SMU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell disputes a call in the 44-38 loss to the University of Houston on Oct. 18 at Ford Stadium. The Mustangs have a 1-8 record this season. (Lindsey Perkins)
The Mustangs showed signs of life in back-to-back tough losses against Tulsa and Houston. SMU had the lead late in each of those games, but was unable to win either.
But two weeks ago against Navy, the Mustangs looked like they did earlier in the season. They were unable to run the ball and couldn’t put points on the board. It was the third game of the year SMU was held to under 10 points.
After a bye week the Mustangs face Memphis at 2 p.m. at Ford Stadium tomorrow. The Tigers are looking to even their record at 5-5.
Memphis went on a three-game winning streak after they started the season 0-3. They come into the game with a 4-5 overall record and a 2-3 Conference USA record. The Mustangs will be looking for their second win of the season, and their first C-USA win.
“The sense of urgency for me isn’t any different for me than it was in week one,” SMU head coach June Jones said. “We’re on a mission to win here, and we will win. It’s just a matter of ‘when does that happen?’ We should have already had maybe two or three, maybe four wins already.”
But the Mustangs have been haunted by slow starts and lackluster finishes. There were moments against Tulane, UCF, Tulsa and Houston where the Mustangs had chances to win if it weren’t for a poor first or fourth quarter.
The Tigers are coming off a win against Southern Miss in which they got out to an early lead, and scored two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to keep it, something SMU hasn’t done all season.
“We stay the course,” Jones said. “That’s the only way you turn it around. I’ve been in these situations before, and the formula works. We’ve got to just do what we can do, and get better every week.”
The Mustangs are running out of weeks in the 2008 season. After tomorrow’s game SMU has just two games left, and currently has as many wins as they had last season.
But there doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency for SMU.
“These players know that what we’re doing is going to win for us,” Jones said. “I think that these guys come to practice every day and work hard and try to get better and get to the next level. We know what it’s going to take to get there.”
SMU’s Derrius Bell (12) and Rock Dennis (10) tackle University of Houston’s Tyron Carrier in a 44-38 loss Oct. 18 at Ford Stadium. (Lindsey Perkins)
