SMU out of CUSA hunt with loss to Herd

SMU Mustangs 2009 ... Head Coach: June Jones

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2009 Record: 6-5

9/5 S. F. Austin W 31-23
9/12 at UAB W 35-33
9/19 at Wash St L 30-27 OT
9/26 OPEN DATE
10/3 at TCU L 39-14
10/10 E Carolina W 28-21
10/17 Navy L 38-35 OT
10/24 at Houston W 27-13
10/31 at Tulsa W 27-13
11/7 Rice W 31-28
11/14 UTEP W 35-31
11/21 at Marshall L 34-31
11/28 Tulane

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2008 Record: 1-11

8/29 at Rice L 56-27
9/6 Texas State W 47-36
9/13 at Texas Tech L 43-7
9/20 TCU L 48-7
9/27 at Tulane L 34-27
10/4 at UCF L 31-17
10/11 Tulsa L 37-31
10/18 Houston L 44-38
10/25 at Navy L 34-7
11/1 OPEN DATE
11/8 Memphis L 31-26
11/15 at UTEP L 36-10
11/22 OPEN DATE
11/29 Southern Miss L 28-12

SMU Mustangs

Nov. 21
at Marshall 34 … SMU 31
Marshall became bowl eligible as Aaron Dobson caught touchdown passes from 40 and 16 yards out in the second half and Martin Ward and Terrell Edwards ran for short scores. SMU got two Kyle Padron touchdown passes, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders, but the defense couldn’t hold on late. MU won despite committing 15 penalties.
Player of the Game: Marshall RBs Terrell Edwards and Martin Ward combined for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries
SMU: Passing: Kyle Padron, 18-32, 225 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 20-82, 1 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 8-94
Marshall: Passing: Brain Anderson, 13-22, 213 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Martin Ward, 25-136, 1 TD, Receiving: Aaron Dobson, 4-127, 2 TD 
What It All Means: SMU blew it. It had to beat Marshall this week before getting a relative layup against Tulane, but the defense couldn’t hold on late, the offense struggled with its consistency, and now it’s going to take a Houston loss to lowly Rice to have a chance to play for the conference title. Even so, this was a good, hard fought road game that the team was in until the end. But after winning three straight, this is going to be tough to swallow if the Mustangs can’t beat the Green Wave.

Nov. 14
at SMU 35 … UTEP 31
Kyle Padron threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores to overcome 627 yards of total UTEP offense and a monster day from RB Donald Buckram. Buckram scored on a 14-yard touchdown run and took a pass 30 yards for a score on the way to a 31-28 lead midway through the fourth, but SMU’s Emmanuel Sanders caught his second touchdown pass of the game coming from 37 yards out with 4:34 to play. Shawnbrey McNeal added a 58-yard touchdown run for the Mustangs in the second quarter.
Player of the Game: In a losing cause, UTEP RB Donald Buckram ran 33 time for 241 yards and a score, and he caught five passes for 66 yards and a score.
UTEP: Passing: Trevor Vittatoe, 23-40, 396 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Donald Buckram, 33-241, 1 TD, Receiving: Jeff Moturi, 5-153, 1 TD
SMU: Passing: Kyle Padron, 17-24, 244 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 18-169, 1 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 7-134, 2 TD
What It All Means: SMU is staying alive in the hunt for the West title even though the defense is going into the tank. Kyle Padron continues to make plays scoring twice and throwing for the touchdown pass needed to get the win over the Miners. The Mustangs need to beat Marshall and Tulane to get to the Conference USA title game, even with the loss to Houston, but with the way the defense is playing, there isn’t a lock of a win in the final two. The offense is going to have to keep outslugging its way to close wins. 

