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Nov. 18: It's Always Sonny on the Hilltop
Granson Media Availability 

SETTING THE SCENE
•   The No. 21 Mustangs travel to Navy for an AAC West Division battle Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. SMU defeated ECU, 59-51, on Nov. 9 to move to 9-1 on the season and 5-1 in AAC play.
 
•   The Mustang defense ranks second nationally in sacks (4.20) and fifth in tackles for loss (8.6), while SMU ranks sixth in total offense (522.2) and scoring offense (45.1).
 
•   Shane Buechele was named one of 16 semifinalists for the 2019 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. Buechele has thrown for 3,195 yards (5th at SMU) and 28 touchdowns (3rd at SMU) in his first season on the Hilltop, and ranks fourth nationally in passing yards and passing yards per game and seventh in passing TDs.
 
•   James Proche was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, honoring college football's outstanding FBS receiver at any position. Proche leads the nation in receptions per game (8.8), is fifth in receiving TDs (12) and 10th in receiving yards (1,008).
 
•   Head Coach Sonny Dykes was named a mid-season addition to the Dodd Trophy Watch List, celebrating the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity. He was also an addition to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List. Offensive Coordinator Rhett Lashlee is a nominee for the Broyles Award, honoring college football's top assistant coach.
 
THE SERIES
Saturday's meeting is the 21st between SMU and Navy, with the Midshipmen holding the 12-8 all-time advantage. The Mustangs won the most recent match-up, a 31-30 overtime victory in Dallas in 2018, following an eight-game winning streak for Navy that dated back to 2002.
 
ABOUT THE MIDSHIPMEN
Navy enters Saturday's match-up with a 7-2 overall record and a 5-1 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Midshipmen are coming off a 52-20 loss on the road at No. 16 Notre Dame after a five-game conference win streak. Navy is receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
 
THE COACHES
•   Sonny Dykes is in his second season as head coach of the Mustangs and has a 14-9 record on the Hilltop. In his first season, SMU boasted one of the most explosive offenses in school history and a vastly-improved defense. The season included his first win as SMU head coach, a 31-30 overtime victory over Navy at home, and a 45-31 win over then-No. 17 Houston at Ford Stadium. He has been named to both the Dodd Trophy and Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Watch Lists. Dykes' career record stands at 55-54.
 
•   Ken Niumatalolo has spent 11 seasons as head coach at Navy, leading the Midshipmen to nine winning seasons and nine bowl games. He led Navy to its first outright conference division title in 2016 and is the first coach in school history to win three consecutive bowl games. His five overall bowl wins are the most at Navy.
 
LAST TIME VS. NAVY
DALLAS (AP) -- Hunter Thedford caught a 2-point conversion pass in the first overtime on a play that led to several minutes of discussion by officials and a review before it was held up, and SMU beat Navy 31-30 on Sept. 22, 2018 for its first win over the Midshipmen in 20 years.
 
After Ben Hicks threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to James Proche, new coach Sonny Dykes decided to go for his first win at SMU right then. Offensive lineman Chad Pursley went in motion from the tight end spot on the left to the slot right, and Hicks threw to Thedford over leaping linebacker Taylon Heflin in the end zone.
 
The officials met for several minutes as players slowly returned to the sidelines and fans chanted "S-M-U," then started booing, before referee Adam Savoie announced a review. Not too long after that, he announced the play was legal.
 
Navy (2-2, 1-1 American Athletic) started overtime with a nine-play possession that ended with quarterback Garret Lewis' plunge from inside the 1-yard line.
 
Hicks replaced starting quarterback William Brown for the overtime possession as the Mustangs (1-3, 1-0) beat Navy for the first time since 1998, ending an eight-game losing streak in the series. It was SMU's first home win over Navy since 1966.
 
C.J. Williams ran 52 yards for a tying touchdown for the Midshipmen with 6:19 left in the fourth quarter.
 
The Midshipmen had that chance to get even because Jarid Ryan returned the blocked PAT kick for a 2-point conversion from several yards deep in the end zone earlier in the fourth.
Ryan's winding run, first up the sideline and then toward the middle of the field before slowing and just getting across the goal line as he was tackled, cut Navy's deficit to 23-16.
 
The return from Ryan came after Myron Gailliard's 2-yard touchdown catch on fourth down. That score was set up by a fumble from Navy quarterback Garret Lewis that SMU recovered at the 2.
 
Reggie Roberson Jr. returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and caught a 20-yard scoring pass for the Mustangs.
 
Braeden West rushed for 145 yards, his first 100-yard game for SMU since the last of six late in the 2016 season.
 
