What Are SMU’s Top 5 Wins of the June Jones Era?

Now that June Jones’ career at SMU has come to a close, it gives us a chance to reflect on some of the high points of his time on the Hilltop. His tenure, of course, ended with him being nowhere near the beloved figure that he was at one time, especially after a couple of down years and the Arizona State debacle after the 2011 season.

However, there is no denying that Jones was able to bring the Mustangs back to relevancy, even if he never did replicate the success he had at Hawaii. So without further adieu, here’s a look back at the top five wins of the June Jones era at SMU.

5) 2009: SMU 26, Tulane 21

The 2009 season, Jones’ second with the Mustangs, was a banner year for SMU. Coming off a 1-11 record in 2008, the Mustangs rebounded in a big way, competing for the Conference USA West Division title. Though it fell short in that race, SMU still reached a historic benchmark by beating Tulane in its regular-season finale.

After the Green Wave erased a 10-point halftime deficit to take a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs responded with a scoring drive of their own, capped off with a go-ahead, four-yard touchdown run by Shawnbrey McNeal with 5:23 remaining. Though SMU was already bowl eligible, the win guaranteed the program its first postseason berth since 1984.

4) 2010: SMU 45, East Carolina 38 OT

Following the success of the 2009 campaign, Jones and the Mustangs kept the ball rolling in 2010. SMU once again contended for the C-USA West title, with a chance to clinch a spot in the Conference USA championship game in its regular-season finale. It was a back-and-forth affair with the East Carolina Pirates, which saw the Mustangs erase an early 14-point deficit but also blow a 38-24 lead.

The game went into overtime, where Zach Line gave SMU the lead on his second touchdown run of the day. Richard Crawford followed that up with a game-ending interception of the ensuing East Carolina possession, securing the Mustangs’ spot in the C-USA championship game.

3) 2012 Hawaii Bowl: SMU 43, Fresno State 10

There’s just something about June Jones and Hawaii. Playing in a school-record fourth consecutive bowl game, the Mustangs came into the contest as 12-point underdogs against the Derek Carr and the Bulldogs. However, SMU’s defense stifled Fresno State’s high-powered offense on its way to a resounding upset win.

Defensive end Margus Hunt was named the game’s co-MVP, along with Fresno State wide receiver Davante Adams, after forcing two fumbles and recorded three sacks, including one for a safety. The Mustangs also returned two picks for touchdowns, finishing the year with an FBS-record eight interceptions returned for touchdowns.

2) SMU 40, TCU 33 OT

Though the Mustangs didn’t find much success against high-quality opponents under June Jones, they did manage to pull off a stunning upset of rival TCU in 2012. Playing on the road, SMU looked unfazed by the daunting task it faced, giving the No. 20 Horned Frogs all they could handle.

TCU was able to force overtime despite being down 33-17 in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs held their composure and struck first on J.J. McDermott’s fourth touchdown pass of the day. SMU’s defense kept the Horned Frogs out of the end zone, and the Mustangs took back the Iron Skillet in a shocker.

Not only did the win snap TCU’s 22-game home winning streak and 25-game regular season winning streak, but it was also just the second win over a ranked opponent for the Mustangs since the program was given the “death penalty” by the NCAA.

1) 2009 Hawaii Bowl: SMU 45, Nevada 10

Hollywood itself couldn’t have written a better script. Playing in their first bowl game since 1984, the Mustangs returned to the state where June Jones had made himself a household name in college football. Though Nevada was missing two of its running backs, it was still entered the game as a 12-point favorite. But behind game MVP Kyle Padron’s school-record 460 yards and two touchdowns, SMU trounced Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack.

It was an undeniably monumental victory for a program that had struggled so mightily since the NCAA hit it with the “death penalty”, securing its first winning record since 1997 and first bowl win in 25 years. The SMU fans in attendance showed their appreciation to Jones by chanting “Thank you, June!” in the fourth quarter, and perhaps this sentiment will again be felt by Mustangs fans years from now after bitter feeling subside and everyone is able to reflect on Jones’ tenure on the Hilltop and program’s return to relevancy.