The Gunslinging Mustangs of Minerva
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What Does the Rest of the Season Hold: Frank Short (10-17-2011)
Fellas, Here’s a rundown of the Mustang Club luncheon today, really excited about the rest of the season: Our special teams were obviously awesome on Saturday.
Richard Crawford is a complete stud and we could have run back two or three punts/kick offs but I’ll obviously take the one. In addition to that, Margus could have had another FG block but his (massive 6’8”) presence in the middle actually forced the kicker to change the trajectory of the kick which caused the ball to sail wide. Essentially a blocked field goal.Our defense continues to be dominant, at least for the first 3 quarters of the game. Our front seven are what make the defense special but it’s “starting 4” d-line of Margus, Taylor Thompson, Marquis Frazier and Torlan Pittman are so disruptive at the line which enables our linebackers to make plays with greater ease. Pittman, who was suspended for all of last season for aggravated sexual assault, has gotten significantly better each week and is a great NT/DT in our 3-4.
Another bright spot is the freshman DE/LB Stephon (phonetically pronounced) Sanders who the coaches and players say is going to be a star. Offense has had us all worried this year and deservingly so. I’m growing more and more optimistic as the season progresses and JJ McDermott and the younger receivers get more experience. UCF came into the game with one the top defenses in the country (statistically) and SMU was able to move the ball against them pretty well. Our passing game is having more success as a result of being able to throw the long ball, which we were missing under Padron last year and with a more inexperienced JJ McDermott earlier in the season. For those who would point out that McDermott overthrew a potential TD to Keenan Holman in the 1st half will be frustrated to hear that it was actually the WR who put up his hands way too early which caused him to slow down and miss the ball for what would have been 6 points.
On the other side of that, Der’rikk is a complete stud and burned a good UCF corner on his 72 yard TD reception. The emergence of the passing game having a continuous deep threat is huge for our offense because it opens up the intermediate/underneath passing game as well. I think we’ll continue to put up more and more passing yards as the season progresses and not have to rely on Zach Line and our running game as much. Lastly, our offensive line have been the unsung heroes on that side of the ball. They had a great game on Saturday. Cole Beasley may have reinjured his knee but we’ll see if he’s able to play on Saturday.Southern Miss is going to be a very tough game. They’re 5-1 as well and they’re lone loss came during torrential downpour against Marshall. Apparently they’re very talented and athletic but not as disciplined/intelligent. Read into that what you will.
SMU can easily win the game if they play well and not make too many mistakes. Talking with Roman and his dad after the luncheon, June Jones was hoping to go 3-1 in the first four games (lose to A&M) and then split the next 4 (TCU and UCF or USM) but is now looking to put a 10+ win season together. So awesome.
What does the next decade hold? (check out #7)
Editor's note: Each day this week, ESPN.com will look back at the best in college football over the past 10 years. On Friday, Mark Schlabach looks into his crystal ball and ponders what we might see in the second decade of the 21st century.
The decade began with Boise State winning the Big West Conference championship.
It ended with the Broncos winning their second BCS bowl game.
When the calendar turned to the 21st century a decade ago, Brian Kelly was coaching at Grand Valley State, a Division II school in Michigan. The new decade begins with Kelly taking over Notre Dame, the most famous college football program in the land.
Florida's Urban Meyer and Boise State's Chris Petersen started the decade as wide receivers coaches at Notre Dame and Oregon, respectively. Ten years ago, Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who stands to someday soon take over the Longhorns, was still an assistant coach at Valdosta State, a Division II school in south Georgia.
During the past decade, college football fans said goodbye to many of its most famous coaches, including Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, LaVell Edwards and Don Nehlen. They said goodbye -- and then hello again -- to Butch Davis, Dennis Erickson, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier, all of whom scratched their longtime NFL itches before returning to the better sport.
So much can change in 10 years. The past decade brought us instant replay, spread offenses and coaches-in-waiting. We said goodbye to the Michigan dynasty (sort of), the Orange Bowl stadium and something called the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.
The next 10 years stand to bring us so much more. Here's a look at what might transpire in college football over the next decade:
1. Widespread realignment
The Big Ten is exploring the possibility of adding a 12th team, and I'm betting it will be Missouri before the 2011 season. With 12 teams, the Big Ten can split into two divisions and stage a conference championship game. Who can't wait to flock to Detroit or Minneapolis in early December?
With Missouri leaving, the Big 12 will add TCU to its lineup of schools. Not to be left out, the Pac-10 will add Boise State and Utah, giving it 12 teams and a moneymaking championship game. The Big East will react by adding Memphis, East Carolina, Central Florida and Temple.
2.
There will be a BCS plus-one
With Boise State, TCU and Utah joining BCS conferences, there will be less outrage
from the football conferences that don't receive automatic BCS bowl bids. But with every BCS conference staging its own championship
game, the BCS will finally adopt a plus-one model. The winner of two BCS bowl games will play in a BCS National Championship
Game a week later.
3. Several big-name coaches will retire
We lost
our share of great coaches during the past decade, and we'll stand to lose a few more over the next 10 years. Virginia Tech's
Frank Beamer, Texas' Mack Brown, Kansas State's Bill Snyder, Penn State's Joe Paterno and Spurrier will hang up their hats
during the next decade. Either Temple's Al Golden or Rutgers' Greg Schiano will inherit the unenviable task of replacing Paterno,
major college football's all-time winningest coach.
4. The SEC will win at least four more national championships
The past decade ended
with SEC teams winning four consecutive BCS national championships. Alabama will repeat as national champions in 2010 and
will win at least one more title under Nick Saban, who will eventually become the sport's first $6 million coach. Florida's
Urban Meyer will win at least one more national title before retiring, and current Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart
will guide LSU back to the promised land near the end of the decade.
5. 3-D TV
will become the rage
College football fans will be captivated by much-improved 3-D technology, which will make
them feel like part of the action. To almost no one's surprise, Big Ten players will look even slower in 3-D.
6. Boise State will play for a national championship
After breaking through the BCS ceiling at the end of the previous decade, Boise State will finish a future season with an undefeated record and will actually get to play for a national championship. The Broncos will beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, winning the game -- and a national championship -- on a fumblerooski play in the final minutes.
7.
SMU will become the next BCS buster
It didn't take former Hawaii coach June Jones long to turn the Mustangs
back into winners, improving from 1-11 in 2008 to 8-5 this past season. With Jones' run-and-shoot offense, SMU will become
kings of Conference USA and will play in a BCS bowl game before the end of the decade.
8. Michigan will become relevant
again
The Wolverines will return to national prominence -- under current LSU coach Les Miles or Stanford coach
(and UM alumnus) Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines will stick with coach Rich Rodriguez for a couple of more seasons, before eventually
pulling the plug on what has been a bad marriage. Rodriguez will return to his native West Virginia, where he'll unsuccessfully
run for public office.
9. Notre Dame will win again
It will take
a couple of seasons, but Kelly will eventually turn around the Fighting Irish. After beating Navy in the 2012 opener in Dublin,
Notre Dame will stake its claim to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. The Irish will give it back after losing to Army later
that season.
10. Mike Gundy will turn 50, but Muschamp will be the man
Gundy will still be coaching Oklahoma State, his alma mater, when he turns 50 on Aug. 12, 2017. But Muschamp will own the
Big 12 once he takes over Texas. Brown will coach two or three more seasons, before handing the reigns to Muschamp. The Longhorns
won't skip a beat under their tough-nosed new coach.
11. A Florida quarterback
will win the Heisman Trophy
The Gators will sorely miss departed quarterback Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy
winner. But sophomore John Brantley might be a better fit for Florida's high-octane passing attack. Brantley will lead the Gators to an SEC East title in 2010,
and then he'll win the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 2011.
12. Bobby Petrino will
change jobs again
When Meyer retires for health reasons at Florida, Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley won't
have to look outside the SEC for a replacement. He'll turn to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, who always seems to be looking
for a better job.
13. Pac-10 power will move north
With Lane Kiffin
taking over at USC, and former coach Pete Carroll bolting for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington
will become the class of the Pac-10. Former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian seems close to turning the Huskies around,
and the Ducks and Beavers will keep getting better under coaches Chip Kelly and Mike Riley, respectively.
14. The Big 12 North will close the gap
Nebraska finally found stability under coach
Bo Pelini, who will bring the "Blackshirt" defense back to Lincoln. Once the Cornhuskers learn how to play offense
as well as they play defense, they'll be a tough out for Big 12 South teams in the league's championship game. Kansas will
get better, too, with former Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill returning to the Big 12 as the Jayhawks' new coach.
15.
BCS at-large bids will get scarce
Before it loses TCU and Utah, the Mountain West will qualify for automatic
BCS status in 2012, which guarantees its champion will play in one of the four lucrative BCS bowl games. The addition of the
MWC will leave only one at-large bid for BCS bowl games. After losing a couple of schools to Big 12 and Pac-10 expansion,
the MWC will replace them with teams like Fresno State, Hawaii or Nevada.
16. The
NCAA finally solves the Reggie Bush scandal
At the very end of the next decade, after former USC running back
Reggie Bush has retired from the NFL, the NCAA will finally determine whether he received improper benefits while playing
for the Trojans. Just days before USC's sanctions are announced in 2019, Kiffin will leave to become coach of L.A.'s new NFL
franchise.
17. Famous names will dot the landscape
You might feel
old when hearing the names of potential future stars: Collinsworth, Favre, Gretzky and Montana. A new generation of players
with famous fathers and relatives stand to become the stars of tomorrow.
Nick Montana, son of Joe, might be Washington's quarterback of the future. Austin Collinsworth, son of Chris, is a defensive back headed to Notre Dame. Dylan Favre, nephew of Brett, is a record-setting quarterback headed to Mississippi State.
Next season, Trevor Gretzky, son of NHL legend Wayne, replaces Montana as the starting quarterback at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif. One of Gretzky's favorite targets is Trey Smith, son of Hollywood actor Will Smith. And golfing legend Jack Nicklaus' grandson, Nick O'Leary, is a budding tight end at Dwyer High in West Palm Beach, Fla.
One of the biggest stars in the recruiting class of 2011 is quarterback Kendal Thompson of Southmoore High in Moore, Okla. Thompson has already announced he'll follow his father, Charles Thompson, who played quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners.
18. Mike Leach will return as a head coach
Leach's high-powered offense won't be sidelined for long. Leach, who was fired by Texas Tech after allegedly mistreating
a player who suffered a concussion, will be hired as Maryland's new coach by 2012.
Leach's relationship with Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, a former Maryland player, will make him a popular choice to replace current Terps coach Ralph Friedgen, who is nearing retirement.
19. Preseason polls will
be abolished
Sometime during the next decade, the Associated Press and coaches' polls finally get it right
and decide to abolish their preseason polls. The first polls won't be released until Oct. 1. Remarkably, Notre Dame will still
be No. 1.
20. A Bowden will return to the sideline
For the first
time in four decades, the 2010 season will start without a Bowden coaching at a major college program. Bobby Bowden was forced
to retire after 34 seasons at Florida State, and Clemson fired his son, Tommy, midway through the '09 season.
But major college football won't be without a Bowden on the sideline for long. Tommy will return to coaching before the 2011 season, and brother Terry will land a midlevel FBS job after leading Division II North Alabama to a national championship next season.
