List of SMU Mustangs football seasons

The SMU Mustangs are an intercollegiate football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since the 2013 college football season, the Mustangs compete in the American Athletic Conference. SMU began playing football in 1915 and has played their home games since 1999 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus in University Park, Texas, an enclave of Dallas.[1]

Seasons[edit]

Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Ray Morrison (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1915–1916)
1915 SMU 2–5
1916 SMU 0–8–2
J. Burton Rix (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1917)
1917 SMU 3–2–3
J. Burton Rix (Southwest Conference) (1918–1921)
1918 SMU 4–2 1–2 5th
1919 SMU 5–4–1 0–2–1 6th
1920 SMU 3–5–2 0–4–1 6th
1921 SMU[n 1] 1–6–1[n 1] 0–4[n 1] 7th
Ray Morrison & Ewing Y. Freeland (Southwest Conference) (1922–1923)
1922 SMU 6–3–1 2–2 T–3rd
1923 SMU 9–0 5–0 1st
Ray Morrison (Southwest Conference) (1924–1934)
1924 SMU 5–1–4 2–0–4 2nd L Dixie Classic
1925 SMU 5–2–2 1–1–2 4th
1926 SMU 8–0–1 5–0 1st
1927 SMU 7–2 4–1 2nd
1928 SMU 6–3–1 2–2–1 5th
1929 SMU 6–0–4 3–0–2 2nd
1930 SMU 6–3–1 2–2–1 T–4th
1931 SMU 9–1–1 5–0–1 1st
1932 SMU 3–7–2 1–4–1 T–5th
1933 SMU 4–7–1 2–4 6th
1934 SMU 8–2–2 3–2–1 3rd
Matty Bell (Southwest Conference) (1935–1941)
1935 SMU 12–1 6–0 1st L Rose
1936 SMU 5–4–1 2–3–1 5th
1937 SMU 5–6 2–4 6th
1938 SMU 6–4 4–2 2nd
1939 SMU 6–3–1 4–2 T–2nd
1940 SMU 8–1–1 5–1 T–1st 16
1941 SMU 5–5 2–4 5th
Jimmy Stewart (Southwest Conference) (1942–1944)
1942 SMU 3–6–2 1–4–1 6th
1943 SMU 2–7 2–3 T–3rd
1944 SMU 5–5 2–3 T–4th
Matty Bell (Southwest Conference) (1945–1949)
1945 SMU 5–6 4–2 2nd
1946 SMU 4–5–1 2–4 T–5th
1947 SMU 9–0–2 5–0–1 1st T Cotton 3
1948 SMU 9–1–1 5–0–1 1st W Cotton 10
1949 SMU 5–4–1 2–3–1 5th
Rusty Russell (Southwest Conference) (1950–1952)
1950 SMU 6–4 2–4 T–5th
1951 SMU 3–6–1 1–4–1 7th
1952 SMU 4–5–1 3–2–1 3rd
Woody Woodard (Southwest Conference) (1953–1956)
1953 SMU 5–5 3–3 4th
1954 SMU 6–3–1 4–1–1 2nd 17
1955 SMU 4–6 2–4 T–5th
1956 SMU 4–6 2–4 5th
Bill Meek (Southwest Conference) (1957–1961)
1957 SMU 4–5–1 3–3 4th
1958 SMU 6–4 4–2 T–2nd
1959 SMU 5–4–1 2–3–1 4th
1960 SMU 0–9–1 0–6–1 8th
1961 SMU 2–7–1 1–5–1 8th
Hayden Fry (Southwest Conference) (1962–1972)
1962 SMU 2–8 2–5 7th
1963 SMU 4–7 2–5 T–6th L Sun
1964 SMU 1–9 0–7 8th
1965 SMU 4–5–1 3–4 T–4th
1966 SMU 8–3 6–1 1st L Cotton 9 10
1967 SMU 3–7 3–4 6th
1968 SMU 8–3 5–2 3rd W Astro-Bluebonnet 16 14
1969 SMU 3–7 3–4 5th
1970 SMU 5–6 3–4 T–4th
1971 SMU 4–7 3–4 5th
1972 SMU 7–4 4–3 T–2nd
Dave Smith (Southwest Conference) (1973–1975)
1973 SMU 6–4–1 3–3–1 T–4th
1974 SMU 6–4–1 3–3–1 T–4th
1975 SMU 4–7 2–5 T–5th
Ron Meyer (Southwest Conference) (1976–1981)
1976 SMU 3–8 2–6 T–7th
1977 SMU 4–7 3–5 T–6th
1978 SMU 4–6–1 3–5 T–6th
1979 SMU 5–6 3–5 6th
1980 SMU 8–4 5–3 T–2nd L Holiday 20 20
1981 SMU 10–1 7–1 1st Ineligible[n 2] [n 2] 5
Bobby Collins (Southwest Conference) (1982–1986)
1982 SMU 11–0–1 7–0–1 1st W Cotton 2 2
1983 SMU 10–2 7–1 2nd L Sun 11 12
1984 SMU 10–2 6–2 T–1st W Aloha 8 8
1985 SMU 6–5 5–3 5th
1986 SMU 6–5 5–3 T–4th
1987 [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3]
1988 [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3] [n 3]
