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10. SMU 31, Tulane 17 (2010) After losing to Navy and being pummeled 45-20 by Houston at home,
the Mustangs trailed 17-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter. Kyle Padron hit Aldrick
Robinson with an 82-yard touchdown pass on his way to finishing with 354 yards passing.

9. SMU 34. Southern Mississippi 6 (2012) SMU held the Golden Eagles to just 178 yards total
offence, while Garrett Gilbert passed for 249 yards and ran for 94 yards, including a
36-yard sprint for a touchdown.

8. SMU 72, Houston 42 (2012) After a devastating 28-27 loss to Tulane, Gilbert passed for four
touchdowns and the defence forced nine Houston turnovers, returning three of them for
majors.

7. SMU 21, Tulsa 18 (2010) Kyle Padron passed for 381 yards and three touchdowns and Aldrick
Robinson caught passes for 118 yards, including a 53-yarder, giving SMU a 5-1 start. Two
weeks later, Tulsa beat Notre Dame 28-27 on their way to winning their last seven games,
and finishing 10-3.

6. SMU 35, UTEP 31 (2009) Kyle Padron tossed for 249 yards and two touchdowns, including
a 37-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders to give the Ponies the lead with 4:34 left in the game.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Miners drove to the SMU 14-yard line but Trevor Vittatoe
was sacked by Taylor Thompson on fourth-and-six with 26 seconds left in the game.

5. SMU 45, East Carolina 38 (2010) Zach Line rumbled for 123 yards, including a touchdown in
overtime, as the Mustangs clinched their division to win a spot in the C-USA championship
game against Central Florida. The game ended when Richard Crawford intercepted a pass
in the end zone.

4. SMU 28, Pittsburgh 6 (January 2012) Margus Hunt had four sacks and the defence held Pitt to
205 yards total offence as the Mustangs won their second bowl game in three years.
Darius Johnson, who caught seven passes for 120 yards, including a 50-yarder early in the
first quarter, was named Player of the Game in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

3. SMU 45, Nevada 10 (2009) Despite being 12-point underdogs in the Hawaii Bowl, the
Mustangs won their first bowl game in 25 years to finish the season 8-5, after a 1-11 season
the year before. Kyle Padron threw for 460 yards, including a 71-yard strike to Cole Beasley
on the game's second play. Aldrick Robinson caught nine passes for 176 yards and the
defence held Colin Kaepernick to 23 yards on 13 carries and 177 yards passing.

2. SMU 43, Fresno State 10 (2012) Margus Hunt caught the eye of every NFL scout watching,
as he appeared unblockable, forcing two fumbles and causing a safety. After a scoreless first
quarter, Garrett Gilbert passed for 212 yards, including a 67-yarder to Austin Fuller. In the
second half, Taylor Reed returned an interception for a 69-yard touchdown and Hayden
Greenbauer also had a pick six from 83 yards out.

1. SMU 40, Texas Christian (2011) Led by J.J. McDermott's 349 yards passing with four
touchdowns, the Ponies ended the defending Rose Bowl champions' 20-game winning streak.
Darius Johnson snagged 12 passes for 152 yards, including two touchdowns. TCU finished the
year with eight straight wins, including a 36-35 win over Boise State, their only loss of the year.

Pretty solid list. One might consider the 2011 UCF game instead of the 2010 Tulane game.

And this year's Tulsa game is pretty big as well

I would think Tulsa 2012 would be up there, clinched bowl vs. CUSA champs.

The PonyGrad wrote:I would think Tulsa 2012 would be up there, clinched bowl vs. CUSA champs.

I agree, I should have included that win.

The PonyGrad wrote:I would think Tulsa 2012 would be up there, clinched bowl vs. CUSA champs.

I wouldn't put the Tulsa win too high as they had nothing to play for in the game and were somewhat flat when they played SMU.

Rebel10 wrote:

The PonyGrad wrote:I would think Tulsa 2012 would be up there, clinched bowl vs. CUSA champs.

I wouldn't put the Tulsa win too high as they had nothing to play for in the game and were somewhat flat when they played SMU.

They were playing to be ranked.

ponyte wrote:Pretty solid list. One might consider the 2011 UCF game instead of the 2010 Tulane game.

agree; last year's win against defending champ UCF is deserving, as it this year's win against this year's champion Tulsa to become bowl eligible

Grant Carter wrote:

Rebel10 wrote:

The PonyGrad wrote:I would think Tulsa 2012 would be up there, clinched bowl vs. CUSA champs.

I wouldn't put the Tulsa win too high as they had nothing to play for in the game and were somewhat flat when they played SMU.

They were playing to be ranked.

I predicted well before the game that Tulsa would be falt and they were. Again, I wouldn't put the Tulsa win too high.

I put your #6 game as my #1. If I recall it insured our first bowl game since the time no longer mentioned, and the excitement and noise was greater than any SMU game I have experienced since.

Over all nice list and good for conversation.

I would get rid of that game at Tulane ad we played horrible for 2.5 qtrs and replace it with the road win at UAB

RGV Pony wrote:I would get rid of that game at Tulane ad we played horrible for 2.5 qtrs and replace it with the road win at UAB

Ooh. Forgot that one. Good call.

Tulane game would not be so bad had Padron not admitted he was trying to throw the ball away that AR caught for the TD.

At least the #1 game was against a top 25 team!

I think that is a great list but I would certainly include the UAB game. That was, according to JJ at least, the game where he felt a sea-change in the kids' belief in themselves.

I know UTEP were bad this year but shutting them out in El Paso was pretty sweet too, especially added to the SFA shutout. I know they are SFA but two shut outs in one season are not common....

I was at that UAB win in 2009, and it felt like a huge win. And it was.