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Coach Dykes Weekly Media Availability
Sept. 23, 2019: It's Always Sonny On The Hilltop (Audio)
Coach Dykes: American Athletic Conference Weekly Teleconference
Reggie Roberson Jr. Media Availability 

SETTING THE SCENE
•    The Mustangs take a perfect 4-0 non-conference record into American Athletic Conference play when they face USF in Tampa Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

•    SMU defeated No. 25 TCU, 41-38, for the first time since 2011 in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. The win gave the Mustangs their first 4-0 start since the 1984 season, and put SMU in position to start 5-0 for the first time since 1983.  

•    The Mustangs are receiving votes for the second consecutive week in the Coaches Poll (28th, 63), and are now receiving votes in the AP Poll (29th, 55). Sitting just outside the top 25 in each poll, SMU is looking for its first national ranking since the 1986 season.

•     Xavier Jones ranks second nationally in rushing touchdowns (8) and total touchdowns (9) and fourth in scoring (13.5), while Reggie Roberson, Jr. ranks fifth in receiving yards (464) and seventh in receiving yards per game (116.0). Defensively, Patrick Nelson is fourth in sacks (1.38) and Delontae Scott ranks seventh in tackles for loss (1.9). All numbers lead the conference. 

•     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 fifth between the Mustangs and Bulls. SMU trails the all-time series 3-1 with USF winning the last three. The Mustangs won the first match-up, 16-6, in Tampa in 2013. 

ABOUT THE BULLS
USF is 1-2 entering Saturday's game. After staring the season 0-2, including a loss to No. 19/17 Wisconsin, the Bulls defeated South Carolina State at home in week three and were off last weekend. USF went 7-5 in 2018 with an appearance in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

THE COACHES
•    Sonny Dykes is in his second season as head coach of the Mustangs and has a 9-8 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 50-53.

•    Charlie Strong is in his third season as head coach at USF and has an 18-10 record with the Bulls. He's taken USF to a pair of bowl games, including a win in the 2017 Birmingham Bowl.

LAST TIME VS. USF
DALLAS (AP) -- Quinton Flowers passed for 195 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 142 yards, and South Florida tied a program record for wins with a 35-27 victory over SMU on Nov. 19, 2016.

South Florida (9-2, 6-1 American) held off a late charge from the Mustangs, who turned it over on downs with 1:25 left to play. SMU had fourth-and-1 at the Bulls 14, but Braeden West, who carried 29 times for 120 yards, was stopped short of the line to gain.

Flowers threw touchdown passes of 77 and 65 yards on the Bulls' first plays of the first and second halves, respectively. His 77-yard hookup with Marquez Valdes-Scantling was on the game's opening play, and the 65-yard connection to Tyrell McCants gave South Florida a 28-14 lead with 13:40 left in the third quarter.

McCants finished with three catches for 105 yards and two scores.

Courtland Sutton set a program single-game record with 252 yards receiving for SMU (5-6, 3-4). He caught 13 passes, two for touchdowns.

QUICK HITS
•    James Proche, Shane Buechele, Richard Moore and Rodney Clemons were voted captains for the 2019 season.
•    The Mustangs had three takeaways (3 fumbles) in Saturday's win  giving them a takeaway in 15 straight games (30 total) with multiple takeaways in nine of those games, tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS.
•    Shane Buechele and Delano Robinson were named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll after Saturday's win. Buechele threw for 282 yards and two TDs, while Robinson had eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup.
•    Luke Hogan (38 yards) and Russell Roberts (32 yards) both connected on their first fields goals as Mustangs in Saturday's win.
•    SMU is 4-1 in its last five road games, and 9-4 in their last 13 games overall.
•    The Mustangs rank 17th in the FBS in total offense (514.0).
•    SMU's third down conversion percentage is 50% (18th nationally), compared to 33% (119th nationally) to finish the 2018 season.
•    Rodney Clemons has started 41 consecutive games, tied for the fourth longest streak nationally (44 - Ethan Reed, OL, Louisiana Tech; 43 - 4 tied; 42 - 4 tied).

HOT START
Not only is SMU 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 1984, but the Mustangs have outscored opponents 49-17 and outgained them 595-174 in the first quarter this season. At the half, SMU has outscored opponents 88-43 and outgained them 1,040-528. 

In the win at No. 25 TCU, SMU's 31 points at half were the most allowed by TCU since 2017 at No. 5 Oklahoma. 

WHAT A RUSH
The Mustangs have registered 15 rushing touchdowns in 2019 after just 17 during the 2018 season. In the win over No. 25 TCU, three different Mustangs accounted for the three rushing TDs (X. Jones, Buechele, Freeman).

In week three, 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.

