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Coach Dykes: American Athletic Conference Weekly Media Availability
Radio: It's Always Sonny On The Hilltop

SETTING THE SCENE
•     The Mustangs head to Tulane on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT American Athletic Conference match-up on ESPNU.

•     Braeden West became the ninth player in program history to reach 4,000 career all-purpose yards after registering 84 at UCF on Oct. 6.

•     James Proche had a career-high 229 all-purpose yards against UCF, and his 12 catches gave him two of the top performances by a receiver in The American this season (at UCF 12, at Michigan 11).

•     Ben Hicks is now SMU's all-time career passing leader with 7,205 yards. He went 15-for-23 with 153 yards and one TD at UCF.

•     SMU is one of four FBS teams to have three 1,000+-yard career rushers (Braeden West (2,342), Xavier Jones (1,950) and Ke'Mon Freeman (1,219)). The Mustangs join Ball State, Georgia Tech and Syracuse on the list.

•     Mustangs Xavier Jones (Maxwell, Doak Walker, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose), Jordan Wyatt (Wuerffel, AFCA Good Works), James Proche (Biletnikoff), Braeden West (Paul Hornung) and Jamie Sackville (Ray Guy) also highlight preseason watch lists. 

THE SERIES
SMU and Tulane meet for the 25th time on Saturday, with Tulane holding the 13-11 advantage all-time. The Mustangs have won the last three contests, however, and six of the last seven. SMU defeated Tulane, 41-38, in Dallas last season. 

ABOUT THE GREEN WAVE
Tulane is 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference entering Saturday's match-up. The Green Wave defeated Memphis on Sept. 28 for its AAC victory, but fell to undefeated Cincinnati in week six. Jonathan Banks has 58 completions for 921 yards and five touchdowns this season, while his main target, Darnell Mooney has 30 receptions for 544 yards and five TDs. On the ground, Darius Bradwell and Corey Dauphine have five scores. Defensively, Zachery Harris leads Tulane with 46 tackles, 3.5 for loss.

THE COACHES
•    Sonny Dykes is in his first season on the Hilltop after serving head coaching stints at Cal (2013-16) and Louisiana Tech (2010-12). Dykes spent 2017 at TCU as an offensive analyst. In his eighth season as a head coach, Dykes holds a career record of 43-50. 

•    Willie Fritz is in his third season at Tulane and has an 11-19 record overall and is 5-12 in The American. Fritz arrived in Tulane after head coaching stints at Blinn College (1993-96), Central Missouri (1997-2009), Sam Houston State (2010-13) and Georgia Southern (2014-15).

LAST TIME VS. TULANE
DALLAS -- Ben Hicks threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns, and SMU needed a goal-line stand, confirmed by a review, in the closing seconds to edge Tulane 41-38 on Nov 25, 2017. SMU (7-5) reached seven wins for the first time since 2012.

On the final drive of the game, Tulane receiver Darnell Mooney made a leaping catch over the middle in traffic for 19 yards with 46 seconds left and Terren Encalade added an 18-yard grab 10 seconds later to reach the SMU 5.

After a pass interference penalty with 25 seconds left, Tulane quarterback Jonathan Banks missed an open Mooney and was stopped on a sneak on second down. On third, SMU was called for a penalty to make it first-and-goal at the 1, but Banks was called short of the end zone on a sneak as time ran out. 

Xavier Jones ran for 38 yards to top 1,000 yards on the season for SMU and Courtland Sutton had 107 yards receiving to also reach the plateau. Trey Quinn, who leads the nation with 9.1 receptions per game, had six catches for 139 yards and two scores, including a 77-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter.

Banks threw for 314 yards and two scores, and added 48 yards rushing on 19 carries for Tulane (5-7), which had two 50-plus yard touchdowns in the first half.

Ahead 38-34, the Green Wave went for it on fourth-and-2 near midfield, but Banks was sacked with 7:06 remaining by SMU senior Justin Lawler. Eleven plays later, Quinn was open over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown for a 41-38 lead.

QUICK HITS
• SMU's game against No. 12 UCF on Oct. 6 was the third top-20 game for the Mustangs this season. (No. 16 TCU, No. 19 Michigan). 

