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Coach Dykes Weekly Media Availability
Sept. 16, 2019: It's Always Sonny On The Hilltop
Coach Dykes: American Athletic Conference Weekly Teleconference
Nelson Media Availability 

SETTING THE SCENE
•    The Mustangs travel to Metroplex-rival TCU Saturday in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. The game will air on FS1 with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. CT.

•     SMU defeated Texas State, 47-17, in week three to move to 3-0 for the first time since 1984 and is receiving a vote in the Coaches Poll for the first time since defeating then-No. 11 Houston, 38-16, in 2016.   

•     TJ McDaniel was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll after becoming the first Mustang to rush for 150+ yards and score three TDs in his debut on Saturday.

•     Xavier Jones' seven rushing TDs are tied for first nationally, while Reggie Roberson, Jr.'s 342 receiving yard's rank ninth in the FBS. Defensively, Patrick Nelson ranks third nationally in sacks (1.67) and Brandon Stephens' 1.7 passes defended/game tie him for eighth nationally.

•     Shane Buechele's 871 passing yards lead the AAC, while Reggie Roberson Jr's 342 receiving yards also top the league. Patrick Nelson leads the conference in sacks (1.67).

•     Six Mustangs have been named to Watch Lists to open the 2019 season, including James Proche, who earned a spot on the Maxwell, Biletnikoff, Paul Hornung and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Lists. Reggie Roberson Jr. (Biletnikoff, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose) joins him on a pair, while Xavier Jones (Doak Walker), Tyler Page (Wuerffel), Demerick Gary (AFCA Good Works) and Shane Buechele (Earl Campbell Tyler Rose) also earned mentions.

THE SERIES
Saturday's meeting will be the 99th between the Mustangs and Horned Frogs, with TCU holding the 51-40-7 all-time advantage. TCU has won the last seven match-ups, including a 42-12 victory in Dallas in 2018. SMU last won in 2011 in Fort Worth when the Mustangs defeated then-No. 20 TCU, 40-33, in overtime.  

ABOUT THE HORNED FROGS
TCU is 2-0 entering Saturday's match-up and is the No. 25-ranked team in the AP Poll. The Horned Frogs went 7-6 in 2018 and defeated Cal, 10-7, in overtime in the Cheez-It Bowl. 

THE COACHES
•    Sonny Dykes is in his second season as head coach of the Mustangs and has an 8-8 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. Dykes' career record stands at 49-53.

•    Gary Patterson is TCU's all-time winningest coach with an overall record of 169-63, and has guided the Horned Frogs to 17 bowl games during his tenure.

LAST TIME VS. TCU
DALLAS (AP) -- KaVontae Turpin ignited sluggish TCU by returning a punt 78 yards for a touchdown before adding a 42-yard scoring catch, and the 16th-ranked Horned Frogs pulled away for a rain-soaked 42-12 victory over Dallas-Fort Worth rival SMU.

The start of the game between former Southwest Conference foes was delayed nearly two hours by lightning, and a steady rain fell until halftime.

The Horned Frogs (2-0) finally secured their first seven-game winning streak in the 98-game Iron Skillet series after midnight, winning comfortably after struggling early for the third straight year. TCU has outscored SMU 83-14 in the second half the past three meetings.

The Mustangs (0-2) led 9-0 early in the first home game for coach Sonny Dykes, but had just 167 yards total offense after Braeden West's 51-yard scoring run on the fifth play of the game.

Perhaps looking ahead to a showdown with No. 4 Ohio State next week, TCU squandered its first two chances to take control by committing turnovers before Alec Dunham picked up a fumble by SMU quarterback Ben Hicks in stride and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

Two plays before Dunham's score, Mustangs linebacker Shaine Hailey had an open field in front of him on Shawn Robinson's first career interception but was quickly dragged down by an alert Turpin.

The speedy receiver/returner pointed toward the punter looking for a block on TCU's first score, but easily ran past an unblocked Jamie Sackville anyway.

The sealing TD came when Turpin caught a short pass, ran through the middle of the secondary and split three defenders near the goal line. Turpin, who set school records with his fifth career special teams TD and fourth on a punt return, finished with 176 all-purpose yards.

A week after throwing for three touchdowns and running for two scores in the first half of a 55-7 rout of Southern University, Robinson finally found the end zone on an 18-yard run in the third quarter. That gave TCU, a three-touchdown favorite, its first comfortable lead at 28-12.

QUICK HITS
•    James Proche, Shane Buechele, Richard Moore and Rodney Clemons have been voted captains for the 2019 season.
•    Rodney Clemons had an interception in Saturday's win  giving the Mustangs a takeaway in 14 straight games, the fifth longest active streak in the FBS.
•    Xavier Jones has 7 rushing TDs in the past 3 games, which is tied for the 6th most in a three-game span at SMU (10 Zach Line 2011; 9 Eric Dickerson 1982; 8 Line 2011 (2x) & Dickerson 1981).
•    TJ McDaniel was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Co-National Player of the Week for his 159-yard 3 TD performance on Saturday.
•    SMU had 639 yards (3rd most in SMU history) of total offense in the win over Texas State - Mustangs have had 500+ in all three games this season and five of past seven overall. Three of the top six in program history are in 2018 and 2019. 
•    The Mustangs held Texas State to 241 total yards, the lowest by an opponent since the 240 by UNT (9/12/15) and the first under 300 since SFA (9/2/17).
•    The Mustangs rank 11th in the FBS in total offense (550.0).
•    SMU's third down conversion percentage is 52% (14th nationally), compared to 33% (119th nationally) to finish the 2018 season.
•    Rodney Clemons has started 40 consecutive games, the fourth longest streak nationally.

