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SMU Mustangs football

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SMU Mustangs
2010 SMU Mustangs football team
File:SMUMustangs.png
First season1915
Head coach
3rd season, 16–22–0 (.421)
StadiumGerald J. Ford Stadium
(capacity: 32,000)
Year built1999
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationDallas, Texas
LeagueDivision I
DivisionWest
Past conferencesSouthwest Conference
Western Athletic Conference
All-time record439–477–54 (.480)
Bowl record5–6–1 (.458)
Claimed national titles3
Conference titles11
ColorsHarvard red and Yale blue
   
MascotPeruna
WebsiteSMUMustangs.com
SMU in action versus UTEP in 2009

The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University (more commonly "SMU"). The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member Conference USA. The Mustangs have competed in the West Division of Conference USA since 2005.

History

Former Coach Ron Meyer came to SMU after his success as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970's including a superbowl win and a stint with UNLV before coming to SMU in 1976. Coach Meyer was infamous for his recruiting tactics including going to over 70 of the top recruits homes per year, in the late 70's and early 80's, something that had never been done before that time. His most notable recruits were runningbacks Eric Dickerson and Craig James who were recruited the same season in 1979, as both their high school teams went 15-0 and won state championships. Combined with another blue chip RB Charles Waggoner the three backs were nicknamed the "Pony Express" running attack and shredded opposing defenses in the option offense along with quarterback Lance McIlhenny. Prior to the 1982 season, Coach Meyer left to become the head coach of the New England Patriots and was replaced by Bobby Collins who was the Head Coach at the time at Southern Mississppi. Dickerson finished 3rd in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1982 and went on to be drafted by the Rams in the first round and set the single season rushing mark of 2,105 yards in a single season a that still stands as an NFL record. James went on to play for the Patriots and was a part of the Superbowl XX team that lost to the Bears in 1985-86 season and was selected to play in the 1986 pro bowl. In SMU's prime they went 45-5-1 from 1980-1984 which was the highest win percentage over that span.

Death penalty

Main article: Southern Methodist University football scandal

In 1987, SMU football became the first, and currently only, football program in collegiate athletic history to receive the NCAA's "Death Penalty", that is, having a sports program terminated for a determined amount of time. SMU's football program was terminated for the 1987 season because the University was making approximately $61,000 in booster payments from 1985 to 1986. It later emerged that a "slush fund" had been used to pay players as early as the mid-1970s, and athletic officials had known about it as early as 1981.

SMU was eligible for the "death penalty" because it had been placed on probation in 1985 for recruiting violations. Since many players were poor, boosters would pay for rent or other bills for the parents of the athletes, and several key boosters and administration officials felt it would be unethical to cut off payments. When the sanctions were handed down, SMU had only three players - all seniors about to graduate - receiving payments.

Not long afterward, SMU announced that its football team would stay shuttered for the 1988 season as well after school officials received indications that they wouldn't have enough experienced players to field a viable team.[1] As it turned out, new coach Forrest Gregg was left with an undersized and underweight lineup; he was taller and heavier than virtually all of his players.

Return to relevance

The Mustangs struggled for 20 years to recover from the effects of the scandal. Gregg compiled a 3-19 record in two seasons as coach. He became Athletic Director for SMU in 1990 and held that job until 1994.

The Mustangs had 3 more head coaches and only one winning season until the school hired June Jones away from Hawaii in 2008. In Jones first season the team had a 1-11 record. In his second season, they were the most improved team in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), compiling a regular season record of 7-5. On December 24, 2009, the team defeated the Nevada 45-10 in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl, its first bowl game in 25 years.

In 2010, the Mustangs went 6-2 in-conference to win the West Division of Conference USA. This earned them a berth in the Conference USA Championship against hosts UCF, giving SMU their first chance at winning a conference title since 1984. Three years prior, SMU had hired UCF's athletic director, Steve Orsini, who hired Jones. SMU ultimately lost the title game, 17-7, but got their second consecutive bowl game bid, to the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl.

National championships

The NCAA's website states that "the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process." It goes on to say that "a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I-A football teams at the end of each season." SMU officially claims three national championships (1935, 1981 & 1982). (The NCAA officially changed the "I-A" designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2006.)

