Notes / numbers: SMU beats UNT, 34-21

[PonyPride]

SMU Postgame Notes
September 3, 2016
SMU 34, North Texas 21
SMU (1-0), North Texas (0-1)
Apogee Stadium
Denton, Texas

NEXT GAME
At Baylor – Saturday, September 10 – 2:30 p.m.
TV: FS1 (FoxSportsGo)
Radio: KTCK 1310 AM The Ticket (TuneIn app)

TEAM NOTES

Captains: Evan Brown (#63, OL), Matt Davis (#4, QB), Justin Lawler (#99, DE), Darrion Millines (#29, DB)

SMU scored on its opening possession for the second straight season (Xavier Jones 49 yd run) – 2015 was a 46 yd pass from Matt Davis to Courtland Sutton vs. Baylor

The 88-yard TD pass from Ben Hicks to Courtland Sutton at 0:23 of the 1st quarter was a career-long for both and the fifth-longest pass play in SMU history, longest pass play since Aldrick Robinson scored on a 96 yard pass from Bo Levi Mitchell versus East Carolina in 2009

First time SMU has won a season opener since 2009 (Win 31-23 vs. SFA)
- First win in a season opener on the road since 1986 (won 45-3 at Rice)
- First win at North Texas (now 1-3)

SMU had 572 yards of total offense (300 passing, 272 rushing) (243 yards in 1st qtr), most yards for SMU under Chad Morris (was 518 vs. Tulane 11/21/15)

SMU had 5 plays of 45 yards or more
- 88 yard TD reception by Courtland Sutton from Ben Hicks
- 52 yard reception by James Proche from Matt Davis
- 50 yard rush by Matt Davis
- 49 yard TD rush by Xavier Jones
- 46 yard TD reception by Courtland Sutton from Matt Davis

Courtland Sutton had a career-high 3 TD receptions, the most by a Mustang since Keenan Holman had 3 vs. Temple in 2013

Series record: SMU is 30-5-1 vs. North Texas (won 2 in a row, 31-13 in Dallas last season)

SMU had 3 interceptions with 2 by Horace Richardson and 1 by Darrion Millines (SMU had 10 interceptions in 2015)

First career receptions for - Ryan Becker (1-17), James Proche (3-73, long 52), Austin Rolfe (1-11), Myron Galliard (1-12)


INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Michael Armstrong (#38, K) - First career FG (22 yards at 0:57 3rd qtr)

Matt Davis (#4, QB)
- Was 8-17-155 passing with 2 TDs plus 14-91 rushing
- Now has 36 total career TDs (22 pass/14 rush)
- 4738 career yards of total offense (3273 passing/1465 rushing), which moves him to 8th at SMU (passed Ricky Wesson 4604)
- Now has 1465 rushing yards for his career, which ranks 3rd at SMU by a quarterback

Ben Hicks – First career game, was 5-9-145 passing with an 88 yard TD to Courtland Sutton (fifth-longest in SMU history)

Nick Horton (#23, DE) – Had 2 tackles, including first career half-sack

Justin Lawler (#99, DE) - Career-high 2.5 sacks, now has 7.5 for his career, had a team-high 8 tackles

Darrion MIllines (#29, FS) - Had 6 tackles and an interception, now has 4 picks for his career

Jackson Mitchell (#44, LB) – Had 3 tackles, including his first career sack

Kevin Johnson (#12, DB) – Career-high 7 tackles

Xavier Jones (#5, RB)
- Was 11-115 rushing with 1 TD (career-long rush on the 49-yard TD)
- Second career 100-yard game (117 vs. Tulane in 2015)
- Now has 11 rushing TDs for his career (set SMU freshman record with 10 rush TDs in 2015)

Horace Richardson (#9, DB) - Had a career-high 2 interceptions, now has 6 for his career

Courtland Sutton (#16, WR) – Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Ward Watch List
- Was 4-162 receiving with a career-high 3 TDs
- This is his 4th career 100-yard game
- This is his 3rd career multi-TD game
- Career-long 88-yard reception on the TD pass from Ben Hicks at 0:23 of the first quarter (fifth-longest pass play in SMU history)

[BUS]

Please check a 99 yard pass from Jeff Courtwright to Bobby leach on 82 I think.
Remember seeing just fuzzy on year.
Jeff came in for lance on obvious passing downs .

[mrydel]

I think it was 95 but I thought about that one also. I was there.

[Stallion]

Jeff Courtwright to Craig James 96 yard TD pass/catch against NTSU at Texas Stadium

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/10/02/ ... 402379200/

Jeff is my twin brothers fraternity little brother at SMU. He didn't even play as a Senior at Lake Highlands-I think he had issues with the Head Coach. Then he was QB the Phi Delt Intramural team. After McIllhenny took QB job as a freshman we had trouble recruiting/maintaining backups because they knew they'd sit on the bench. Others transferred like Jim Bob Taylor who started at Georgia Tech and Mike Fisher who was a great prospect. Don King may have been redshirting. I think [deleted] Blaylock convinced the Coaching Staff to take a look at him. Courtwright was finally convinced to join the Football team because they didn't have many QBs. McIllhenny had a minor injury and they wanted to rest him against a weak NTSU. So Courtwright got the start and on the second play of the Game-and his first career pass -he threw a delayed bomb on that play when SMU would slip RBs out of the backfield. James took it to the House. At the time it was a SWC Record in his first game.

So that's kind of similar to Ben Hicks' first career pass that went for 88 also against NTSU

[mrydel]

That is the one I recall

[smupony94]

So Stallion has a twin

[Stallion]

yep played soccer and ran track at SMU. Might make it to 1-2 games a year

[BUS]

OK - Did the ball bounce off Bobby Leach or through his hands?

[mrydel]

OK - Did the ball bounce off Bobby Leach or through his hands?

You are talking about a different play. The one Stallion described was just a fake handoff up the middle and James circles out of the backfield and was uncovered.

[Stallion]

just noticed that Mitch Kaufman had a nice seal block on Xavier's first long TD run

[Treadway21]

yep played soccer and ran track at SMU. Might make it to 1-2 games a year

When did he play?

[footballdad]

A win is a win. Expected a little bigger margin than 13. UNT bad.