Saturday, November 25, 2023 – 11 a.m. CT
[RV/25] SMU (9-2, 7-0 American) vs. Navy (5-5, 4-3 American)
Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
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SETTING THE SCENE
• SMU goes for its eighth straight win in the regular-season finale on Saturday against Navy at 11 a.m. in Ford Stadium in a battle for the Gansz Trophy.
• The Mustangs came up clutch on the road this past weekend, winning 38-34 at Memphis, the first victory at the Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl since 2013. 
• SMU got a 100-yard rushing performance from LJ Johnson Jr. (115), his third of the year.
• Preston Stone continued his breakout season, passing for 286 yards and two scores, while rushing for another on the ground, giving him his eighth multi-touchdown game in 2023. 
• SMU entered the AFCA Coaches Poll at No. 25 this week for the first time this season and continued to receive votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll for the third straight week.
• The game also is Senior Day for Chris Adimora, Ryan Bujcevski, Carter Campbell, Elijah Chatman, Owen Easley, Cameron Ervin, Will Goldberg, Nic Heck, Micah Hilts, Jordan Kerley, Will Kuehne, Tyler Lavine, DeVere Levelston, Chris Megginson, Jordan Miller, Alex Padilla, Nelson Paul, Jackson Ritz, Alex Sickafoose, Hyrin White and Charles Woods, who all will be honored before the game.

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs are 9-0 this year when they have scored at least 30 points in a game. 
• SMU has had at least seven receivers catch a pass in every game in 2023. 
• Preston Stone ranks 12th in the NCAA in touchdown passes with 25 on the season. 
• Elijah Roberts has been a force getting to the quarterback this year, ranking 16th in the NCAA in sacks with 8.5, including 5.5 in his last five games.
• SMU's defense continues its supreme play this season, ranking in the top-20 in NCAA in third down pct defense (12th), defensive touchdowns (11th), first downs allowed (18th), scoring defense (15th), team sacks (5th), tackles for loss (19th) and total defense (14th).
• The Mustangs have taken it to the conference opposition, posting an average margin of victory of 26.6 points (44.0-17.4) in conference games this year, trailing only Michigan's 30.3 average for highest in the NCAA this season. 
• SMU is outscoring its conference opponents 105-27 in the first quarter this year. 
• The Mustangs have been nearly unstoppable at home, winning by an average score of 51.0-12.2 in five games in Ford Stadium. 
• This is only the second time in program history that SMU has won seven straight conference games in a single season, joining the 1982 National Championship team.
• SMU has won eight straight AAC games and gone 11-1 in the past 12 conference games. 

THE SERIES
• This is the 25th meeting in the series, with Navy holding a 13-11 edge.
• The teams last met on Oct. 14, 2022, a 40-34 win for the Mustangs at home. 
• SMU has won the last three meetings in the series.

ABOUT THE MIDSHIPMEN
• Navy has a record of 5-5 on the year, 1-2 on the road. 
• The Midshipmen have won their last two games, highlighted by a 10-0 shutout of ECU at home on Nov. 18.

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his second season as the head coach at SMU and has a 16-8 career record. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami).

• Brian Newberry is in his first season as head coach of Navy. He has a career record of 5-5. Newberry had served as the Mids' defensive coordinator for the last four seasons.

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF DOAK WALKER'S HEISMAN
• Legendary SMU running Doak Walker's Heisman win in 1948 is being celebrated on Nov. 25 against Navy during halftime.
•  The Doak Walker Family will accept the Mayor's proclamation with the Heisman Trophy on the field.
• First 5,000 attendees at the game get the limited time run of the Doak Walker trading cards.