Stay tuned. The next 10 years figure to be as much fun as the past 10.
 |  Mitch Enright and Shawnbrey McNeal celebrate in the end zone after McNeal ran in a touchdown during the first quarter. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia) |
| Notes | Box Score | Bowl Game CentralESPN360 Replay of the Game | ESPN.com highlights
Freshman Kyle Padron threw for an SMU-record 460 yards, leading the Mustangs to a 45-10 victory over Nevada in the Hawai'i Bowl on Thursday night - SMU's first postseason appearance in 25 years.
It was a triumphant return to the postseason and paradise for the Mustangs and second-year coach June Jones, who left Hawai'i after nine seasons.
"What it means to me, it just feels good to be home," said Jones, 16-1 at Aloha Stadium since 2006 and 4-1 in Hawai'i Bowls.
SMU fans chanted "Thank you, June!" in the fourth quarter, but it was his young quarterback who shone and earned the MVP award.
"I wouldn't say the Pony Express, but it brings back a lot of boosters and a lot of the alumni to know we have a football team again," Padron said after breaking Mike Romo's school record of 450 yards passing against North Texas in 1989. It was chaos in the SMU locker room where players were dancing, chanting and screaming. Players couldn't even hear Jones' speech.
"I'm sure he said something great," linebacker Chase Kennemer said.
The Mustangs were motivated by the fact that 91 percent of America picked them to lose online.
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The 18-year-old Padron, who was 32 of 41 and completed two touchdown passes, was confident and composed on the biggest stage of his young career.
"I was kind of chucking the ball everywhere," Padron said. "Lot of big gaps today and it was fun."
He earned the starting job after Bo Levi Mitchell was injured in the seventh game of the season and was largely unknown coming out of Southlake Carroll in Texas, which produced quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Greg McElroy. Despite the tiny crowd at the game, people are paying attention to Padron - and SMU.
After going 1-11 the previous two years, the Mustangs (8-5) have their most victories since their last postseason game - also in Hawai'i when SMU beat Notre Dame 27-20 in the 1984 Aloha Bowl to finish 10-2.
The 12-point underdogs dominated from the opening bell, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and building a 38-0 advantage by the third.
| SMU Bowl History | |||
| Year | Bowl | vs. | Outcome |
| 1936 | Rose Bowl | Stanford | L, 7-0 |
| 1948 | Cotton Bowl | Penn State | T, 13-13 |
| 1949 | Cotton Bowl | Oregon | W, 21-13 |
| 1963 | Sun Bowl | Oregon | L, 21-14 |
| 1966 | Cotton Bowl | Georgia | L, 24-9 |
| 1968 | Astro- BlueBonnet Bowl |
Oklahoma | W, 28-27 |
| 1980 | Holiday Bowl | BYU | L, 46-45 |
| 1983 | Cotton Bowl | Pittsburgh | W, 7-3 |
| 1983 | Sun Bowl | Alabama | L, 28-7 |
| 1984 | Aloha Bowl | Notre Dame | W, 27-20 |
| 2009 | Hawai'i Bowl | Nevada | W, 45-10 |
Padron had 303 yards passing in the first half alone, breaking SMU's bowl record of 281 yards by Chuck Hixson in the 1968 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
 June Jones directs the Mustangs from the sidelines. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)  | |
Padron's 17- and 2-yard touchdown passes in second quarter gave SMU a 31-0 lead at the half and had the Wolf Pack searching for answers. The 17-yarder was to Emmanuel Sanders, who had seven catches for 124 yards.
Sanders finished his career as SMU's career leader in receptions, touchdown catches and yards.
Shawnbrey McNeal added 63 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter. He also had seven catches for 53 yards.
The loss was the fourth straight in the postseason for the Wolf Pack (8-5), whose No. 1 rushing offense in the nation was grounded. But it was the Nevada defense that looked as if it was left behind feeding Wheel-of-Fortune machines in Reno.
"They outplayed us, they outcoached us, they did an excellent job," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "We were never involved for whatever reason."
 | "I wouldn't say the Pony Express, but it brings back
a lot of boosters and a lot of the alumni to know we have a football team again," MVP Quarterback Kyle Padron |
While SMU racked up 534 yards of offense, Nevada had held to just 314, including 137 yards rushing. The Wolf Pack averaged 362.3 yards rushing during the regular season and is the first team in NCAA history to have three 1,000-yard rushers. But Nevada was without two of them in running backs Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott.
Taua was ruled academically ineligible and Lippincott was sidelined with a toe injury.
The Mustangs wasted no time getting on the scoreboard and attacking Nevada's anemic pass defense, ranked second worst in the nation.
 Kyle Padron holds the MVP trophy at the Hawai'i Bowl. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia) | |
On the second play of the game, Padron found a wide-open Cole Beasley near midfield. Beasley was dragged down from behind at the Nevada 9 for a gain of 71 yards. It was the longest pass in SMU bowl history, breaking Doak Walker's 53-yard pass to Paul Page in the 1948 Cotton Bowl.
McNeal scored on the next play. The Mustangs got the ball back on the next series by stopping the Wolf Pack on fourth-and-2.
Padron then connected with Sanders for a 58-yard gain, setting up McNeal's 1-yard TD that put SMU up 14-0 less than 6 1/2 minutes into the game.
After completing a 53-yard pass to Aldrick Robinson in the third that setup a 3-yard TD run by Zach Line, Padron looked at Jones and just shook his head in disbelief. Robinson finished with nine catches for 176 yards.
Meanwhile, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick couldn't get anything going on the ground or through the air. Kaepernick, who rushed for 1,160 yards in the regular season, had just 23 yards rushing on 13 carries.
"That game was embarrassing on a lot of different levels. We just have to look at the film and try to regroup for next year," said Kaepernick, who was 15 of 29 for 177 yards. He threw a 10-yard TD pass with a minute left in the game.
"They did a nice job basically of taking away the consistency of our offense," Ault said. "We never got in rhythm. There's no question, we just played very, very poorly."
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| |  SMU Accepts Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Invitation |
HONOLULU (12/2/2009) - SMU has accepted an invitation to play in the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Executive Director David A. K. Matlin announced today. The Mustangs will meet a representative from the Western Athletic Conference on Christmas Eve at Aloha Stadium. SMU, which has posted the biggest turnaround in the nation this season, will snap a 25-year bowl drought with this berth.
"We are very excited with the return of June Jones to Hawaii to participate in his fifth Sheraton Hawaii Bowl as a coach," Matlin said. "Spending the Christmas season in Hawaii will be a well deserved reward for the players, coaches and the loyal Mustang fans."
"Having had the opportunity to participate in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in 2005, I can say with confidence that it is truly one of the best postseason experiences in college football," said Steve Orsini, SMU Director of Athletics. "This is a trip of a lifetime and an excellent reward for our student-athletes, coaches and staff. We are excited to represent SMU and Conference USA in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl."
"We set this bowl as a goal before the season started and I am so happy that our players will be able to have this experience," said June Jones, SMU Head Coach. "Reaching our first bowl game in 25 years is special - not only for our current student-athletes, but also for the guys who came before them and our student body, staff and fans. This bowl has special meaning for me personally, as eight years ago, I was part of the original vision ESPN and Sheraton had for Hawaii and the nation. It is exciting to be a part of one of the best bowl experiences in college football."
SMU (7-5) will be making its 11th bowl appearance and first since 1984 when it played in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu. The Mustangs tied for first place with Houston in the Conference-USA West Division with identical 6-2 league records. SMU, which finished 1-11 last season, is coached by former Hawaii coach June Jones, who is in his second year at the Hilltop.
The 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will be played on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) at 7 p.m. CST/3 p.m. HST and will be telecast by ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
| |  Emmanuel Sanders |
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery 
DALLAS (11/28/2009) - A long wait for SMU is officially over.
Shawnbrey McNeal rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 5:23 remaining, to lead SMU to a 26-21 win over Tulane on Saturday.
The Mustangs (7-5, 6-2) were already bowl eligible with six wins. With Saturday's victory, they are guaranteed to earn one of Conference USA's six automatic bowl bids. SMU, which went 1-11 the last two seasons, has not appeared in a bowl game since the 1984 Aloha Bowl.
Three years after that appearance, the NCAA imposed the death penalty on the football program for multiple rules violations. The Mustangs didn't play football for two seasons and have since struggled to regain respectability.
"I didn't see a player laugh or have fun until the second game this year," SMU coach June Jones said of the team's attitude. "It's like they were browbeat worse than any players I've ever seen."
Jones, in his second season at SMU, was given a two-year contract extension on Friday, keeping him at the school through 2014. Jones came from Hawaii, and the Mustangs may be going to Hawaii for their bowl game next month.
"I told the players I didn't really think it would really soak in yet," Jones said. "I told them they talk about the (early 1980s team) Pony Express; in 10 years they're going to talk about you."
McNeal, who carried the ball 26 times, scored on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter to put SMU ahead, and the Mustangs held on.
After McNeal's touchdown put the Mustangs ahead, Tulane had two chances. On the first drive, the Green Wave was stopped on downs; on the second, as time was running out, Tulane fumbled and SMU recovered.
Kyle Padron completed 20 of 34 passes for 264 yards for SMU, and Emmanuel Sanders finished with six receptions for 144 yards. SMU led 17-7 at halftime.
| |  Jones Awarded Contract Extension |
DALLAS (11/27/2009) - SMU head football coach June Jones has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him on the Hilltop through the 2014 season, Director of Athletics Steve Orsini announced Friday.
Jones, who is in his second season at SMU, has the Mustangs on the verge of their first bowl game since 1984 and in contention for the Conference USA championship. SMU is tied with Idaho for the biggest turnaround in the nation this season, improving its 2009 record by five wins over its 2008 results, and, with a win over Tulane in Saturday's regular season finale, would post its most wins in a single season since 1984.
"I have said since my arrival that we will win at SMU. Coach Jones has established a winning culture in our football program and we want to recognize and reward that," said Orsini. "This contract extension is a clear statement of our mutual commitment to building on the foundation he has helped establish."
"On behalf of the SMU community, I want to congratulate Coach Jones on the outstanding job that he has done with our football team," President Gerald Turner said. "Football is an integral part of the campus experience and he is reestablishing a winning tradition and a rallying point for the entire University."
"I'm very appreciative of this contract extension and am excited about the direction of the program," said Jones. "I want to thank Steve and President Turner for believing in what we're doing as a team and as a coaching staff. They have been tremendous in terms of their cooperation in rebuilding our program. Their support and the support of the SMU community as a whole have set the table for us to be successful for years to come."
GMoM Shocks SMU
William Edwards (11/20/2009) -
In a time when SMU students finally have the chance to be excited about their football program, Conference USA schedules the last home game of the season over Thanksgiving break. Many of the Mustangs aren't happy with the conference’s schedule during the 2009 season. If we look back at the home games this year, a monkey could have picked better games days.
The first home game of the year was over Labor Day weekend, and most of the student body left campus to enjoy one of the last lake weekends of the summer. The second home game of the year fell over Fall Break (more than a month later, mind you). Tell me how easy it would have been for SMU to change that campus holiday to the traditional weekend of TX/OU? The next home game did in fact fall on TX/OU weekend, and I personally know that many people missed out on the SMU win because of the Longhorn victory. The next two home games actually made sense... they fell on Homecoming and Parents Weekend. Way to go Conference USA, you actually managed not to screw us for 2 games this year. Although they were fun, the GMoM organization still believes that our tailgate and game attendance could have been stronger during those events.
