Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 3 p.m. CT
[25/24] SMU (10-2, 8-0 AAC) vs. [17/18] Tulane (11-1, 8-0 AAC)
Yulman Stadium – New Orleans, La.

TV: ABC
Radio: WBAP 820 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
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SETTING THE SCENE
• No. 25 SMU makes its first appearance in American Athletic Conference Championship when it takes on No. 17 Tulane on Saturday.
• The Mustangs continued their dominant ways, knocking off Navy 59-14 at home on Nov. 25, upping their win streak to eight.
• SMU picked up its fourth win this year by at least 40 points, most in program history for a single season. 
• Moochie Dixon finished with a career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first SMU receiver this year to have a 100-yard receiving game. 
• SMU made its season debut in the AP Top 25 poll on Sunday, coming in at 25 and jumped up to 24 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
• The win gave the Mustangs an undefeated mark of 8-0 in conference play for the first time in program history. 

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs are 10-0 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 and is the only team in all of the FBS with eight players with at least 300 yards receiving on the year.  
• The Mustangs' sack total of 40 this year rank fourth in the NCAA and third most in program history for a single season.
• SMU's defense continues its supreme play this season, ranking in the top 20 in NCAA in third down pct defense (4th), defensive touchdowns (1st), first downs allowed (18th), passing yards allowed (15th), scoring defense (13th), team passing efficiency defense (14th), team sacks (4th), tackles for loss (12th) and total defense (13th).
• The Mustangs have taken it to the conference opposition, posting an average margin of victory of 28.9 points (45.9-17.0) in conference games this year, the largest margin for any team in the NCAA in conference play in 2023. 
• SMU is outscoring its conference opponents 133-34 in the first quarter this year. 
• The Mustangs have scored at least 55 points four times this season, the most in program history for a single season.
• The Mustangs are looking to capture their 12th conference championship in program history and first one since 1984. 
• SMU has won nine straight AAC games and gone 12-1 in the past 13 conference games. 
• The Mustangs tied an AAC record with 18 players getting selected to all of the AAC All-Conference Teams on Nov. 29. 

THE SERIES
• This is the 30th meeting in the series, with SMU leading 15-14.
• The teams last met on Nov. 17, 2022, a 59-24 win for Tulane. 
• SMU had won the seven previous meetings prior to last year's contest. 

ABOUT THE GREEN WAVE
• Tulane has a record of 11-1 on the year, 6-1 at home. 
• The Green Wave have won their last 10 games. 

THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE HILLTOP
• Head coach Rhett Lashlee has been instrumental in SMU's return to prominence over the last few years. 
• Lashlee was rewarded for the success he brought to the program in his two seasons as head coach, getting a new multi-year contract extension on Nov. 27. 

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his second season as the head coach at SMU and has a 17-8 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).

• Willie Fritz is in his eighth season as head coach of Tulane. He has a record of 54-46 with the Green Wave, and a career record of 247-120-1. 

LET'S GO FOR NO. 12 
• SMU has won 11 conference titles in the program's history - 1923, 1926, 1931, 1935, 1940 (shared), 1947, 1948, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1984 (shared).