Question: Your favorite Mustang 'moment'

[MrMustang1965]

If you could experience your favorite Mustang 'moment' again, what would it be? Give us the reason(s). Just a little informal question to break up the summertime heat! Remember, there's lots of history to draw from...

------------------
"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!

[crazy horse]

1980 SMU vs. Texas in Austin. Freshman QB Lance McIlhenny starts for the ponies and leads them to a 20-6 win. There were a lot of wins in the 80s, but this was the sweetest for me.

Favorite Post DP memory -- UCONN vs SMU in Ownby.

[TECH_FAN]

my least favorite moment was watching Bobby Leach race down the sidelines in Lubbock...LOL...Probably the best moment was when the ncaa reinstated the program from the dead,that was a great day on the hilltop. RAIDER POWER!!!

[mrydel]

Although there are many, I must say mine was meeting the top local sportscaster in Austin at a party shortly after the 1980 win against Texas. Prior to the game he had done a commentary blasting Ron Meyer for embarassing the sport of football for starting a never tested, young, unknown quarterback against the Great Number 2 ranked University of Texas. I got to ask him how he felt about his commentary after the game. Turned out he was a graduate of either the University of Arizona or ASU and felt about the Longhorns about the same as I. He said he was under constant local network pressure to always talk up the Longhorns and degrade other teams. Not only was he pleased that SMU had won (privately) but also presented a retraction commentary of apology his next sportscast. It was a great day during my stint of living in Orange Country.

[OldPony]

Jerry Levias's catch from Inez Perez with only seconds remaining against A&M in 67. The whole 66 season was a thrill. The Ponies won many of their games in route to the 66 SWC Championship in the last 1-2 minutes of the game. It was an entire season of heartstoppers with the Ponies coming out on top. No season could have been more fun even though it wasn't a National Championship caliber team. Just a great bunch of overachievers and a couple of real stars.

[Diehard Pony]

October 23, 1982. Number 2 ranked SMU at number 5 ranked Texas. Second largest crowd (80k+)for a football game of any kind in the state of Texas, bolstered by 12k-15k of SMU fans that had traveled. It was a gorgeous day. National TV.

We win 30-17 as Craig James catches a touchdown pass from Lance Mcllhenny in the final minute.

I thought to myself it is never going to get better than this.


[This message has been edited by Diehard Pony (edited 05-28-2003).]

[ponyte]

Not only is it my favorite Mustang Moment, but also one of life's greatest thrills. SMU beats #2 Horns in Austin in 1980.

SMU was coming off back-to-back close loses against Baylor and Houston. Texas had beaten OU and SMU had not beaten a Texas team in 13 years.

Craig James running the go ahead TD is as vivid in my mind today as it was that day. SMU had a great goal line stand in the first half and the offensive line kept holes open all day for Dickerson and James. No one hero won the game that day. It was just a great team effort.

And the icing on the cake was heading back to Dallas on the bus and passing a UT decorated Van. A middle-aged dude was driving and next to him in the passenger seat was a little old lady. As our bus passed, we all gave the hook 'em horns down sign and the old lady, viciously shaking her hand, gave us the finger. NOW that was really worth it.

[Dirty Bird]

The inaugural WAC win over in Tulsa in 1996.
9,000 at the Cotton Bowl.
The pageantry.
The birth of a heated rivalry.
Names like Thornal, Blueitt, Washington.
That was SPECIAL.

[Nacho]

1915 when we beat Hendrix for our first ever win. Those were the days. I remember it like it was yesterday. The clouds were dark and grey. A touch of moisture in the air. Man it was cold--10 below as I recall. Back and forth all day. Hendrix had just won the NC and we were heavy underdogs. Somehow we pulled it off with a last second 97 yard statue of liberty play. Heady days.

[This message has been edited by Nacho (edited 05-28-2003).]

[PonyPride]

When football returned to SMU in 1989, I was covering the team for the Daily Campus. At that time, the media was brought on to the field at Ownby Stadium with five minutes left in the game so reporters could follow the players in to the locker room for interviews. We were brought down on the field when SMU hosted UConn, with the Ponies trailing by 16. As everyone knows, the Ponies then staged the comeback ending with the Romo-to-Bowen touchdown pass in the game forever known as the "Miracle on Mockingbird."

At the end of the game -- and having not yet grasped the notion of separating media status from fan/student status -- I turned and handed my notebook and tape recorder to the other D.C. reporter who was covering the game, and I raced down the field and dove in to the pile of players celebrating SMU's first win since the program returned to campus. I don't remember who was in the pile, but I do remember thinking I was way too small to be in that mess, and that I should have donned pads and a helmet before jumping in. Eventually, players began to climb off the pile, and I began to get my breath back. Before I could get up, however, OL Oscar Rosales was stretched out across me and he began cramping up. Trainers rushed over to him and then instructed ME not to move or try to pull myself out from under him. He had me pinned for what seemed like hours while the trainers worked on his cramps and administered fluids. (From that day on, I've had a hard time believing people who talk about how "small" our linemen were back then....)

[ARMYMustang]

I went to school at Smu from '98 to '02 to I did not get a chance to see SMU at its finest during the early eighties, but the most memorable moment I had was in 2000 during the Fresno State game and a receiver broke away down the sideline when Jonas Rutledge passed turned around and belted him right in the torso. I can't remeber if he knocked him out but I do remember the kid staying on the ground for a while and never returning.

[mrydel]

Do not believe NACHO. It was not a degree below 0.

[Mexmustang]

The last 60 seconds of the 1966 game in Austin...Texas' most highly recruited player, Bill Bradley fumbles while running out the clock, we move down and kick a field goal to win! and go on to win the conference championship. The kick, the clock, etc. are in the annual that year. Maybe someone can publish it. The only thing missing was Royal's face!

[Dark Horse]

Ha - very professional, PonyPride!

[MrMustang1965]

Some excellent postings and memories so far! I was around for all of 'em...except the one that Nacho attended! Keep 'em coming, Mustangs! And let's build some more memories (good ones!) in 2003! Oh, yeah...Tech Fan: that is one helluva memory that you have about Leach's last minute run. Ask Born Red & Blue about that 'moment' sometime.

------------------
"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!