2011 SMU Football Predictions

Written by Jack Jones

Head coach June Jones has already turned around this SMU football program in just three years on the job. It was a tough start as the Mustangs went 1-11 in 2008, but they had an incredible turnaround in 2009 when they finished 8-5 and reach a bowl game. Jones led SMU to the conference title game last year after winning the Conference USA West division. They would lose 7-17 to UCF, and go on to fall to Army 14-16 in the Armed Forces Bowl.

With the most returning starters (18) in the conference, the Mustangs are poised to be even better in 2011. They also lose the fewest letterman (11) in CUSA. Jones has his recruits in place, and he’s proving once again that he’s one of the most underrated coaches in the country. If SMU were to win the West again this season, they certainly would have earned it as the schedule gets much tougher than it was a year ago. I preview their offense and defense below, while also offering my prediction on where the Mustangs will finish in CUSA.

Offense:

The Mustangs featured a very solid offense last season. They didn’t get as many points as they should of compared to the yardage they gained, which was solely due to turnovers. SMU scored 25.7 points/game last year and averaged 415 total yards/game. Improving on their -12 turnover ration was certainly an emphasis in the spring, and it will be into the fall as well. Ten starters return, and junior QB Kyle Padron is coming off a very solid season. He threw for 3,828 yards and 31 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher (244 yards, 4 TD) and is poised for an even bigger season.

SMU came into last season figuring to use a running back by committee approach. But junior RB Zach Line would not let that happen as he took hold of the job and never let it go. Line rushed for 1,494 yards on 6.1/caryy with 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, earning first-team All-CUSA honors. Sophomore Darryl Fields must learn how to pick up blocking schemes if he wants to steal more of Line’s carries this season.

At receiver the Mustangs will miss Aldrick Robinson (65 catches, 1301 yards, 14 TD last year), who leaves as SMU’s No. 2 WR in terms of career receiving yards. They do bring back four of their top five receivers, including two starters in senior Cole Beasley (87, 1060, 6) and junior Darius Johnson (78, 845, 6). Senior Terrance Wilkerson was ineligible last season, but will be ready to fill in for Robinson at the other starting WR spot.

The outlook of the offensive line for the 2011 season is a very bright one. They bring back their entire 2 deep, plus they also return senior LG Josh LeRibeus, who was ineligible last season. This unit paved the way for 139 rushing yards/game and 4.8/carry, but they did allow 34 sacks. Nine linemen come back who have previous starting experience, while six are full-time starters. Their 158 career starts combined rank #1 in the FBS.

Defense:

The stop unit was the glue of this team last year. SMU yielded just 25.6 points and 353 total yards/game in 2010, and they will welcome back eight starters on this side of the ball. Eight of their top 10 tackles return. They allowed 145 rushing yards on 3.7/carry last season, down from the 167 and 4.4 they yielded in 2009. The defensive line was a big reason for that, and their entire 2 deep returns up front. The d-line is led by senior DE Taylor Thompson, who had 4.5 sacks and earned first-team All-USA last season. Opposite him will be junior DE Marcus Hunt, who registered 6.5 tackles for loss and was honorable mention all-conference.

At linebacker, the Mustangs lose Pete Fleps (#2 tackler, 123 stops) and Youri Yenga (#5 tackler, 81 stops). They do bring back a pair of studs here, though. Junior MLB Taylor Reed (#1 tackler, 145 stops) earned second-team All-CUSA last season, while junior WLB Ja’Gared Davis (90 tackles, 16 for loss) made first-team All-USA. Talented freshman Davon Moreland takes over at ILB, and junior Victory Jones will likely start at SLB after seeing limited action last year.

The secondary was pretty solid against the pass in 2010, yielding 208 yards/game on 59.3% completions through the air. This is a unit that will return three starters, including seniors Chris Banjo and Richard Crawford. FS Banjo (#3 tackler, 92 stops, 6 pass break-ups, 2 INT) earned second-team All-USA, while CB Crawford (59 tackles, 8 pbu, 4 INT) was a first-team all-conference selection. I can only see the numbers improving with so much talent back in the secondary.

Conference USA Prediction: 3rd Place West Division – Talent wise, there’s not much that separates Houston, Tulsa and SMU. This is easily the strongest the West division has ever been. When teams are this close in terms of potential, you kind of have to nitpick when making predictions on how the season will play out. The reason I have SMU place third in the West is solely due to their schedule. They have to play both Tulsa and Houston on the road, while also drawing Southern Miss and UCF from the East. The Mustangs easily have the toughest schedule in all of CUSA, and as a result I can’t see them winning the West for a second straight year.

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