Sept. 30, 2015
 | SETTING THE SCENE |
The Mustangs open up conference play against East Carolina when the Pirates visit the Hilltop.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and SMU Athletics is hosting three PINK events in the fight against breast cancer. The PINK events are the home football game against East Carolina, women's soccer against UCF on Oct. 15 and volleyball versus Memphis on Oct. 25. SMU Athletics is also participating in the 2015 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Oct. 17.
SMU's 45-point performance versus James Madison last week gave the Mustangs 134 points on the year, which surpasses last season's total output of 133. The offense isn't the only one surpassing last year's feats, as SMU's defense has registered seven interceptions through four games, after picking off six passes last season.
Junior Matt Davis has three straight games with multiple rushing TDs. That is the most since Zach Line had three straight games with multiple TDs on the ground in 2011 (2 TDs vs. UTEP, 5 TDs vs. Northwestern State & 3 TDs at Memphis).
Redshirt freshman Courtland Sutton has recorded a TD catch in four straight games, which ties the Brenham, Texas, native for fourth all-time with Jerry LeVias and Emanuel Tolbert on SMU's list for consecutive games with a receiving TD.
| THE SERIES (ECU LEADS 3-2) |
This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams, with ECU holding a 3-2 series advantage.
In the last meeting, SMU dropped a 45-24 decision at East Carolina on Oct. 4, 2014. At the time the Pirates were ranked 22nd and 21st, respectively, in the AP and Coaches poll.
| THE COACHES |
Chad Morris is in his first season at the SMU helm. Prior to arriving on the Hilltop, Morris spent five seasons as a collegiate offensive coordinator (Tulsa (2010); Clemson (2011-14)). Prior to his stint in the college ranks, Morris was a high school coach for 16 seasons, posting a 169-38 record. In his final prep stop, Morris led Lake Travis High School to back-to-back 16-0, state-championship seasons in 2008 and 2009.
Ruffin McNeill is in his sixth season with the Pirates, where the ECU alum has posted a 39-29 record that includes four bowl appearances.
| ABOUT THE PIRATES |
East Carolina is currently 2-2, with a 0-1 mark in The American after a week three loss to Navy. The Pirates are coming off a 35-28 win over a Virginia Tech team that was receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches polls.
| LAST TIME VS. ECU |
Shane Carden threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 22 East Carolina beat SMU 45-24. The Mustangs finished with a season-high 390 yards and nearly made it a one-possession game early in the fourth.
For SMU, the game at least offered a welcome show of progress for the offense. The Mustangs had scored just 12 points all year and hadn't reached 300 yards in a game, but moved the ball effectively with a short passing game. SMU was 5 of 6 on fourth downs on the day, including three for three on its first TD drive.
Garrett Krstich threw for 339 yards and had two touchdown passes to Darius Joseph, who had 13 catches for 100 yards for SMU.
| PERUNA GOES PINK |
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and SMU Athletics invites fans to join the fight against breast cancer at a series of PINK events this month.
The first PINK event will be Saturday, Oct. 3, when the SMU football team hosts East Carolina for a 3 p.m. game. The Mustangs will wear pink socks and gloves and will also don pink towels and sweatbands. Coaches will wear pink shoes. Representatives of the Susan G. Komen Foundation will be on hand to collect donations from fans, and SMU Athletics Marketing will have pink SMU t-shirts for the first 500 fans who make donations at the Gate 2 marketing table, along with informational packets about breast cancer awareness.
As part of the department's commitment to the initiative, SMU Athletics will be participating in the 2015 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Saturday's donations go toward the team's fundraising goal.
Women's soccer will host its PINK game on Oct. 15, when UCF visits for a 7 p.m. match, and SMU volleyball's PINK match is Oct. 25, when Memphis comes to Moody for a 1 p.m. meeting. At both of those events, the first 250 fans will receive pink SMU t-shirts and representatives for the Charles Sammons Cancer Center's "Celebrating Women" Initiative will be on site to collect donations. Following the matches, SMU will auction the game-worn jerseys, with proceeds going to the Cancer Center as well.
