Nov. 11, 2006
Final Stats | Notes
DALLAS - Despite fighting back from an early 14-0 deficit, SMU was unable to hold off Houston on Saturday, falling 37-27 to the Cougars. After falling behind 14-0 in the game's first seven minutes, SMU scored 24 consecutive points for a 24-14 halftime lead.
Justin Willis had scoring tosses of 16 and 17 yards to Emmanuel Sanders and a 37-yard strike to DeMyron Martin during that stretch. Willis finished the game 23 of 36 for a career-high 299 yards.
The 17-yard touchdown pass to Sanders tied the game with 1:57 left in the first quarter and gave Willis, a redshirt freshman, the school record for touchdown passes in a season with 22. The previous record had been set by Chuck Hixson in 1968.
Sanders led all receivers with 151 yards on nine receptions.
Anthony Aldridge ran for a career-high 225 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Houston. Aldridge's second touchdown run of the game tied the score at 24 with 2:05 left in the third quarter before the Mustangs briefly regained the lead on a 35-yard field goal by Thomas Morstead with 12:12 left in the game.
Defensively, Joe Sturdivant led SMU with 12 tackles.
"We've still got a lot to play for," said SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett. "I've got a locker room full of players and and a locker room full of coaches that are very disappointed. We put a lot of preparation into the game and they're hurt right now. We've got to get over it and get ready for Tulsa."