Nov. 7
at SMU 31 …. Rice 28
SMU got three blocked kicks and overcame a 20-7 deficit with a 24-point run helped by a 74-yard return of a blocked field goal for a score from Bryan McCall and a 23-yard Emmanuel Sanders touchdown catch. Shawnbrey McNeal ran for touchdowns from seven and nine yards out for the Mustangs, with his second score putting them ahead for good. Rice took the early lead on Patrick Randolph touchdown catches from 11 and 33 yards out. Nick Fanuzzi threw three touchdown passes, but Rice couldn’t get closer after pulling within three in the final two minutes.
Player of the Game: SMU RB Shawnbrey McNeal ran 21 times for 88 yards and two scores.
Rice: Passing: Nick Fanuzzi, 29-42, 250 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Charles Ross, 12-50, 1 TD, Receiving: Patrick Randolph, 8-93, 2 TD
SMU: Passing: Kyle Padron, 17-24, 234 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 21-88, 2 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 6-136, 1 TD
What It All Means: With 13 penalties, two turnovers, and poor play from the secondary, SMU did its best to keep Rice in the game. But with three blocked kicks, three takeaways, and a nice running day from Shawnbrey McNeal, the Mustangs were able to get by with a win over a miserable team. Kyle Padron might not be Bo Levi Mitchell, but he’s throwing well and did a decent job when the team wasn’t behind. At 4-1, there’s still an outside shot of playing for the conference title if Houston starts losing, but at 5-4, the goal has to be to get a win against UTEP next week and get in the hunt for a bowl. 

Oct. 31
SMU 27 … at Tulsa 13
SMU freshman Kyle Padron threw for 354 yards and made things happen on the move leading the way to touchdown passes from 49 yards out to Cole Beasley and 36 yards to RB Shawnbrey McNealy. The Mustangs were up 20-7 in the fourth quarter, but Tulsa pulled close with a 13-yard Jacob Collums touchdown catch. After failing on a long fourth down attempt, Tulsa allowed SMU to drive for a two-yard Zach Line touchdown run to put the game away.
Player of the Game: SMU QB Kyle Padron completed 20-of-30 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns
Tulsa: Passing: Jacob Bower, 9-22, 206 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jamad Williams, 10-46, Receiving: Damaris Johnson, 4-121
SMU: Passing: Kyle Padron, 20-30, 354 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 19-44, Receiving: Aldrick Robinson, 5-104
What It All Means: Kyle Padron might not be Bo Levi Mitchell throwing the ball, but he was strong on the move and he played like a grizzled veteran in his first start. He kept the chains moving, didn’t make any big mistakes, and made the two big pass plays needed to get up early. SMU is in a position for a bowl, but the errors have to stop. There were two fumbles and a whopping 14 penalties against Tulsa, and while the Mustangs can get away with that against Rice next week, they can’t against UTEP and Marshall. 

Oct. 24
Houston 38 … at Rice 15
Houston got Charles Sims touchdown runs from 20 and six yards out and a Case Keenum seven-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Edwards on the way to the easy win. The Cougars got up 31-3 when Tyron Carrier returned the second half kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, but SMU made it interesting with a four-yard Shawnbrey McNeal touchdown run and a 32-yard Aldrick Robinson catch in the fourth. SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell got knocked out of the game with a dislocated shoulder.
Player of the Game: Houston LB C.J. Cavness made 18 tackles, a sack, and broke up a pass.
Rice: Passing: Kyle Padron, 11-16, 141 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 15-95, 1 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 6-47
Houston: Passing: Case Keenum, 25-36, 233 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Charles Sims, 15-105, 2 TD, Receiving: Patrick Edwards, 9-122, 1 TD
What It All Means: The loss to Houston was bad enough, but for a team that has been playing well enough to hang with just about everyone on the schedule, and with a nice second half schedule ahead, losing QB Bo Levi Mitchell to a shoulder injury was devastating. The spotlight will now by on Kyle Padron, and while he should be effective, he’ll need the defense to step up and do even more, and RB Shawnbrey McNeal will have to do more to help carry the offense. 

