2019 SMU Mustangs football team


The 2019 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by second-year head coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas. They competed as members of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference.
The Mustangs started the season 8–0, their first 8–0 start to a season since 1982. The team's non-conference schedule was capped off with a 41–38 victory over rival TCU, their first victory over the Horned Frogs since 2011. Following a 48–21 victory over the South Florida Bulls in week 5, the Mustangs entered the AP Poll at no. 24, their first poll ranking since the team received the NCAA's death penalty in February 1987. The team's first loss of the season would come on November 2 against the Memphis Tigers. The team went on to play in the Boca Raton Bowl, falling to Florida Atlantic.

Previous Season

The Mustangs finished the 2018 season 5–7, 4–4 in The American play to finish in fourth place. The Mustangs were ineligible for postseason play and thus were not invited to any bowl game.

Preseason

Recruiting class

References:

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
Maxwell AwardJames ProcheWRSR
AFCA Good Words AwardDemerick GaryDTSR
Biletnikoff AwardJames ProcheWRSR
Biletnikoff AwardReggie Roberson, Jr.WRSR
Rimington TrophyHayden HowertonOLJR
Paul Hornung AwardJames ProcheWRSR
Wuerffel TrophyTyler PageWRJR
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardJames ProcheWRSR
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardReggie Roberson, Jr.WRSR
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardShane BuecheleQBSR

References:

AAC media poll

The AAC media poll was released on July 16, 2019, with the Mustangs predicted to finish fourth in the AAC West Division.
Media poll

Preseason All-AAC teams

SMU placed nine players to the All-AAC team, sanctioned by Athlon Sports.
Offense
1st team
3rd team
4th team
Defensive
2nd team
Special Teams
4th team
SMU's 2019 schedule will begin with four non-conference games: first on the road against Arkansas State of the Sun Belt Conference, then at home against North Texas of Conference USA, then at home against Texas State, also of the Sun Belt Conference, and finally on the road against cross-town rival TCU of the Big 12 Conference. In American Athletic Conference play, the Mustangs will play the other members of the West Division and draw East Carolina, South Florida, and Temple from the East Division. They will not play Cincinnati, Connecticut, or UCF as part of the regular season.
Source:

Roster

Game summaries

at Arkansas State

StatisticsNorth TexasSMU
First downs2125
Total yards396503
Rushing yards211211
Passing yards185292
Turnovers11
Time of possession34:4425:16

North Texas

StatisticsTexas StateSMU
First downs1523
Total yards241639
Rushing yards16390
Passing yards225249
Turnovers13
Time of possession29:0630:54

Texas State

With the victory, the Mustangs improved to 3–0, their first 3–0 start since the 1984 season.

at TCU

The Mustangs built a 15–0 lead in the 1st quarter and never trailed in the game. SMU lead 31–17 at halftime, but the Horned Frogs rallied in the 2nd half to trail by 3 points late in the 4th. The Mustangs held on and stopped the comeback attempt, winning 41–38. This is SMU's first win over TCU since 2011.

at South Florida

Tulsa

StatisticsTempleSMU
First downs1434
Total yards273655
Rushing yards69198
Passing yards204457
Turnovers11
Time of possession25:4534:15

Temple

at Houston

StatisticsSMUMemphis
First downs2726
Total yards553514
Rushing yards97164
Passing yards456350
Turnovers00
Time of possession27:0132:59

at Memphis

Memphis hosted the Mustangs in the first-ever College GameDay appearance for the Tigers, and just the second for SMU. The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead in front of the sold-out crowd, and the two teams traded scores to reach halftime with a 17-23 score in favor of Memphis. The Tigers never trailed in the second half, although the Mustangs drew within one score on a Shane Buechele pass to James Proche and Jaylon Thomas's two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. Memphis handed SMU its first loss of the season.
StatisticsEast CarolinaSMU
First downs2733
Total yards644636
Rushing yards146222
Passing yards498414
Turnovers11
Time of possession31:0528:55

East Carolina

at Navy

Tulane

StatisticsSMUFlorida Atlantic
First downs2430
Total yards425521
Rushing yards120188
Passing yards305333
Turnovers21
Time of possession28:5631:04

at Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton Bowl)

Statistics

Scoring

;Scores against non-conference opponents
;Scores against the AAC
;Scores against all opponents

Rankings

Postseason

All-American Athletic Conference Football Team

Offense
1st team
2nd team
Defensive
1st team
2nd team
Special Teams
2nd team
References:

Players drafted into the NFL

RoundPickPlayerPositionNFL Club
6201James ProcheWRBaltimore Ravens