SMU Progress

[Water Pony]

By KEITH WHITMIRE
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
December 30, 2010

UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas -- SMU didn't get the storybook ending it wanted after falling short against Army, 16-14, in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

However, SMU's recent success is writing a new ending to one of college football's darkest stories.

SMU's saga of cheating and scandals in the 1980s was retold recently in the excellent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, "Pony Excess."

Out of control boosters and a complicit administration led to SMU receiving the NCAA's so-called death penalty in 1987 and suspension of the football program for two seasons.

The new tale of SMU football under the direction of Coach June Jones could be titled "Pony Success."

The Armed Forces Bowl marked back-to-back bowl seasons for SMU, something the Mustangs haven't done since 1983-84, right in the thick of the era documented by "Pony Excess."

This time, the Mustangs are doing it by the book, and not some booster's checkbook.

Jones, who led Hawaii to a BCS bowl, has worked his turnaround magic on SMU. The Mustangs were 1-11 in his first season, 2008, but have since won 15 games the last two seasons.

That's SMU's highest two-season win total since the Mustangs won 16 games in 1984-85. Again, that was during the era that eventually led to the program's death.

Even after NCAA sanctions were lifted, the Mustangs might as well have been called walking dead for 20 years. SMU managed just one winning season from the time of the death penalty until Jones' second year on the Hilltop.

"Coach Jones has done a really great job of bringing us back from where SMU used to be," safety Chris Banjo said. "A lot of kids are buying into the program."

Fans are starting to buy into Jones' program, too. The TCU game this season drew a record 34,749 to Ford Stadium, and for once SMU fans weren't outnumbered in their own stadium for a big game.

The attendance record was broken again in the Armed Forces Bowl which drew 36,742. SMU sold out its allotment of 10,000 tickets, plus more fans bought tickets directly from the bowl. Others opted for $10 standing-room-only tickets.

With a young, talented team in place, SMU should expect to play in front of more SRO crowds.

Quarterback Kyle Padron passed for 3,828 yards and 31 touchdowns in his sophomore season. Running back Zach Line, also a sophomore, rushed for 1,494 yards this season, which is second only to Eric Dickerson's 1,617 yards in 1982 in the SMU record book.

"We have the foundation built," Jones said. "I think we have a lot of good players coming back. We have a lot of young players committed to come in.

"I think we're a year and a half away from a recruiting class to really have the depth that we need. But I think we're learning how to compete together, play together, all those things that good football teams do. Now we've got to put them together and just keep winning."

After earning a berth to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl last year, trouncing Nevada, 45-10, SMU's players set a goal of winning a conference championship in 2010. They made it to the Conference USA championship game, a program first, before losing to Central Florida.

SMU should contend for conference crowns in the future. The Mustangs started just four seniors this season and should soon reap the benefits of improved recruiting.

"We're still one of the youngest teams in college football," Jones said. "I think we have some young guys that are going to be good football players.

"Pony Excess" put SMU back in the national spotlight, sparking sports talk radio and water cooler conversations all over the country. If the current Mustangs stay on course, SMU could soon be in the spotlight again for more than nostalgic reasons.

"When I switched [my commitment to SMU] a lot of people questioned it. A lot of people in Texas didn't know where SMU was," said Banjo, who grew up near Houston. "It's funny how people talk about SMU now, in a good way."

[ponyboy]

I was telling my son during the game yesterday that Chris Banjo is now my favorite player. Taylor Reed is a close second as is Zach Line.

[Webmaster]

Chris is a class act, an absolute prince of a human being, and a winner. It's obvious why he was selected to wear LeVias' #23 again.

Taylor and Zach... really a bunch of these guys are terrific kids. It feels good to win, but it feels even better to win with kids you can be proud of being Mustangs.

I like the article; it's good to remember some of the positives from this season. There were, in fact, a bunch of them.

[SmooBoy]

Nice spin on next season. With our crummy home schedule this coming year though, standing room only will not be an issue.