Now comes the last home game of the year, and the ENTIRE student body won't be present at the game. Coach June Jones had a wonderful idea to help out kids in need around the holidays and bus in some 10,000 deserving kids from various organizations in the DFW Metroplex (Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, etc). In a time when the economy is just starting pick up momentum again, Coach Jones asked 200 donors to pledge $750.00 to rent out a bus for fifty deserving kids. Not to mention this also covers their entry and snacks at the game. Such donors as Don Donnally, Carl Sewell, and Gerald Ford all pitched in and donated enough money to get more than a few buses. This last Wednesday an email was sent out to the Mustang Club informing members that Coach Jones had received enough money to rent out 166 out of 200 buses. They were so close to their goal!
The Gunslinging Mustangs of Minerva saw this as a great PR opportunity to give back during this 2009 SMU season. In just two days the GMoMer's were able to raise the $750 dollars needed to sponsor a bus. Needless to say, the school was shocked. While dropping off the check I received more than one stare when walking into the athletic department at Ford Stadium. It seemed as if I shouldn't have been there and that I needed more assistance than they could provide. One woman even asked if I was lost.
I proudly told her that I wasn't lost and, "in fact I have a check here from the Gunslinging Mustangs of Minerva to sponsor one of your buses for the Thanksgiving game."
The office went silent and asked what the group was and who we represented. I told them that we were the Young SAE Alumni and that we were ready to make a name for ourselves on campus. Lee Meredith, assistant director to the athletic department, was shocked to see a young alumni organization get involved like this. They thanked me profusely and made a promise that our name would roll across the monitor at half time like the other big timers.
It's safe to say.... The Gunslinging Mustangs of Minerva are here to stay.
| |  Fans Can Go Bowling With SMU |
Nov. 16, 2009
With Saturday's win, SMU is bowl eligible. If and when SMU receives official notification of any bowl bid, The Mustang Club will announce bowl travel packages. Information will appear on SMUMustangs.com and websites for The Mustang Club and The Lettermen's Association and e-mail notification will go out with package specifics. SMU Athletics wants you to be part of the bowl fun, so watch for more details from The Mustang Club regarding travel options and from the ticket office regarding ticket requests. Go Mustangs!
| |  Kyle Padron |
DALLAS (11/18/2009) - Kyle Padron completed 17 of 24 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and added a pair of TD runs to lead SMU to a 35-31 win over UTEP on Saturday.
SMU (6-4, 5-1 Conference USA) gained sole possession of first place in the conference's West Division after Houston lost 37-32 to Central Florida earlier in the day. The Miners (3-7, 2-4) have lost three straight.
UTEP took a 31-28 lead after running back Donald Buckram scored on a 30-yard screen pass from Trevor Vittatoe with 8:57 left in the game.
But Padron threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders with 4:34 left in the game to give SMU the lead. UTEP drove to the Mustangs' 14-yard line but Vittatoe was sacked by SMU's Taylor Thompson on fourth-and-6 with 26 seconds left.
SMU is 5-1 in now Conference USA, which is the best league record for SMU since a 7-1 league mark in 1983. It is also the most league wins for the Mustangs since joining C-USA.
SMU is 6-4 on the season and bowl eligible for the fifth time since its last bowl appearance.
Margus Hunt blocked a 39-yard FG attempt by UTEP on the final play of the first half. It was his seventh of the season and moves him within one block of the NCAA single-season record.
| |  McNeal Scores Two TDs |
DALLAS (11/9/2009) - Shawnbrey McNeal rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns to lift SMU to a 31-28 win over Rice Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs (5-4, 4-1 Conference USA) blocked three kicks.
Defensive end Margus Hunt blocked an extra point attempt and a field goal attempt by Rice (0-9, 0-5). Hunt now has six blocked kicks on the season (3 PATs, 3 FGs), setting the SMU season record for blocked kicks (previous mark was four by Chad Patton, 1992 (1 FG, 2 PATs, 1 punt)). His six season blocks tie for fifth in NCAA history for a season (record is 8 by three different players). This is the second time Hunt has two blocked kicks in a game.
McNeal scored on a 9-yard run in the fourth to give SMU a 31-20 lead. Rice narrowed the SMU lead to 31-28 with 1:47 left when Nick Fanuzzi threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Toren Dixon and the Owls converted the 2-point conversion, but Bradley Haynes recovered the onside kick attempt and SMU held on for the win.
Mustang quarterback Kyle Padron finished 17 of 24 for 234 yards and one touchdown.
SMU is now 4-1 in C-USA, the best league start since going 4-1 to start the 1986 SWC slate.
| |  Kyle Padron |
TULSA, Okla. (11/1/2009) - Freshman quarterback Kyle Padron threw for 354 yards, turning two broken plays into scoring passes, in his first career start to lead SMU to a 27-13 victory over Tulsa on Saturday.
Padron, who came off the bench a week ago, completed 20 of 30 passes for the Mustangs (4-4, 3-1 C-USA) .
Padron broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter when he scrambled and found running back Shawnbrey McNeal in the flat. He twisted his way 36 yards for a score.
Tulsa (4-4, 2-2) cut the deficit to 20-13 when reserve quarterback Jacob Bower found tight end Jake Collums over the middle from 13 yards out, but Tulsa coach Todd Graham went for a fourth-and-18 from the SMU 44 with 5:31 to play and G.J.Kinne's pass was batted down by Margus Hunt. SMU drove 56 yards for the clinching score, a 2-yard plunge by Zach Line.
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DALLAS (Oct. 17, 2009) - Joe Buckley kicked a 24-yard field goal in overtime and Navy edged SMU, 38-35, Saturday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
The Midshipmen (5-2) rallied from a 21-7 deficit in front of former President George W. Bush, who handled the honorary coin toss before the game.
SMU (3-3) forced overtime on Bo Levi Mitchell's 10-yard touchdown pass to Aldrick Robinson with 1:35 left, but missed a field goal try in overtime, which allowed the Midshipmen to kick for the win.
Of SMU's three losses on the year, two have come in overtime.
| |  SMU, Navy To Play For Gansz Trophy |
DALLAS (Oct. 15, 2009) - Off to their best conference start since 1986, the SMU Mustangs take on their final non-conference foe of the 2009 season this Saturday, Oct. 17, when they host the Navy Midshipmen at 7 p.m. in Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SMU and Navy will be battling for the Gansz Trophy, a traveling trophy created earlier this season to honor late coaching legend Frank Gansz, who coached at SMU and coached and played at Navy.
The game will also feature a pre-game military tribute and a halftime "Salute To The Mustangs," sponsored by the National Wild Horse Foundation. The pre-game festivities will include a football delivery from the Navy SEALS Leap Frog Jump Team and a flyover by F/A-18 Hornets following the National Anthem. Among the halftime highlights will be the presentation of two rescued, trained Mustangs to the school from Madeleine Pickens and a performance by Western Music Association Hall of Famer Michael Martin Murphey.
Fans will also likely see history on Saturday, as Mustang wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will set a new SMU career record for catches with two against the Midshipmen. Sanders already ranks as SMU's all-time leader in career TD catches (29) and receiving yards (2,980).
As part of its tribute to our Armed Forces, SMU will also be offering a free ticket on Saturday to anyone with a Military ID. With the Red River Rivalry game also in town on Saturday, SMU will be offering fans with a Texas-OU ticket stub or a Saturday ticket from the State Fair admission to the SMU-Navy game for just $10.
Fans at the Fair can even make use of the new DART Green Line and board at the new Fair Park Station. Following a quick transfer to the Red or Blue Lines, fans can exit at Mockingbird Station and make use of a free shuttle to Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
This week's SMU-Navy
game will be tape delayed around the state on Time Warner Cable (MetroSports in Dallas, the Texas Channel elsewhere in Texas),
and will air live on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network - Channel 432 on DISH and Channel 640 on DirecTV.
| |  It's College Football Saturday In Dallas |
DALLAS (Oct. 14, 2009) - With a big day of college football set for Saturday in Dallas, the SMU Athletic Department today announced a pair of great ticket offers for the SMU-Navy game on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
With the Red River Rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma set for an 11 a.m. kickoff, fans will have a chance to catch the SMU-Navy nightcap at Gerald J. Ford Stadium with a discounted ticket. On Saturday, SMU will be offering fans with a Texas-OU ticket stub or a Saturday ticket from the State Fair admission to the SMU-Navy game for just $10.
Fans at the Fair can even make use of the new DART Green Line and board at the new Fair Park Station. Following a quick transfer to the Red or Blue Lines, fans can exit at Mockingbird Station and make use of a free shuttle to Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
The day should also afford fans a chance to check out SMU's renowned Boulevard, where gameday is an all-day affair. SMU's beautiful Bishop Boulevard is headquarters for fun, entertainment, and tailgating and allows fans to mingle with family, friends, and neighbors.
As part of its tribute to our Armed Forces, SMU will also be offering a free ticket on Saturday to anyone with a Military ID. The military theme will include a pregame football delivery from the Navy SEALS Leap Frog Jump Team and a flyover by F/A-18 Hornets following the National Anthem.
For tickets to Saturday's game, contact the SMU Ticket Office at 214-SMU-GAME.
SMU UPSETS EAST CAROLINA
Dallas
- (10/13/2009)
Bo Levi Mitchell completed 17 of 29 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns to lead SMU to a 28-21 win over East Carolina on Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Aldrick Robinson scored on a 96-yard touchdown reception to tie for the longest touchdown pass in SMU history, and the Mustangs (3-2, 2-0 Conference USA) snapped the Pirates' five-game conference winning streak.
Dominique Lindsay led all rushers with 144 yards on 24 attempts for ECU (3-3, 2-1).
The Mustangs scored 21 consecutive points to take a 21-7 lead, capped by safety Rock Dennis' 53-yard interception return with 8:12 left in the third quarter.
SMU's first score came on a 63-yard touchdown return off a blocked field goal by Bryan McCann with 3:52 left in the first half.
| |  Bo Levi Mitchell Throws For 3 TDs In Win |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns and SMU held off UAB'S rally to win 35-33 on Saturday.
Mitchell, who completed 28 of 47 passes, had touchdown throws of 44, 32 and 6 yards. His third TD pass went to Cole Beasley to give the Mustangs (2-0, 1-0 Conference USA) a 28-7 lead in the second quarter.
The Blazers (1-1, 1-1 CUSA) scored 20 points in the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-27. Joe Webb scored on a 1-yard run, Mark Ferrell had an 80-yard touchdown run and Andre Hicks returned an interception 20 yards for a score.
SMU regained its eight-point lead on Shawnbrey McNeal's 19-yard run with 4:04 left. UAB got within two on Jeffery Anderson's 14-yard touchdown reception, but Webb's rushing attempt on a 2-point conversion failed.
SMU's Emmanuel Sanders had 148 yards receiving and one touchdown.
SMU Rallies Past Stephen F. Austin, 31-23
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery | Game Book in PDF Format 
DALLAS (AP) -- Shawnbrey McNeal ran for 158 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown to lead SMU to a 31-23 win over Stephen F. Austin Saturday night.
Mustang quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell scored on fourth-and-1 with 7:47 left in the game to help the Mustangs (1-0) erase a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and take a 24-23 lead.
SFA had a chance to take the lead with 2:13 left in the game but Evan Engwall's 39-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left. Engwall had hit on all three of his previous attempts from 46, 38 and 48 yards.
