The thing with collegiate athletics is that you only get players for a certain amount of time and then they are gone forever. That is the case with Reynaldo Pellerin and Bobby Chase, two senior leaders at the wide receiver position who have completed their eligibility at SMU.
That means the Mustangs will look for others to step up at the receiver position. Fans got a chance to see two players who will look to fill their shoes last season in Columbus Givins and Emmanuel Sanders, but there is another receiver who could make a big difference for the Mustangs.
Zach Zimmerman, a sophomore from Flower Mound, saw action in just two games last season, catching one pass for five yards against Arkansas State. But even that was a good experience, according to Zimmerman.
“Last year when I got into the games I was nervous,” Zimmerman said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
But with a season under his belt and being able to work with some of the best receivers the Mustangs have had since the 80s in Chase and Pellerin, Zimmerman is ready to make a difference on the field.
Catching two long touchdown passes in the Red and Blue game at the end of March, Zimmerman is more prepared to have a contributing role.
“I think I showed the coaches that I could step up and make big plays,” Zimmerman said.
The 2007 Mustangs have a chance to get past some barriers that have faced SMU since the Death Penalty. A conference championship and a bowl bid are at the top of the goal list for everyone watching the Mustangs this season.
“We haven’t gotten this much media attention,” Zimmerman said about the five nationally televised games, “in quite some time.”
After playing on game on ESPN 2 and a game on CSTV last season, the Mustangs are getting some more national attention.
SMU will begin the season on ESPN against Texas Tech, and will then play three games in a row on CSTV against TCU, UTEP and Southern Miss. The Mustangs will complete their televised schedule on ESPN against Houston.
The Mustangs can gain even more national attention and televised games with a spot in the Conference USA Championship game and then a bowl game.
“It’s great to be a part of something that once you put the work into it, you get the results you’re looking for,” Zimmerman said.
SMU still has some time to wait until the season begins, four months and three weeks to be exact, on Sept. 3. But until then predictions and expectations will continue to fly around campus.
