're offense hasn't changed much," he said. "They've done a great job getting the ball down the field, all different kinds of ways. (Leach is) a master at designing at what he has put together. We're going to have to obviously play a lot better than we played in the last two weeks. Our defense has got to create some ways to hang in there and compete with them."
The SMU defense's goal this season has been to force the game to fall into its hands, Jones said. He said turnovers have been the key since day one and once again they will matter against Tech.
So far in two games, SMU has seven turnovers credited to its defense.
"We talk about turnovers all the time," Jones said. "You're only going to get so many opportunities to get them each game and we got five last week. That's a pretty good ratio. The biggest change for us, when Rice threw us the ball, it hit us right straight dead in the hands. We didn't get any turnovers. We made the plays this week (against Texas State). That's probably the biggest difference. "
Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill believes the goal in stopping June Jones and any other offense is the same.
McNeill has coached against Jones during his days at Fresno State in the WAC.
He said going up against the Tech offense has always been used as an advantage to prepare for other teams and this week will be no different.
"That's what he's done," McNeill said. "It's like coach Leach and his system - that's coach Jones' system. (Jones has) done a great job developing it and add on. It's what they believe in, both of those guys."
The Red Raiders have forced five turnovers on defense in two games, including four interceptions on the season.
Although Tech has won 12-consecutive games against SMU, Ratliff said the addition of Jones should make the two teams' latest matchup interesting.
"They're not going to lay down for us just because we know what they're like," he said. "They line up in a few different formations than our offense does, but it's pretty similar."
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