Improved Mustangs aiming for bowl bid
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2017 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
SMU Chad Morris (7-17, third season; 7-17 entering overall)
5-7, 3-5 in American Athletic Conference, finished fifth in West Division
Morris, a former Texas high school football coach, continued to show why he was such a solid fit and capable of leading the turnaround at SMU. For the second consecutive season, the Mustangs doubled their winning percentage, falling one victory shy of bowl eligibility. Morris inherited a program that went 1-11 in 2014.
SMU’s signature win last season was a 38-16 victory against access bowl game favorite Houston. The win sent the Cougars’ season into a tailspin and they never fully recovered from it.
9 No. 55 nationally among FBS teams in total offense.
Backup QB Ben Hicks is expected to assume the starting job with some strong competition from Arkansas transfer Rafe Peavey. But the strongest aspect of the Mustangs’ offense undoubtedly is Courtland Sutton, a projected 2018 first-round NFL draft pick. Sutton caught 76 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, becoming the first SMU receiver to receive first team all-conference honors since Cole Beasley, now with the Dallas Cowboys, in 2011.
“This is a veteran team, this is the third year into the system, third year into our culture and everything has been established. We’ve got a lot of guys returning that played a lot of ball and we’ve improved each of the past two years,” Morris said. “With the returning guys we have . ... I definitely think this team is trending in very much an upward position. We had a really good spring and are excited about the direction we’re headed.”
SMU will work to continue making progress on defense while replacing all three of its starting defensive linemen from the 2016 season. The team also will need more consistency and leadership out of linebackers Kyan Mitchell and Anthony Rhone. The Mustangs also have a hole to fill after the departure of defensive back Horace Richardson, who had a teamhigh six interceptions and eight pass deflections in 2016.
It’s bowl or bust during Morris’ third season. SMU has the pieces to accomplish the task if the Mustangs can avoid injury and respond well during some challenging matchups on the schedule. If the Mustangs continue their upward trajectory, they could end up being a wild card team in the AAC West that could cause trouble for Houston, Memphis and Navy.