On the next possession, McNeal scored on a 48-yard run to help the Mustangs
win their first season opener since they defeated Kansas in 2000. The Lumberjacks (0-1) have lost their last four games to
Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
Pony Profile: Emmanuel Sanders - Getting The Looks
| |  Emmanuel Sanders |
Dallas - (8/27/09)The NFL could wait, and there was still unfinished business at SMU. It was the approach that Emmanuel Sanders took this offseason, entering his senior year of his college career. Already the all-time leader in touchdown receptions for the SMU Mustangs, Sanders could have probably found his way on to a NFL roster this season, but elected to stay to help himself and his school. Now ranked as the No. 8 projected receiver in the 2010 NFL draft by some scouting services, Sanders is ready to accomplish two things that have eluded him during his college career.
"I want to go to a bowl game. I think we are ready to make the jump," stated Sanders. "Also, a receiver's goal is to get to 1,000 yards in a season. I haven't gotten there yet. I have put in the time and work this offseason and hopefully it all pays off."
After putting up 18 touchdowns and almost 1,500 yards in his first two seasons, the Bellville product thrived in June Jones' system last year, catching 67 balls for 958 yards and nine scores in 10 games. The efforts earned him second team All-Conference USA accolades. He is the only receiver to ever record three straight 600-yard seasons in a SMU uniform.
With the honors, Sanders is starting to get extra attention. The wide receiver has already had three NFL teams scout him early into his senior season, with two more expected next week. While Jones has said Sanders goes hard and lays it all out each and every practice, the face of the program admits he works a little harder when NFL teams come through.
"Coach Reinebold tells me when
they come out, so I know they are there. I talk to them prior and after each practice," said Sanders. "I try to
come out here and get better every day, but when they are out here I try to go a little bit harder. What usually happens is
I end up getting tired. I just need to be myself. Last time a team was out here, I tried to go harder and I cramped up. I
didn't even get to finish practice."
While Sanders is projected by many as a top-10 receiver next April, the wide receiver position isn't expected to be as deep as last year. A total of six wideouts were taken in the first round in 2009. While Sanders is projected to be the No. 8 receiver taken, his name is not expected to be called until the fourth round.
"I don't really notice a difference in the way he practices, but I know that he wants to know when they are here," replied Reinebold. "I usually tell him, because I want him to know, (that) there are people who are sincerely interested in him at the next level. It's not just us thinking that anymore, but people in the National Football League.
"It's an opportunity for him to make a little money while he is practicing. What I mean by that is the better he practices while those people are here, the better write-up he is going to get, which means more looks during the season, a bigger opportunity to go to the combine, and a higher draft position. The higher you are drafted, the bigger the paycheck."
With a full season of experience working with sophomore quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, better offensive line play, and other receivers coming into their own, Sanders' statistical potential is endless - something that could potentially propel him into an even higher draft position next spring.
"Every team that I have talked to has given me a good grade, so it's looking really good," said Sanders. "I just need to play and not worry about it and things will come together."
Sanders and the rest of the Mustangs kick off the 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, when SMU hosts Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 214-SMU-GAME.
Former President George W. Bush Visits Mustang Football Practice
| |  Former President George W. Bush Visits Mustang Football Practice |
DALLAS (8/24/09) - Former President George W. Bush visited football practice today in Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Bush was joined by SMU President R. Gerald Turner and the former president briefly addressed the players after the practice session.
Coach June Jones had given the 43rd President a practice schedule and asked him to stop by and speak to the team when he could. Mr. Bush watched about an hour of drills and even put on a red SMU hat for part of his stay.
"He said he's an SMU rookie, it's his first year," Coach Jones said.
Jones later Tweeted, "(The President) talked to the guys and told them he will be supporting SMU and Dallas for the years to come."
| |  Enright Earns Prestigious Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award |
DALLAS (8/20/09) - SMU senior Mitch Enright has been named the 2009 Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete as part of the 53rd-annual Playboy Preseason All-America football team. The award has been awarded annually since 1987 to the nation's premier football student-athlete.
A native of Southlake, Enright graduated with a 3.99 GPA as a management major. Enright is in his second year of graduate school in SMU's prestigious Cox School of Business and is pursuing his MBA in marketing and strategic leadership after graduating in just three years. He is a two-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team and a Conference USA Academic Medal winner. He has been a two-year starter and member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List, which is awarded annually to the nation's top center.
Enright is the first Mustang to receive the honor. Every NCAA Division I school has the opportunity to nominate a player with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average. Enright will receive a medallion and Playboy will present SMU with a check for $5,000 for its general scholarship fund in Enright's honor.
Anson Mount served as Playboy's college football prognosticator for 29 years and was always interested in how the players were doing in school, encouraging them to be students as well as athletes. Following his death, the magazine decided that the Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award was an appropriate way to honor his memory.
Adrian Klemm:
| |  Adrian Klemm: Nothing Passive |
Story courtesy of PonyFans.com
SMU - DALLAS (8/12/2009) - Sure, the Patriots also grabbed some quarterback from Michigan named Tom Brady that year, but that wasn't until the sixth round. With no first-round pick, New England used its second-round selection (46th overall) on Klemm. Brady was chosen 156 picks later.
Klemm played five seasons with the Patriots, collecting three Super Bowl rings in the process. He then played a couple of seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2007 before retiring because of the cumulative effect of numerous injuries.
Klemm spent the 2008 season as a volunteer assistant at SMU, working with two of the coaches who had a profound impact on his playing career: Head Coach June Jones and offensive line coach Dennis McKnight. After the tragic death of special teams coach Frank Gansz, McKnight was moved over to coach special teams (which he also coached at Hawaii), and Klemm was named SMU's offensive line coach.
For Klemm, the year spent as a volunteer at SMU allowed him the chance to reunite with Jones and McKnight, and to get back into the game he loves.
"I came out to visit Coach Jones and some of the coaches, and then I just ended up
staying a little longer than I expected," he said. "I really enjoyed myself, I enjoyed the environment. I'd been
away from football -- I hadn't watched it on TV or anything. In terms of watching NFL games, I don't watch it the same way
as a regular fan. I look at line play and things like that, and it makes it less enjoyable. But when I came here, I was back
in the mix -- I just really enjoyed it. I was going to come and (be a) G.A. (graduate assistant) this year, and instead I
got the opportunity to be the offensive line coach."
"He creates such a great work environment," Klemm said. "It's a family atmosphere, and he makes everybody feel really comfortable. You always know where you stand -- he's just a really loyal individual. He hasn't changed at all. He was just like that when he first came in (to Hawaii). At Hawaii, I had three head coaches, five offensive coordinators and I think offensive line coaches. So when he first came in, he was my third head coach, and I really didn't buy into it initially, but after a couple of weeks ... you can't help but buy into it. He's just such a good guy. I really trusted him, and obviously he helped out my career tremendously. I was one of the higher draft picks come out of (Hawaii) recently, and a lot of that is attributed to June, and the system that he brought and the different things that he taught me -- how to carry myself, and things of that nature. So I owe a lot to him, in terms of my success."
Klemm said he also benefited greatly from being around McKnight, who also was at Hawaii for just a year while Klemm was a player.
"Mac (McKnight) was doing what I was doing last year, helping out with the offensive line," Klemm said. "We were talking about it two or three weeks ago. I guess, when you're a kid, you sometimes don't tell adults how much of an impact they have on some things. He'd talk about certain things he did when he was a player, like when he'd watch film, and on every single play, he'd write down what his opponent would do, with the down and distance, and things like that. That's something I took from him, and the other tackle took from him ... there were four or five of us who went to the NFL from that offensive line, and we all did the same thing, but we just never said anything to him about it.
"Then, when it came to lifting -- we didn't have a strong lifting program -- and we used to lift with him. You talking about training with the insane -- you think he's wired now? Imagine what he was like 10 years ago. He had the long, flowing hair, the handlebar moustache, he was in great shape. We all emulated things he said he did throughout his career and we watched some film on him. We had a really good offensive line coach, Mike Cavanaugh, who's the offensive line coach at Oregon State now. Those are the three that had the biggest influence on me before I got to the NFL: June, Mac and Mike."
Klemm has had the luxury of playing under elite coaches, both in college and in the NFL, and now faces the challenge of passing on his knowledge to the Mustangs' young offensive line.
"One of my former coaches told me that the biggest transition will be articulating what you want the players to do," he said, "because not everybody has the same abilities that you may have, or had, or that you would expect them to have. So you have to articulate in a way that they can understand, and you have to make it clear enough that different people with different skill levels can apply it. It's one of the things I expect -- I expect them to work hard in the things that I ask them to do. Not everyone is going to be the same caliber of player, so I had to learn patience and teaching. That's my big thing. I'm not a yeller, I don't get all over guys. My thing is I want to teach, and I want them to rep enough that whether it's from technique or plays, that it becomes `unconscious competence.'"
The techniques and blocking assignments Klemm teaches will virtually mirror Jones' schemes that McKnight taught the young Mustang blockers last season. There might be a few minor tweaks here and there, Klemm said, but the differences will be subtle.
"Scheme-wise, nothing really changes," he said. "That's pretty much Coach Jones' deal. There are a number of things that are the same as when I was playing."
Klemm has the benefit of having played in Jones' system that teaches linemen to block out of a two-point stance in Jones' pass-heavy offensive attack. His background as a player also gives him the versatility to teach every position across the line, having played four of the five in college and in the NFL.
"I feel comfortable teaching every position on the line," he said. "I played everything except center in New England, and even played all four positions in one game. In Green Bay, I played primarily guard, and played tackle in one game when our left tackle went down. Other than snapping the ball -- that's the only thing that's really different. Other than snapping the ball, they have a lot of the same responsibilities as the guards."
While he was a star player, and has learned under some of the position's best coaches, Klemm remains a student of his craft, studying film of other teams to dissect their blocking techniques and cashing in on his connections around the pro and college game to get film to show the players.
"I still have a lot of friends who are playing now, and ask them for game film," he said. "Just yesterday, I brought in four films from New England, and (running backs) Coach (Wes) Suan and I sat down and looked at their outside zone scheme -- not so much what they do, schematically, but how they go about doing it, technique-wise, and seeing if we want to tweak anything and apply what they do to what we do. So I talk to guys like Coach Cav -- or I have another friend who's coaching in Baltimore -- so I can reinforce to the guys that `these guys are at the highest level, and they're doing the same techniques that we're telling you to do.'"
During his time as a volunteer last year, Klemm got to know the players he now will coach, and said that despite the line's decent performance in 2008, the scheme has its complexities, and will operate more smoothly as the linemen get more and more comfortable with the system.
"It's a young line," Klemm said. "The offense, initially, is complicated, but once you grasp it and once you get it down ... like I said before, that's where it becomes `unconscious competence,' where you don't have to sit there and think -- you just react. That's when everything starts clicking and starts looking real good. It's one of those things where you keep drilling, and keep repeating things over again, teaching off the film, and once they get it, it will be really clean."
He also said that in part because of the success he had playing as a freshman, he does not have any philosophical rules against playing young linemen, as long as they prove in practice that they are the best-suited players to be on the field.
"It's a mixture of young guys, but we obviously have some young guys who will be competing for spots," he said. "But some of these guys can come in and mature, and can possibly help us this year. We just need to get some depth, and they need to push each other, and we'll get better that way.
