Game Notes (PDF) | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Keys To Gameday | SMU Athletics Mobile App
 
TV Network: ESPNews (Channel Finder)  
Radio: The Ticket - KTCK 1310 AM / 96.7 FM 
Watch | Listen

Coach Dykes: American Athletic Conference Weekly Media Availability
Sept. 17, 2018: It's Always Sonny On The Hilltop

SETTING THE SCENE
•     The Mustangs host American Athletic Conference opponent Navy on Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNews. 
•     SMU is the only team in the country to have faced off with two then-AP top 20 teams on the non-conference slate in the season's first three weeks (No. 16 TCU, No. 19 Michigan). 
•     James Proche had a massive day, 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 in week three against Michigan. 
•     SMU is one of four FBS teams to have three 1,000+-yard career rushers (Braeden West (2,059), Xavier Jones (1,924) 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 Navy will meet for the 20th time on Saturday, with Navy holding the 12-7 advantage. The Mustangs fell 43-40 on the road in 2017, and Navy has won eight straight and 11 of the last 12. The last SMU victory was a 24-11 win at Navy in 1998.

ABOUT THE MIDSHIPMEN
Navy is 2-1 overall to start the 2018 season and 1-0 in American Athletic Conference play after a win over Memphis in week two. Malcolm Perry leads the Midshipmen offense with 497 yards on 72 carries and six rushing touchdowns, to go with 106 yards and a TD in the air. On defense, Hudson Sullivan leads all tacklers with 17 this season, and both Taylor Heflin and Nizaire Cromartie have a pair of sacks.  

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 seven seasons as a head coach, Dykes holds a career record of 41-49. 
•    Ken Niumatalolo was named the head coach at Navy in 2008 and has an 86-49 record with the Midshipmen. In 20 seasons overall at Navy (assistant coach 1996-98, 2002-07) Niumatalolo is 153-99 and has been a part of 15 bowl appearances.
 
LAST TIME VS. NAVY
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (SMU) - Despite completely erasing a 23-point second-half deficit, SMU's comeback fell just short at Navy, falling 43-40 on Nov. 11, 2017.

The SMU offense sprang to life in the second half, scoring on four of its five possessions to erase Navy's 34-11 lead. The Mustang defense was able to hold the Midshipmen down in the final 30 minutes, allowing only nine points and holding strong on two momentous fourth-and-short situations.

Before Navy's game-winning 18-yard field goal as time expired, SMU had scored 15-straight points to deadlock the game at 40-40.

Junior Courtland Sutton grabbed seven passes for 123 yards and two second-half touchdowns. Fellow junior receiver Trey Quinn moved pass the 1,000-yard mark on the season with six catches for 87 yards.

Quarterback Ben Hicks tied his career-high by tossing four touchdown passes. Sophomore Xavier Jones eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the ground for the second time this year, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

The Mustangs were only the second team this season to score at least 40 points against Navy.

Senior linebacker recorded a career-high 14 tackles, including 10 solos. Cedric Lancaster (11 tackles) and Justin Lawler (10 tackles) also tallied career-high tackle numbers.

QUICK HITS
• James Proche posted a career-high 11 receptions for 166 yards and two TDs against No. 19/22 Michigan. 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. He was named to the AAC Honor Roll.

• William Brown registered his first two career TD passes and was also 8-48 rushing and had a 14-yard reception.

• Mikial Onu picked off Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson for his third career INT on Saturday. Ryan Becker caught his second career TD and Shaine Hailey had his first career sack.

THE GANSZ TROPHY
When SMU and Navy meet on the gridiron, they battle for the Gansz Trophy, a traveling trophy created to honor late coaching legend Frank Gansz.

Considered perhaps the top special teams coach in the history of the NFL, Gansz spent time at both SMU and the Naval Academy. Gansz was starting his second season as special teams coach on the Hilltop when he passed away on April 27, 2009. As a collegian, Gansz played center and linebacker for the Naval Academy from 1957 to 1959 and graduated in 1960. He also spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Navy (1969-72). 

In all, Gansz was a veteran of 38 seasons of coaching - 24 in the NFL and 14 in the collegiate ranks. Prior to coming to SMU in 2008, Gansz was with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was special teams coordinator in 2000 and 2001. He served as the special teams coach of the St. Louis Rams for three seasons, helping the team to its victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. 

In 1986, Gansz's first year as the assistant head coach/special teams for Kansas City, the Chiefs blocked or deflected an NFL-record 10 kicks and scored five touchdowns. Because of his success with the special teams, Gansz was promoted to head coach of the Chiefs, a role he served from 1987 to 1988. 

He left the Chiefs to become the special teams coach of the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1993. In 1989, Gansz was named NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year by his peers. Gansz then spent three years as the assistant head coach/special teams for the Atlanta Falcons from 1994 to 1996. 

Gansz's NFL career began in 1978 as special teams coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He coached special teams and tight ends for Cincinnati (1979-80), Kansas City (1981-82) and Philadelphia (1983-85). 