1935 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Mustangs, ranked No. 1 in the country, played second-ranked TCU and its star quarterback, Sammy Baugh, for the unofficial national championship and the right to play in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 1936, against Stanford. Bobby Wilson scored two touchdowns to give SMU a 14-0 lead before Baugh rallied the Horned Frogs to a 14-14 tie. Early in the fourth quarter, Bob Finley connected on a long pass to Wilson after the Mustangs faced a fourth down at the TCU 39. Wilson caught the ball at the five and rolled into the end zone as the Mustangs held on to win, 20-14, and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl.

CHANNEL 3
James Proche led SMU with 93 receptions for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns en route to All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2018, and returned in 2019 as the NCAA's FBS active career leader in receiving yards. He led the conference and was in the top 12 nationally in receptions per game, receiving TDs, receiving yards per game and receiving yards. 

Proche is on a number of Watch Lists to open 2019:
Maxwell Award - College Player of the Year
Biletnikoff Award - Outstanding FBS receiver
Paul Hornung - Demonstrates an extreme, high-level of versatility
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose - Nation's top offensive player with a Texas tie

Proche continues to climb the SMU record books after registering a receiving TD in the win over Texas State. He now ranks fourth all-time at SMU with 26 career TDs and fifth with 207 career receptions and 2,938 receiving yards (FBS active career leader).

THE KING REGGIE
Reggie Roberson Jr. was second on the team with 52 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns in only 10 games last season. At the conference level, Roberson Jr. ranked fourth in receptions per game (5.2) and receiving yards per game (80.2).

He 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.

Per Pro Football Focus, Roberson Jr., has more yards on deep receptions (20+ yards) than any other FBS wide receiver.

Roberson Jr. is a member of both the Biletnikoff and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch Lists.

PONYUP, ARLINGTON
Shane Buechele set the record for most passing yards by a Mustang in his first start with 360 in the season-opening win at Arkansas State on Saturday. The junior went 30-for-49 with 360 yards. The totals were his second-highest in career attempts and yardage, and third-highest for completions.

In week two, Buechele went 21-31 with 292 passing yards and 3 TD (3rd career 3+ TD game), while adding 24 yards on the ground. The 316 yards of total offense gave him his first consecutive games of 300+ yards.

Week three saw Buechele go 14-for-18 for 219 yards and two TDs in the win over Texas State.

In three seasons at Texas, Buechele threw for 4,636 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Buechele started all 12 games as a freshman, completing 236-of-391 passes for 2,958 yards (UT freshman record) and 21 TDs (second most as a UT freshman). He was the first Texas quarterback since 2009 to have at least 2,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in a season, and tied for the second-fastest to reach 2,000 passing yards in a season at UT. Overall, Buechele finished the season ranked seventh at UT in single-season passing yards. As a sophomore in 2017, he reached 1,000 passing yards in just five games, which tied for the eighth fastest mark in Texas history.  

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).

STAY ACTIVE
CJ Sanders joined the Mustangs after three seasons at Notre Dame and is the FBS active leader in combined kick return touchdowns (5), kickoff return yards (2,461) and combined kick return yards (2,768). He ranks second in kickoff returns (102) and kickoff return touchdowns (4).

Sanders played four games in 2018 before redshirting due to injury.

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. In week three, Sanders registered 63 yards off three kick returns. 

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 week three, Jones posted his eighth-career 100-yard game with 108 yards and a TD off seven carries. His seven rushing TDs over three games are tied for the sixth-most in that span at SMU, while his 28 career rushing TDs are fifth and and his 2,451 yards rank 11th.

In 2015, Jones set the freshman record for rushing TDs with 10, and was a member of the Doak Walker Watch List in 2016 and 2018 and the Maxwell Award Watch List in 2018.

WHAT A RUSH
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 off eight carries and three TDs 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, Xavier 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.

CLUB TAKEAWAY
The Mustang defense has forced five turnovers this season (3 INT, 2FF), giving them at least one takeaway in 14 straight games (27 total). In eight of those games, SMU has had multiple takeaways. The total is currently the fifth longest streak in the nation. 

Terrance Newman, Patrick Nelson and Rodney Clemons have INTs for the Mustangs, while Delontae Scott and Nelson Paul have forced fumbles.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• Patrick Nelson led the team with seven tackles, a career-high three sacks and a pass breakup against Texas State. He is the first Mustang with 2+ sacks in consecutive games since Beau Barnes in 2013 (2 vs Rutgers 10/5, 2 at Memphis 10/19) and the first with 3+ sacks in a game since Justin Lawler had 4 (vs Connecticut 9/30/17).

• Delontae Scott had five tackles and a sack in Saturday's game, giving him at least a half-sack in each game this season.

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. 

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
Rodney Clemons, S, 2019
Jordan Wyatt, CB, 2018
Nick Horton, DE, 2016-17
Jeremiah Gaines, TE, 2015
Stephon Sanders, LB, 2012-14
Chris Banjo, DB, 2009-11

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
SMU welcomes 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.

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.

In three seasons on the Hilltop, 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. 

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).

There will be no show Oct. 7 & Nov. 11 due to SMU's off weeks.

#PONYUPDALLAS
The Mustangs wore Dallas-themed uniforms to symbolize the relationship between SMU and the city of Dallas in the win over North Texas on Sept. 7.

• 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.

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 510 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.