Notes for Tech game

[PonyPride]

Setting the Scene

* SMU enters the season on a three-game win streak, its longest since
1999.

* The Mustangs will be looking for a win over a ranked team for the
second time in two seasons, having topped No. 22 TCU, 21-10, a year ago.

* DeMyron Martin enters the year with big expectations for 2006. The
2005 freshman All-American has been tabbed a preseason All-C-USA
performer by several publications after finishing last season with 854
yards on the ground, marking the third-best freshman season total in
school history.

* Entering the season, SMU has scored on 20 straight trips inside the
opponent's 20. SMU led the nation in 2005 with a 93.8 percent efficiency
rating in the red zone, scoring on 30 of 32 trips a year ago.

* SMU fans aren't the only ones with Bowl hopes for SMU in 2006. While
SMU hasn't been to a Bowl game since defeating Notre Dame 27-20 in the
1984 Aloha Bowl, even Sports Illustrated thinks SMU can break the
22-year dry spell in 2006, as the publication projects an SMU-BYU
match-up in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to be played Dec. 23
in Ft. Worth.

* SMU will be looking for a win in its season opener for the first time
since it opened Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Sept. 2, 2000, with a 31-17
win over Big 12 opponent Kansas.

* SMU is 2-1 all-time on Sept. 2, having topped Kansas 31-17 in 2000 and
Arkansas 17-14 in 1995. Its lone loss came by a score of 35-6 to Rice in
1989.

* While SMU returns talented running backs and wide receivers, the
biggest offensive skill position question facing the Mustangs is quarterback play, where SMU has no players on the depth chart that have
ever taken a Division I snap.

About Texas Tech
* The Red Raiders are known for their high-powered offense and strong
quarterback play. Tech ended 2005 with a Cotton Bowl appearance, but
starts the 2006 season with a new signal caller, Graham Harrell.

The Series
* SMU and Texas Tech have played a series of streaks. Tech has won 10
straight over the Mustangs since 1989, but prior to that streak, SMU had
won six straight. SMU's last win in Lubbock came in 1986 and Tech won
the last meeting out west, 58-10. The Red Raiders and 'Stangs last met
in 2004 in Dallas with Tech winning, 27-13.

Last Time Vs. Tech
DALLAS - Despite an inspired effort, the SMU Mustangs dropped
their 2004 season opener on Sept. 4, 27-13, before a record crowd of
34,689 fans at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

SMU scored first on a 35-yard field goal by Chris McMurtray. The
Mustangs went into halftime down just 6-3, but the Red Raiders scored 17
second-half points to pull away late.

SMU starting quarterback Chris Phillips was 12-of-28 passing for
109 yards and rushed 21 times for 75 yards on the ground. Redshirt
freshman Cedrick Dorsey tallied the first TD of his career with a
seven-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter.

DeMyron DeMan
Sophomore running back DeMyron Martin is poised for a breakout
season in 2006. Coming off a season that saw him earn freshman
All-America accolades, Martin has been tabbed a preseason All-C-USA
performer by several publications.

The Allen, Texas, native had four 100-yard games in 2005, and
while he's still a ways from Eric Dickerson's school record for 100-yard
games (28), Martin is already tied for 18th in SMU history.

Martin finished 2005 with 854 yards on the ground, marking the
third-best freshman season total in school history.

Not Your Average Joe
A member of the preseason Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List,
senior safety Joe Sturdivant improved by leaps and bounds in 2005.
The Lilburn, Ga., native led the Mustangs in tackles (112) and pass
breakups (11) and was the C-USA leader in passes defended (14).
SMU fans and coaches aren't the only ones expecting big things
from Sturdivant in 2006, though, as he has been tabbed preseason
All-C-USA performer by numerous outlets and was named SMU's "Big Man On Campus" by Sports Illustrated.

Chase-ing Records
In just two seasons on the Hilltop, senior Bobby Chase has
amassed 1,108 career receiving yards - perhaps none more spectacular
than the 31 yards he gained on the game-winning TD at UAB. He is just
the 19th player in school history to break the 1,000-yard mark.

After notching 625 receiving yards in 2005, he has a chance to
become just the fourth player in school history to record two 600-yard
seasons (Jerry LeVias, Emanuel Tolbert & Ron Morris).

Chase has received preseason recognition from several outlets
including being named All-C-USA by Phil Steele's and one of "Five
Receivers You Need To Know" by Pigskin Press.

Yo, Adrian!
After some early-season adjustments, defensive tackle Adrian
Haywood was a force on SMU's line in 2005. A junior college transfer,
Haywood came up big late, notching 31 of his 42 season tackles in the
last five weeks of the season.

In the season finale against UTEP, Haywood had nine tackles, two
sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Haywood earned third-team All-C-USA honors and was the
Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his performance
against the Miners.

