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SMU Mustangs
Current season:
AmericanFootball current event 2023 SMU Mustangs
SMU Mustangs NCAA-AAC-SMU Mustangs White helmet
First season 1915
Athletic director Rick Hart
Head coach Rhett Lashlee
1st year, 7–6 (.538)
Home stadium Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Year built 2000
Stadium capacity 32,000 +
Stadium surface FieldTurf
Location Dallas, Texas
Conference The American (AAC)
Division West
Past conferences TIAA (1915–1917)
SWC (1918–1995)
WAC (1996–2004)
C-USA (2005–2012)
All-time history
SMU Mustangs Historical Teams
1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
All-time record 517–553–54 (.484)
Postseason bowl record 7–10–1 (.417)
Claimed national titles 3 (1935, 1981, 1982)
Conference titles 11 (SWC)
Division titles 2 (C-USA West Division)
Rivalries Houston (rivalry)
Navy (rivalry)
North Texas (rivalry)
Rice (rivalry)
TCU (rivalry)
Heisman winners 1
Consensus All-Americans 16
Current uniform
NCAA-AAC-SMU Mustangs Jerseys
Colors Red[1] and Blue [1]

             


Fight song "Peruna"
Mascot Peruna
Marching band The Best Dressed Band in the Land
Website smumustangs.com

The SMU Mustangs football team represents Southern Methodist University located in Dallas, Texas. The Mustangs are a member of the NCAA FBS American Athletic Conference and play their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The Mustangs are currently coached by Rhett Lashlee.

SMU is known for having been dealt the most severe penalty for rules violations ever by the NCAA. After having been placed on probation for the fifth time in less than 15 years, it was discovered that a slush fund existed to pay players. The NCAA ordered all games in the 1987 season canceled, and a longer ban on off-campus recruiting caused the school to cancel the 1988 season, too.[2] Known as the "Death Penalty", SMU had one winning season in the next 20, and did not play in another bowl game until the 2009 season.

Conference affiliations[]

Championships[]

National championships[]

SMU has won three national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors.[3][4]Template:Rp SMU claims all three championships.[5]

National Championships
Year Head Coach Selector Record Bowl Opponent Result
1935 Matty Bell Berryman (QPRS), Dickinson System, Houlgate System, Sagarin Ratings, Sagarin (ELO-Chess) 12–1 Rose Bowl Stanford L 0–7
1981 Ron Meyer National Championship Foundation 10–1
1982 Bobby Collins Helms Athletic Foundation 11–0–1 Cotton Bowl Pitt W 7–3

Conference championships[]

SMU has won 11 conference championships, nine outright and two shared.[6]

Conference Championships
Year Conference Head Coach Record Conference Record
1923 Southwest Conference Ray Morrison 9–0 5–0
1926 Southwest Conference Ray Morrison 8–0–1 5–0
1931 Southwest Conference Ray Morrison 9–1–1 5–0–1
1935 Southwest Conference Matty Bell 12–1 6–0
1940 Southwest Conference Matty Bell 8–1–1 5–1
1947 Southwest Conference Matty Bell 9–0–2 5–0–1
1948 Southwest Conference Matty Bell 9–1–1 5–0–1
1966 Southwest Conference Hayden Fry 8–3 6–1
1981 Southwest Conference Ron Meyer 10–1 7–1
1982 Southwest Conference Bobby Collins 11–0–1 7–0–1
1984 Southwest Conference Bobby Collins 10–2 6–2

† Co-champions

Divisional championships[]

SMU has won two division championships.

Division Championships
Year Division Head Coach Opponent CG result
2009 Conference USA - West June Jones N/A lost tie-breaker to Houston
2010 Conference USA - West June Jones UCF L 7–17

† Co-champions American Athletic Conference (2013–present)

Seasons[]

2020s[]

Season Coach Record
2024 Rhett Lashlee
2023 Rhett Lashlee 11-3
2022 Rhett Lashlee 7-6
2021 Sonny Dykes 8-4
2020 Sonny Dykes 7-3

2010s[]

Season Coach Record
2019 Sonny Dykes 10-3
2018 Sonny Dykes 5-7
2017 Chad Morris; Sonny Dykes 7-6
2016 Chad Morris 5-7
2015 Chad Morris 2-10
2014 June Jones; Tom Mason 1-11
2013 June Jones 5-7
2012 June Jones 7-6
2011 June Jones 8-5
2010 June Jones 7-7

2000s[]

Season Coach Record
2009 June Jones 8-5
2008 June Jones 1-11
2007 Phil Bennett 1-11
2006 Phil Bennett 6-6
2005 Phil Bennett 5-6
2004 Phil Bennett 3-8
2003 Phil Bennett 0-12
2002 Phil Bennett 3-9
2001 Mike Cavan 4-7
2000 Mike Cavan 3-9

Logos/Uniforms[]

Image gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 SMU Licesnsing Guide. SMU Mustangs.com. Retrieved on January 31, 2020.
  2. Frank, Peter. "'88 football season canceled by SMU", New York Times, April 11, 1987. 
  3. Who's #1?: 100-Plus Years of Controversial National Champions in College Football,Christopher J. Walsh (2007). Who's #1?: 100-Plus Years of Controversial National Champions in College Football pp. 88–89. Taylor Trade Pub.. ISBN 978-1-58979-337-8.
  4. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records,2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records. National Collegiate Athletic Association (August 2018). Retrieved on October 29, 2018. ISBN .
  5. 2014 SMU Football Media Guide,2014 SMU Football Media Guide pp. 1, 80–82. Southern Methodist University Department of Athletics (2014). Retrieved on May 5, 2015. ISBN .
  6. Southwest Conference Index - College Football at Sports-Reference.com.

External Links[]

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