SMU iReporter

In the post-Death Penalty era, the SMU football has only ever beaten a top-25 team twice. The first time was against TCU in 2005 when the Horned Frogs were still flying high after beating the Oklahoma Sooners on the road in Norman. And the second time came this past Saturday in a thrilling game that went into overtime before the Mustangs eked out a 40-33 win over the same Horned Frogs.

SMU (4-1) is off to its best start since 1986 when it started the season 5-1 and the critics have noticed. In the most recent polls, the Mustangs actually received five votes in the AP poll and 10 points in the Coaches poll; overall, SMU is ranked No. 34 in the nation. On the flip side, TCU (3-2) fell out of the top-25 for the first time in three years.

Quarterback J.J. McDermott, since taking over for last year’s starter Kyle Padron, has shown remarkable growth. The senior is undefeated in his four starts and has now eclipsed 300 yards passing in three straight games. He has also thrown for at least three touchdowns in the past two games, alleviating some of the scoring burden off of running back Zach Line.

In fact, Saturday’s game was the first one this season that Line didn’t rush for a touchdown. He came into the game ranked No. 2 in the nation in rushing touchdowns with 11. However, he was still a force on the ground, grinding out 120 yards on 21 carries. However, his biggest contribution was on special teams: on the kickoff to begin the second half, Line tackled TCU kickoff returner Greg McCoy and forced a fumble that teammate Chris Parks recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. The play swung momentum back in the Mustangs’ favor and gave the team a 24-10 lead.

One of the biggest concerns for SMU coming into the game was the absence of leading receiver Cole Beasley. However, McDermott and wide receivers Darius Johnson, Terrance Wilkerson and Jeremy Johnson easily picked up the slack. Darius Johnson led the team with 12 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Wilkerson got the Mustangs rolling early with a 71-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to put SMU up 14-0. And Jeremy Johnson’s first touchdown of the season is one he’ll always remember: a 19-yard touchdown reception in overtime that proved to be the game winner. McDermott threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns and was named Rivals.com Conference USA Player of the Week. 

The Mustangs have a bye week, which they will use to recuperate, study film and savor their hard fought victory. The road doesn’t get easier for the SMU though. They’re next game is against defending C-USA champions Central Florida on Saturday, October 15. Kickoff is at 2:30.

All photos courtesy of Rob Graham.

The SMU football team is only traveling 50 miles west on I-30 but make no mistake: they're traveling into hostile territory. The Mustangs will play the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 1 with kickoff scheduled at 2:30 p.m.

For any SMU fans looking for a friendly refuge among the sea of purple, the SMU Alumni and Mustang Club will have a tailgate spot located near Bellaire Drive North. The tailgate will be serving food at the cost of $15 per person (8 & under is free). There will be hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers cooked on-site with all the trimmings, baked beans, potato salad, cookies and beverages.

The SMU men's basketball team was one of four teams selected to play in the "The Showcase" at the American Airlines Center on December 28. The second annual event highlights some of the nation's best teams and top talent.

The Mustangs will take on Oklahoma State, which will be followed up by Baylor playing Mississippi State. Both Baylor and Mississippi State are expected to begin the season ranked in the top 25.

The SMU football team recorded its first shutout victory in over a decade with a 42-0 victory over the University of Memphis on Saturday, September 24. The Mustangs improve to 3-1 on the season and are perfect in Conference USA with a 2-0 record.

The Mustangs were never threatened by the Tigers throughout the entire game. SMU scored on its first two drives with running back Zach Line punching it in from the 1-yard line both times. In all, Line rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Memphis managed only four first-downs the entire first half of the game. The Tigers made it to the red zone just once all game and ended up turning the ball over on downs.

Quarterback J.J. McDermott continues to gain confidence and poise with each start. The senior quarterback has won all three games he has started and once SMU had established the run game against Memphis, McDermott picked apart the Tigers' secondary all game. He finished with 357 yards and three touchdowns and one interception.

The Mustangs' defense was aggressive and assertive all game. Memphis actually finished with negative yardage on the ground with -14 yards total. The aerial attack for the Tigers was only slightly more efficient; quarterback Taylor Reed completed 17 passes for 153 yards and he was sacked four times.

SMU now faces the most difficult portion of their 2011 schedule, starting with a trip to face in-state rival TCU. The Horned Frogs have the same record as the Mustangs and are currently ranked No. 20 in the nation. After that, SMU will play UCF (2010 C-USA champions), Southern Miss (2010 C-USA East runner up) and Tulsa (2010 C-USA West runner up).

The Mustangs kick off against the Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 1 at 2:30 p.m.

TED is a non-profit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized event that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxSMU will allow thought leaders, solution seekers and other like-minded individual to come together and debate and question conventional thoughts and ideas. The theme for TEDxSMU 2011 is disruption - a discussion of how ideas and events can impact us individually and as a community.

TEDxSMU invited any and all interested SMU students to submit an idea for the Talk; 12-15 submissions have now been selected to give a three minute sample of their Talk at the TEDxSMU auditions on Tuesday, October 11. The audience will vote on their favorite and the winner will taken center stage at the TEDxSMU event on December 3.

The auditions will be held at the Kessler Theater from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.