Ok SMU Fans I wanna hear "YOUR" best Pony Story

[ponyscott]

If I remember correctly we needed to win to go to the cotton bowl. We had gone the year before so if we tied Texas they would go since it had been longer since they had been. I may be mistaken, but that is how I remember it.[/quote]

Bingo![/quote]

No, no Bingo. If we had tied that game we would have been in the Cotton Bowl that year. We went for two mainly because Collins had taken so much heat after the Arkansas game the year before, for settling for the tie.

Texas was in first place most of the year, but had a major collapse at the end of the season. They lost to Houston, and then were upset by both Baylor and A&M at the end of the year. They also lost their bowl game (52-17 to Iowa), so they lost 4 of their last 5 games. If we had tied Texas, though, we would have been in the Cotton Bowl, Houston had 2 losses (Arkansas and TCU) and Texas had 3 conference losses. We would have finished with 1 loss (Houston) and 1 tie (Texas) and we would have been in the Cotton Bowl.[/quote]

Exactly right...Collins was second guessed to death for going for the Tie against Arkansas the previous year and not going for two for the supposed win as there really was time left to win when they got the ball back, but during the pony express days and lance at the helm we didn't have the best passing game to come back with limited time. In 1983 SMU had the longest winning, or non losing streak, in the country at the time at I think 20 or 21 wins so Bobby Collins fell victim to all the pundits at the time and went for it as he still had that darn blemish on his record..(11-0 and..... 1) from the year before. Fools Gold!

[ponyte]

All great memories. Really unique ones. Thanks for sharing. Though I wasn't even a gleam in my father's eyes at the time, he did tell me about a game that was great for him. SMU-ND in '51. I wish we had a way to preserve some of the great and not so great moments from our past.

[Mestengo]

One time at band camp?

[birddogger]

1. Riding the h##l bus back from Austin after the 20-6 win. Can remember only some of the trip, but I’m sure the rest of it was good. Did wake up with many bruises and sore ribs. For weeks we’d always ask each other what time it was. The answer was always “20 to 6.”

2. Was also on the sideline at Kyle Field just before halftime with a bird’s eye view of the infamous Aggie swashbuckler incident, grouping up with the trombone section, ready to use the mouthpiece as brass knuckles, and waiting for a big fight. Scary, but a good rush. I was looking for Byron Hunt to get my back.

3. Cotton Bowl - snow sleet hail and rain. Oh, and the 7-3 win over Dan Marino and Pitt.

4. Hearing Jackie Sherrill ask Bobby Collins after our 1980(?) home blow-out of TAMU if he wanted to “trade teams.” Dickerson had two carries in the second half for 175 yards.

[ponyboy]

Other than the 1980 Texas game, my favorite memory was a few years back when my oldest son ( who was about nine at the time) decides he's going to be Bobby Chase for Halloween. My wife buys a jersey and carries it up to the football offices in Ford Stadium. Bennett's very sweet secretary makes it happen and we get the signed jersey and present it to an ecstatic kid. We then take a photo of young Hank with the jersey on standing in front of the Doak statue and PonyPride posts it on the front page of ponyfans. And, if that was not enough, that weekend, the phone rings. It's a college kid wanting to speak to my son. Bobby Chase was inviting him and his younger brother for a day at Dave and Busters! We ended up that evening playing touch football on the Las Colinas CC golf course. What a class act Bobby was and still is.

[SMU Cyclist]

First football memory, watching (national television) a great come from behind win against the eventual conference champion Texas A&M (Inez Perez to LeVias) in 1967. Greatness.

9 years old, watching the Astro Bluebonnet Bowl game, SMU (Hixson, LeVias) vs Oklahoma (Steve Owens) and SMU prevailing by a point.

Schoolmate McIllhenny beating UT while I was a UT student, and rooting for the Ponies. Feeling bad that I gave him grief over a Plano-HP game!

Cotton Bowl victory against Pitt

Taking my 1 year old daughter Katarina to the Cotton Bowl for her first football game and seeing SMU beat Arkansas (1996)

Celebrating on the field after SMU beats TCU 21-10

Taking the children to see SMU beat Tulane and securing the Hawai'i Bowl! Isabella asks numerous questions about how this confusing game is played. Take their pictures on the field with the beautiful Mustangs and with kicker Matt Szymanski. Say "Hi" to HP and Baylor great and SMU parent Scott Smith....

[redpony]

My best Pony story deals with a very young boy from a small Ohio town and a comic book.

At the age of 9 I read a comic book about Doak Walker and immediately decided that I wanted to go to SMU and dreamed of becoming a ‘second’ Doak Walker.
A couple of years later, in 1950 SMU played the Buckeyes in Columbus. They played on Sept. 30 and it was my father’s birthday. I saved money from my paper route and was able to buy tickets for the game through a ‘well connected’ OSU alum as his birthday present. We all went to the game. At halftime the score was OSU-21, SMU-0. The OSU alum almost had me in tears telling me how bad those ‘little Texans’ were and that they knew nothing about playing football. Well, the second half was a little different. Fred Benners, Kyle Rote and Johnny Champion teamed up to show OSU that the game was far from over. In what turned out to be the longest game played in ‘the horseshoe’ my Mustangs came roaring back and won 32-27. After the game the OSU alum took me down to the SMU locker room and get me in so that I could meet some of the players.
My game program was filled with autographs from players like Benners, Champion, Rote, [deleted] Hightower, Benton Musselwhite, Bobby Folsom, Darrel Lafite and many others. To highlight my visit Doak had come down from Detroit and was in the locker room as well. I was able to talk and visit with him and the other players. That was an experience that will never be forgotten. That autographed program is still one of my most cherished possessions.
Like many of you I have been privileged to watch many SMU football games. I have lived through the highs and lows of our football program. Experienced the hopes, expectations and then disappointments of preceding years. Like the phoenix, I believe that we have finally risen from the ashes of our death penalty and are headed back to national prominence. Thanks to JJ, all of the other coaches and the players that have made this possible.

