10. Preseason hype
Too much hype at the beginning of the season. The Mustangs came into the year with the task of turning around a program for the first time in 20 years. With the use of young players in key positions, the hype was too much.
9. Playcalling
The Mustangs were too conservative with their playcalling. Too many times SMU could have put teams away with a big play and didn’t. Close games against Tulane and UAB could have been definitive wins that could have brought momentum into the next week, and the Mustangs were unable to do that.
8. DeMyron Martin’s injuries
DeMyron Martin was a force to be reckoned with his freshman year. Many saw Martin as the reason the Mustangs took the Iron Skillet from TCU. But in 2006 Martin’s time on the field was seriously diminished due to a plethora of injuries.
Martin left the North Texas game with a dislocated bone in his foot that sidelined him for Sam Houston, Arkansas State and Tulane.
Martin then suffered an injured hamstring against UTEP that kept him out of the Marshall and ECU games.
Martin then saw minimal carries in the final four games of the season.
7. Fourth and one against Houston
With a 17-14 lead with nine-and-a half minutes left in the half, the Mustangs have the ball at the six-yard line.
With a 17-14 lead and momentum, the Mustangs had a chance to take a 10-point lead, or at least kick a field goal and get three points.
Instead, SMU ran a weak-side sweep with James Mapps that lost four yards. The Mustangs were able to score another touchdown and take a 10-point lead into halftime. In the second half, SMU gave the game away and lost by 10.
6. Two first and goals against Rice
The Mustangs had two chances to punch the ball into the end zone on two separate first and goals. The Mustangs had to settle for field goals in both instances. The second came after the Owls had tied the game early in the second half. The Mustangs had a chance to regain the lead by a touchdown. Had the Mustangs scored, SMU and Rice would have been tied at 31, rather than SMU losing 31-27.
5. Third down conversions
For the season the Mustangs went 62 for 155 on third downs for a embarassing 40 percent success rate.
4. Justin Willis’ suspension for UTEP
Willis was suspended the Friday night before the game in El Paso. Backup quarterback Corey Slater had to step in and start with just 24 hours notice. Even with Slater commanding the team and scoring no points in the first half, the Mustangs only fell 24-21. With Willis, or with Slater being given more time to prepare, the Mustangs could have defeated the Miners. The suspension came with no arrests or complaints filed.
3. Inability to win on the road
The Mustangs went just 1-5 on the road this season, losing to Texas Tech, North Texas, UTEP, East Carolina and Rice on the road. Compaired to a 5-1 record at home, SMU showed an inability to play well in hostile invironments.
2. Losing to North Texas
The early season game was supposed to lead into a year of success and new-found respect from the collegiate football world. Instead it began the first round of questions regarding the job security of head coach Phil Bennett. The Mustangs played a poor game from start to finish. It was also the game in which DeMyron Martin suffered his first injury of the season.
1. The inability to play a full game
The Mustangs played several incomplete games this season.
Against UTEP with Justin Willis suspended, the Mustangs were shut out in the first half of the game. A remarkable comeback fell just short as the Mustangs scored 21 second half points to fall 24-21.
However, the most notable came late, beating eventual West Division Champions Houston by 10 at halftime. The Mustangs came out in the second quarter and gave the lead away, being outscored by 20 in the second half to lose the game by their first-half lead of 10.
The next was the following week against Tulsa. The Mustangs were non-existant in the first half, being blown away by 17 when the first half ended. SMU came out in the second half and dominated the Golden Hurricane and was eventually victorious.
Against Rice, the Mustangs could not even muster up an entire half. SMU could only play one solid quarter of football. After giving up 17 first-quarter points and scoring none, SMU came back with 24 in the second quarter. The Mustangs scored their final three points of the game in the third quarter and fell 31-27.