A package of four tickets to each of these events and four Mustangs For A Cure t-shirts is just $80.
| PONY UP TEMPO |
Head Coach Chad Morris integrated a #PonyUPTempo mindset into the SMU program. The new motto was apparent in the Mustangs' first game, as SMU scored a touchdown on the first play of scrimmage. SMU scored 133 points all of last season, and has already superseded that mark with 134 through just four games under Morris.
| MAN ON THE RUN |
Following two of the four games the Mustangs have played this season, SMU junior quarterback Matt Davis has earned American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll recognition after registering a career-high 334 yards passing and 62 yards on the ground versus No. 3 TCU and guiding the Mustangs to a 31-13 win over North Texas. Davis has led his team in rushing in all four games this season, and has been the leading rusher for SMU for 11 straight games, going back to the 2014 season.
In 2014, the Houston native led SMU with 1,468 yards of total offense. His 855 passing yards tied for best on the team and he led the squad with 613 rushing yards. In the last five games of 2014 (all starts), he had 1,270 total yards (735 passing & 535 rushing).
In his first career start at Tulsa (Nov. 8), he had 212 yards passing and 181 yards rushing while totaling three TDs (1 pass, 2 rush). The 181 rushing yards were the most by a QB in SMU history, beating the previous mark set by Ramon Flanigan in 1993 by 33 yards (148 versus Navy). He broke that mark with 191 yards (+145 passing) in the 27-20 win at Connecticut on Dec. 6.
| THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM |
SMU has made good use of third down so far in 2015. Currently the Mustangs rank 43rd among FBS schools on third down conversions at 43.3 percent.
| PONY RED-ZONE |
For the second straight week SMU has posted a perfect percentage inside the opponents 20-yd line. Going 4-4 last week against James Madison, (4 TD's) and 7-7 at rival No. 3 TCU (4 TD's, 3 FG's) the Mustangs have crept its way to 66th amongst all FBS schools, with a success rate of 83.3 percent.
| STRUTTIN' WITH SUTTON |
Through four games, redshirt freshman Courtland Sutton has 17 receptions for 399 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
The Brenham, Texas, native has already placed himself in an elite group of former Mustang wide-outs, after recording a touchdown reception in four straight games this season.
He was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List on Sept. 29, which is presented to the nation's top wide receiver.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A REC. TD
1. Aldrick Robinson, 2010 8
2. Emmanuel Sanders, 2006 6
3. Aldrick Robinson, 2008 5
T4.Emanuel Tolbert, 1977 4
T4. Jerry Levias, 1966 4
T4. Courtland Sutton, 2015 4
| HONORARY CAPTAINS |
Head Coach Chad Morris has brought several new traditions to the SMU football program. One of them involves naming an Honorary Captain at each home game.
In the first three home games, Harvey Armstrong (9/4), Reggie Dupard (9/12) and Chuck Hixson (9/26) were honored.
This week, Morris has selected Gary Hammond. Hammond earned All-SWC first team honors on the Hilltop in both 1969 and 1970, was drafted by the New York Jets in 1972 and was inducted into SMU's Hall of Fame in 1982.
Armstrong (1978-81) earned All-America honors (1981) and was co-captain of the 1981 National Championship squad. He played eight years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. Dupard (1982-85) was selected All-America (1985) and a first-round draft choice of the New England Patriots in 1986. Hixson threw for 7,179 yards and 40 touchdowns from 1968-70. He led the nation in passing as a sophomore, earning the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and guided the Mustangs to the 1968 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. He left the Hilltop as the Mustangs' career leader in passing yards and completions.
| NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK |
In their season opener, the Mustangs were led in receiving by four freshmen - true freshmen Xavier Jones, Braeden West & Xavier Castille and redshirt freshman Courtland Sutton. So far this season, the freshmen have accounted for 40 of the 69 receptions and 564 of the 933 receiving yards.
With 17 true and redshirt freshmen played in week one, SMU ranked ninth among all teams in freshmen played.
| TRIBUTE 23 |
Prior to the 2009 season, SMU announced that a deserving student-athlete would be chosen by the coaching staff to wear the number 23 to honor Jerry LeVias.
LeVias was the first African-American to receive an athletic scholarship in the Southwest Conference. While at SMU, LeVias made athletic and academic All-America teams and, in 1966, contributed to the Mustangs' first SWC title in 18 years. He was an All-American in 1968 and was chosen All-SWC in 1966, 1967 and 1968.
