While it’s safe to assume that not even the most diehard SMU fan was expecting the Mustangs to pull of an upset against the Baylor Bears this past Sunday, it’s doubtful that they would’ve seen a 45-0 blowout coming.
SMU, a 31.5-point underdog, looked brutally overmatched in every facet of the game, and it could’ve been even worse if Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty wasn’t pulled from the game at halftime due to a back injury.
Though the scoring margin may have not been extremely surprising, the performance by the Mustangs’ offense was one of the worst by any June Jones-coached team.
SMU was held to a mere 67 yards of total offense, the lowest number since Jones took over in 2008, while being shutout for the second time in three games. The Mustangs rushed for -24 yards, atrocious even in the pass-heavy run-and-shoot offense.
Though SMU was completely unable to get anything going on the ground, it was its inability to make plays in the passing game that was truly stunning. In his first game as the permanent starter, sophomore quarterback Neal Burcham wasn’t exactly impressive, going 15-for-26 for only 59 yards. While Burcham did take several hits do to lackluster play from the offensive line, the Mustangs hope they’ll see improvements from him in the next few games.
Jones replaced Burcham with Texas A&M transfer Matt Davis to try and provide a spark to the offense, but Davis struggled mightily under center. He went 3-for-6 with 12 yards and threw an ugly interception while trying to make a throw across his body while eluding a defender.
Even redshirt freshman Kolney Cassel saw some time at quarterback, but, predictably, he didn’t have much success either.
Now all the blame certainly shouldn’t be on the quarterbacks, because the offensive line seemed helpless against the Baylor pass rush. The Bears were in the SMU backfield all night, pressuring the quarterbacks and collecting eight sacks. It was a tremendous showing by Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett’s squad. Bennett, who preceded Jones with the Mustangs, is in his fourth season in Waco.
Credit is due to Bennett and the Bears; their defense is rock solid and stepped up against SMU, but the Mustangs’ offensive performance is certain to cause uneasiness among fans. Jones’ offense was supposed and will continue to go through growing pains in 2014, and Baylor was the toughest opponent on their schedule, but drastic improvements need to be made in several areas if SMU wants to be competitive.
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