STREAKING
With the win over No. 25 TCU, SMU has 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 have won two straight road games and four of the last five, the last time the Mustangs won at least three in a row was four straight from 1984-85. 
    
CLUB TAKEAWAY
The Mustang defense has eight takeaways this season, giving them at least one takeaway in 15 straight games (30 total). In nine of those games, SMU has had multiple takeaways. The total is currently tied for the fourth longest streak in the nation. 

The three fumble recoveries on Saturday were the most since SMU had three against Navy on Sept. 22, 2018.

Overall, the Mustangs are +2 in turnover margin this season, only having lost the turnover battle in the game against Texas State. Outside of that game, SMU has only had a single turnover in each game this season.

DYNAMIC DUO
The receiving duo of James Proche and Reggie Roberson, Jr. has a combined 16 100-yard receiving games in its career, the most of any duo on a team in The American. In 2019, the pair has already posted three 100-yard games (Proche vs. UNT; Roberson Jr. at Arkansas State, at TCU).

Roberson Jr. currently leads the AAC in receiving yards (464), while Proche is second in receptions per game (6.8).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• The Mustangs had 3.0 sacks on Saturday, giving them 15 for 122 yards for the season. The number leads the conference. SMU had 25 in 2018.

• In his first start as a Mustang, Richard McBryde had a team- and career-high 10 tackles and added a forced fumble.

• AAC Weekly Honor Roll member Delano Robinson had eight tackles, 1.5 sacks (first career) and added a pass breakup Saturday.

• Patrick Nelson had a half-sack against TCU, giving him 5.5 on the season, all posted in the last three games.

• Ar'mani Johnson (3 PBU), Toby Ndukwe (FR) and Turner Coxe (6 TKLS) all had career days Saturday.

COACH TO CURE MD 2019
Head Coach Sonny Dykes and all of the SMU coaching staff are joining coaches all over America today in wearing a patch on their left arms to help defeat a terrible genetic disorder. It's called Coach To Cure MD.

Coach To Cure MD is a project of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) in partnership with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). PPMD is the largest nonprofit organization in the United States focused entirely on Duchenne.

The AFCA is working to raise awareness and research funding to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most prolific genetic killer diagnosed in childhood. Coach to Cure MD is a one-day, nationwide awareness-building fundraiser event that is held Sept. 28, 2019. Over the last 11 years, Coach To Cure MD has raised over $2.1 million for Duchenne research. 

Fans can support their favorite coaches in the fight against Duchenne by texting CURE to 501501 to donate $25 or by visiting CoachToCureMD.com.

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 Aug. 31. 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.

Buechele was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll after the win over No. 25 TCU. The junior completed 23 passes for 288 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 30 yards and his fifth-career rushing TD. His 318 yards of total offense gave him his third game this season with 300+.

Among career active FBS leaders, Buechele is eighth in completion percentage (.629), 13th in passing yards per game (214.6) and 19th in passing yards (5,795).

In three seasons at Texas, Buechele threw for 4,636 yards and 30 touchdowns. He set the UT freshman record with 2,958 yards and had the second most TDs as a freshman (21). He was also the first Texas quarterback since 2009 to have at least 2,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in a season.

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).

Saturday will also be a reunion for Buechele and USF coach Charlie Strong who were at Texas together in 2016.

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.

In week four, Roberson Jr. posted his sixth-career 100-yard receiving game, leading the Mustangs with 122 yards off four catches in the win at TCU.

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

CHANNEL 3
James Proche continues to climb the SMU record books with 27 receptions for 220 yards and three TDs in 2019. The senior is in the top five all-time at SMU for career receiving yards (3,004), receptions (217) and receiving TDs (27). He sits just outside SMU's top 10 with 3,895 career all-purpose yards.

Proche is also the FBS career active leader in receiving yards and is tied in receiving TDs.
2019 Watch Lists
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

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.

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 TCU, Jones posted his ninth-career game with multiple TDs, his first with a rushing and a receiving TD, and brought his season total to eight rushing TDs. His 30 career rushing TDs now rank him fifth all-time at SMU and tied for seventh among FBS career active leaders, while his 32 TDs overall are eighth among FBS leaders.

Jones also led SMU with 79 yards, bringing his career total to 2,530 good for 10th on the program list and 14th on the NCAA career list.    

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.

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) and combined kick return yards (2,813). He ranks second in kickoff returns (104), kickoff return yards (2,506) and kickoff return touchdowns (4).

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, and in week four he added 45 yards off a pair of returns.

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 by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and Touchdown Illustrated.

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.

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. 

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.

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 511 straight games. His 500th was SMU's 63-27 victory over HBU on Sept. 29, 2018.

#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 and No. 25 TCU on Sept. 21.

• 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.

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.

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).