After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force for nearly seven years, Gansz began his coaching career at the Air Force Academy (1964-66). He also had coaching stints at Colgate (1968), Navy (1969-72), Oklahoma State (1973, 1975), Army (1974) and UCLA (1976-77). 

STOPPING STAUBACH
On October 11, 1963, the fourth-ranked Navy Midshipman came to the Cotton Bowl to play the Mustangs on the Friday night before the Texas-OU game. 

A crowd of 37,000 fans came to Fair Park with the intentions of getting a look at Navy's All-America quarterback, Roger Staubach. What the crowd did not expect was that the Mustangs and second-year head coach Hayden Fry were about to knock off Staubach and company in one of the most memorable games in SMU history.

After the Midshipmen jumped out to a 10-0 lead, SMU sophomore quarterback Mac White took a sweep 22 yards for a touchdown. However, Staubach brought Navy right back to extend the lead to 18-7. SMU QB Danny Thomas then came into the game in relief and hit Thomas Hillary for a touchdown with five seconds left in the first half, bringing the Mustangs to within five at 18-13 at the intermission.

Late in the third quarter, Staubach threw a touchdown pass for a 25-13 lead. But on the third play after the kickoff, John Roderick ignited the Cotton Bowl as he took a pitch from White and made one of the most exciting plays of the decade. Roderick cut all the way across the field at the 35, got a block from White and raced into the end zone to cut the Navy lead to six at 25-19. 

The Mustang defense then stepped up on Navy's next possession and made the first of several big plays that night. Dave Corder intercepted Staubach, allowing the offense to come back on the field to go for the lead. SMU drove inside the Navy 10 and gave the ball to Roderick for the final surge into the end zone. The Mustangs had stormed back to take the lead, 26-25. But Staubach, with his usual determination, moved his team down the field setting up a field goal to give Navy a two-point lead at 28-26 with 2:52 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing possession, it only took the Mustangs four plays and 47 seconds to take the lead back. Billy Gannon was able to fight his way into the end zone from the one, and SMU took a 32-28 lead. 

But back came Staubach, proving why he would come to be known as "Captain Comeback" during his days at the helm of the Dallas Cowboys. However, SMU's Donald Campbell and Tommy Caughran broke up two passes in the end zone in the last few seconds, and the Mustangs had their upset win. 

Coach Fry was named national Coach of the Week, and the win over Navy helped propel the Mustangs into the Sun Bowl despite the fact that they finished 4-6 and tied for fifth in the Southwest Conference.

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.  

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 13 games last season, Proche caught 40 passes for 816 yards (11th AAC) and six touchdowns (12th AAC) and earned a spot on the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List. He also ranked second in The American and 12th nationally at 20.40 yards per reception. Proche also spent time on special teams for the Mustangs and finished with 872 all-purpose yards.

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN
Paul Hornung Watch List member Braeden West 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. 

West played in 12 games for the Mustangs in 2017, finishing second on the team with 568 rushing yards on 73 carries and added a pair of rushing touchdowns. West also registered 18 catches for 185 yards and 423 yards on 23 kick returns. 

West has six 100+ yards rushing games in his career and sits 12th on SMU's all-time list at 2,059 yards. He has 3,713 career all-purpose yards, including 1,097 kick return yards (7th at SMU). 

This season, West has both a 50+ yard TD rushing and receiving. He is one of four players in FBS to do both so far this year.

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.

His 55 passing TDs are the most for a Mustang and his career passing yards are second (6,975). Hicks is third in total offense at 6,902 yards.

He sits seventh among FBS active leaders in career passing TDs (55) and ninth for career passing yards. He leads active AAC quarterbacks in completions (547) and TDs (55).

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 currently leads active FBS players in combined kick return yards (2,447) and kickoff return yards (2,140). He is the only active player in the country with multiple kick return TDs and a punt return TD and his three kickoff return TDs are tied for third among active players nationally.

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 week one against Stephen F. Austin.

Among national active leaders, Wyatt tops the list for both career interception return TDs (4) and career defensive return TDs (5), and is second 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. 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 three games with 23 tackles (17 solo). In two games, Patrick Nelson has a team-leading 4.5 tackles for loss,1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Mikial Onu and Shaine Hailey have each registered INTs for SMU.

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. 

HONORARY CAPTAINS
Head Coach Sonny Dykes and director of former player relations Ramon Flanigan have named former Mustang linebacker Putt Choate as Saturday's honorary captain.

Choate was a two-time All-SWC choice in 1977 and 1978, and was the leading tackler in school history with 649 stops. He owns SMU's single-season record for most tackles with 253 in 1978, including recording 31 tackles in a game against Texas A&M in 1976. Choate played professionally for the Denver Gold (USFL) in 1983, San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL) from 1984-85 and the Green Bay Packers in 1987.

Choate's son, Gerrit, is currently a defense end for the Mustangs.

Choate's Stats

Year	Unassisted Tackles	Assisted Tackles	Total Tackles
1975	28	32	60
1976	76	74	150
1977	68	118	186
1978	94	159	253
Totals	266	383	649

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.

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.

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.

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".

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 498 straight games.

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) and UNT (2015).

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.