Lewis threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mychal Cooper, who was wide open inside the 5, to put Navy up 14-10. It was only completion for Midshipmen in their triple-option offense. Roberson answered immediately by running untouched up the middle of the field.
 
QUICK HITS
•   James Proche, Shane Buechele, Richard Moore (out for 2019 with an injury) and Rodney Clemons were voted captains for the 2019 season.
 
•   Xavier Jones became the sixth Mustang to post multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (2017, 2019).
 
•   SMU is 9-1 for the first time since 1983 (14-5 in the last 19 games), it's the best start since going 10-1 to begin that season before finishing 10-2. It is the most wins since 1984 (10-2).
 
•   SMU had 636 total yards against ECU (T-5 at SMU). The Mustangs have had 500+ yards six times this season, and eight times in the past 13 games.
 
•   The Mustangs have had at least 34 points in each game this year and are averaging 45.1 on the season. The 59 against ECU were a season high and the 40+ make an SMU-record eighth time this season.
 
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 Asst. HC/Special Teams for Kansas City, the Chiefs blocked or deflected an NFL-record 10 kicks and scored five TDs. 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 STAUBUCH
On October 11, 1963, the fourth-ranked Navy Midshipmen 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.
 
WATCH US
Shane Buechele and James Proche lead seven Mustang student-athletes on Watch Lists for the 2019 season. Buechele was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (Collegiate Player of the Year) and Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, while Proche was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which honors college football's outstanding receiver at any position. Sonny Dykes is on the Dodd Trophy and Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the year lists and Rhett Lashlee is a nominee for the Broyles Award.
 
Other Watch List members throughout the season include Buechele (Manning Award, CFPA, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award), Proche (Maxwell, Paul Hornung, ECTR), Reggie Roberson, Jr. (Biletnikoff, ECTR), Xavier Jones (Doak Walker), Tyler Page (Wuerffel), Demerick Gary (AFCA Good Works) and Gerrit Choate (Burlsworth).
 
CHANNEL 3
With his first of two touchdown receptions against ECU on Nov. 9, Biletnikoff Award semifinalist James Proche became the SMU all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 36. He also ranks second on SMU's career receiving yards (3,732) and receptions (278) lists.
 
Proche registered a career-high 14 catches for 167 yards and two scores for his 13th career 100-yard game (T-4th at SMU). It was his eighth career game with 10+ catches and ninth straight game with a TD reception, tying the SMU record.
 
He posted a season-high 186 all-purpose yards, which included two rushing and 17 punt return yards, giving him his 22nd game with 100+ all purpose yards (8th this season). The senior now has 4,744 career all-purpose yards, third all-time for a Mustang.
 
Among active FBS career leaders, Proche is first in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while ranking third in receptions per game (5.91) and fourth in receiving yards per game (79.4) and all-purpose yards.
 
PONYUP, ARLINGTON
Shane Buechele set the record for most passing yards in their first start by a Mustang with 360 in the season-opening win at Arkansas State on Aug. 31. The junior went 30-for-49 with 360 yards.
 
Buechele is a semifinalist for both the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and the Maxwell Award, and is a member of the Manning Award, CFPA and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch Lists.
 
He has thrown for 3,195 yards (5th at SMU) and 28 touchdowns (3rd at SMU) in 2019 and has thrown multiple TD passes in an SMU-record tying nine straight games.
 
In the win over Temple on Oct. 19, Buechele threw for 457 yards (4th at SMU) and six TDs to tie an SMU record. He added 456 yards at Memphis to give him the fifth-highest single-game total for a Mustang.
 
Against ECU on Nov. 9, Buechele registered his fourth 300-yard game this season (6th career).
 
Among career active FBS leaders, Buechele is ninth in completions per game (19.76), 10th in passing yards per game (237.3), 11th in completions (652), 14th in TD passes (58) and passing yards (7,831) and 17th in total offense (8,152) and completion percentage (.629).
 
TEXAS TIES
Shane Buechele isn't the only Texas transfer who has found success with the Mustangs. In two seasons on the Hilltop, quarterback Garrett Gilbert ranked second all-time at SMU in 300-yard passing games (9), third in career yardage (6,460) and completions (603) and tied for fifth in touchdown passes (36).
 
X GON' GIVE IT TO YA
Running back Xavier Jones had a career-high tying three rushing touchdowns to open the season against Arkansas State and matched that total in week two against North Texas. His back-to-back performance made him the first Mustang to have 3+ TDs in consecutive games since Zach Line in 2011 (5 vs Northwestern St. 9/17, 3 at Memphis 9/24) and earned him a spot on the Doak Walker Award Watch List and AAC Player of the Week honors.
 
