Saturday, September 30, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. CT
SMU (2-2, 0-0 American) vs. Charlotte (1-3, 0-0 American)
Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
2023 Gameday Updates & Improvements
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SETTING THE SCENE
• The Mustangs open 2023 AAC play at home, hosting Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 30.
• SMU has won seven straight home conference openers.
• SMU wrapped up non-conference play at 2-2, marking the fifth straight season with a .500-or-better non-league mark.

QUICK HITS
• SMU has recorded at least 350 yards of total offense in every game this season. 
• The Mustangs have had at least eight receivers catch a pass in a game in 2023. 
• SMU has been dominant at home this year, averaging 53.5 points per game at Ford Stadium. 
• Preston Stone has an 8:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in home games this year. 
• The Mustangs' defense has not allowed more than 14 points in either home contest this season. 
• In SMU's last home game, a 69-0 shutout of Prairie View A&M, it set a program record for players to score a touchdown in a game with nine.

THE SERIES
• This is the first meeting in the all-time series.

ABOUT THE 49ERS
• Charlotte dropped its last game, 22-7 at then-No. 25 Florida on Sept. 23.
• The 49ers are currently on a three-game losing streak. 
• Charlotte is 0-2 on the road in 2023. 
• The 49ers are averaging 19.0 points per game on the season. 

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his second season as the head coach at SMU and has a 9-8 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).
• Biff Poggi is in his first season as head coach of the 49ers. Poggi has a record of 1-3 at Charlotte and same for his career. Poggi, a two-time associate head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, was a key architect behind the Wolverines' 2021 and 2022 trips to the College Football Playoff National Semifinals.

BUILT DIFFERENT
• SMU has one of the best defenses in the AAC so far in 2023. 
• The Mustangs rank in the top three in the conference in several categories, including defensive TDs (second), first down defense (third), passing yards allowed (third), red zone defense (first), scoring defense (third), team sacks (second) and tackles for loss (first), team sacks (second) and total defense (second).