Seven - cusa-fans.com

[mr. pony]

Seven
SMU Thumps Tulane, Gets To Seven Wins, Bowl For First Time Since ‘84
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://www.cusa-fans.com/

DALLAS – Lance McIlhenny stood near the goal post in the south end zone of Ford Stadium on Saturday during the waning minutes of SMU’s scrap with Tulane - just in case, it seemed.

Trailing, 26-21, The Green Wave looked ready to puke all over SMU’s carefully set banquet table, moving ever closer toward McIlhenny’s turf as the clock ticked under two minutes to go. McIlhenny looked ready to assist if called on.

Of course, it was McIlhenny at the helm as a freshman quarterback when SMU last surged toward football prominence in 1980 - after five straight losing seasons and twelve years without a bowl.

That’s the year the Mustangs - with McIlhenny, in his first start, Craig James and Eric Dickerson – rolled into Austin and throttled No. 2 Texas, ushering in the halcyon years of bowls, conference championships and The Pony Express.

But this day, McIlhenny’s services were not required. Tulane never got close, wilting after a pass interference call wiped out a Greenie first down at SMU’s 39-yard-line.

Later, with eleven ticks left, Tulane’s futile hook-and-lateral crashed and the Mustangs had a seven-win season - and a bowl - for the first time in a quarter-century.

SMU’s current freshman quarterback, Kyle Padron, completed 20 of 34 passes for 264 yards with no picks. When Padron, in his first start at Tulsa on October 31, led SMU to victory as 17-point ‘dogs, “McIlhenny” no doubt flashed in some longtime Mustang fans’ minds.

And for you Lincoln-Kennedy types, McIlhenny and Padron:
*both had their first starts after mid-season, leading their teams to upset road wins over two-touchdown-or-better favorites
*both won their first three starts and lost their fourth
*both led their teams to bowl games their first year, ending extended bowl droughts
*both will have eight-win first years if the ’09 Mustangs win their bowl game

Even SMU coach June Jones brought up the ‘80s Mustangs after the game - without prompting. “They talk about the Pony Express and all that?” Jones said he’d told the team the night before. “Guess what? They’re going to talk about you guys from here on.”

Emmanuel Sanders certainly solidified his title as the greatest receiver in SMU history on Saturday, setting yet another school record to go with: career receptions (278), career yardage (3,667), season receptions (91) and career receiving touchdowns (33).

His 75-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter set a new school record for receiving yardage in a season - 1,215 - surpassing Jerry LeVias’ mark of 1,131 set in 1968.

As Sanders celebrated the announcement with teammates near the bench, Jones walked back and shook Sanders’ hand. Sanders also got some good-natured grief from teammates, even a friend in the stands, for getting caught from behind on Tulane’s two-yard-line.


Emmanuel Sanders nears the goal line in first half

Running back Shawnbrey “The Closer” McNeal again proved indispensable, rushing 26 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. He simply took over in the fourth quarter with SMU down, 21-20, rushing five straight times from Tulane’s 41 for the game-winning points.

“Every time I get the ball,” McNeal said, “I’m always thinking about, ‘Let’s go get it. Let’s get to the end zone by any means necessary.’ The o-line loves blocking for me. They love blocking. They actually like running the ball more than throwing the ball, believe it or not.”

Linebacker Pete Fleps led SMU with 11 tackles. Fleps is the Mustangs’ third leading tackler this season with 74 stops, behind Chase Kennemer (126) and Chris Banjo (85).

Jones’ love for his players was evident during a post-game recognition of seniors. As their names were called, SMU’s twelve seniors, accompanied by family members, strode from the north tunnel through a fan gauntlet to meet Jones standing in the end zone.

A handshake and a slap on the back? Not hardly. Jones fully embraced each player for six, seven, eight seconds while speaking quietly into an ear. After photos, each player received two flower leis, a personalized blue team jersey, a plaque and a poster-sized color action shot of themselves.

Afterward, Jones thanked the fans who stayed before adding, “It’s just going to get better and better and better.”

“This has been really a neat experience for me,” Jones said later, “because I knew I came here for a reason. One day I’ll share all that with you, why. I don’t really care to do it right now. But I came here for a reason, specifically.”

“I really feel that this is a special group of guys,” he said. “I’ve been on a lot of teams, a lot of winning teams, but these guys really have honored the spirit of God, to be quite honest.”

“I’m really proud of the guys and how they have really respected each other and how they’ve learned to love each other. … And it’s meant a lot to me to see the alumni and the surrounding people that are just as thrilled as the players. … It only happens, to me, in these situations where you’ve been losing for so long.”

“I knew that it would happen,” Jones said. “I just didn’t know when.”

Though not yet official, SMU should play Nevada or Fresno State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve - unless Hawaii beats 12-point-favorite Wisconsin on Saturday in Honolulu.


Shawnbrey McNeal on the run

Quotable Jones
*On aloha spirit: “Texas has a spirit also. I even remember calling back to Hawaii saying, ‘I don’t know how to put a finger on it, but the people here are really hospitable and want to help you.’ …Five thousand miles away, they call it aloha spirit in Hawaii but here they call it, whatever, hospitality. But it’s similar, the personalities of the culture in Texas and Hawaii.”
*On Emmanuel Sanders: “He has helped himself so much. He was thinking about going pro last year. His decision and courage to come back and believe in us as coaches and believe in his teammates says a lot about Emmanuel.”

Notes:
*SMU’s 2009 seniors: Chase Kennemer, Emmanuel Sanders, Mitch Enright, Bryan McCann, Chris Parham, Zach Zimmerman, Kellis Cunningham, Rock Dennis, Josh Bryant, Tim Crosby, A’Darius Medford and Bryce Hudman.
*Sanders will graduate SMU with a degree in Sociology on December 19, the same day SMU leaves for Hawaii. Sanders said he’ll join the team the next day.
*SMU has a 1,000-yard receiver - Sanders (1,215) - and a 1,000-yard rusher - Shawnbrey McNeal (1,125) - for the only the second time in school history. Jerry LeVias (1,131 receiving) and Mike Richardson (1,034 rushing) teamed up for the feat in 1968.
*McNeal is the first 1000-yard rusher of June Jones’ college head coaching career.

[ponyscott]

Thats great with great pics as well!

[indianmustang]

nice pics and good story

[SMU_is_bowling]

Awesome stuff!!!

[Arkpony]

Thanks! Jones Hugging and softly speaking to each Senior after the game brought tears to my eyes. Folks! We are so fortunate to have him! The man has CLASS!!