J.R. & Dallas
Senior defensive end Justin Rogers has transformed himself since
arriving on the Hilltop as a 205-pound freshman back in 2002.

The 6-4 Greenville native has been on a mission to gain weight -
and he has made it. Dining on a 15,000 calorie per day diet, Rogers has
gained 60 pounds in the last four-plus seasons and now tips the scales
at 265 pounds!

His regimen has translated well to the field, as he led C-USA in
sacks last season and has been a preseason All-C-USA selection by
multiple outlets.

Rogers is also a big hunter - He skinned a coyote during his
senior year in high school and gave the hide to his step-mom for
Christmas.

Return To Sender
Jessie Henderson is known as a force to be reckoned with on kick
returns. The sophomore has been tabbed an honorable mention preseason
All-American by Street & Smith's and has been a preseason All-Conference selection in numerous magazines.

The 5-9 Paris, Texas, native led C-USA and ranked 13th in the
NCAA with a 27.6 ypr average a year ago and is close to breaking into
SMU's all-time top 10 in career return yards after just one full season!

Kennedy Katches
Despite suffering knee injury in the 2005 season finale, Ryan
Kennedy is poised for a big senior season on the Hilltop. The 6-5,
265-lb., Beeville native was a preseason second-team All-Conference USA
selection by CollegeFootballNews.com and will look to regain the form
that had him on the 2005 preseason Lombardi Award Watch List.

Holy Cow!
Junior linebacker Tony Hawkins made a successful switch from
wide receiver to linebacker in the spring.

One of the toughest parts of such a transition should be learning how to tackle. Hawkins, however, had no such trouble as the Longview, Texas, native tags cattle in the off-seasons. Hawkins wrestles the cattle to the ground and then applies a tag to their ears for identification purposes. After tackling a cow, how tough can a running back be?

Poynt-ing The Way
They may not have the acclaim of the Pointer Sisters, but SMU's
Poynter cousins - Ben & Tommy - are integral parts of the Mustangs'
offensive line.

The former walk-ons both start, with Ben in his third year as a
starter on the line, while Tommy is seeing his first starting action in
2006.

Let's Play One!
While a football game is slated for 60 minutes, the first quarter has been a pretty good indicator for which team will win over SMU's last 24 games.

Over that span, the team that has led after the first quarter is 17-5 (two games have been tied at the end of one period).

In The Line Of Fire
After seeing spot duty in eight games in 2005, junior Kenard Burley will be "thrown into the fire" this season as a starter on the offensive line.

It won't be his first time taking the heat, however, as the Rosser, Texas, native has fought fires as a volunteer firefighter with the Rosser Fire Department and hopes to continue his fire-fighting ways after graduation.

"Flea" Flies
Senior receiver Blake Warren, nicknamed "Flea" by his teammates, is in his fourth season as SMU's punt return specialist and already ranks fourth on the SMU career charts with 565 return yards. He needs just 186 yards in 2006 to break Doak Walker's 57-year-old school record (750) and just 18 returns to snap Chris Cunningham's school mark for attempts (71).

Defense Wins Championships?
While coaches say defense wins championships, scoring has been an indicator of success for SMU under Phil Bennett.

In Bennett's four seasons on the Hilltop, SMU is 10-1 when scoring 24 or more and 1-34 when scoring less than 24.

WWWe WWWere First
SMU offers live streaming of its home football games. While we're not the first school to do so, SMU has always been on the cutting edge of the world wide web.

SMU partnered with Broadcast.com to broadcast the first-ever college football game (SMU 17, Arkansas 14) over the internet on Sept. 2, 1995.

In 2006, all but one SMU Mustang football game will be available to view live on television or over the internet.

McCann Cann
Corner Bryan McCann is one of three true freshmen to make the SMU depth chart in 2006 (kicker Kellis Cunningham and short snapper Sam
Bennett are the others).

A native of Oklahoma City, McCann has shown his abilities as a
playmaker and has moved up to the second team.

Want to see his skills? Go to YouTube.com and search for "McCann punt return" to see him make seven defenders miss en route to a punt-return touchdown.

Whatchoo Talkin' 'Bout Willis?
SMU redshirt freshman Justin Willis will be under the spotlight as 2006 begins. The Denton, Texas, native has never taken a Division I snap and will be looking to guide SMU to its first Bowl berth in 22 years.

The national spotlight is nothing new to Willis, however, as the former Denton Ryan standout had high school games broadcast on ESPN.

