DMN Game Recap

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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... a6506.html

SMU holds off UAB, 35-33, to go 2-0
10:16 PM CDT on Saturday, September 12, 2009

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Maybe one victory can't make up for years of agonizing defeats, but don't try telling that to the SMU Mustangs. One victory means everything to them. And two is even better.

The smiling faces emerged from a jubilant locker room after a highly entertaining 35-33 victory over Alabama-Birmingham at Legion Field, and it was clear that there was something new going on with the Mustangs.

It's called 2-0, a record they haven't had since 1996.

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It's called winning a Conference USA game for the first time after 17 consecutive losses.

And it's called winning on the road for the first time since early in the 2006 season, a stretch of 15 games.

"It's unbelievable," said senior receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who has been through the grinder of a 2-22 record the last two seasons. "Two-and-oh. I got this feeling that nothing can replace."

Sanders is a big reason why the Mustangs pulled off the stunner. He caught nine passes for 148 yards and a first-half touchdown when they rolled up a 28-7 lead.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 353 yards and three TDs, although he had a couple of tough-luck interceptions.

And the Mustangs' defense did its part, producing five turnovers. And the biggest play came with 13 seconds left. The Blazers, who had missed an earlier extra point try, had driven 60 yards to pull within 35-33. On the two-point try, UAB quarterback Joe Webb overthrew a pass in the end zone, but SMU was flagged for interference.

On the next try, Webb was caught in the backfield by linebacker Taylor Reed and several other Mustangs, preserving the win.

"In the NFL, we used to say you have to win on the road in your division to get to the playoffs," SMU coach June Jones said. "It's no different in college. You have to win in your conference on the road if you ever want to be somebody. And that's what we did today."

The outpouring of emotions in the locker room seemed to erase the painful memories of Jones' first season.

"What makes me happy is that I know the formula works and this has been a hard one, I'm not going to kid you," he said. "I thought we would turn it around the middle of last year. But I didn't realize they'd really been pounded down mentally. And it's really rewarding to see the tears in their eyes. I have a feeling they're buying into it. You don't win a game like this unless they are."

Tears of joy have been few and far between. But the Mustangs made plays when they had to on both sides of the ball. Mitchell was sensational in the first half, hitting 16 of 22 passes for 223 yards.

Webb, the UAB quarterback who had more than 400 yards of offense last week against Rice, was contained well enough by the swarming SMU defense.

UAB's comeback was built mostly off of three consecutive Mustangs turnovers, the last of which was an interception that bounced off Cole Beasley's hands and was returned 20 yards by Andre Hicks for the score.

But Taylor Thompson blew through the UAB line and blocked the extra point.

When they needed to, Mitchell and the receivers did their job. They engineered a 54-yard drive that lopped 5:07 off the fourth-quarter clock. ShawnBrey McNeal scored on a 19-yard run after a pass-interference penalty had knocked SMU back from the 4-yard line.

"It feels great," Mitchell said. "The main thing that makes me happy is that we're doing it for the seniors. We rise on their shoulders.

"It just feels amazing to come out here and completely flip things around. Finally."

Finally, indeed.