"I played as a freshman. If that's our best option, and they're mentally tough enough to handle the rigors of a full season, then I don't have any problem with putting them in there. I don't believe in a seniority thing, or anything like that. The best players play."
One of Klemm's strengths as a player was the power of his punching; not coincidentally, that's an area on which he said the Ponies' offensive linemen will focus intently.
"My goal for us is reestablishing the line of scrimmage -- not that we didn't before, but as these guys get bigger and stronger and more comfortable in the system, we can take it even further," he said. "If we start on the 24-yard line, we're going to try to move the line of scrimmage to the 26- or 27-yard line -- just move the entire line. My philosophy is that there's nothing passive about our passing game. We're going to be really aggressive, and just because we're passing the ball doesn't mean we can't take the aggressiveness and physical nature of the running game and apply it to the passing game."
He said he recognizes that the physical makeup of each blocker is different, and that different players are comfortable -- and perform at their optimal level -- at different sizes. Klemm said his players' weight isn't important; what is important to him is what makes up each player's bulk.
"I don't care what their weight is," he said. "What I care about is their body composition. I don't want a bunch of fat slobs. I don't want extra weight -- bad weight. What I prefer, and what I've told them that I want, is guys that are leaner, and I'm not so concerned with them being 275 or 265. If a guy like (right tackle) J.T. (Brooks) can be 300, and be lean and be explosive and move his body well, then I'm fine with that."
Klemm repeatedly refers to what he learned from McKnight, both when he played for him and when he voluntarily assisted McKnight last year. Thanks to the foundation built by McKnight teaching Jones' system, Klemm said the Ponies' line can perform at an even higher level in 2009 and beyond.
"I expect them to perform better than they did last year -- not necessarily because of me, but just because they've gone through it already, and they're a year older and stronger," Klemm said. "Even though we had a couple of seniors last year (tackles Tommy Poynter and Vincent Chase), it was a very young line -- in a way, they were all freshmen, because none of them had blocked in this system before -- and Coach McKnight really laid the foundation for what we do. They have a year under their belts, so they're not being introduced to the offense, so a lot of things they learned last year should carry over, and they can learn from their mistakes. The greatest advantage we have is that they're not seeing it for the first time. When the live bullets are flying out there, it's going to be things that they've seen.
"I'm real big on mental toughness, and I think that with maturity and mental toughness, they'll get better. We want to go out there and impose our will on every single play, and I think the guys are ready to do that -- they're buying into that. I'm excited to see them when we put pads on. Everyone can look good in shorts, but I'm excited to see them put pads on and see how they perform, and I'm excited about what's ahead."
| | Sanders Named Preseason First-Team All-C-USA |
IRVING (7/30/2009) - SMU senior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been named a preseason first-team All-Conference USA performer by the league's 12 head coaches, the league office announced today.
Sanders begins his senior season as SMU's career leader in TD catches (27). In 2008, he earned second-team All-C-USA accolades after catching 67 passes for 958 yards and nine TDs in 10 games. Sanders finished 11th in the nation at 95.8 receiving yards per game set a new SMU season record with six 100-yard games. He is the first player in SMU history to record three 600-yard receiving seasons.
The award comes one day after Sanders and teammates Aldrick Robinson and Pete Fleps earned preseason All-C-USA honors from the league's media.
Sanders, Fleps and Robinson and all the Mustang players will report for fall camp on August 7, with the opener scheduled for Sept. 5 when the Mustangs host Stephen F. Austin.
2009 Football Kickoff Luncheon Set For August 19
| | 2009 Football Kickoff Luncheon Set For August 19 |
DALLAS (7/16/2009) - The fifth-annual SMU Football Kickoff Luncheon has been scheduled for August 19th and will be held in the Khmer Pavilion at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by an interview with SMU Head Coach June Jones.
Mustang fans have the option of sponsoring a table of 10 for $750, which includes eight tickets and the choice of two players or a player and a coach, or purchasing individual tickets for $75. Seating is limited and the choice of players/coaches is on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be guaranteed.
Fans can purchase tickets to the 2009 Kickoff Luncheon by clicking here or by calling 214-768-4315.
SMU players will report for fall camp on August 7, with the opener scheduled for Sept. 5 when the Mustangs host Stephen F. Austin.
| |  Joe Haering Joins Mustang Football Coaching Staff |
DALLAS (7/13/2009)- SMU Head Football Coach June Jones has hired former NFL assistant coach Joe Haering as SMU's new linebackers coach. Haering comes to the Hilltop after spending the last 12 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, where he served as a college scout.
Prior to joining the Bills' scouting staff, Haering was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons from 1994-96. Haering oversaw the Falcons' linebackers and also served as defensive coordinator in 1995, when they earned a spot in the playoffs. His NFL coaching career began in 1978-79 with the New York Jets, where he served as the linebackers/special teams coach.
"Joe has a wealth of experience at both the pro and college levels," said Jones. "He was our defensive coordinator when we made the USFL playoffs with the Denver Gold in 1985 and again when we made it to the NFL post-season with the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. He also possesses that same positive attitude that we've instilled in our players. He will be a huge asset."
After his first stint in the NFL, Haering became offensive coordinator for the CFL's Hamilton TigerCats in 1980, and helped lead them to an Eastern Division Championship. He coached in the USFL for all three years that it existed, starting in 1983 under Hall of Fame coach George Allen with the Chicago Blitz. He then moved to become defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Maulers in 1984, and was defensive coordinator for the Denver Gold in 1985. He later served as head coach for the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the Cincinnati Rockers of the Arena League.
Prior to his pro coaching career, he spent 10 years at the college level, starting out as the linebackers' coach at Bucknell, his alma mater. Over the next 10 years he had stints at Kentucky, Boston University and Kent State.
Haering was an all-conference
linebacker for Bucknell, and was a quarterback in high school. After graduating from Bucknell, he received a commission in
the United States Army and served as a first lieutenant and company commander in Vietnam.
| |  Yenga, Beachum Earn Dave Campbell's Honors |
DALLAS (6/15/2009) - Mustangs Youri Yenga and Kelvin Beachum, Jr., have been named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's All-Texas Team, it was revealed today when the magazines hit newsstands.
Yenga, a junior-to-be from Euless, was a first-team pick at linebacker after playing the last two seasons as a defensive end. Yenga started 11 games and played in all 12 in 2009 and was SMU's most consistent defensive player. He had 73 tackles and 6.5 sacks on the year while blocking two PATs and forcing three fumble.
Beachum, a rising sophomore from Mexia, was a second-team selection at offensive line. Beachum started all 12 games at left tackle in 2009, blocking for an offense that threw for a school-record-tying 29 TDs and ranked 17th in the nation in passing offense.
Also in the magazine, David Barron profiles SMU's Chris Banjo and the Mustang coaching staff's decision to honor Jerry LeVias by choosing Banjo to wear LeVias' No. 23 in the 2009 season.
Tickets for the upcoming season are going fast. For more information, contact the SMU Ticket Sales Office at (214) SMU-GAME.
| | Positive Outlooks Abound For 2009 Mustang Football Season |
DALLAS (6/4/2009) - With the start of the 2009 season a little over two months away, the SMU football team is gaining the attention of several news outlets. As the 2009 preseason magazines and website previews begin to surface, SMU is being mentioned prominently.
The Sporting News' Matt Hayes names the Mustangs as his No. 2 team that he believes will show the most improvement in the win column from 2008 to 2009.
"Those who stuck it out... will be rewarded this fall," writes Hayes. "(June) Jones has a better feel for his players and Conference USA, and his two recruiting classes are beginning to shape the roster. Half of the Mustangs' eight league losses last year were by seven points or fewer, and QB Bo Levi Mitchell will be more comfortable in the run-and-shoot offense."
Phil Steele's College Football Preview, which will hit newsstands June 9th, will honor seven Mustangs as members of its four 2009 preseason All-Conference USA teams.
Leading the way is Emmanuel Sanders, who was chosen as a first-team wide receiver. Fellow wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, linebacker Pete Fleps and corner Bryan McCann were second-team picks, while center Mitch Enright and linebacker Youri Yenga were third-teamers. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell also made the list, rating the fourth-team quarterback.
| |  Coaching Legend Frank Gansz Passes Away |
DALLAS (4/29/2009) - SMU assistant coach and coaching legend Frank Gansz passed away on April 27, 2009. He was 70. Gansz is survived by his wife, Barbara, and two children, Frank Jr., an assistant coach at UCLA, and Jennifer.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend," said SMU Head Coach June Jones. "Frank has been a second father to me for the past 30 years and he has touched the lives of many, both at SMU and throughout the National Football League. I was lucky to have known Frank, and not only was he a wonderful person, but he was a father to everyone he has ever coached. He will live on with us. My team will miss him as a coach and mentor, but most of all, I will miss him as my best friend."
Considered perhaps the top special teams coach in the history of the NFL, Frank Gansz was starting his second season on the Hilltop. Gansz was a veteran of 38 seasons of coaching - 24 in the NFL and 14 in the collegiate ranks.
"While we were only blessed with Frank's presence here on the Hilltop for 14 months, SMU is a better place because of his time here," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "We will miss him."
Prior to coming to SMU in 2008, Gansz was with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was special teams coordinator in 2000 and 2001. Prior to his time with the Jags, he served as the special teams coach of the St. Louis Rams for three seasons, helping the team to its victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.
In 1986, Gansz's first year as the assistant head coach/special teams for Kansas City, the Chiefs blocked
or deflected an NFL-record 10 kicks and scored five touchdowns. Because of his success with the special teams, Gansz was promoted
to head coach of the Chiefs, a role he served from 1987 to 1988.
| |
Gansz's NFL career began in 1978 as special teams coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He coached special teams and tight ends for Cincinnati (1979-80), Kansas City (1981-82) and Philadelphia (1983-85).
After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force for nearly seven years, Gansz began his coaching career at the Air Force Academy (1964-66). He also had coaching stints at Colgate (1968), Navy (1969-72), Oklahoma State (1973, 1975), Army (1974) and UCLA (1976-77).
Born November 22, 1938, in Altoona, Pa., Gansz attended Taylor-Allerdice High in Pittsburgh, and was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He played center and linebacker for the Naval Academy from 1957 to 1959 and graduated in 1960.
| |  Morstead Taken In NFL Draft |
NEW YORK (4/26/2009) - SMU punter Thomas Morstead was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft on Sunday, April 26. Morstead becomes SMU's first NFL Draft pick since 2007, when Justin Rogers, now with this Dallas Cowboys, was chosen by the New England Patriots. Taken with the 164th overall selection, Morstead is SMU's highest draft pick since the Saints took SMU linebacker Chris Bordano 161st overall in 1998.
Morstead leaves SMU as one of the best punters to ever put on a Mustang uniform. He was a 2008 preseason All-Conference USA pick after leading the league and ranking eighth in the nation in punting average at 44.6 ypp in 2007. His 2008 average of 41.5 ypp ranked 30th in the nation. He downed 20 punts inside the 20 with only three touchbacks, and helped SMU rank 21st in net punting.
SMU Head Coach June Jones also had three former Hawaii players taken in this weekend's draft, as David Veikune (Cleveland, Round 2), Ryan Mouton (Tennessee, Round 3) and Jacob Ingram (New England, Round 6) were selected.
| |  Spring Wraps With Red And Blue Scrimmage |
DALLAS (4/25/2009) - The SMU football team wrapped up spring practice with the Red & Blue Scrimmage on Saturday, April 25, before a crowd of 1,500 Mustang fans. Lasting 40 plays, the scrimmage featured highlights for both the offense and defense.
