Mustangs To Honor 1989 Squad On Sept. 5th

[ALEX LIFESON]

Mustangs To Honor 1989 Squad On Sept. 5th
Team's First Win Dubbed The

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Team's First Win Dubbed The



Sept. 1, 2009



SMU will honor the 1989 football squad at halftime of the season opener on Saturday, Sept. 5th. The `89 squad reestablished SMU football following a two-year hiatus, and the team's first victory, a last-second 31-30 win over UConn, was quickly dubbed the "Miracle on Mockingbird".

When SMU returned to the football field in 1989, critics claimed that it was going to take a miracle for Forrest Gregg to win a game. SMU had started the season with a 35-6 loss to Southwest Conference rival Rice on Sept. 2nd. Two weeks later, on Sept. 16th, the Connecticut Huskies were in town to take on the Mustangs in just their second game since the end of the 1986 season. With five minutes to play in the game, it seemed that SMU was headed for certain defeat. But just when it appeared that there was no hope, SMU got its "Miracle".

Connecticut jumped out to an early lead, scoring with 5:23 left in the first quarter. The Mustangs answered early in the second quarter with a six-play, 41-yard drive capped off by a Jason Wolf 2-yard touchdown run. From that point on, however, Connecticut dominated the first half. The Huskies added a pair of touchdowns and a field goal and took a 23-7 halftime lead.

The Mustang defense tightened up in the third quarter, shutting out the Huskies. Jason Wolf scored his second touchdown of the game to bring the Mustangs back to within nine at 23-14. However, the Huskies seemed to put the game away when they added a touchdown with 7:31 left to play, extending their lead to 30-14. Some SMU fans decided that the game was out of reach and started to head home.

The Mustangs were not done, though. Mike Romo led the Mustangs on an eight-play, 87-yard drive for a score. Romo hit Mitchell Glieber for a 43-yard touchdown pass with 5:05 remaining. SMU was within nine, trailing 30-21. The Mustangs started to believe. Matt Lomenick brought SMU even closer when he added a 43-yard field goal with 3:14 on the clock, leaving the Mustangs just six points behind the Huskies. As word got around that SMU was battling back, many of the students that had left earlier started to return.





The comeback was made complete when the Mustangs got the ball back for one final drive with less than two minutes to go. Romo moved the Mustangs 55 yards in thirteen plays to finish the amazing comeback. It all came down to one final play from the four-yard line. Romo took the snap from center and dropped back in the pocket as time ran off the clock. With the clock showing zero, Romo found Michael Bowen in the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point gave SMU the 31-30 victory.

The Mustangs had scored 17 points in the final five minutes to win the game. That first victory, one that many predicted might take as many as five years to achieve, took just two games and was quickly dubbed the "Miracle on Mockingbird."

The Mustangs did it with just 41 scholarship players, 38 of whom had never played major college football. And on a roster of 89 players, 73 were freshmen. They were undersized and outgunned, but this Mustang team played hard every time they stepped on to the field. Their hard work and belief in each other allowed them to make the valiant comeback against Connecticut, beat North Texas and take on five ranked teams during the 1989 season.

Tickets to the Sept. 5th opener are available by calling 214-SMU-GAME.
Saturday, Sept 57:00 PM
vs Stephen F. Austin
Saturday, Sept 123:00 PM
at UAB
Saturday, Sept 194:00 PM
at Washington State
Saturday, Oct 37:00 PM
The Mtn. at TCU
Saturday, Oct 107:00 PM
vs East Carolina
Saturday, Oct 177:00 PM
vs Navy
Saturday, Oct 246:30 PM
CBS-C at Houston
Saturday, Oct 311:00 PM
at Tulsa


SMU, the only Division I athletic program in Dallas, Texas, sponsors 17 sports and has been ranked as the top school in its conference for 10 of the last 12 years in the Director's Cup overall athletic rankings. More information about SMU and its coaches, student-athletes and teams is available at www.SMUMustangs.com.


For tickets to all SMU Athletics events call 214-SMU-GAME or visit www.SMUMustangs.com


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[SmooBoy]

Ownby was alive that night! Can't wait to see the '89 team again.

[SMU89]

Anyone know of an existing video / dvd of that game?

A group of us were in the end zone where the winning score was made, and I remember everyone in our section clearing the bleachers to rush the field. Would love to see that again.

[Hoop Fan]

that was quite a night. Wish we could recapture a bit of the feeling of overachieving low expectations. Ya know, in hindsight those first 4 years after the DP werent that bad as far as progression. Beat Houston, TCU, went 5-6 in '92 against a decent schedule etc. Never would have thought we be this far down 17 years later especially with a new on-campus stadium.

[PonySnob]

that was quite a night. Wish we could recapture a bit of the feeling of overachieving low expectations. Ya know, in hindsight those first 4 years after the DP werent that bad as far as progression. Beat Houston, TCU, went 5-6 in '92 against a decent schedule etc. Never would have thought we be this far down 17 years later especially with a new on-campus stadium.

Thank you President Pye!!!!