With the end of the year here, I’m going to leave you with what we will pick up with next year: football.
Next year will be a season to remember. The Mustangs came so close to a bowl game this year, and everyone is pointing to next year as the season in which it will all come together.
If it isn’t, there could be some drastic changes to the Mustang team. But if it is the Mustangs’ year, it will be without some key components.
The Mustangs’ defense was crucial to a lot of SMU’s success this past season. But the problem is there were a lot of seniors on that defense. Adrian Haywood, Justin Rogers, Brandon Bonds and Joe Sturdivant were leaders on the SMU defense but will not be returning next season. Also leaving will be offensive powers Bobby Chase and Reynaldo Pellerin.
And if you don’t think much of their absence, Rogers was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the NFL draft and Haywood was just signed by Tennessee Titans to a free-agent contract. Chase will also get to play football next season in the Canadian Football League. Chase was signed by the Montreal Alouettes.
The team will, however, return Conference USA Freshman of the Year Justin Willis at quarterback and will have a healthy DeMyron Martin in the backfield. Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Columbus Givins proved their worth last season and will be joined by a young group of receivers including Red and Blue Game standout Zach Zimmerman.
The focus from the defensive side will be two guys with experience: Cory Muse and Reggie Carrington. Muse is the only returning starter on the defensive line who did not graduate, and Carrington started all 12 games at the linebacker position. Both will be seniors next year and will need to lead an otherwise young Mustang defense.
The schedule for the Mustangs also poses some interesting match-ups. SMU will get to open up the season at home, but under some special circumstances.
The Mustangs will be televised in their season opener against Texas Tech. But because of the schedule that game will be on Labor Day and will turn around and play North Texas on Saturday.
After the Mustangs’ performance in Denton last season, the Mean Green will still be a focus of this SMU team. Even though Rice was the game that kept SMU out of a bowl berth, the Mustangs could have had it locked up going into Houston with a win against UNT.
Then comes the game people have waited over a year for as the Mustangs travel to Fort Worth for the Horned Frogs. The Mustangs will be defending the Iron Skillet, as SMU defeated TCU at Ford Stadium in 2005. And even after a year off, don’t expect this rivalry to cool down at all.
Then wrapping up the non-conference schedule is Arkansas State. SMU used the Indians to kick-start the better part of the season, along with Sam Houston State to get the offense going. Expect ASU to be a little more prepared for the Mustangs next season. But don’t expect that to make much of a difference. As long as SMU doesn’t overlook this game, it should be a walk in the park.
As for the Conference USA schedule, well, we will get to that next year. But the thing to know is that SMU won’t be a throw-away game for big-name teams anymore.