SMU quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell and Braden Smith led the offense and combined to go 19-of-27 for 170 yards, while Bradley Haynes led all receivers with 52 yards on three catches.
"We got better this spring and that was the goal," said Head Coach June Jones. "We didn't throw any interceptions today and if we don't throw interceptions, we're going to win a lot of games. All in all, I was pleased with the first team on both sides of the ball."
Full stats are below:
2009 SMU Red and Blue Scrimmage Stats
Passing
C-A-I-Yds
Bo Levi Mitchell - 12-16-0-108
Braden Smith - 7-11-0-62
J.J. McDermott - 4-9-0-33Rushing
Rushes-Yds
Zach Line - 2-12
Bryce Lunday - 3-4
Chris Butler - 3-1
Bo Levi Mitchell - 2-(-16)
J.J. McDermott - 3-(20)
Braden Smith - 4-(-20)Receiving
Catches-Yds
Bradley Haynes - 3-52
Terrance Wilkerson - 3-45
Cole Loftin - 4-17
Emmanuel Sanders - 1-17
Josh Bryant - 2-17
Zach Zimmerman - 2-16
Chris Butler - 2-10
A'Darius Medford - 2-10
Aldrick Robinson - 1-2
Bryce Lunday - 1-(-2)
Practice Report #2: It's Bo's show
PonyPride
Staff (4/1/2009)
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| John McStravick | |
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| Mitchell looks to define himself as a leader on this squad. |
"A lot of it has to do with what you've been through. Now that I'm coming back as the starter I can be a leader more vocally and tell everyone that we have to get to the film room. I definitely feel like I'm more of a leader this year than I was last year."
Part of being a leader is improving your play and leading by example and Mitchell says that he has put in all the work during the past off-season in order to improve his play.
"It's all about devoting yourself. If you have free time, you might as well go get better. I try to get in [the film room] a lot."
Looking to improve, Mitchell has been watching film of one of Jones's most notable past players, Colt Brennon.
"He got to the point where he knew the offense like the back of his hand. It's amazing to watch him and have someone like that to look back up on and follow."
While a lot is always said about who the leaders are, not much is made about what a leader needs to do. Mitchell feels like he has a pretty good grasp of his duties as a leader.
"Being a leader consists of this innate feeling of taking the team where you want them to be. You can't take them where they want to be but you take them where they ought to be. They want to be on the basketball court when we should be in the weight room. I'll get them to go to the weight room with me before going to the basketball court.
"That's the way it was my senior year because everyone wanted to follow me. I had been there my junior year and they knew that they could trust me. I want my teammates to know that I'm that type of guy and that's going to be there when they need me."
Apparently Mitchell hasn't won over everyone in showing that he is one of the top role models on this team. According to his own head coach, Mitchell is still missing one credential before he can be labeled a leader - winning.
"I think the leadership part comes at quarterback only when you have success," said Jones. "When he blossoms as a quarterback then that will really come into fold. Until that time though, I think leadership really comes from other guys on the team."
Shaking the injury bug
Two days into spring drills the Ponies are showing minor setbacks on the injury front. Sophomore wide receiver Cole Beasley is sidelined with a hip injury and may miss the entire spring.
"I don't know," said Jones. "He has a weird injury so he may be out all spring. I want him to get well. Like I told him, I'm not worried about anything else. I just don't want him to come back out and re-injure himself."
Losing Beasley is a big set back and he started coming into his own towards the end of last season, especially in the absence Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson. Beasley finished the season with the third most receiving yards on the team and three touchdowns.
"Cole wants to be out there and they told him that he can't do it," said sophomore quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. "He's not taking advantage of it and sitting out because he has an injury. He wants to be out there and he's going to come back and compete with someone whenever he gets back."
Mitchell went on to talk about what it meant for him when he has a healthy Beasley on the field.
"I love it when he's out there because I know he's such a good athlete that he's going to go out there and get every ball that I throw."
The other injury report from this spring is Youri Yenga.
Yenga, who is in the process of making a move from defense end to outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense can not participate in contact drills due to an unspecified injury.
Coach Jones put Yenga's future bluntly saying "He can't have contact. He will be coming back in the fall."
"He stands out there in non-contact drills," said junior linebacker Patrick Flemming. "He walks to the front of the drills and then when we go contact he sits out."
Flemming also had some high praise of Yenga, saying that he could be the best defensive player on the team.
"That's one of my favorite guys. He's extremely tough, versatile, physical. He's passionate about what we do. He's our quiet leader and warrior. I feel like he's our best defensive player."
Q & A: Sophomore DE Margus Hunt
How did you do today?
MH: Good I think.
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| John McStravick | |
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| Hunt has been adjusting to wearing a helmet. |
MH: Defensive end
Have you ever put on a helmet or pads before?
MH: Well, in army we had to wear a helmet. It's kind of tight.
Have you ever hit anybody before?
MH: Not legally. I'm really excited about that.
What do you think about everything so far?
MH: It's a lot different from track and field. Throwing is more about one throw. Out here on the football field, it's a faster pace and always on the move.
You are a pretty fit guy. How do you feel being out on the field for longer with a lot more movement going on?
MH: I can be a little better with my fitness because it's not that good right now.
How hard has it been for you to learn plays?
MH: It's not that hard. You just have to listen to the coaches.
What's the biggest adjustment you've had to make when playing this game?
MH: You have to move your feet more, stay low and hit people.
What's going to be the biggest challenge for you this season?
MH: I think it's learning the game more and learning how to run the plays. Our coaches are doing a good job of explaining to us how to adjust to certain plays.
Adjusting to the 3-4 defense
Spring ball was under way again Wednesday for the second practice of the off-season. The defense continued to work on the new change to a 3-4, while the offense ran quick routes.
Defensive coordinator, Tom Mason said he was excited to fully engage in the 3-4.
"We are just taking what we did last year in the nickel package and going to it full-time," he said.
Junior linebacker Patrick Fleming said he is excited about the new look.
"I just feel like it suits the people that we have really well," said Fleming. "I feel like it gives some of us an opportunity to be a lot more versatile than the old defense did. It lets us blitz from a lot of different areas."
With the defense becoming more mobile, it will allow the Mustangs to adjust to the throwing games that fit many of the offenses they will play in the regular season.
"The biggest thing these guys have to learn is to actually stay mobile," said Mason.
As well as staying mobile, Coach Mason said that the players have to stay on top of what the 3-4 changes are.
The changes occurring are matching up with wide receiver sets, which the majority of the offenses run today. Also, this allows guys like Flemming and junior linebacker Youri Yenga to play the rush or coverage.
Coach Mason commented on Yenga saying he is about 90 percent right now. Yenga, who is out right now with a recent surgery, will be playing in the outside linebacker position this season. This will allow him to utilize his speed and take coverage in the space.
Mason feels that he will have to move things a little slower this spring to enable the defense to really understand the key points.
With the defense switching to a 3-4, it means there will be one less defensive tackle; something Mason believes won't affect the defense.
Willis Is Back With A New Identity
Armen Williams
(3/25/2009)
Willis came out of Denton Ryan in 2004 as a quarterback. As a freshman and sophomore, he proved that he could succeed in that position under previous SMU head coach Phil Bennett.
It didn't take him long to break or challenge many passing records. When it came to post-season awards, Willis had his name on many plaques, including C-USA freshman of the year.
On the field, Willis was invincible. Off the field, several aspects outside of the game caught up to him when head coach June Jones arrived in the spring of 2008.
Willis was one of two players suspended late that February for violation of team rules and was told that his quarterback position was going to become wide open.
"Justin has some of the most perseverance than any other person on the team," said junior cornerback Derrius Bell. "Justin is someone that got into a system that wasn't really Coach Jones' style. A lot of us would've hung it up and thrown in the cleats. He showed everyone on the team that anything can happen."
Despite many rumors that it would be tough for him to come back, Willis regained his presence on the roster by the summer. This time, it was evident early on that he wasn't going to be back at his former position.
"There was a mood when coach got here," said Willis. "There were some things that he wanted to do differently."
Shortly after the season began, Willis stopped lining up behind the center and moved closer to the sideline.
"My role as a receiver eventually came about. Coach made the move and he did it because it was better for the team and not necessarily one player. You have to respect that. I moved on and I feel like I'm becoming a pretty good receiver right now."
At first, Willis seems to be little out of his comfort zone. After all, the experienced junior was going through a position change that he had never been involved with previously.
"The hardest thing to figure out was the constant movement. Now I'm running during every play in this offense. That's a lot different."
By mid-season, Willis was beginning to break into the rotation once again. The last two games of the year proved to be his best.
"At UTEP and Southern Miss, I just wanted to get open and separate. I wanted to catch the ball with both hands. I wanted to get in the game and I felt like I gained confidence in doing that."
Southern Miss was the regular season finale yet it was also Willis' return to the top of the depth chart. It was his first start since playing quarterback his sophomore season and it also happened to be his best game of the year. He caught 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the gutsy end of the year performance, Willis still found himself fielding questions from the media after the Southern Miss game about whether or not he was going to forego his senior year.
"I didn't even think about coming out. I knew that if I did it wouldn't have turned out to be what I hope for because I didn't play much. People don't know me as a receiver because they haven't followed up on the story. I feel like I'm a sleeper. I'm a new receiver in the mix. I think once people notice me it'll fall where it will. I'm excited about this next year."
Now, Willis feels like he's found a new identity at the wide receiver position. While he was slightly reluctant about the move just several months before, Willis understands Coach Jones' mentality.
"It took me four or five weeks to know where I was going and what I was doing. Now I feel like I can play at the next level at this position. It was a motivation thing for me. I didn't have any thoughts in my mind to stop playing. That didn't happen."
Not only has the 5-foot-11, 197-pounder bought into the system, but he's ready to once again have a large impact on this team.
"I'm a slot receiver right now. I'm going to fit in where I fit in at. I did special teams at punt return for the last couple of games. I feel like I can compete and can play at the top level. It's wherever I can convince the coaches that they can trust me. I'm going to keep working hard. It's the only thing I know how to do, work. That's what I'm going to do."
Willis looks forward to going to work next Monday, March 30th when spring practices begin on the campus of SMU.
"There were not that many of their games on television," O'Quin said. "I knew about them, but I didn't get to see them very much."
O'Quin will pay much closer attention to the Mustangs this season after making a commitment to attend SMU on a football scholarship.
O'Quin, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound junior, is the first player to commit to SMU for the 2010 season.
"I went up there and felt comfortable," said O'Quin, who visited the Dallas campus last month. "It was a good fit for me. I like the coaches, they have a real good coaching staff. They have a real high graduation rate, which is important to me."
O'Quin was a first-team All-District 29-2A selection at defensive tackle last season and is expected to play on the defensive line at SMU.
O'Quin visited Texas A&M last weekend and had offers from Kansas State and Houston before deciding on SMU.
"My wife and I really like SMU," said O'Quin's father, Michael, the athletic director and head football coach at Van Vleck. "It's really hard to beat. They have a high graduation rate and he should get a degree if he does what he's supposed to do."
Michael O'Quin expects his son to see more action on the offensive line this season and will continue to line him up at fullback in certain situations.