Oct. 17
Navy 38 … at SMU 35 OT
SMU’s Matt Szymanski missed a 43-yard field goal and Navy’s Joe Buckley hit a 24-yarder to give the Midshipmen the win. Navy’s offense sputtered early on, and SMU took advantage with Sterling Moore recovering a fumble for a score and Zach Line ran for two short touchdowns. Navy’s attack got going in the second half with Ricky Dobbs and Vince Murray each running for two scores, but the Mustangs tied it in the final minutes with a ten-yard Aldrick Robinson catch to force overtime.
Player of the Game: Navy RB Vince Murray ran 25 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 19-41, 200 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 15-131, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 6-53
Navy: Passing: Ricky Dobbs, 4-9, 68 yds
Rushing: Vince Murray, 25-141, 2 TD, Receiving: Greg Jones, 1-39
What It All Means: The defensive front might not be generating any pressure, and there aren’t enough plays in the backfield, but Navy did a great job of keeping the SMU offense under wraps and the team fought its way to a tough win. That’s two times in three weeks that the Midshipmen have come up with overtime wins, and it doesn’t appear to be a fluke. Navy is finding ways to come up big when it absolutely has to, and the running game is starting to be more consistent and more effective at the right time. With Wake Forest up next, the O has to get up early and has to keep the ball as much as possible to keep QB Riley Skinner off the field.

Oct. 10
at SMU 28 … East Carolina 21
The SMU defense and special teams made up for a struggling day for the offense with Bryan McCann returning a blocked field goal 63 yards and a touchdown and Rock Dennis returned an interception 53 yards for a score. The offense got into the act, too, with Aldrick Robinson taking a pass 96 yards for a touchdown and Terrance Wilkerson caught a 17-yard scoring grab. ECU answered the Wilkerson score with a 77-yard Dwayne Harris kickoff return for a score, but couldn’t tie up the game in the final five minutes.
Player of the Game: SMU LB Chase Kennemer made 14 tackles with two tackles for loss.
East Carolina: Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 20-34, 181 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Dominique Lindsay, 24-144, Receiving: Jamar Bryant, 5-58
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 17-29, 266 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 15-35, Receiving: Terrance Wilkerson, 5-39, 1 TD
What It All Means: SMU committed 12 penalties for 158 yards, converted 2-of-10 third down chances, and cranked out just 294 yards of total offense with 96 yards on one play, and won. Take it and move on. The Mustangs might not be playing all that well and the passing game isn’t producing enough to make up for the lack of a running game, but the team is 2-0 in Conference USA play with road trips to Houston and Tulsa coming up in a few weeks. Defensively, Chase Kennemer had a great game making 14 tackles.

Oct. 3
at TCU 39 … SMU 14
Sparked by a huge block, Jeremy Kerley returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and Andy Dalton threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes as TCU got by SMU. The Mustangs scored first on a 24-yard Shawnbrey McNeal catch, and got a four-yard Emmanuel Sanders touchdown catch in the third. But TCU’s defensive line was too good at getting into the backfield and the SMU offense was held to just 224 yards. SMU finished with -16 yards rushing.
Player of the Game: TCU DE Jerry Hughes made eight tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss.
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 17-38, 240 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 13-26, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 8-74, 1 TD
TCU: Passing: Andy Dalton, 12-20, 189 yds, 2 TD 1 INT
Rushing: Joseph Turner, 19-79, 1 TD, Receiving: Jeremy Kerley, 4-48
What It All Means: TCU’s defense is going to shut down most teams, but SMU kept fighting and wasn’t blown away until late. The offensive line couldn’t handle the Horned Frog defensive front, and there was no running game whatsoever with Shawnbrey McNeal gaining just 26 yards. At some point it’s all going to click, and with a Conference USA showdown with East Carolina coming up next, it would be a big plus if everything came together with the passing game next week.

