By Dylan Edwards, SMUMustangs.com

SMU entered spring practice with a top priority of using its 15 opportunities to develop a much more physical mindset on both sides of the ball. That meant the Mustangs had to practice through full contact to develop that edge. 

When the Mustangs' spring game came to a close on Saturday, SMU wrapped up a productive, physical spring practice that saw the team suffer no lasting injuries.

"It's a credit to (strength coach) Kaz Kazadi and our players for being in great physical condition," head coach Sonny Dykes said. "We tackled a bunch. We went live probably over 300 plays this spring. To come out injury-free says a lot about our players and they way they prepared."

Obviously, staying healthy means continuing to accumulate those valuable reps to get more and more comfortable in the new systems on both sides of the ball. Dykes and his staff were impressed with the consistent work ethic that the Mustangs brought each day during the spring.

"I think in some ways, we're a little ahead of schedule from where I thought we'd be in terms of the work ethic and the guys buying in," Dykes said. "I've been pleased with the intangible things I've seen from this group. They've worked and practiced hard. They've done everything that we've asked them to do."

A big part of the uptick in physical play that was stressed this spring was to see improvement on the defensive side of the ball between tackling and playing with an aggressive mindset. 

"From the beginning to the end, I thought (the defense) improved dramatically," Dykes said. "I thought we played a lot more physical and ran to the ball better, all the things you want to see. You can see them starting to play with more confidence."

The coaching staff used the spring game to scrimmage while also working on situational football, backing up the defense to the red zone on a number of occasions. The unit was able to respond with its back against the wall.

"I thought they did a good job today," Dykes said. "We put them into some binds in the red zone. They gave up a couple plays in the red zone, but I think they proved this spring that they're hard to drive against consistently. I was proud of the progress."

Offensively, the Mustangs where working with very limited numbers, finishing with just eight offensive lineman and five wide receivers available at the end of spring. Still, the offense used the spring to introduce a large portion of the playbook to see where players fit best.

"We'll pare it down, but we just wanted to see what our guys are comfortable with and the best way to get our guys the ball," Dykes said. "I thought the guys worked hard and showed promise. You add a couple of pieces and tweak a couple of things, you have a chance to put something together that can be consistent and score enough points for us to win some games."