I have such an appreciation for the Mustang mascot. Whether it’s on a fleece jacket or the cheek of a pretty girl, the Mustang a great conversation piece, if not ultimate lifesaver.

It is not for a lack of pride for my alma mater, but I typically travel to and from SMU games in unmarked clothing. I don’t like my clothes smelling like an airplane, so I am quick to rely on the same long-sleeve fleece in chilly climates. My travel plans got altered a bit on the recent East Carolina trip, however, and I was wearing an SMU shirt out of the beautiful Raleigh Sunday.

John Hampton says head coach June Jones is the headliner, but his entire staff deserves ample credit for helping build the SMU program to where it is now — preparing for the first conference championship game in school history (photo by Travis Johnston).

Upon boarding the plane, el capitan saw the pony on my chest and says, “Go Mustangs! Handle up in Orlando next week.”

We exchanged some small talk and I asked if he was a grad, to which he replied, “nah, just love a good college football story.”

It was either because I struggle to sleep well in hotels or the post-game scene in Greenville was just too much fun, but I was really tired and I thought for the first time in my life, I may fall asleep on a plane.

But I couldn’t — not after what the pilot said.

Think about it. A bowl drought longer than any current player’s lifespan and in a coach’s third season, SMU is playing for a conference championship. Objectively, to the general college football observer, June Jones and his staff bringing their Hawaiian show to the mainland and applying successful life principles to a program known for receiving the biggest black eye in the history of sports … and watching it thrive.

We would all agree it takes a village to raise a child, or at least agree the proverb was originated for good reason. Yet books are written and movies are made when the underdog with every excuse at failure slices through conventional stereotypes and achieves without having any visible head start or unfair advantage gained from being part of a thriving village.

I often highlight June Jones’s greatness. That is a huge oversight. I should be highlighting June and staff. He is the head coach and GM, but the staff… the staff is the mighty village.

If a college team has any variation of a compass direction immediately preceding or succeeding a continental United State in the school name, there is pretty solid chance they will still maintain a sturdy, faithful fan base. Such loyal fans can be seen in many American cities driving into their weekly tailgate spot (not everyone can experience such joy as The Boulevard), with their mascot flags flying high, team-colored everything and children dressed up as players and cheerleaders. People are prideful about their regions and need something to do on the weekends.

Naturally, those highly supported schools fill stadiums and cling to elusive runs of good signing classes and bowl appearances with hopes of returning to those levels as annually as possible. Expectations are set, state money and large alumni bases create the revenue necessary to hire and fire the best coaches, build new facilities and stay as current or slightly ahead of conference competition, among other things. Think of it as a village with plentiful natural resources and long-standing structure equipped to provide a head start to life after scholarship athletics.

SMU lost a generation of games and along the way, a generation of fans. It may have a compass direction in the school name, but that whole religious tie has a unique way of cropping and filtering potential fan bases. Directional state schools can lose forever but locals will show up faster and louder than the Wal-Mart t-shirt they bought on the way into town and to the stadium in the midst of a two-game winning streak.

Bottom line, at this very second, SMU doesn’t have a comparable village but is raising an incomparably overachieving child.

Conference USA game day atmosphere may not be the SEC or Big 12, but that’s not because of East Carolina. Outside of the cheesy BCS-arranged conferences, only BYU and their 60,000 fans per game outdraw the Pirates. ECU outdraws TCU.

Last year, when SMU beat UTEP to gain bowl eligibility, I said that day was my most proud as a Mustang. When they thumped Nevada in the bowl game, I said that day was my most proud as a Mustang.

And Friday in Greenville, in overtime, seeing Richard Crawford in position for a pick before the ball left ECU QB Dominique Davis’ hand, I screamed an unprofessional, “Yes, Sir!” over Rich Phillips, knowing the game was about to end and this little school with a rough stretch has taken the next step and drafted another chapter in a good college football story. Watching Crawford tap a knee down, end the game, sprint to the opposite end zone as a sea of white uniforms galloped and chased in celebration can not be erased from memory — ever.

Believe it or not, it was my most proud moment as a Mustang.

They play again Saturday — you know, the same day as the other conference championships.