Could it be .... possibly .... that the karma around SMU football is changing? FINALLY? I think so.
Exhibit A: Blake Warren bailed out on a punt, presumably because he thought he'd get drilled. When the ball came down, it hit Jonathan Lindley, who was blocking the UTEP gunner. In years past, that ball bounces right into the hands of an opponent, more than likely a 4.2 sprinter who ends up flying downfield with it, maybe to the end zone. Instead, it bounced harmless out of bounds. Possession: Mustangs.
Exhibit B: pass over the middle to Bobby Chase goes incomplete and bounces straight up in the air. Chase spins around, clearly not knowing where the thing is. He runs into the defender who's going for the interception, and the ball falls incomplete. In years past, that ball is picked off. Possession: Mustangs.
Exhibit C: THE PLAY. Long pass to Bobby Chase. He gets spun around, fumbles the ball straight up in the air, and he's able to reach out and grab it .... and get to the end zone. How many times since 1989 would that ball fall back to OUR receiver? Not many, if any.
The Ponies not only played hard, they played smart (see D.D. Lee's decision to to go down with his INT, and Cedrick Dorsey's ability to stay in bounds on his long run late in the game), and yes, they played lucky.
How long until 2006 season tickets go on sale?