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Result
1935 Matty Bell Dickinson, Houlgate System, and Sagarin Ratings 12-1 Rose Bowl SMU 0, Stanford 7
1981 Ron Meyer National Championship Foundation 10-1 -- --
1982 Bobby Collins Helms Athletic Foundation 11-0-1 Cotton Bowl Classic SMU 7, Pittsburgh 3
Total national championships: 3

[2]

Conference championships

Southwest Conference championships: 1923, 1926, 1931, 1935, 1947, 1948, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1984 (Co-champions with Houston)

Individual achievements

Heisman Trophy

Maxwell Award

  • Doak Walker: 1947

Sammy Baugh Trophy

College Football Hall of Fame Inductees

See also: College Football Hall of Fame
Name Position Years at SMU Year Inducted
Ray Morrison Coach 1915-1916, 1922-1934 1954
Gerald "Little Red Arrow" Mann Quarterback 1925-1927 1969
Bobby Wilson Halfback 1933-1935 1973
Matty "Moanin' Matty" Bell Coach 1935–1941, 1945–1949 1955
Doak "The Doaker" Walker Halfback 1945, 1947-1949 1959
Kyle "The Mighty Mustang" Rote Halfback 1948-1950 1964
Don "Dandy Don" Meredith Quarterback 1957-1959 1982
Hayden Fry Coach 1962-1972 2003
Jerry Rhome Quarterback 1961 1998
Jerry LeVias Wide Receiver 1966-1968 2003

Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees

See also: List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Name Position Team(s) Years Year Inducted
Lamar Hunt League Founder, Owner Dallas Texans
Kansas City Chiefs		 1960-1962
1963-2006		 1972
Raymond Berry End Baltimore Colts 1955-1967 1973
Forrest Gregg Offensive Tackle Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys		 1956, 1958-1970 1971 1977
Doak Walker Halfback Detroit Lions 1950-1955 1986
Eric Dickerson Running Back Los Angeles Rams
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Raiders
Atlanta Falcons		 1983–1987
1987–1991
1992
1993		 1999

Bowl appearances

Season Bowl Game Opponent W/L PF PA
1924 Dixie Classic West Virginia Wesleyan L 7 9
1935 Rose Bowl Stanford L 0 7
1947 Cotton Bowl Classic Penn State T 13 13
1948 Cotton Bowl Classic Oregon W 21 13
1963 Sun Bowl Oregon L 14 21
1966 Cotton Bowl Classic Georgia L 9 24
1968 Bluebonnet Bowl Oklahoma W 28 27
1980 Holiday Bowl BYU L 45 46
1982 Cotton Bowl Classic Pittsburgh W 7 3
1983 Sun Bowl Alabama L 7 28
1984 Aloha Bowl Notre Dame W 27 20
2009 Hawaiʻi Bowl Nevada W 45 10
2010 Armed Forces Bowl Army

Head Coaches

Name Years W-L-T
Ray Morrison 1915-1916 2-13-3
J. Burton Rix 1917-1921 16-19-7
Ray Morrison 1922-1934 83-31-20
Madison "Matty" Bell 1935-1941 47-24-3
James "Jimmy" Stewart 1942-1944 10-18-2
Madison "Matty" Bell 1945-1949 32-16-5
Harvey Russell 1950-1952 13-15-2
Chalmer Woodard 1953-1956 19-20-1
William Meek 1957-1961 17-29-4
Hayden Fry 1962-1972 49-66-1
Dave Smith 1973-1975 16-15-2
Ron Meyer 1976-1981 34-32-1
Bobby Collins 1982-1986 43-14-1
Forrest Gregg 1989-1990 3-19-0
Tom Rossley 1991-1996 15-48-3
Mike Cavan 1997-2001 22-34-0
Phil Bennett 2002-2007 18-52-0
June Jones 2008-2010 16-22-0

Future non-conference opponents

SMU has released a partial list of non-conference opponents for the near future:

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Sep. 3 at Texas A&M Sep. 1 at Baylor Aug. 31 vs. Texas Tech Aug. 30 at Baylor Sep. 5 vs. Baylor Sep. 3 at North Texas at. Navy vs. Navy
Sep. 17 vs. Northwestern State Sep. 8 vs. Stephen F. Austin Sep. 14 vs. Baylor Sep. 6 at North Texas Sep. 12 vs. North Texas Sep. 10 vs. Navy vs. North Texas
Oct. 01 at TCU Sep. 15 vs. Texas A&M Sep. 21 at Texas A&M Sep. 13 vs. TCU Sep. 19 at TCU Sep. 17 at. Baylor at. TCU
Nov. 05 vs. Navy Sep. 29 vs. TCU Sep. 28 at TCU Sep. 20 vs. Texas A&M Sep. 26 at Navy Sep. 24 vs. TCU

Rivalries

Home Fields

References

  1. ^ Frank, Peter (1987-04-11). "'88 football season canceled by SMU". New York Times.
  2. ^ [1]
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