Fiesta Bowl
Game Report Posted: June 01, 2010 21:43
North Carolina 35, SMU 7
Dammit, these guys just insist on confounding Coach Nibble. The running game went bust and QB Chance Bright, in what turned out to be his final college game, was 8 of 19 passing.
Mustangs (11-3) finish 11th in the nation, outscoring the opposition 31-13 on average.
Passing
Bright 56 percent, 1861 yards 15 TD, 10 INT
Rushing
Tyler Lane 1,039 yards
Nathan King 812
Quinton Smith 700
Receiving
TE Brandon Mills 43 receptions
WR Brandon Ward 35
Defense
DT David Baker 10 sacks
DE Shane Wright 7 sacks
CB Ricky Paul 9 INT
SMU 41, Texas Tech 7
Game Report Posted: June 01, 2010 14:31
Big 12 championship game
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Key player: Ricky Paul picks off his ninth pass of the season, a school record, and returns it 50 yards for a score.
The skinny: Paul and Company hold the nation's leading passer and Heisman Trophy winner, Tony Samuels, to 194 yards passing with three INTs just one week after he lit up Buffalo for 601 yards. ... Fullback Tyler Lane spends a second straight week at tailback and rings up a career-high 247 yards rushing and three TDs.
SMU 31, Air Force 14
Game Report Posted: May 30, 2010 18:07
Key player: Fullback Tyler Lane starts at tailback in this one and reels off 197 yards on 31 carries.
The skinny: Lane's slow-ass, bullish rushing style perks up the offense, which hasn't been getting it done with a mediocre line against good defenses this season. ... CB Walter Taylor makes 10 tackles. ... Freshman CB Ricky Paul makes his seventh INT of the season, one off the school record.
Colorado and Nebraska lose and fall back to 5-3 in the league, so the Mustangs win the Big 12 North at 6-2 and get a rematch with No. 12 Texas Tech in the league title game.
K-State 27, SMU 24, OT
Game Report Posted: May 28, 2010 21:32
This is a crazy team. One week after holding Missouri to minus-36 yards on the ground and 133 passing, the Mustangs have to struggle just to force overtime, then lose when Ronald Bailey's 40-yard field goal attempt falls just short.
QB Ricky MIles is adequate in his second straight start for injured Chance Bright, hitting 12 of 24 passes for 211 yards, but with two INTs, and rushing 15 times for 57 yards.
Second Big 12 loss; shouldn't have promised all of those recruits a conference title. Alamo Bowl, here we come.
No. 19 Oklahoma 35, SMU 17
Game Report Posted: May 27, 2010 20:56
Key player: QB Richard Tuel throws four touchdown passes against what Coach Nibble was sure was the best secondary in the nation. Uh-huh.
The skinny: Didn't see this one coming. Yeah, Sooners were No. 19, but .... didn't see this coming. Tuel strafed the Mustangs, who got only 10-of-23 passing for 150 yards from Chance Bright. Nathan King didn't do much for the SMU running game with 79 yards on 23 carries. Yeesh. ... Three big recruits commit, including No. 2 MLB Caleb Allen. Not sure why they would after watching this.
SMU 35, No. 15 Texas Tech 7
Game Report Posted: May 26, 2010 21:06
Key player: Senior corner Josh Bryant picks off a pass from Heisman winner Tony Samuels and returns it 40 yards for a TD and a 17-7 lead.
The skinny: Consider the loss to the Red Raiders in the Big 12 title game avenged. The Mustangs get just one sack on Samuels, but harass him and his receivers into a 22-of-46 passing day for 167 yards and no TDs. He came in with 22 TDs in five games. He's picked off four times, including one by freshman corner Ricky Paul, who had three last week against Nebraska and has five for the season.
SMU 66, TCU 14
Game Report Posted: May 25, 2010 20:59
Key player: Nathan King goes off for 239 yards on 31 rushes. NIce.
The skinny: Chance Bright uses play action off King's runs to pass for 219 yards and four scores. ... Brandon Ward has five catches for 137 yards and two TDs. He'd have had a third if he hadn't dropped a deep flea-flicker behind triple coverage in the second quarter. Dumbass.
SMU 34, No. 8 Iowa 7
Game Report Posted: May 25, 2010 03:38
Key player: DE Shane Wright gets the season off right with a two-sack game.
The skinny: This is the way it should always go: Mustangs run the ball, mix in six receptions by TE Brandon Mills and stuff everything the Hawkeyes try on offense. Iowa's score is off a pick-six at the expense of the Mustangs' Chance Bright. ... TB David Miller goes over 100 yards rushing.
2027: Finishing work
Season Report Posted: May 24, 2010 22:11
Last season: 11-3 (8-1 Big 12, second)
Key players returning: QB Chance Bright, TB David Miller, TE Brandon Miller, WR Brandon Ward, DT Dallas Baker, OLB Thomas Gates, DE Shane Wright, CB Josh Snyder, CB Walter Taylor, MLB Clay Smith
Key players lost: DE Jason Johnson, WR Eric Gibson, CB Jake Cleveland, FS Kurt Haumiller, SS Jason Greer
Why they'll win: The defense that for 11 weeks was Coach Nibble's best ever -- and it was still pretty good in the other three weeks -- should be even better. The nation's best front four will be a year faster and stronger, and freshman safeties Terry Dawkins and Quinton Thomas might be better than the outgoing seniors they replace.
Why they'll lose: Well, this was a pretty strong group last season and it lost its final three games so nothing is certain. It would help if the offense didn't take 11 sacks like it did in the Cotton Bowl debacle against Ole Miss; QB Chance Bright needs to live up to his surname and be smart in the pass pocket this time around.
Notes: The linebacker corps has more 90-rated players than starting spots, so leading tackler Thomas Gates, a junior, might take a redshirt season. ... WR Brandon Ward returns after his redshirt year and has speed and hands to be an All-American if Bright gets him the ball enough.