In the win over ECU, Jones became the sixth Mustang to post multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (2017, 2019).
 
Jones has an SMU-record 20 total TDs (18 rushing, 2 receiving) and 120 points this season, and has at least one TD in each game.
 
On Nov. 9, Jones posted his 43rd career total TD (5th NCAA), 40th rushing TD (5th NCAA) and 13th career 100-yard rushing game.
 
THE KING REGGIE
Reggie Roberson, Jr. opened the 2019 season with a career-high 180 yards off 11 receptions to lead the Mustangs over Arkansas State. It was the fifth 100-yard game of his career. In week two, Roberson Jr. tied his career high with a pair of touchdown receptions against North Texas. In week three, he led the Mustangs with four catches for 68 yards.
 
Roberson Jr. had a career day in the win over No. 25 Temple, posting the second-best single-game receiving yard performance in SMU history. The junior racked up 250 receiving yards and three TDs in the Mustangs' win. For his efforts, Roberson was named to the CFPA National Player of the Week Honorable Mention list.
 
The game was his seventh career 100-yard game, and third this season, and third career multi-TD game.
 
He is a member of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List.
 
Roberson missed SMU's games at Memphis and against ECU with a foot injury.
 
STAY ACTIVE
CJ Sanders is the FBS active leader in combined kick return yards (3,255) and kickoff returns (121) and is tied for combined kick return touchdowns (5). He ranks second in kickoff return yards (2,932) and is fourth in kickoff return touchdowns (4, 3 tied with 5).
 
The redshirt senior wasted no time getting started in 2019, returning his fourth-career kickoff return for a touchdown en route to AAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. The 98-yard return ties him for the eighth longest at SMU. Overall, Sanders finished with three returns for 133 yards against Arkansas State.
 
He posted his third 100-yard return game  of the season against Memphis (5-113 yds).
 
Sanders played only four games in 2018 due to an injury and was named a Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award Nominee. Ten times during the 2019 college football season, three inspiring student-athletes from all levels of college football, who have overcome injury, illness or other challenges, will be recognized as nominees.
 
DOUBLE-DUTY DENBOW
In the win over No. 25 Temple, safety Trevor Denbow had a season-high six tackles. Denbow is pulling double duty this season and is also the Mustangs' No. 1 punter with 17 for 687 yards and a career-long 72 yarder against Temple (T-11th at SMU).
 
Against Houston, Denbow went 6-241 punting (40.2 average) with a long of 52, and a career-best three inside the 20.
 
BIG BOSS PAT
Patrick Nelson is tied for fifth on the Mustangs' season sack list with 9.5 on the season. In the win at Houston, Nelson had a season-high 3.0 TFLs, including 2.0 sacks. It was his fourth game this season with multiple sacks. He also had his first forced fumble, the fourth of his career, in the game. For his efforts, Nelson was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
 
Nelson has posted consecutive games with multiple sacks twice this season (UNT 2.0, Texas State 3.0 & Temple 2.0, at Houston 2.0).
 
Nelson leads The American and is ranked seventh nationally in sacks (0.95).
 
DYNAMIC DUO
The receiving duo of James Proche and Reggie Roberson, Jr. has a combined 20 100-yard receiving games in its career, the most of any duo on a team in The American. In 2019, the pair has posted seven 100-yard games (Proche vs. UNT, Tulsa, at Memphis, ECU; Roberson Jr. at Arkansas State, at TCU, Temple).
 
Proche leads the AAC in receptions per game (8.8) and is second in receiving yards (1,008), while Roberson is third in receiving yards per game (100.4) and fourth in receiving yards (803).
 
HOT START
Not only is SMU 9-1 to start the season for the first time since 1983, but the Mustangs have outscored opponents 107-34 and outgained them 1,481-689 (148.1-68.9) in the first quarter this season. At the half, SMU has outscored opponents 221-129 and outgained them 2,751-1,803 (275.1-180.3).
 
WHAT A RUSH
The Mustangs have 30 rushing touchdowns in 2019 after registering three against ECU. The total is second in a season at SMU.
 
In the win over USF, Xavier Jones (2), Shane Buechele and Tyler Lavine posted rushing TDs for SMU. The Mustangs had 252 rushing yards in the game, giving them their third 300-yard game this season.
 
SMU registered 56 carries for 390 yards (14th most in a game for SMU) and five rushing TDs in the win over Texas State, giving the Mustangs the most rushing yards since the 467 total against TCU on Sept. 28, 1985. It was also the most rushing TDs since the five at Connecticut in 2018.
 