"I'll play wherever the team needs me," Mike O'Quin said. "I'm looking forward to playing fullback again and I hope I can get about five carries a game. I played some last year, but I didn't get any carries."
| |  SMU Announces 2009 Football Slate |
DALLAS (3/11/2009) - Year two of the June Jones era kicks off with a home game against Stephen F Austin on Sept. 5, it was announced today. The SFA game is the first of 12 straight for the Mustangs in 2009, with SMU's bye week not coming until Thanksgiving weekend.
After hosting SFA, SMU will open Conference USA play by traveling to Birmingham to take on UAB on Sept. 12. The Mustangs will then head out west on Sept. 19 to tackle Washington State.
A home game with Tulane is slated for Sept. 26 before SMU heads to Ft. Worth to battle for the Iron Skillet with TCU on Oct. 3.
Defending C-USA champion East Carolina comes to Dallas on Oct. 10 before Navy comes calling on Oct. 17. SMU will then have back-to-back road games at Houston (Oct. 24) and Tulsa (Oct. 31).
Rice (Nov. 7) and UTEP (Nov. 14) then come to Gerald J. Ford Stadium for back-to-back C-USA games before the Mustangs go east to take on Marshall in the regular-season finale on Nov. 21.
The Conference USA Championship game is slated for Dec. 4.
Game times have not yet been set.
SMU opens Spring Practice on Monday, March 30.
For Mustang ticket information, call the Athletics Department Ticket Office at (214) 768-GAME.
| |  Deserving Football Student-Athlete To Be Awarded LeVias's No. 23 |
DALLAS (SMU) (3/3/2009) - As preparations continue for the Jerry LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic, SMU Head Coach June Jones has announced that, starting in 2009, a deserving student-athlete on the SMU football team will be chosen to wear the number "23" on his jersey throughout the season to honor Jerry LeVias for his contributions to America, the sport of football and SMU. The first player to earn this honor will be announced at the Jerry LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic Pairings Party & Auction, which coincidently, will be held on Thursday, April 23. The Pairings Party & Auction will kick off a full weekend of Mustang football activities, which will run April 23-25.
A schedule of events, entry forms and sponsorship information can be found here. Foursomes and sponsorship opportunities are going fast.
When Jerry LeVias started as an end for SMU in a September 24, 1966, game against Illinois, he forever changed the Southwest Conference. LeVias was the first African-American to receive an athletic scholarship in the SWC. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Jerry had played quarterback for Hebert High School. He was small (5-9, 177 lbs.), but made up for it with his great speed, as evidenced in three touchdown runs of over 70 yards each in a 21-8 victory over rival Booker T. Washington. At SMU, LeVias made athletic and academic All-America teams and contributed to the Mustangs' first SWC title in 18 years. He still holds three SMU records as a receiver - 15 passes caught in one game (Ohio State, 1968), 213 yards in one game (N.C. State, 1968) and 1,131 yards receiving in a season (1968). He was a consensus All-American in 1968 and was chosen All-SWC in 1966, 1967, and 1968. Considered too small for the NFL, LeVias became one of the most exciting players in Houston Oilers history. He caught 41 passes for 529 yards and five touchdowns in 1970 and also returned 25 punts for 213 yards and 26 kickoffs for 596 yards. LeVias set the AFL record in his rookie year for combined punt and kickoff returns with 73 in one season. He caught an AFL-long 86-yard touchdown pass in 1969 and added a 63 yarder in 1970. He was traded to San Diego in 1971 and led the Chargers with 30 catches for 536 yards in 1973. He played for the Chargers through the 1974 season.
New defensive end set to make big impact
Armin Williams (2/27/2009) -
It's always interesting for fans and spectators to take a close look at SMU's roster every spring
to spot the new names and faces while out at workouts. In this year's case, one individual might be easier to recognize
than others when it comes to new defensive lineman Margus Hunt.
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| Hunt won gold medals in both the shot and discuss at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing. |
Checking in at 6-foot-7 ¾ (with his shoes off) and 270-pounds, the redshirt freshman from Karksi-Nuia, Estonia appears to be much larger than any normal defensive lineman. After watching him go through workouts in the weight room, it doesn't take anyone long to notice that he's stronger than the average d-end as well.
"That new defensive end from Estonia is a freak of a nature," said senior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. "He was squatting the other day in the weight room and I was just like, 'Is he really squatting that much?' He was off the charts! They literally have a chart in the weight room and he was squatting a number that wasn't even on there and he did it five times."
Hunt's background and story as to how he got on the football field is one that explains a lot. His natural sport is track and field where Hunt happens to be the current world junior record holder in the discus throw. That achievement became possible after winning gold medals in both the shot and the discuss at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing.
"Because of the Olympic lifts, he's stronger than all of our guys on the team right now," said strength and conditioning head coach Vic Viloria. "On the three lift total of the cling, squat and bench, he'll beat any person on the team."
In Dallas, Hunt is currently unknown to the college football world but back in Hunt's home country, he's a superstar.
"It's hard for us to understand it," said Viloria. "Imagine if LeBron James decided to go play football. Every newspaper would want to see what he could do and every coach would want to see what he could do because he's such a freak athlete.
"Margus may not may not be as big as LeBron on a worldwide scene but when he goes to his country, he is one of the top athletes in his country. He's an elite athlete and one of the premier athletes in the world."
Training on the Hilltop since last spring, Hunt is actually entering his second year enrolled at SMU after being on the track team last in 2008. Though Hunt is unfamiliar to most, Viloria has known about this secret weapon for quite some time.
"He's someone that I've watched since I got here. I've watched him lift and I would just shake my head. Every once and a while, I'd give him the idea about the thoughts of him playing tight end and defensive end and how much money I think he could make in the NFL."
It's not uncommon to see Hunt going through his regular workouts while bench pressing over 425-pounds and power clinging almost 400-pounds. On the power snatch, nearly 300-pounds is the norm.
"That's when he slings it from the ground to over his head in one movement," said Viloria. "When you take a guy that's 6-7 and he's taking 300-pounds above his head, you have a serious athlete you're dealing with.
"To be able to take that weight and not only jump up and get it up in the air but also train the body to absorb that impact of 300 pounds and keeping the shoulders and arms locked out with core strength is amazing. If you want to see his core strength, come watch him throw that weight up where he's balancing with his core."
Viloria believes that Hunt finally gave into the game of football for two reasons.
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| Hunt has begun off-season workouts with the team. |
"Secondly, he also wants another challenge. He's a competitor. When you win that many times, it becomes addicting. That's good to have on our football team. You have to have that feeling after winning a tough game."
After finishing 116th in rush defense last year and allowing 225 yards per game on the ground, SMU couldn't ask for a better time for Hunt to join the team. Though his unfamiliarity to football has some wondering if he'll really pan out, others on the team have had a hard time noticing any growing pains.
"He seems to big really athletic and really fast off the ball," said Bell. "I was talking to him one day and asked him about his football background. He was telling me that he had never played before. I was just surprised with him being so big that he had never touched a football. With the coaches that we have and with time, I think there's no doubt that he can be a quality pickup by just being a part of our program."
"The other day we were pulling a sled and he was running with a couple of skill guys," said Sanders. "I noticed that he was running right with them. With every step he takes it almost seems like its five yards because his stride is so long. Once he understands football, I don't think anyone is going to be able to stop him."
The Mustangs sure hope that he will become that elusive. If Hunt will be able to cause as much as a stir on the field in 2009 as he has off of it, the 'freak athlete' from Estonia could instantly become a vital piece to SMU's future defense.
| |  LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic Set For April 23-25 |
DALLAS (2/26/2009) - SMU alumni and fans are invited to come join SMU head coach June Jones, members of his staff and former Mustang football legends at the inaugural Jerry LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic, April 23-25. All proceeds will benefit SMU football. Early response to event has been strong. Only 13 foursome spots are still available, starting at $1,000 per team, and only eight $250 spots remain open for individual golfers.
A
schedule of events is below, and entry forms and sponsorship information can be found here.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, April 23
6 p.m. - Pairings Party & Auction - Hall of Champions, Gerald J. Ford Stadium
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Friday, April 24
8 a.m. - Jerry LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic - The Golf Club of Dallas
1 p.m. - Awards Party - The Golf Club of Dallas
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Saturday, April 25
1 p.m. - Mustang Football Red & Blue Scrimmage
- Gerald J. Ford Stadium
When Jerry LeVias started as an end for SMU in a September 24, 1966, game against Illinois, he forever changed the Southwest Conference. LeVias was the first African-American to receive an athletic scholarship in the SWC. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Jerry had played quarterback for Hebert High School. He was small (5-9, 177 lbs.), but made up for it with his great speed, as evidenced in three touchdown runs of over 70 yards each in a 21-8 victory over rival Booker T. Washington. At SMU, LeVias made athletic and academic All-America teams and contributed to the Mustangs' first SWC title in 18 years. He still holds three SMU records as a receiver - 15 passes caught in one game (Ohio State, 1968), 213 yards in one game (N.C. State, 1968) and 1,131 yards receiving in a season (1968). He was a consensus All-American in 1968 and was chosen All-SWC in 1966, 1967, and 1968. Considered too small for the NFL, LeVias became one of the most exciting players in Houston Oilers history. He caught 41 passes for 529 yards and five touchdowns in 1970 and also returned 25 punts for 213 yards and 26 kickoffs for 596 yards. LeVias set the AFL record in his rookie year for combined punt and kickoff returns with 73 in one season. He caught an AFL-long 86-yard touchdown pass in 1969 and added a 63 yarder in 1970. He was traded to San Diego in 1971 and led the Chargers with 30 catches for 536 yards in 1973. He played for the Chargers through the 1974 season.
SMU football gets first commitment for 2010
Michael O'Guin, a junior defensive tackle from Van Vleck, Texas, has given SMU its first oral commitment for the class of 2010. Oral commitments are non-binding. The earliest a junior student-athlete can sign a letter of intent for football is February 2010.
| |  Morstead Heads For NFL Combine |
DALLAS (2/20/2009) - SMU punter/kicker Thomas Morstead is among the players invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis, Ind. The Scouting Combine is the "job fair" for prospective new NFL players. For six days at Lucas Oil Stadium, players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts. This intense "job interview" is an exciting time for the athletes and a vital step in achieving their dreams of playing in the NFL.
Morstead leaves SMU as one of the best punters to ever put on a Mustang uniform. He was a 2008 preseason All-Conference USA pick after leading the league and ranking eighth in the nation in punting average at 44.6 ypp in 2007. His 2008 average of 41.5 ypp ranked 30th in the nation. He downed 20 punts inside the 20 with only three touchbacks, and helped SMU rank 21st in net punting. Earlier this year, Morstead was the starting punter for the South Team in the 2009 Senior Bowl. Morstead punted seven times for 303 yards (43.3 avg.) with a long of 58 yards and two punts inside the 20 in the game.
The 2009 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-26 in New York, N.Y.
Sanders is back for more
Armen Williams (2/19/09)
Win or lose, fans have grown
accustomed to watching SMU wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders light up the opposition on a weekly basis during football season. This upcoming year, spectators at Gerald J. Ford Stadium
expect the same result as the program's career leader in touchdown catches comes back for his senior campaign.
