SMU opened its first conference home game with a 2-1 win over Memphis in Washburne Stadium, giving the Tigers their first loss of the season.

The Mustangs set the tone early with a strong physical defense and the ability to keep possession early to create space for possible assists downfield.

This method proved more than effective as the Tigers started to lose momentum, giving SMU forward Bailey Sparks the opportunity to assist Mustang defender Mads Westergren with a corner kick in the 38th minute. SMU went into halftime with confidence.

The second half proved to be more of a challenge for the Mustangs. Memphis showed more of a competitive spirit as they were more urgent to gain ball possession and put pressure on SMU goalkeeper Cole Johnson. Johnson saved four shots in the second half alone.

Still showing a strong sense of physicality, the Mustangs were starting to become slightly overwhelmed and frustrated by the pace and miscues on offense in this second half.

This ultimately led the Mustangs to commit more fouls to slow down the Tigers and give SMU a chance to reset and gather for a chance to steal possessions.

This proved to be quite effective downfield as it gave a second wind for the Mustangs. Midfielder Alex Salvo scored his first career goal unassisted in the 63rd minute.

The Mustangs were firing on all cylinders as they continued to be present on defense and focused on not giving second-chance opportunities to the Tigers. The only miscue came in the 88th minute as Memphis was able to get a late goal to put them on the board before the final whistle.

SMU now sits at 6-0 at Washburne Stadium this season (6-1 overall) and 1-0 against conference opponents.

The Mustangs will travel for another conference game at the University of South Florida on Friday, Sept. 22.