TJ McDaniel posted 159 yards and three TDs off eight carries to become the first Mustang with 150+ yards and 3 TDs in his SMU debut. He was the third freshman in school history to accomplish the feat, and ninth player (10th time) overall to post the numbers.
 
In addition to McDaniel, Jones also had 108 yards in the game, giving SMU two 100-yard rushers for the first time since the game at UConn in 2018.
 
Jones leads the Mustangs with 1,063 yards and 18 rushing TDs off 196 carries. Both Jones (4th, 40) and Ke'Mon Freeman (7th, 26) rank in the top 10 on SMU career rushing TD list.
 
STREAKING
With the win over No. 25 TCU, SMU had its first five-game, non-conference winning streak since 1984-85. The 1984 season was also the last time SMU went perfect in regular season, non-conference action and 1950 was the last time the Mustangs went 4-0 or better in regular season, non-conference action. The Mustangs eight game winning streak is also the longest since SMU won 10 straight in 1982.
 
CLUB TAKEAWAY
The Mustangs did not have a takeaway for the first time in 20 games in the game against Memphis, bringing the nation's second longest active streak to an end. Overall, the defense has forced 18 takeaways this season (9 INTs, 9 FRs) after Tyler Lavine registered a fumble recovery against ECU, and has a takeaway in 20 of the last 21 games.
 
At Houston, Clemons posted his team-leading fourth interception, while Patrick Nelson and Demerick Gary had forced fumbles.
 
Ar'mani Johnson (2) and Chevin Calloway (1) registered their first career interceptions in the win over Tulsa. Johnson ran his first back for a 64-yard TD.
 
Rodney Clemons had a pair of interceptions at USF, making him the first Mustang to post two in a game since Horace Richardson at ECU in 2016.
 
The three fumble recoveries in the win over No. 25 TCU were the most since SMU had three against Navy on Sept. 22, 2018.
 
Overall, the Mustangs are +5 in turnover margin this season, only having lost the turnover battle in the game against Texas State.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Delontae Scott and Demerick Gary each registered a sack against ECU to bring the Mustangs' 2019 total to 42.0, tying the program single-season record. The Mustangs are second nationally with 4.20 sacks and fifth with 8.6 tackles for loss.
 
Individually, SMU has a pair who rank in the top 20 in sacks, as Patrick Nelson is seventh at 0.95 and Scott is 16th at 0.80. Rodney Clemons is also in the top 10 nationally and leads the conference with four interceptions in 2019.
 
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
SMU welcomed 14 transfers, including seven graduate transfers, and five junior college transfers for the 2019 season. In total, the Mustangs have 60 new names on the roster this season.
 
WELCOME TO THE HILLTOP
Ra'Shaad Samples joined the Mustang coaching staff in July after serving as an assistant wide receivers coach at Texas. Prior to his stint at Texas, Samples spent two years as an offensive assistant at Houston in 2016 and 2017 working with the running backs and receivers (2016) under Darrell Wyatt and working with the quarterbacks (2017) under Brian Johnson. He played a role in the mentorship of Kyle Allen, D'Eriq King and Marquez Stevenson.
 
Samples played in six games at Oklahoma State in 2014 as a redshirt freshman, registering three catches for 11 yards. In 2015, he transferred to Houston, and sat out the 2015 season due to transfer obligations and the 2016 season due to injury.
 
A.J. Ricker joined the Mustang staff in January and serves as the offensive line coach. Ricker came to the Hilltop after serving in the same capacity at Kansas in 2018.
 
Ricker served in an offensive analyst capacity at Oklahoma State in 2017 and Houston in 2016. While at OSU, the Cowboys posted the nation's top passing offense with 389.2 yards per game, and ranked second nationally in total offense (568.9). In 2016, Houston ranked 17th in passing offense (296.3) and 26th in scoring offense (35.6).
 
In addition to Samples and Ricker joining staff, Randall Joyner took over defensive line duties, while Josh Martin now adds special teams coordinator to his duties.
 
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 Rodney Clemons has been awarded the number for 2019.
 
Players To Wear #23 In Honor of Jerry LeVias  
GRIDIRON GRADS
The 2019 SMU roster opened the season with 21 student-athletes who have already earned a degree, tying for the highest total in the country. Zach Abercrumbia, Chris Biggurs, Shane Buechele, Rodney Clemons, Pono Davis, Charlie Flores, Luke Hogan, Kevin Johnson, Xavier Jones, Richard McBryde, Tommy McIntyre, Richard Moore, Tyeson Neals, Patrick Nelson, Merek Pierce, James Proche, Kevin Robledo, CJ Sanders, Delontae Scott and Brandon Stephens. Of the 20 remaining, SMU has nine graduate transfers.
 