Holiday Bowl Redux?
SMU fans aren't the only ones with Bowl hopes for SMU in 2006.
While SMU hasn't been to a Bowl game since defeating Notre Dame 27-20 in the 1984 Aloha Bowl, even Sports Illustrated thinks SMU can break the
22-year dry spell in 2006, as the publication projects an SMU-BYU match-up in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

The SMU-BYU alphabetical showdown would be a rematch of one of the most dramatic Bowl games of all time, the 1980 Holiday Bowl. While it's still a tough one for SMU fans to talk about - BYU won 46-45 on a Hail Mary as time expired, erasing a 20-point deficit in the final four minutes - the Mustangs would welcome the chance to even the score on Dec. 23 in Ft. Worth.

Discovering A New World
SMU sophomore Columbus Givens was one of only two Mustang true
freshmen to avoid the redshirt tag (Patrick Handy) in 2005. While the Killeen native finished the year with just five grabs for 67 yards, the feat is more impressive when one considers that Givens was a quarterback
and punter in high school.

Zack-Zach Attack
SMU's receiving corps gets a big boost from Zack Sledge and Zach Zimmerman.

Sledge, a former walk-on, made his mark in 2005, catching 25 balls for 215 yards and garnering six starts.

Zimmerman, a walk-on from Flower Mound, Texas, joined SMU in January after spending a semester at the Naval Prepatory School. Zimmerman has made big strides in his short time on the Hilltop, impressing coaches enough to make the travel squad and practice with the first and second teams.

A Different Point Of View
Junior Devin Lowery makes a switch this season from wide receiver to defensive back.

The Grand Prairie, Texas, native started two games last season for the Mustangs and caught a TD pass in the win at UAB. He'll have to see things differently in 2006, however, as he's slated to start at left corner.

Muse-ic To My Ears
Junior defensive end Cory Muse emerged as a force late in 2005. The Oklahoma City native started the final seven games of the season and
had perhaps his best game of the season in the finale against UTEP when
he had three fumble recoveries and a sack.

On the year, Muse had 32 stops, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and three pass breakups.

On The Mapps
Redshirt freshman James Mapps will play a part of SMU's backfield rotation in 2006. While he hasn't played a down yet, the Royce City, Texas native has been drawing rave reviews from fans and media who
have seen him in practice and scrimmages.

C-USA Bowl Synopsis
Conference USA has agreements in place with six different bowl games this season and is guaranteed a spot in five bowls.

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis will have the first selection of Conference USA teams to face an opponent from the Southeastern Conference in its game. The second selection belongs to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which will pair a C-USA team against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference or the Western Athletic Conference. The league will also provide teams for the Birmingham Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and New Orleans Bowl this season.

Conference USA may also provide a team for the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl if the Pac-10 is unable to supply a sixth bowl-eligible team for 2006 and C-USA has six or more bowl-eligible teams.

Conference USA has agreements in place with seven different bowl games through the 2009 season and is guaranteed a spot in at least five
bowls each of those seasons.

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl will have the first selection of Conference USA teams to face an opponent from the Southeastern Conference in its game all four years. The second selection belongs to the GMAC Bowl which will pair a C-USA team against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference or the Western Athletic Conference in each of the four years. The Birmingham Bowl and New Orleans Bowl will both have a selection in each of the next four years. The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will choose a team in 2006 and 2008, while Hawai'i and the Houston Bowl will each have selections in 2007 and 2009.

Family Ties
While he has yet to play a down for SMU, senior placekicker Ryan Wolcott has strong ties to the Mustang program. The Dallas native is the grandson of perhaps the greatest player in SMU history - 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.

CP-QB-2-TE
While he's the only player on the SMU roster to have ever taken a Division I snap at quarterback, junior Chris Phillips now sees time at "U" end.

The Seagoville, Texas, native started eight games at QB for SMU in 2003 & 2004, but was moved to end after a nagging rotator cuff injury kept him from returning to signal-caller duties.

"Dookie" Hasson, M.D.
Senior holder Duke Hasson has displayed great hands as SMU's holder for the past two seasons. In 2005, he helped Chris McMurtray hit a school-record 17 straight field goals and has been consistent on PATs and FG tries.

The Austin, Texas, native hopes to take his good hands in a different direction after he graduates in January, as he has applied to medical school and hopes to become a doctor.

[LonghornFan68]

* Entering the season, SMU has scored on 20 straight trips inside the
opponent's 20. SMU led the nation in 2005 with a 93.8 percent efficiency
rating in the red zone, scoring on 30 of 32 trips a year ago.

Hmm, methinks this is a misleading stat.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Great job. Saturday can't get here fast enough.

[mrydel]

* Entering the season, SMU has scored on 20 straight trips inside the
opponent's 20. SMU led the nation in 2005 with a 93.8 percent efficiency
rating in the red zone, scoring on 30 of 32 trips a year ago.

Hmm, methinks this is a misleading stat.

It is not misleading at all. Most were FGs admittedly, and hopefully the 32 number can increase, but "stats is stats". If the trend can continue and the TDs increase, that's a good thing.