DMN: Do the Mustangs Have Their Groove Back?

[MrMustang1965]

By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – After a week of turmoil, SMU put an end to the madness and put the focus back on the field Saturday.

The Mustangs' 31-21 win over Marshall in front of 14,032 at Ford Stadium couldn't have come at a better time.

SMU took control of a back-and-forth game midway through the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Justin Willis, who was reinstated Thursday from a distracting, messy suspension, was 20-of-23 for 208 yards and four touchdowns, setting an SMU freshman record for touchdown passes. Junior cornerback Devin Lowery had three interceptions, and the kickoff team forced a key fumble in the final quarter.

With the victory, SMU (4-3, 2-1 Conference USA) has its best start since a 5-2 mark in 1986. The Mustangs won their fifth straight home game, the most since a seven-game streak over the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

"With a week of adversity, our kids responded to a challenge," coach Phil Bennett said. "I'm proud these are kids we recruited, this staff recruited. And I'm proud because a lot of people view them as the same ol' SMU. When things get tough, you're gonna fold."

SMU didn't.

After a mistake-filled second quarter led to a 14-10 halftime deficit, caused mostly by a costly penalty on a Marshall punt and a fumble by Willis, SMU charged back to take the lead in the third quarter.

Lowery made his first interception and set up SMU on Marshall's 28. Willis quickly found his roommate, redshirt freshman Emmanuel Sanders, for a three-yard touchdown pass.

It was Sanders' fifth straight game catching a pass for a score, a school record. Sanders finished with six catches for 62 yards.

But Marshall (1-5, 0-2) drove 75 yards and Bernard Morris found Marcus Fitzgerald for a 25-yard scoring play, retaking the lead at 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.

SMU and Willis responded again. The Mustangs moved 80 yards on 11 plays, capped by Willis' seven-yard pass to Reynaldo Pellerin with 6:38 remaining.

On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore Paul Hiemenz forced a fumble by Chubb Small. Sophomore Will Bonilla recovered for SMU. The Mustangs turned it into another touchdown and clinched the game on Willis' 17-yard pass to tight end Ryan Kennedy with 5:44 remaining.

SMU had taken a 7-0 lead in the first half after Willis entered the game in the second quarter. Backup Corey Slater started. Willis found Zack Sledge for a seven-yard scoring pass.

Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for two touchdowns for Marshall, and SMU's Thomas Morstead hit a field goal as time expired at the half.

SMU held C-USA's top rushing team to 107 yards. Safety Joe Sturdivant had 12 tackles.

"I want us to get our groove back," Bennett said.

Saturday's win was a big step in doing so.

[Stallion]

Is that headline Sexy enough for you this week?

[MrMustang1965]

Is that headline Sexy enough for you this week?

The actual headline in the DMN was "Mustangs Regain Their Focus". That wasn't sexy enough for me. So...I wrote that headline.