• Jamie Sackville was named to the Ray Guy Award's "Ray's 8" following the game vs. No. 12 UCF. The award recognizes the top 8 punters nationally each week.

• Biletnikoff Watch List member James Proche has caught touchdown passes in the last four games. He had 12 catches for 100 yards and two TDs at No. 12 UCF. Proche leads The American in receiving TDs (7) and receptions per game (7.2) and is second in receiving yards per game (87.7).

• The 653 yards of total offense against HBU rank second all-time at SMU, while the 63 points are fifth.

• Forty-one student-athletes have played their first game in a Mustang uniform this season. 

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN
Paul Hornung Watch List member Braeden West became the ninth Mustang to post 4,000 career all-purpose yards with 84 at UCF on Oct. 6. He also cracked the top 10 in rushing yards with 2,342.

He showed his versatility in week one versus North Texas with a rushing and receiving touchdown. His 71-yard TD catch is the longest by an SMU running back since a 57-yard reception by Derron Brown in 2003. He finished the outing with 112 all-purpose yards.

Against No. 16 TCU, West had a 51-yard touchdown run, giving him his second 50+ yard touchdown of the season. He went on to post 185 all-purpose yards and 145 rushing yards off 26 carries in the win over Navy in week four, and had two touchdowns in the win over HBU.

West has seven 100+ yards rushing games and is one of only four FBS players to post both a 50+ yard rushing and receiving TD this season.
    
BIG GAME JAMES
With the departure of All-Americans and 2018 NFL Draft picks Courtland Sutton and Trey Quinn, James Proche is the Mustangs leading returning receiver in 2018.

Proche had a massive day against No. 19/22 Michigan in Ann Arbor, posting a career-high 11 receptions for 166 yards and two TDs. He also added 23 KOR yards and 16 PR yards for 214 all-purpose yards. It was his eighth career game with 100+ all-purpose yards, and fifth with 100+ yards receiving. 

Against No. 12/13 UCF, Proche added 100 yards of f12 catches and two TDs to go with a career-high 229 all-purpose yards.   

He opened 2018 with a pair of catches for 77 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown at UNT, and led Mustang receivers with six catches for 50 yards against No. 16 TCU. In the win over Navy, Proche posted 64 yards and a TD off nine receptions. He had three receptions for 69 yards and a TD against HBU.

Proche leads The American in receiving TDs (7) and receptions per game (7.2) and is second in receiving yards per game (87.7). He has six career 100+ yard games and is seventh all-time at SMU with 19 career receiving touchdowns (1st AAC active, T11th FBS active).

He is a member of the 2018 Biletnikoff Watch List and earned AAC Weekly Honors on Sept. 15.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR SMU?
Freshman quarterback William Brown got his first collegiate start in the 31-30 overtime win against Navy in week four. Brown went 21-of-29 passing with 150 yards and 2 TDs. In the 63-27 win over HBU, brown completed 12-of-20 passes for 309 yards and two TDs en route to American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll accolades.

He is 53-of-85 passing on the season with 625 passing yards and seven TDs, and is tied with Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) for most games with multiple passing TDs as a true freshman (3).

BIG BEN
Ben Hicks opened 2018 with a pair of touchdowns at North Texas, bringing his career touchdowns responsible for total to 57, tied for the most all-time at SMU (Flanigan 1992-97 & Willis 2006-08). He went on to surpass that total and set the SMU record with a 50-yard TD pass to James Proche at No. 19/22 Michigan in week three.

Hicks went 3-for-3 for 16 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Navy in week four.

His 58 passing TDs and 7,205 career passing yards are the most all-time for a Mustang, and he is second in total offense at 7,134 yards (Flanigan, 7437).

He sits ninth among FBS active leaders in career passing TDs (58) and 14th for career passing yards. He is second among active AAC quarterbacks in completions (573), TDs and yards.

Hicks is one of 30 candidates on the Manning Award Watch List, and is also a member of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List and was named a Player to Watch by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. He was also selected as the No. 11 player to watch on the College Football News Preseason All-American Athletic Conference list and is an All-AAC preseason selection by Athlon Sports.