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| SidelinePros.com | |
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| Sanders racked up 958 yards and 9 touchdowns in just 10 games last season. |
The night of January 14th, 2009 came and gone for most just like any other day. For Sanders, it was one of the biggest 24-hour periods of his life in which he was trying to make a decision that was far more difficult than any had realized.
"January 15th was the day that I had to decide whether or not I was going to declare for the NFL Draft," said Sanders. "On the 14th, the day before I had to send off the papers, I went to sleep that night and told my mom I was going to call her and let her know my final decision in the morning."
As Sanders lay in bed, he came to the conclusion that leaving school early was the best way to go.
"I went to sleep thinking that I was going to come out. My options were looking good that I was no doubt going to come out. That's what I was thinking."
The next morning, just hours away from faxing over his paperwork to declare his exit from college football, Sanders made a phone call. His mother wasn't the first person's number he dialed though.
"I ended up calling Deion Sanders and we talked a while. He was throwing me out the positives and the negatives. He made me realize that I'm going to catch 100 balls next year and that my draft status could possibly go up to early second round or maybe I could even sneak into the late first round."
Deion Sanders (unrelated) had become a mentor of Sanders after SMU head coach June Jones
"He had Pacman Jones and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Chargers out there. I would be running routes against them and I felt like I was looking good. I was going up against the best and holding my own. After that, we exchanged numbers and we started texting each other back and forth. I would come out to his house and workout with some of the guys that he'd have over."
It's those individual workouts that gave Sanders the confidence in thinking that he needed to go into the 2009 NFL Draft. Only the same person that boosted his confidence was also the individual to bring him down to earth.
"That made more sense to me. Now I'll graduate from SMU with a degree and that's something that no one can take from me. Then I'll have the whole spring to train and get my 40 time down and my weight up and catch as many balls as I can before I go to the NFL combine in Indianapolis."
The NFL aspect of things were definitely something to ponder, but it didn't take Emmanuel Sanders long to realize that he had some unfinished business on the Hilltop to take care of as well. His second phone call he made that morning still wasn't to his mom, but this time to Jones.
introduced the two at a Prime U camp last summer. Their relationship gained momentum throughout the year as Emmanuel Sanders would go out to Deion Sanders' house and go through workouts.
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| SideLinePros.com | |
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| Sanders is already SMU's career leader in touchdown catches with 27. |
It was Jones that suspended Sanders the last two games of the 2008 season after Jones cited that Sanders had 'broken team rules'. It's that suspension that Sanders credits as being the moment where he turned his career around.
"After I got suspended, it woke me up to realize that I have to take every day as if I'm not going to be here tomorrow and that I have to workout as hard as I can. My attitude has changed towards lifting weights. We were in the weight room lifting hard those last two weeks of the season and I finally learned how to lift and I stayed on a consistent schedule."
That schedule went into the Christmas break where Sanders was only one of two SMU players that stayed on campus through the holidays and continued to get better.
"Over a week and a half period, I started seeing my body changing and my arms get bigger. My bench and squat have gotten better and that shows all the hard work that we put in December. Now we're working out with the team and running with those guys, we're above the rest."
Not only is Sanders back with the Mustangs for a fifth straight year but he's better than ever.
"He's gained 14 pounds of lean muscle and has actually dropped body fat," said SMU strength and conditioning coach Vic Viloria. "He's stronger than he's ever been. His three top maxes have all gone up. He looks better and feels better than ever before. He'll be able to play the game even better than he's played it."
The 2008 Second Team All-Conference USA selection not only looks better on the outside but Sanders will be the first to admit that his attitude has changed on the inside.
"I like what Coach Jones is building here and my heart is at SMU. I don't want to leave here without a bowl game. This is the only time I'm going to be in college and I want to know what it's like to go to a bowl game."
Next time Deion Sanders is roaming the sidelines at Ford Stadium, perhaps he deserves a 'thank you' or two from those sitting in the stands. After all, the former Dallas Cowboy made a current SMU Mustang realize that he was already at home and there was no need to leave.
Transfer RB McNeal feels right at home
Armen Williams
(2/18/2009)
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| McNeal rushed 13 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns last year at Miami. |
"It was actually the opposite. They welcomed me with open arms. They actually asked me questions about me and my family."
After two years at Miami, McNeal requested his release from the ACC program after feeling that he needed to be closer to his family in his hometown of Dallas. It wasn't a difficult decision for the former Dallas Madison standout and it didn't take long for McNeal to be reassured that he made the right choice.
"When we're in the weight room and working out or around each other, it's like family. There's no hating on the next person or jealousy. We all have the same goals for next season and we're all thinking about winning."
After two straight 1-11 seasons, McNeal knows that this program has some work to do but it's something that he looks forward to and has the confidence that it can be done.
"That's all we're focusing on - winning, taking one game of at a time and doing the little things. Little things turn into big things. We're taking it step at a time and one mindset at a time."
It hasn't taken McNeal long to buy into what the Mustangs are doing in the weight room and hoping to put out onto the field in 2008.
"Everybody is coming close together and getting the mindset that we can do this and all we have to do is have courage and work together. If we all put in the maximum effort then we will win games. We just have to believe in each other and have the mindset that the next person has.
"When it's time to buckle down and get out there we don't want to have to worry about the guy next to you. We want to know that they'll be giving the same amount of effort that you're putting out."
Last season, McNeal rushed 13 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns. It's still unsure as to whether or not he'll be putting on the pads next August as SMU has already submitted an appeal for the NCAA transfer rule that would force McNeal to sit out his first year.
The Mustangs feel confident about the appeal and hope that it will be accepted. If so, McNeal will be ready to go but knows that it won't be a one man show.
"It's not by the amount of games you win, it's by the team. The team can only go so far without the chemistry. I think our chemistry and camaraderie amongst the team are going to show a lot when next season comes around."
New Recruits (2/11/09)
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Head Coach June Jones announced the signing of 25 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, February 4, assembling one of SMU's finest recruiting classes in a quarter century. Of the 25 signees, two are junior college transfers and 23 are high school student-athletes. This year's class has eight three- or four-star Rivals.com recruits, equaling the number of such recruits in the 2007 and 2008 classes combined.
"Obviously, having a full year to focus on recruiting helped us put together what I believe is a very strong class," said Jones. "As I said last year, SMU has become a very attractive option for standouts from Texas and across the nation. We're building for bowl games and conference championships here at SMU and this class is another big step in that direction."
Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com's national recruiting editor, says, "SMU's 2009 class addressed their major immediate needs. The offensive line was obviously their biggest concern and the staff was able to sign several quality prospects at that spot who could get major playing time next season. On the defensive side of things, the Mustangs have added speed at both linebacker and defensive back. They are undoubtedly headed in the right direction and received commitments from individuals who had Big 12, SEC and Pac 10 offers. The influence of June Jones after just one full year is very obvious."
Bill Conley of Scouts, Inc., adds, "This could be the surprise class of the non-BCS schools...".
A full list of recruits, bios and video highlights are available here, and the Signing Day packet is available here.
FRATERNITY NEWS (2/10/09)
The University informed members of the Beta
Lambda chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity of their joint decision with the KA national office to suspend the fraternity
on campus until the 2011-2012 academic year.
The announcement was made at their Feb. 9 chapter meeting, and the
suspension became effective that day. The fraternity house must be vacated by 5 p.m. on Feb. 14.
The fraternity
currently had 78 members and 24 new pledges.
Lori White, SMU vice president for student affairs, said the university
will assist current members and new pledges in the transition to other housing. The Office of Residence Life and Student Housing
will help those displace from the fraternity house.
New pledges wanting to join another fraternity will be able
to contact the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life for advice.
"Suspending a chapter from the university
is a difficult decision," White said in a letter written to parents of KA members. The decision is the result of activities
representing behavior by the chapter as a whole "that are incongruent with the SMU Student Code of Conduct and SMU policies,
as well as the standards and values of Kappa Alpha Order."
"We are disappointed and heartbroken by the
administration's final verdict, and we look forward to presenting the facts to the SMU community," former KA president
Kevin Joseph said. "We hope that we will be remembered for the great things we've done for the school and Dallas
community, and we greatly appreciate the outpouring of support we've received from our fellow students."
The chapter has been on deferred suspension since December 2008, which was the third time the chapter had been placed on
deferred suspension or had a deferred suspension extended in one semester, according to the university.
Rules of
deferred suspension dictate that the chapter could not host, co-host or plan a social event on or off campus. Lisa Webb, dean
of student life, allowed the fraternity to partake in spring 2009 recruitment activities.
According to the university,
the chapter violated terms of deferred suspension when they hosted an off-campus event. The event included serving of alcoholic
beverages to underage students.
Beta Theta Pi was the last fraternity to be suspended, when the national organization
withdrew the fraternity's charter in December 2005. The fraternity has returned to campus this semester and currently
has 59 members.
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| Frazier signed with SMU last Wednesday. |
"I've been thinking it over and I know what kind of offense June Jones runs," said Frazier. "Kyle Padron was saying that he had some pressure on him because he was the only quarterback coming in.
"For me, there's just something inside telling me to come and start throwing the football for them. There's something in me thinking about giving it a shot at quarterback. It's not guaranteed, but I think I can do something for them."
During Frazier's senior year as a Raider, Skyline head coach Emmitt Jones tried experimenting with his offensive standout at a couple of spots. In the end, Frazier knew exactly where he wanted to be.
"There were times that I wanted to let Chris go to another position," said Jones. "But he was still determined to let me know that he was a quarterback and he felt he was better than the other quarterbacks. He kept working hard a practice. He was always willing to learn and lead the team. He was just determined."
Jones has experienced Frazier knowing what he wants and not giving up. The strong-minded Metroplex talent was sure what was best for him in high school.
"One thing I know about Chris, if he's determined then all he needs is a shot. If he feels like he needs to play quarterback at SMU then I feel like that if he could get a shot then he could get it. If he learned the system and got comfortable with what went on at SMU then you never know."
Last season, Frazier was 54 of 81 passing attempts for 778 yards. He threw for 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. Of course, let's not forget that he showed off his full capabilities by also running for 405 yards and nine touchdowns on 110 attempts.
"I've talked to coach Tim Hundley from the beginning and have asked for a chance at both receiver and quarterback," said Frazier. "If I got a shot at quarterback and it's not working then I could always go back to receiver. I also think that I can dominate as receiver also so right now it's a little unclear on which way I could go."
What's fresh in Frazier's mind is that he carried his Skyline team on his back last year. Projected by many to not make it past the first week of the postseason, Frazier took the Raiders all the way to the fourth round of the playoffs.
"I feel like we would've had an even better shot in the playoffs and probably could've put up better numbers," said Jones. "But throughout the whole playoff run Chris was throwing with a bad shoulder. If he was in top shape, he would've put on a show in the possible six games we could've played in."
His former head coach went on to explain that when Frazier's healthy, his capabilities are the last thing that needs to be worried about.
"His arm is strong enough. He needs to learn the system and needs to learn what's going on and how Coach Jones operates at SMU. He has a division one arm and he has enough ability to move around with his legs and when he's healthy I think he has enough talent."
Ready to move onto the second stage of both his life and career, Frazier is also prepared to remind his next coach Jones about his desire and ability at the quarterback position.
"I want to have a sit down talk with coach Hundley and tell him that I feel like I can get this team to a bowl game and a conference championship."
Last week, June Jones had said that he wished he had one more scholarship so that he could've had two quarterbacks within his 2009 class. Perhaps the second year coach got what he wished for.