Sept. 19
at Washington State 30 … SMU 27 OT
SMU’s Bo Levi Mitchell was picked off in overtime and Wazzu’s Nico Grasu connected on a 39-yard field goal to give the Cougars the win. The Mustangs held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter, but the Washington State defense sparked the comeback with a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown from Alex Hoffman-Ellis, and Myron Beck added to the defensive fun with a 67-yard pick six in the fourth. But it wasn’t until Jared Karstetter caught a seven-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds to go to force overtime did Washington State have any control in the game, Mitchell threw two touchdown passes to Terrance Wilkerson, but he threw four interceptions.
Player of the Game: In a losing cause, SMU WR Emmanuel Sanders caught 18 passes for 178 yards.
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 40-57, 424 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 22-83, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 18-178
Washington State: Passing: Marshall Lobbestael, 24-52, 239 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Dwight Tardy, 8-33, Receiving: Jared Karstetter, 5-63, 1 TD
What It All Means: This one is going to really, really sting. SMU had Washington State dead. The Mustangs had held on to the ball for 39:40, the Cougar running game was stopped cold, and the offense was working, but five turnovers and the meltdowns in the second half ruined what would’ve been the biggest win in the June Jones era. On the plus side, the offense is working going into a tough game against TCU. On the down side, 3-0 would've been really nice. 

Sept. 12
SMU 35 ... at UAB 33
The failed two-point conversion attempt snuffed out a UAB rally after Jeffery Anderson got the Blazers within two with 13 seconds to play. SMU held a 28-7 lead  at halftime thanks to three touchdown passes from Bo Levi Mitchell, but UAB came roaring back with a 20-point third quarter with an 80-yard Mark Ferrell touchdown dash and an Andre Hicks 20-yard interception return for a score. But the extra point failed and it would prove costly. SMU got back on the board with a 19-yard Shawnbrey McNeal run to go up eight, and then held on for dear life.
Player of the Game: SMU WR Emmanuel Sanders caught nine passes for 148 yards and a score
UAB: Passing: Joe Webb, 18-35, 226 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 18-97, 1 TD, Receiving: Jeffery Anderson, 4-46, 1 TD 
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 28-47, 353 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 21-67, 1 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 9-148, 1 TD
What It All Means: The offense can't afford to make a slew of big mistakes. SMU had the game won without a problem, and then the offense fizzled and the passing game started making mistakes. But for all the issues, getting a road win, especially in conference play, is big now matter how it happens. Call this part of the maturation process for Bo Levi Mitchell, who struggled for long stretches but still managed to get the victory.

Sept. 5
at SMU 31 ... Stephen F. Austin 23
The passing game didn't get rolling, but Shawnbrey McNeal ran for 158 yards with a game-sealing 49-yard touchdown with 1:31 to play, and Bo Levi Mitchell threw for a score and ran for another. The offense struggled early on, but Emmanuel Sanders provided a spark with a 79-yard punt return for a score and the defense forced six turnovers with five interceptions. Evan Engwall hit three field goals for SFA, but he missed a late kick that would've put the team ahead. Jeremy Moses threw for two scores for SFA.
Player of the Game: SMU RB Shawnbrey McNeal ran 19 times for 158 yards and a score.
Stephen F. Austin: Passing: Jeremy Moses, 31-52, 391 yds, 2 TD, 5 INT
Rushing: Vincent Pervis, 15-68, Receiving: Aaron Rhea, 8-167, 1 TD
SMU: Passing: Bo Levi Mitchell, 23-45, 202 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shawnbrey McNeal, 19-158, 1 TD, Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 8-66
What It All Means: It might not be June Jones-like football, but the running of Shawnbrey McNeal and six takeaways from the defense got the Mustangs through what might have been an embarrassing loss. Bo Levi Mitchell and the passing attack didn't get any big plays and struggled to make anything happen down the field, but the offense took advantage of the help from the defense to get out alive. Now, the defense has to do more to get by Joe Webb and the suddenly hot UAB offense.