The 2010 college football season has officially begun, and SMU sophomore QB Kyle Padron is ready to take on the reins and lead the Ponies to victory again this year.

Padron’s fame began when he stepped onto the field as a freshman, replacing an injured Bo Levi Mitchell during the SMU vs. Houston game on Oct. 24. The Mustangs were already eight games into the 2009 season. Little did Padron know that he wouldn’t see the bench again that year.

His performance made history on Dec. 24, 2009, at the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl that ended the Mustangs’ 25-year bowl game drought.

It was the first bowl game that SMU played in since receiving the death penalty in 1987.

During the game, the young quarterback set a school record, passing 460 yards and scoring two touchdowns in SMU’s 45-10 win over Nevada. Following the triumph, Padron was awarded the title of MVP of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and named to ESPN.com’s Non-AQ All-Bowl Team.

Padron’s success ranked him as the eighth-best among all players in the post-season by CollegeFootballNews.com.

He ended 2009 with a 159.9 passer rating that ranked him fifth in the nation. That year, he completed 135 of 201 pass attempts for 1,922 yards and a total of 10 touchdowns. Padron finished with a 5-1 record as starter.

During the offseason, Padron added 15 pounds to his 6′ 4″ frame. Between time spent in the weight room, throwing at practice or watching film, the 19-year-old proved his dedication to the team.

“I feel my role has grown this year. I have more of a leadership position. I am able to be more vocal in the huddle, and I’m more comfortable leading by example,” Padron told The Daily Campus.

The Mustangs opened the 2010 season in Lubbock, Texas, competing against Big 12 team Texas Tech. SMU was defeated 35-27 after an action-packed fourth quarter in which the Mustangs shut out the Red Raider offense, and were able to add 13 points to the score.

It was a rough start for Padron. The sophomore threw 218 yards, two touchdown passes and a total of three interceptions.

“I felt pretty banged up after the game,” Padron said. “I played a pretty bad game, and I know that this weekend I’ve got to step up and put my teammates in a good situation so we can be successful.”

Despite losing the first game of the season, Padron looks forward to this year’s competition, including the Mustangs’ upcoming game against the UAB Blazers.

UAB is coming off a narrow loss to Florida Atlantic in its first game last Thursday, 32-31. The Blazers’ new starting quarterback David Isabelle set a UAB single-game record of 214 rushing yards.  

“[Isabelle] is a different type of quarterback than I am. We both have good qualities. He can run the ball, and from what I’ve heard he’s not a traditionally prolific quarterback. He’s dangerous. As a team we are definitely going to have to come out and play a great game,” Padron says about the upcoming game this Saturday.

The Mustangs take on C-USA rival, the UAB Blazers, on the ninth anniversary of 9/11. The game is set to have a patriotic theme in honor of the United States and SMU. The kickoff is at 7 p.m.