Another week, another loss for the SMU Mustangs.
With its loss to Tulsa last weekend, SMU has now dropped to 0-8 on the season, inching ever closer to the fourth winless campaign in program history.
However, not everything about the Mustangs loss to the Golden Hurricane was negative, as Tom Mason’s team did score a season-high 28 points, held a lead for the first time all year, and rallied in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. Tulsa led by as much a 22 points at the beginning of the final quarter, but a pair of touchdown runs by quarterback Matt Davis and a two-point conversion cut the deficit to just seven with 3:14 remaining.
The Golden Hurricane responded with a field goal to seal the victory, but the game still provided a glimmer of hope for SMU fans that maybe, just maybe, the Mustangs will be able to get into the win column before the 2014 season ends.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note that Tulsa isn’t exactly among the cream of the crop of the American Athletic Conference. The Golden Hurricane entered last weekend’s contest on a seven-game losing streak, so it’s not like SMU gave one of the conference’s elite teams a run for their money. That being said, given how their season has gone, you can’t be too picky when looking for positives in the Mustangs’ play.
The biggest positive takeaway from last Saturday for SMU was the performance of the offense, which amassed a season-high 464 total yards. Davis, the fourth different quarterback to start under center for the Mustangs in 2014, was a little shaky through the air, completing 21 of his 32 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. However, he was able to do a fair amount of damage on the ground.
Davis had 28 carries on the day, rushing for 181 yards in addition to his two touchdowns. SMU also received contributions on the ground from running back K.C. Nlemchi, who ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries. Nlemchi had missed the previous two games after being suspended for violating unspecified team rules.
Of course, the loss to the Golden Hurricane did nothing to quell the major concerns with the Mustangs’ defense, which once again held up as well as wet paper. Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans completely picked apart the SMU secondary, throwing for 286 yards and five touchdowns on 16-of-24 passing.
Now, the Mustangs have just four games remaining (vs. South Florida, at UCF, vs. Houston, and at Connecticut) to try and pick up a win. They will be the underdog in each of these contests, but perhaps Davis and Nlemchi can provide enough offense to put in a position to win one of them.
SMU’s best chance at a victory would seem to be in the season finale against the Huskies, but time is running out for the Mustangs if they’re to avoid finishing the year at 0-12.
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