STAY ACTIVE
Graduate transfer CJ Sanders joined the Mustangs after three seasons at Notre Dame and is second among active FBS players in kickoff return yards (2,140), is third in both total return yards (2,447) and combined kick return TDs (4). He is the only active player in the country with three kick return TDs and a punt return TD.

BACK AT IT
Jordan Wyatt ranks atop SMU's all-time lists with five defensive return touchdowns and four career interception return touchdowns. He finished 2017 with 288 career interception return yards, also the most for a Mustang, and became just the sixth player in FBS history to record an interception return and fumble recovery for touchdowns in the same game 2017 week one against Stephen F. Austin.

Among national active leaders, Wyatt tops the list for career interception return TDs (4), career defensive return TDs (5) and career interception return yards (288). He is third for active career fumbles forced (8). 

Wyatt is a member of the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, as well as a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team and Senior CLASS Award. He has also picked up preseason accolades from College Football News, Athlon Sports and Dave Campbell's Texas Football.    

TRIBUTE 23
Since 2009, the SMU coaching staff has chosen a deserving student-athlete 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.

Senior Jordan Wyatt has been awarded the number for 2018.

Players To Wear #23 In Honor of Jerry LeVias
Jordan Wyatt, CB, 2018
Nick Horton, DE, 2016-17
Jeremiah Gaines, TE, 2015
Stephon Sanders, LB, 2012-14
Chris Banjo, DB, 2009-11
    
X GON' GIVE IT TO YA
Preseason Maxwell and Doak Walker Award candidate Xavier Jones is back for his junior season after a successful 2017 campaign. Jones led the team with 1,075 yards on 182 carries, including a career-high 175 yards at Memphis on Nov. 18, and posted nine rushing touchdowns (10th AAC). He also added 14 receptions for 84 yards.

Jones has five career games of 100+ yards rushing, including games of 175, 146 and 106 in 2017, and 20 career rushing TDs.

In addition to the Maxwell and Doak Walker Watch List selections, Jones is a member of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List and earned preseason accolades from Dave Campbell's Texas Football and Athlon Sports.

C'MON KE'MON
Ke'Mon Freeman led the Mustangs with 11 rushing touchdowns (4th AAC) in 2017, including multiple TDs in three games (at TCU, Arkansas State, Tulane). Starting with the TCU game on Sept. 16, 2017, Freeman posted a stretch of six straight games with a rushing TD, the longest for a Mustang since Reggie Dupard's streak of 13 straight (last 6 1984, first 7 1985).

Freeman has 1,219 career yards on 295 carries and 15 rushing TDs.   

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Junior defensive back Rodney Clemons leads the Mustangs after four games with 46 tackles (36 solo), while linebacker Richard Moore has 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Kyran Mitchell has 5.5 tackles for loss in 2018 and Clemons, Mikial Onu, Patrick Nelson and Shaine Hailey have all registered interceptions. Six different Mustangs have  forced fumble this season, nine players have at least 20 tackles and 21 players have registered a tackle for loss.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
SMU welcomed eight graduate transfers, three FBS transfers and six junior college transfers who are eligible for the 2018 season. The grad transfer total is among the highest in the nation. Forty-one student-athletes have played their first game in a Mustang uniform this season.  

HONORARY CAPTAINS
Head Coach Sonny Dykes has named Kris Briggs and David Richards honorary captains for SMU's next home game on Oct. 27 against Cincinnati.

Briggs lettered for the Mustangs from 1999-2002, earning All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2000. He played in 42 total games on the Hilltop, registering 480 carries for 2,106 yards and 17 touchdowns. Briggs played three seasons in the NFL (Green Bay 2003-04, Cleveland 2004, Atlanta 2004, Denver 2004-05).

Richards lettered for the Mustangs from 1984-86, playing on the offensive line. He was an All-American at Highland Park High School, and was the first lineman ever to be named Parade Magazine's National High School Player of the Year (1983).

