SMU’s ties to national championships have been limited as of late. Either by losing them or not even getting close to them.
So it comes as no surprise that some people might forget the signal caller on the football team that not only played in a championship, but also performed at a high level given the circumstances.
Garrett Gilbert had his name called in the middle of the 2010 Rose Bowl against future national champion Alabama.
Everyone expected Gilbert and the University of Texas Longhorns to get demolished, but the Austin-native had other ideas.
Gilbert kept the game respectable and looked to be the unanimous pick for the Longhorns in the future.
Sadly, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Gilbert quickly left UT and landed in the lap of head coach June Jones and the Mustangs’ attack last season.
SMU fans were delighted to see what he could bring to the table as a former nationally ranked top-5 quarterback in high school, but the only thing most fans saw last season was what Texas had gotten in their time with Gilbert.
In his two seasons with the Longhorns after 2009, Gilbert threw just 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
His 2011 campaign was cut short due to injury and the young man quickly graduated and joined SMU as a graduate student.
The flashes of brilliance the quarterback showed last year were still overshadowed by the early troubles the team had.
Gilbert’s 15 touchdowns were not enough to mask his 15 thrown interceptions, 13 of which came in the first seven games against the Mustangs’ toughest competition.
However, Gilbert was able to avoid throwing a single interception from that point on in the regular season, while en route to a 43-10 victory over Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.
This season doesn’t look any easier for SMU.
With three out-of-conference opponents in the first four games, the Mustangs will have a very tough test.
Gilbert will need to be at his very best right out of the gate to have any chance of improving upon the team’s 7-6 record from a season ago.
After an offseason centered around helping Gilbert improve, the path to redemption does seem brighter for the quarterback.
Jones hired his old USFL partner Hal Mumme, who will take over the orders on offense to make it as Gilbert-friendly as possible.
The young quarterback will also benefit from the return of his favorite pass catcher in senior receiver Jeremy Johnson.
If all holds to form, with the new coaching help and Gilbert’s natural improvement, the sky will be the limit for a team that will want to air the football out across the stadium each week.
The successes and failures of the 2013 season will be on the shoulders of the young man wearing number 11 for the Mustangs. Hopefully they’re strong enough to support that kind of weight.
