SMU will take on the Baylor Bears in the season opener on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Last Meeting: August 31, 2014 Baylor 45 – SMU 0
In the first game at the new McLane Stadium on the day of RGIII’s statue dedication, Baylor took care of business against the Mustangs. It was the ideal start to Baylor’s 11-1 season that saw them end up with the #5 ranking in the nation. Baylor QB Bryce Petty threw 2 TD passes and ran for another before making an early exit at halftime. The Bears high octane offense collected 574 yards. QB Neal Burcham started the game for the Mustangs who only mustered 67 yards of offense.
Game Preview: September 4, 2015
A lot has changed in a year. Bryce Petty has moved on to the NFL, currently playing for the New York Jets. He has been replaced by Seth Russell, a talented but largely untested junior. The Mustangs are starting a new era under Head Coach Chad Morris. This includes a new offense led by QB Matt Davis. Baylor enters the season as the #4 team in the preseason AP Top 25 and a favorite to make this year’s College Football Playoff.
Staff Predictions:
Brian O’Donnell, Sports Editor: Baylor 45 – SMU 10
SMU will come out of the gates fired up as the new era begins but Baylor will prove to be too much for them to handle. The Bears are too talented and will want to prove to the nation that they will be just as good, if not better, than last season. The Mustangs will look far more competitive than last year, giving the fans something to look forward to when they face American Athletic Conference opponents.
Patrick Engel, Sports Writer: Baylor 41 – SMU 14
This is a bear of a first game (pun intended) for SMU. We’ll see a more competitive and sound SMU team this year, but Baylor is just on another level. The Bears have playmakers everywhere. Last year, this game showed SMU was bad more than it showed Baylor was good. This year, it will show that Baylor is good rather than SMU is bad.
Christina Cox, Editor-in-Chief: Baylor 42 – SMU 14
Lauren Aguirre, Assignments Desk Editor: SMU 30 – Baylor 21
Riley Coven, Arts & Life Editor: Baylor 41 – SMU 3
Ryan Miller, Photo Editor: Baylor 56 – SMU 21
Noah Bartos, Opinion Editor: Baylor 38 – SMU 10
