Look ahead to 2024: Houston Christian preview

[PonyPride]

Opponent preview: Houston Christian Huskies
HCU comes to Ford Stadium with new coach, but without 2023 stars

The SMU Mustangs begin 2024 hoping to build upon the first 11-win season in 42 years. Their second opponent, the Houston Christian Huskies, also have hopes of reaching new heights after a 2023 season that was the first in school history in which the team ended with a winning record; the Huskies finished with a 6-5 record. The team that went a game over .500 last year enters its season opener at Gerald J. Ford Stadium with numerous with questions to answer, a new coach and new faces in key roles.

Last year’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Jason Bachtel, was promoted to head coach in January 2024 after overseeing the Southland Conference’s second-leading scoring offense a year ago. He takes over a team hoping to improve upon the best season in school history despite having to replace its best player on offense and defense: defensive end Jalyx Hunt became the first player in program history selected in the NFL Draft when he was chosen (as a linebacker) in the third round of the 2024 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, while quarterback Colby Suits signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets.

At the press conference announcing that Bachtel would succeed his former boss, Braxton Harris, who left to become head coach at Campbell after just a year in Houston, HCU athletic director Steve Moniachi was quick to point out that hiring Bachtel was more than just a rubber-stamp promotion of Harris’s top assistant.

“Obviously, didn’t expect to be in front of all of you again so soon,” Moniachi said. “We did this just 13 months ago — we went through this same process, and didn’t really didn’t think we’d be doing it all over again now… and I think it’s important to note, and it wouldn’t fair to Coach Bachtel if I didn’t tell you this, that we didn’t just, quote, ‘settle’ on our offensive coordinator as our next head coach. We did a thorough search. We had candidates on campus and digitally, that we interviewed in addition to Coach Bachtel. But it didn’t take us very long to figure out that we had the right guy in the building.”

An upset win for Bachtel and the Huskies in their season opener in Dallas could set them up for a strong 2024 season: The Mustangs are the best team on their schedule, joined by UTSA as the only teams on the schedule that could provide what most would call a quality win. The rest of the slate includes home games against Tarleton, Louisiana Christian, McNeese, Southeastern, Nicholls and Northwestern State, and road games at UTSA, Indiana State, SFA, Incarnate Word and Texas A&M-Commerce.

With Suits and Hunt leading the way, HCU went 6-5 last year, scoring an average of 26.1 points per game while surrendering 27.8 per outing — a record that revealed the inconsistency that led, in part, to the coaching change. Houston Christian games were rarely close: the Huskies won their five victories by an average of 25.2 points per game, including a 66-0 crushing of Arkansas Baptist in last year’s season opener. The five losses also were largely lopsided affairs, by an average of 28.6 points per game — a list that included a 66-7 thrashing at the hands of Tennessee-Martin.

Offense
The Huskies scored 26.1 points per game last season and averaged 367.7 yards of total offense per game, compared to 385.5 given up. They leaned more on the rushing game than the aerial attack last season — the Huskies mushed 363 rushing attempts last year, compared to 309 passing attempts — and were slightly more productive on the ground, running to 93 first downs, compared to 86 through the air. HCU averaged 158.4 yards per game on the ground a year ago, compared to 209.30 passing yards per game. They scored 15 rushing touchdowns and reached the end zone 15 times through the air, as well.

Suits was a prolific passer, but wasn’t able to help his team in the turnover department, throwing 11 interceptions while his defense was able to pick off just six.

Running back Jesse Valenzuela (5-11, 180) is back for his senior season after leading the Huskies’ ground game with 542 yards on 101 attempts (5.4 yards per carry) and a team-leading five rushing touchdowns. Also back are running backs Darryle Evans (6-0, 180) and Champ Dozier (5-8, 180), their team’s second- and third-leading rushers a year ago with 95 carries for 436 yards (4.6 per carry) and a touchdown, and 57 carries for 294 yards (5.2 per) and four touchdowns.

Not only is Suits gone, but so is his top backup from last season, Justin Fomby, who completed 15 of 18 passes in mop-up duty. The team’s top two returning passers are A.J. Wilson, a 6-2, 165-pound wide receiver who completed both of his two pass attempts, and Cutter Stewart (6-0, 175), a redshirt freshman who completed two of his four pass attempts for all of 4 yards. Among those in the quarterback mix, along with Stewart, is C.J. Rogers (6-3, 200), the two-time transfer who walked on at Baylor before transferring to Texas State and now to Houston Christian; Rogers’ next college pass attempt will be his first.

The Huskies completed just 15 touchdown passes in 11 games last season — all by Suits. Six were caught by Karl Reynolds, who is gone. The only other receivers with two or more touchdowns, wideouts Deuce McMillan (three touchdown catches) and former SMU receiver Calvin Wiggins (two) are back in 2024.

The HCU offense operates behind a decent offensive line that is led by tackle Dion Daniels, who makes up for modest size (6-4, 265) with exceptional quickness that allows him to mirror oncoming pass rushers. Daniels is one of three Huskies to earn preseason All-Southland Conference honors when he landed on the Second Team.

Defense
Of the 385.5 yards per game HCU allowed last season, 257.1 were through the air; similarly, 113 of the 202 first downs the Huskies allowed in 2023 were via the pass. SMU players and coaches talk about the Mustangs’ desire to take shots in the passing game, and must be looking forward to seeing the Huskies’ defense.

Hunt was the defense’s star, but not the only contributor. But as is the case with the offense, many of the Huskies’ top performers in 2023 are gone. The top returning tackler from a year ago, linebacker Ruperake Fuavai (6-1, 230), finished eighth on the team with 32 tackles, and tied for fourth on the team with five tackles for loss.

Like Daniels, junior defensive tackle Zae Smith (6-1, 270) earned second-team preseason All-SLC honors after a sophomore season in which he collected 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks from his position in the interior of the defensive line.

The 2023 HCU defense had few playmakers against opposing passing attacks, picking off just six interceptions in 11 games — only one of which was snagged by a player who returns in 2024: cornerback Devion Hargrove. The 6-1, 175 junior also contributed 32 tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack.

Special teams
The third all-conference honoree — and the only Husky named to the All-SLC First Team — is kicker Dillon Fedor, who connected on 10 of 13 field goals (76.92 percent) a year ago, with a long of 50 yards. He averaged 58.5 yards on 54 kickoffs, with 20 touchbacks. Redshirt junior Peyton Kendall and freshman Reed Chandley will compete to replace Wheeler Bowron as the team’s punter.

Junior wide receiver Deuce McMillan (5-9, 160) averaged 9.4 yards on five punt returns in 2023, while Valenzuela (5-11, 180) averaged 19.4 yards on five kickoff returns.

[Pony4Life]

We'll beat them by more than we beat Nevada.

[BUS]

3 or 4 QB's play in this game and they all move the ball well.
Heck, everyone plays to get some snaps under your belt.

Everyone plays hard!

[SMUguy]

I agree that at least Stone, Jennings and Luster play. This has to be a game where they straighten out early-season issues.

[Lefty]

Ponies by 30+

[Charleston Pony]

We'll beat them by more than we beat Nevada.

I sure hope so!

[Thumper]

We all wanted a more lopsided win over Nevada, but that line never should have been what it was: 20-some points when you're on the road, at elevation, against a team with new coaches and loads of new players ... too many variables. The line should have been half of what it was. We still would have fallen short of the spread (if you're into those sorts of things), but it would have been more realistic.
Yes, this week will be more lopsided.