Oct. 31, 2006
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DALLAS (AP) - Justin Willis threw for 148 yards and one touchdown and linebacker Tony Hawkins returned an interception for another score as SMU defeated UAB 22-9 Tuesday night.
Willis, who completed 18-of-23 passes, hit Vincent Chase on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 1:38 left in the first half for a 7-3 SMU lead. It was Chase's first career TD catch.
After UAB (3-6, 2-3 C-USA) took a 9-7 lead on a 40-yard field goal by Swayze Waters with 13:57 left in the game, James Mapps scored on a 30-yard run with 7:37 left and Cedrick Dorsey caught a twice-tipped Willis pass for the 2-point conversion and a 15-9 SMU lead. Mapps led SMU with 48 yards on five attempts.
The drive almost didn't happen after punt returner Blake Warren fumbled the ball after an 11-yard return, but Zack Sledge recovered the fumble at the UAB 43-yard line.
Hawkins sealed the game after he intercepted a Chris Williams pass and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown with 2:34 left in the game.
The Mustangs (5-4 3-2) have won six straight home games dating to last season, which is the most since a seven-game streak over 1981-82.
UAB failed to score a touchdown on four drives that reached inside the SMU 25-yard line and had to settle for a 25- and 26-yard field goals by Waters in the first half as well as a 37-yard attempt that drifted wide left in the third quarter.
The Mustangs' first score was set up after an offside penalty on UAB linebacker Mastaki Smith on Thomas Morstead's 31-yard field goal attempt gave SMU a first down at the UAB 9-yard line. Three plays later, Willis connected with Chase.
The Mustangs now have 23 TD passes on the season, which is a new SMU record. This was also the first time SMU has held an opponent without a TD since a 28-0 victory at Hawaii in 1998.
Defensively, SMU was led by Adrian Haywood's five tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