Tentative Schedule (subject to change)
Sept. 7 Paul Loyd
Sept. 22 Putt Choate
Sept. 29 Randy Allen
Oct. 27 Kris Briggs, David Richards
Nov. 3 Bobby Leach, Jim Johnston
Nov. 16 Freeman Johns

SMU IN THE CLASSROOM
The 2018 SMU roster features 14 student-athletes who have already earned a degree, giving them the fourth highest total in the country. Andrew Adams, Jourdan Blake, Paka Davis, Jake Hall, Ben Hicks, Larry Hughes, William Jeanlys, Nick Natour, Patrick Nelson, Chad Pursley, CJ Sanders, Cole Sterns, Noah Westerfield and Jordan Wyatt have all earned undergraduate degrees. Of those 14, SMU has eight graduate transfers. Twenty-three Mustangs also earned All-AAC academic honors in 2017.

IT'S ALWAYS SONNY
It's Always Sonny on the Hilltop with Head Coach Sonny Dykes airs Mondays at Ozona Grill and Bar, and runs throughout the 2018 campaign. The show is live on KAAM 770 AM from 7-8 p.m. There are food and drink specials, trivia and prizes on site each week.

Fans can also tweet their questions for Coach Dykes using the hashtag #AlwaysSonny, or by clicking the "Ask The Coach" button on SMUMustangs.com. The show will also be available on the TuneIn App by searching "SMU" and on Facebook Live (Facebook.com/SMUMustangs).

PONY UP-GRADES!
SMU has made significant investments in Ford Stadium improvements since 2011, including an upgraded locker room finished in August 2018, a new team meeting room with stadium-style seating and renovated positional meeting rooms, a new playing surface, lighting system, A/V system, new suites and club seating.

SMU recently broke ground on a 67,000-square-foot Indoor Performance Center, which will include a 4,000-square-foot multi-use Boulevard Club, a 2,000-square-foot recruiting lounge and access to a 1,500-square-foot outdoor patio, and a turf field with access to a training room and fitness/rehab area.

Prior to the 2016 season, Paragon Sports Constructors installed a new synthetic turf playing field at Ford Stadium. The new synthetic turf field is PowerBlade Bolt as manufactured by Shaw Sports Turf. The design for the new field remained the same, featuring the Mustang logo at mid-field with 'SMU' and 'Mustangs' in opposing end zones.

In the summer of 2013, SMU added a new 233-seat Hall of Champions Club and seven new suites in time for SMU's move to the American Athletic Conference. Among the great features of the new Club and suites is their indoor/outdoor design which allows fans to enjoy the comfort of indoor amenities as well as the excitement of sitting out in the bowl and hearing the roar of the crowd and the hard-hitting action on the field.

FAST LAYNE
Paul Layne holds an unrivaled Mustang record, having attended every SMU game for the last 40-plus years, even going to Tokyo.

He had to pull a "fast one" more than once to keep his streak alive – like the time his ex-wife remarried. He persuaded her to schedule her wedding on a Friday 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 501 straight games. His 500th was SMU's 63-27 victory over HBU on Sept. 29, 2018.

SMU IN THE AP
SMU is one of only 44 schools that have ever been ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press since 1936. The Mustangs have been ranked No. 1 twice. SMU was No. 55 on the AP's Top 100 Programs list released in 2017 and No. 51 on the College Football News Greatest Teams of All Time list in 2018. 

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 games against Navy (2011), Memphis (2012), Texas Tech (2013), Cincinnati (2014), UNT (2015), Memphis (2016) and Navy (2018).

ANNUAL GIVING HITS RECORD HIGH
Donors to SMU Athletics have once again set a new mark for generosity, contributing a record $24.3M to support SMU Athletics and its 424 student-athletes during the last fiscal year. The $24.3M represents a 31% increase in total athletics giving year-over-year and marks the biggest fundraising year for athletics in the history of the university.         

Included in that total are nearly $6.1 million in Mustang Athletic Fund gifts, which provide critical unrestricted support. That total represents an increase of 20% year-over-year and a jump of over 300% during the past decade. These donations provide the foundation for annual support for each of the 17 sports at SMU.

In addition to these gifts, significant investments from donors have been made in SMU Athletics facilities, including new indoor performance center.

WE DON'T TAILGATE, WE 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. 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 Mustang Alley vendors.