SMU Mustangs Football

Representing Southern Methodist University, the SMU Mustangs football team plays NCAA Football in the Conference USA in the NCAA. The Mustangs are coached by June Jones and play their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, which has a capacity of 32,000. The program began play in 1915.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/southern_methodist/index.php

In the 2010-11 college football season, the SMU Mustangs finished the season with a 7-5 record including going 6-1 in conference play to lead the Conference USA West Division and earn a spot in the Conference USA Championship Game. While they lost that game 17-7 to the Central Florida Knights, the Mustangs did qualify to play in the Armed Forces Bowl.http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/2567/southern-methodist-mustangs The Knights went on to fall 16-14 to the Army Black Knights in the bowl game on December 30, 2010.http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=303642567

The Mustangs began their play in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1915 before moving to the Southwest Conference in 1918. They continued there until 1995, which included both championships and NCAA violations which led to the team being banned from college football.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/southern_methodist/index.php http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DF123FF932A25757C0A961948260 The Mustangs won or shared the Southwest Conference title 10 times between 1923 and 1984, including in 1935 when they also won the national championship.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/southern_methodist/championships.php

In 1987, the Mustangs were barred from participating after repeat NCAA violations for improper payments to student athletes. The school later announced that it would voluntarily not field a team in the 1988 season due to sanctions for the recruiting violations.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DF123FF932A25757C0A961948260

After returning to play in 1989, SMU moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 1996, then moved to the Conference USA in 2005.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/southern_methodist/index.php More recently, the Mustangs shared the Conference USA West Division title in both 2009 and 2010.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/southern_methodist/championships.php

Three players who spent their college football days with the SMU Mustangs went on to the National Football League.http://espn.go.com/nfl/college/_/letter/s Cornerback Bryan McCann signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2010.http://espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=13609 Punter Thomas Morstead was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 NFL Draft and went on to win Super Bowl XLIV with the team as a rookie.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/gamelog?playerId=12701&sYear=2009 Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was drafted 82nd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 and made his professional debut later that year.http://espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=13295