[EastStang]

1. 1983 Cotton Bowl beating Pitt to clinch our undefeated season.
2. 1974 Aggie game where Louie Kelcher personally squashed the wishbone and we screwed up the Aggie's halftime performance.
3. Baylor Game where they benched Wesson and put in Chuck Benefield who led us back from a 24 point deficit to win the game by passing.

[Arkpony]

One of my best recollections (out of 54 years seeing games) was in, I believe 1957. We were playing Navy, as I recall, in the Cotton Bowl. Don Meredith had been injured and not playing for a few games and he wasn't playing, so far, in this one. Midway through the game, Meredith trotted out on the field to a thunderous ovation and cheering from the 50,000 fans in the stadium. I turned to my friend standing beside me and said "Boy, the crowd really expects Meredith to do something great". Meredith promptly, on the first play, threw about a 70 yard TD pass, then trotted back off the field to an even louder cheer. He was the most exciting player I have ever been priviledged to watch.

[Glenn Sosbee]

Alright, I'm going to correct all of you burn outs at once.
1980 SMU 20 Texas 6 in Austin
1981 Texas 9 SMU 7 Texas Stadium
1982 SMU 30 Texas 17 in Austin
1983 Texas 15 SMU 12 Texas Stadium
1984 Texas (and refs) 13 SMU 7 in Austin
1985 SMU 44 Texas 14 Texas Stadium
1986 Texas 27 SMU 24 Austin

Wow. Did we OWN the horns, or what? Thank's for that clarification for us burn outs. Here's a little personal story from that game...At some point in the 2nd half, I was moving myself down the aisle to go grab a coke (or [deleted]) and this Horns fan reached up and [deleted] my chest, which was dawning three letters, S M U. Ok, so I've basically just been assaulted by a drunk Longhorns fan. After he struck me, this guy, who must have been around 40 or 50 years old (I was 17 or so), started dog-cussing me and telling me what a punk I apparently was. I invited him to follow me out to the consession area to settle our little issue. As I was walking in front of him down the ramp, I turned around and landed a right cross right between his eyes. I was wearing a ring, so it opened him up pretty good. At that point we were both swinging wildly as the police quickly approached. They got in between us and conducted a brief investigation. Witnesses (alot of them Horns) confirmed that he started it and the dude was escorted out of the stadium while I was allowed to stay and watch my ponies add insult to injury. This incident made SMU's win over UT that day even sweeter. I'll bet that guy is STILL pissed.

[ponyscott]

Alright, I'm going to correct all of you burn outs at once.
1980 SMU 20 Texas 6 in Austin
1981 Texas 9 SMU 7 Texas Stadium
1982 SMU 30 Texas 17 in Austin
1983 Texas 15 SMU 12 Texas Stadium
1984 Texas (and refs) 13 SMU 7 in Austin
1985 SMU 44 Texas 14 Texas Stadium
1986 Texas 27 SMU 24 Austin

Wow. Did we OWN the horns, or what? Thank's for that clarification for us burn outs. Here's a little personal story from that game...At some point in the 2nd half, I was moving myself down the aisle to go grab a coke (or [deleted]) and this Horns fan reached up and [deleted] my chest, which was dawning three letters, S M U. Ok, so I've basically just been assaulted by a drunk Longhorns fan. After he struck me, this guy, who must have been around 40 or 50 years old (I was 17 or so), started dog-cussing me and telling me what a punk I apparently was. I invited him to follow me out to the consession area to settle our little issue. As I was walking in front of him down the ramp, I turned around and landed a right cross right between his eyes. I was wearing a ring, so it opened him up pretty good. At that point we were both swinging wildly as the police quickly approached. They got in between us and conducted a brief investigation. Witnesses (alot of them Horns) confirmed that he started it and the dude was escorted out of the stadium while I was allowed to stay and watch my ponies add insult to injury. This incident made SMU's win over UT that day even sweeter. I'll bet that guy is STILL pissed.

Good job 'Champ'....

[ponyboy]

In what turned out to be the longest game played in ‘the horseshoe’ my Mustangs came roaring back and won 32-27.

Now THAT'S a good story. Thank you Red.

[ALEX LIFESON]

1. 1983 Cotton Bowl beating Pitt to clinch our undefeated season.
2. 1974 Aggie game where Louie Kelcher personally squashed the wishbone and we screwed up the Aggie's halftime performance.
3. Baylor Game where they benched Wesson and put in Chuck Benefield who led us back from a 24 point deficit to win the game by passing.

Chuck Benifields brother Greg, works in our office at Special Delivery Service. Greg and Chuck were at our 'vard camp on Saturday, and then enjoyed the Stang victory!

[frank 72]

I remember my favorite PONY moment...came in the early 80's..I was fortunate enought to be invited to the New York Athletic Club for the Heisman Trophy Award Banquet..Marcus Allen was the recipient that year.I had a 30 min one to one conversation with the great Doak Walker who was in attendance.He recognized the red pony I had on my lapel...and thats the way it was.