Junior tight end Jeremiah Gaines was awarded the number for 2015. Gaines played in nine games, starting three, in 2014, totaling four catches for 97 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown reception against Houston.
| TIME IS ON OUR SIDE |
While Head Coach Chad Morris has PonyUpTempo as the team's motto, the Mustangs are taking their time with the ball and are ranked fourth in the FBS in time of possession. The Mustangs only trail North Carolina State, Rice and Arkansas.
| TACKLIN' THE TOP 25 |
Two of SMU's first three opponents were ranked in the top 5 - No. 4 Baylor & No. 3 TCU. This marks the first time SMU played two top-five opponents in the same year since 1974, when the Mustangs played at No. 1 Ohio State and hosted No. 5 Texas A&M.
| FORD FILLED |
SMU has sold out Ford Stadium ten times since it opened on Sept. 2, 2000. Seven of those sellouts have come since 2009, and the first of the 2015 season came versus Baylor.
| TEXAS TALENT |
Since arriving on the Hilltop, Chad Morris has made it a point to recruit Texas and to add student-athletes from the Lone Star State.
"You can recruit all the kids you want with 10 dollars in a tank of gas," Morris has repeatedly said.
When he arrived on campus, SMU had just 68 Texans on its roster, the fewest of any FBS school in the state, and had more out-of-state players (31) than DFW Metroplex natives.
SMU's entire 2015 signing class hailed from Texas, and SMU started the season with 77 Texans on the roster.
| WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES |
SMU has improved offensively by leaps and bounds in 2015. Below are just a few categories of note.
Category: 2015 (Rank), 2014 (Rank)
Total Offense: 453.8 (38th), 269.0 (124th)
Scoring Offense: 33.5 (53rd), 11.1 (125th)
Passing Offense: 233.3 (67th), 168.7 (112th)
Rushing Offense: 220.5 (30th), 100.3 (118th)
Time of Possession: 34:37 (4th), 28:50 (90th)
3rd Down %: 43.3 (43rd), 32.6 (115th)
TO Margin: 0.50 (42nd), -1.17 (120th)
| HONOR ROLL FOR JOSEPH |
Senior wide receiver Darius Joseph has already left his mark in the SMU record book, ranking in the top 10 in career receptions, season receptions and games with at least 10 catches.
Joseph's single catch against Baylor in the season opener was all he needed to pass Korey Beard for sole possesion of the ninth spot on SMU's career receptions list. His career high is 13 receptions (100 yards & 2 TDs) at East Carolina on Oct. 4, 2014. That led to his first AAC Weekly Honor Roll recognition. The 13 receptions were a career-high for Joseph and tied for the most-ever by an SMU junior, with Joseph joining Emanuel Tolbert, who caught 13 passes as a junior at Baylor in 1978.
| SIGNAL CALLERS GET THE CALL |
When the St. Louis Rams selected SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft (214th overall), Gilbert became the eighth quarterback drafted into the NFL in program history and the first since 1981.
| CALLS FROM THE HALLS |
SMU boasts nine members of the College Football Hall of Fame and five that are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With five Pro Football Hall of Famers, SMU ranks 11th among all schools.
| ANOTHER HONOR FOR DOAK |
The Football Writers Association of America announced its 75th Anniversary All-America Team earlier this fall, and former SMU running back Doak Walker was chosen for one of two starting running backs slots on the third team, sharing the backfield with Bo Jackson. During his tenure with the Mustangs, Walker was a three-time All-American (1947-49), a Maxwell Award recipient (1947), a Heisman Trophy winner (1948) and an integral part of two Southwest Conference Championship teams.
Doak Walker
| GREAT BOULEVARD |
The editors at Southern Living posted a roster of the top 20 Southern schools with the greatest pregame celebrations, and SMU's Boulevard made the list.
From the food and drink to the style and traditions, nobody does tailgating quite like the Mustangs. Gameday at SMU is The Boulevard. SMU's beautiful Bishop Boulevard is tailgate central for fun and entertainment.
Along The Boulevard, fans can mingle with family, and friends and bring a picnic, fire up a grill or visit one of the many food vendors.
The Boulevard is so famous that the guys from Dude Perfect picked SMU to shoot their tailgate game trickshot video.
| WATCH (LIST) OUT! |
Senior center Taylor Lasecki is on the Watch Lists for both the Rimington Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award. This is the third straight year he has been on the Rimington watch list. The Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
Senior defensive lineman Cameron Smith is among the 80 players on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service." He has also been nominated for the the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes college football players from across the country who exemplify a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism.
