There was a time earlier this season when SMU took opponents by surprise. However, after winning all seven of their games and rolling to their best start since 1982, the 16th-ranked Mustangs have proved they are legitimate.
All of SMU’s accolades will mean nothing when the Mustangs travel to Houston for a crucial American Athletic Conference contest on Thursday. Rankings don’t translate to good execution or superlative performances, nor do they have influence in winning or losing. No one knows that better than Mustangs coach Sonny Dykes, architect of the program’s sudden return to prominence.
“I’m not surprised, really,” Dykes told the Dallas Morning News about his team’s 7-0 start. “But, you know how this stuff goes. I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost our next five games. You know what I’m saying? That’s the way college football is.
“I don’t think we will, and I hope we won’t. We’re not gonna roll up against anybody the next five weeks and just be able to not play well and win the game.”
SMU (7-0, 3-0 AAC) heads south down I-45 to the Bayou City on the heels of a dominating 45-21 win over Temple in Dallas on Oct. 19. Quarterback Shane Buechele passed for 457 yards and six touchdowns in the victory, with three of the scores going to Reggie Roberson Jr.
Roberson finished with eight catches for 250 yards. Xavier Jones led the Mustangs with 105 yards rushing on 29 carries as SMU outgained the Owls 655-273 in total yardage. In a season full of eye-opening games, the Mustangs manhandled Temple and its stout defense to produce their most dominant overall performance.
The last time the Mustangs started the year 7-0 was when Eric Dickerson and Craig James led the team to an 11-0-1 season in 1982. That squad reeled off 10 straight wins while winning the Southwest Conference title and then posted a 7-3 victory over Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl.
Houston (3-4, 1-2 AAC) returns home after a joyless 24-17 win on the road over Connecticut in which the Cougars were outgained 438-234.
With D’Eriq King opting to redshirt for the rest of the year after playing the first four games and backup Clayton Tune out with a pulled hamstring, Houston turned to its third-string quarterback, freshman Logan Holgorsen, who completed only 7 of 15 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start.
Junior running back Kyle Porter added 68 rushing yards and a score for Houston against UConn.
The Cougars found a modicum of success employing the wildcat offense with wide receiver Bryson Smith taking the direct snap, but they generally struggled to advance the ball. Houston did not convert a third down until its final possession of the game.
“It’s pretty much the way things are going to be this year,” Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. “I don’t take a win for granted, that’s for dang sure. Doesn’t matter where you play or who you play, you have to fight tooth and nail every week. We’ve been in these games pretty much all year, and we found a way to win one. Hopefully we can gain some momentum from it.”
The Thursday game between the former Southwest Conference rivals will be the 35th time SMU and Houston have played on the gridiron, with the Cougars holding a 21-12-1 edge. The Mustangs won 45-31 last year in Dallas and have taken two of the past three from Houston in the series.