ON THE FIELD, IN THE CLASSROOM, IN THE COMMUNITY         
Junior Tyler Page is one of 93 student-athletes from college football's Football Bowl Subdivision named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.     

Page is a Finance major in the Cox School of Business from Friendswood, Texas, and currently boasts a 4.0 grade-point-average in his major. He was named to SMU's Honor Roll with High Distinction in the fall of 2018 and the Honor Roll with Distinction on three other occasions. Page is also a three-time All-American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree.
 
One of SMU's most faithful participants in community service activities, Page has regularly taken part in Children's Hospital visits, elementary school service events, The Big Event, SMU youth football clinics and various other activities.
 
Senior Demerick Gary was announced as a nominee for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The award is given annually to college football players for the impact they make off the field.
 
Gary is a leader in community service initiatives for the Mustangs, taking part in a variety of events. Activities include visits to the Children's Hospital, working with Feed My Starving Children, elementary school pep rallies and SMU football youth clinics. On the field, Gary played in 11 games for the Mustangs in 2018, making seven starts. The Dallas native registered 23 tackles, including three for loss. He also added a fumble recovery, one break-up and a quarterback hurry.
 
Coming into 2019, Gary has played in 36 games, recorded 59 tackles, 16 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. Gary is majoring in journalism.
 
COLLEGE FOOTBALL 150TH ANNIVERSARY
The 2019 football season marks college football's 150th anniversary. The Mustangs will wear the CFB150 uniform patch to commemorate the season.
 
As part of the national celebration of the 150th season of college football in 2019, the American Athletic Conference will showcase some of the great moments and key individuals from its member schools who have added to the rich tradition of the sport and its contribution to American society and culture.
 
IT'S ALWAYS SONNY ON THE HILLTOP
The second season of It's Always Sonny on the Hilltop with Head Coach Sonny Dykes begins Monday, Aug. 26 at Ozona Grill and Bar, and runs throughout the 2019 campaign. The show will stream live each Monday from 7-8 p.m.
 
Ozona Grill and Bar is located at 4615 Greenville Ave., just a short distance from the SMU campus.
 
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", on Facebook live at Facebook.com/SMUMustangs and on Twitter (@SMUMustangs) and Instagram (@SMU.Mustangs).
 
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 517 straight games. His 500th was SMU's 63-27 victory over HBU on Sept. 29, 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), Navy (2018) and Texas State (2019).
 
PONY UP-GRADES!
Across all funds, donors gave more than $18.7 million to support Athletics in fiscal year 2019, a total that includes $9.6 million in capital gifts.        
 
Specific to Ford Stadium, SMU has made significant investments 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.
 
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.
 
SMU also opened the Indoor Performance Center prior to the 2019 season..
 
#PONYUPDALLAS
The Mustangs wore Dallas-themed uniforms to symbolize the relationship between SMU and the city of Dallas in wins over North Texas on Sept. 7, No. 25 TCU on Sept. 21 and Houston on Oct. 24.
 
• The helmet decal featured the famous Triple D interlocked with the timeless SMU Pony, symbolizing the unity between the city of Dallas and SMU.
 
• The stripe on the helmet and jersey sleeves pay homage to the Dallas Cowboys.
 
• The number and pant stripe pay tribute to the 1966 Dallas Cowboys, led by quarterback and SMU alum Don Meredith.
 
• The script 'Dallas' featured on the chest pays homage to SMU alum and AFL founder Lamar Hunt and the Dallas Texans.

AAC RELEASES 2020-21 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE MATRIX
The American Athletic Conference announced the scheduling model for conference games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Each team in The American will match up with each conference opponent at least once during the two-year cycle.

The Mustangs will host Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and Navy in 2020, with road games at ECU, Temple, Tulane and Tulsa. They will not face UCF and USF. Dates and times will be determined later.

In 2021, UCF, USF, Tulane and Tulsa will visit Ford Stadium, while road games include return trips to Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and Navy. ECU and Temple are not scheduled.

Beginning in 2020, the conference will not have a divisional format and will feature 11 football-playing institutions after the departure of Connecticut from the league. Each team will play four home and four road contests each season. The conference will determine the procedures for determining the participants in the American Athletic Conference Football Championship at a later date.

Previously announced non-conference games in 2020 and 2021 include match-ups with TCU at Ford Stadium on Sept. 26, 2020 and in Fort Worth Sept. 25, 2021 and Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 12, 2020.