Still waiting for that SMU renaissance

September 23, 2009 by John Stansberry

I will freely admit that I have a soft spot for SMU. That death penalty the program endured back in the 80’s was just that, it was a program killer. So I think it would be pretty cool if SMU could finally bounce back and at least become as semi-relevant as a TCU or an East Carolina.

June Jones

Last season was year one of the June Jones regime, and the 1-11 result was pretty much the polar opposite of the 12-1 record he posted the previous season with Hawaii. Year two is off to a much better start, with the Mustangs currently sitting at 2-1 following an overtime loss at Washington State. A big reason for the turnaround is the fact that SMU has joined the likes of Auburn and Notre Dame as teams that are doing a much better job of moving the football this season.

Just as Rich Rodriguez did at Michigan last year, Jones discovered that even the most talented offensive guru needs a transition period. SMU finished 98th in the country in total offense, barely cracking the 300 yard a game mark. So far this season, the output is up over 100 yards a game to 432 a contest, an average that ranks a very respectable 31st nationally.

While the Mustang offense is moving it better and discovering the joys of playing with a lead, these guys haven’t exactly progressed to the next lesson: learning how to keep a lead. SMU failed to maintain a big advantage at UAB and blew a 17-point lead to Wazzu, which means this team could very easily be sitting at 3-0. Next up is a date with TCU that should serve to stir the old Southwest Conference echos.

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