Courtland Sutton was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List on Sept. 29. The award is given annually to the nation's top receiver.
| THE RED CARPET |
SMU may need to install a red carpet in the Mustang locker room as SMU has become "the place to be" in Dallas. Among the celebrities, legends, current and former pros that have attended practice or stopped by the stadium in recent years are: Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Terrell Owens, Tim Brown, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders, as well as former SMU standouts Reggie Dupard, Eric Dickerson, Craig James, Jerry Ball, Russell Carter and Don Meredith.
Former President George W. Bush even visits SMU football practice. Bush has also performed the ceremonial coin toss at five SMU home games in the last five seasons - Navy (2011), Memphis (2012), Texas Tech (2013), Cincinnati (2014) and North Texas (2015).
| PONY UP-GRADES! |
SMU has made almost $10 million in Ford Stadium improvements since 2011, including upgrades to the locker room and team meeting rooms, a new playing surface, lighting system, suites and club seating.
Renovations included a new team meeting room with stadium-style seating and renovated positional meeting rooms. Changes to the locker room included the creation of a new team lounge, as well as new lockers, updated graphics and audio/visual equipment. SMU also installed a state-of-the-art Mondoturf 3NX artificial turf system. Musco Sports Lighting's new system has reduced energy consumption 50% and has saved more than 293 metric tons of CO2 from entering the environment.
In 2013, SMU added a new 233-seat Hall of Champions Club and seven new suites to the northwest corner of the stadium.
In 2014, SMU made significant upgrades to the Stadium Club. The improvements to the nearly 900-seat area included new stadium seats and bar stools. The enhancements also include new carpet and granite countertops.
In 2015, SMU updated its football offices and team areas, installing new graphics and displays.
| SMU HITS $1B CAMPAIGN GOAL |
SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign has reached its $1 billion goal ahead of schedule, raising unprecedented funding for scholarships, academic positions, programs, facilities and other enhancements to campus life. The campaign's official completion date is Dec. 31, 2015.
The Second Century Campaign was publicly launched in 2008 with a goal of $750 million. Rapid progress toward that goal and opportunities for further advancements led SMU leaders in 2013 to increase the goal to $1 billion and extend its timeline to 2015.
Ending in 2002, SMU's previous major gifts campaign, "A Time to Lead: The Campaign for SMU", raised $542 million.
Combining both campaigns, in the last two decades SMU has raised a total of $1.5 billion for 753 new scholarships, 111 new academic positions, 146 academic programs and 32 capital projects.
SMU joins 35 private universities nationwide that have raised $1 billion or more through major gifts campaigns. The institutions range from Columbia and Notre Dame to Emory and Vanderbilt.
| FAST LAYNE |
Paul Layne holds an unrivaled Mustang record. He has attended every SMU football game for the last 40 years, even going to Tokyo. He had to pull a "fast one" more than once to keep his streak alive.
Layne's unyielding commitment to SMU football has even posed some challenges for family and friends - like the time his ex-wife remarried. He persuaded her to schedule her wedding on a Friday night, within driving distance of SMU's game at Nevada the following day. So the night before the Mustangs tangled with the Wolf Pack in Reno, Layne attended the wedding in California's Sonoma Valley, then drove 200 miles to catch the opening kickoff.
Layne even attended a game dressed in a Halloween costume to disguise his case of adult-onset chicken pox.
Starting when Layne attended SMU and was a team cheerleader, he's attended 460 straight games.
| DON'T ATTACK SHAK |
Shakiel Randolph began his senior campaign in a new spot. The former defensive back moved from defensive back to the STAR linebacker position as part of first-year Defensive Coordinator Van Malone's scheme. Last season, Randolph tied for fifth for passes defended per game (1.0) in The American.
| MUSTANG CLUB SETS RECORD |
Donors to SMU Athletics once again set a new record for generosity in FY15, contributing more than $13.3 million, a 24% increase, in support of Athletic Department operations and SMU's 424 student-athletes during the last fiscal year. Included in that total are nearly $5.3 million in Mustang Club gifts, which provides critical unrestricted support. That total represents an increase of 60% over the previous year's record $3.3 million result. Total donors also increased 32% from 2,997 to 3,956.
Since Rick Hart's arrival on the Hilltop in 2012, Mustang Club annual giving has more than doubled, from $2.6 million to $5.3 million, and donor support of operations has jumped from $8.4 million to more than $13 million.
In addition to these gifts, significant investments from donors have been made in SMU Athletics' facilities, including Moody Coliseum, the Miller Event Center and the new SMU Tennis Complex. Fundraising continues for these facilities, in addition to the planned SMU Aquatics Center on East Campus and Trinity Forest Golf Club.