Forrest Gregg (Southwest Conference) (1989–1990)
1989 SMU 2–9 0–8 9th
1990 SMU 1–10 0–8 9th
Tom Rossley (Southwest Conference) (1991–1995)
1991 SMU 1–10 0–8 9th
1992 SMU 5–6 2–5 T–6th
1993 SMU 2–7–2 1–5–1 T–7th
1994 SMU 1–9–1 0–6–1 8th
1995 SMU 1–10 0–7 8th
Tom Rossley (Western Athletic Conference) (1996)
1996 SMU 5–6 4–4 4th (Mountain)
Mike Cavan (Western Athletic Conference) (1997–2001)
1997 SMU 6–5 5–3 T–2nd (Mountain)
1998 SMU 5–7[n 4] 4–4[n 4] T–5th (Mountain)
1999 SMU 4–6 3–3 5th
2000 SMU 3–9 2–6 T–6th
2001 SMU 4–7 4–3 5th
Phil Bennett (Western Athletic Conference) (2002–2004)
2002 SMU 3–9 3–5 T–6th
2003 SMU 0–12 0–8 10th
2004 SMU 3–8 3–5 T–6th
Phil Bennett (Conference USA) (2005–2007)
2005 SMU 5–6 4–4 T–3rd (West)
2006 SMU 6–6 4–4 4th (West)
2007 SMU 1–11 0–8 6th (West)
June Jones (Conference USA) (2008–2012)
2008 SMU 1–11 0–8 6th (West)
2009 SMU 8–5 6–2 T–1st (West) W Hawaii
2010 SMU 7–7 6–2 T–1st (West) L Armed Forces
2011 SMU 8–5 5–3 3rd (West) W BBVA Compass
2012 SMU 7–6 5–3 2nd (West) W Hawaii
June Jones (American Athletic Conference) (2013–2014)
2013 SMU 5–7 4–4 5th
2014 SMU[n 5] 1–11 1–7 11th
Chad Morris (American Athletic Conference) (2015–2017)
2015 SMU 2–10 1–7 T–5th (West)
2016 SMU 5–7 3–5 5th (West)
2017 SMU[n 6] 7–6[n 6] 4–4 T–3rd (West) L Frisco
Sonny Dykes (American Athletic Conference) (2017–2021)
2018 SMU 5–7 4–4 4th (West)
2019 SMU 10–3 6–2 3rd (West) L Boca Raton
2020 SMU 7–3 4–3 5th CX Frisco[n 7]
2021 SMU 8–4 4–4 6th CX Fenway[n 8]
Rhett Lashlee (American Athletic Conference) (2022–present)
2022 SMU 7–6 5–3 T–4th L New Mexico
2023 SMU 11–3 8–0 1st L Fenway 24 22
Total: 537–566–54
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Rix served as SMU's head coach for the first two games of the season before resigning. Bill Cunningham led the team as interim head coach for the final six games. The Mustangs compiled an overall record of 1–6–1 with marks of 0–4 in Southwest Conference play and 1–3–1 against Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents, placing seventh in both conferences.
  2. ^ a b The Mustangs had been put on probation by the NCAA for recruiting violations and were banned from participating in any bowl game in 1981. Because its rules prevent schools under probation from being considered, the Mustangs were not ranked in the Coaches Poll at all during the season. At season's end, the Mustangs were recognized as one of five co-national champions by the National Championship Foundation (NCF).
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Southern Methodist University football scandal led to the death penalty for 1987 and 1988 seasons in which SMU was barred from fielding teams.
  4. ^ a b Due to NCAA sanctions, SMU had 4 regular season wins and 6 regular season losses vacated for the 1998 season. SMU's pre-sanctions record was 5–7 (4–4 WAC). The "official" record now is 1–1 (0-1 WAC).
  5. ^ Resigned on September 8, 2014. Defensive coordinator Tom Mason served as interim head coach for the final 10 games of the season.
  6. ^ a b Morris served as SMU's head coach for the 2017 regular season before resigning to take the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas. Sonny Dykes coached the Mustangs in the 2017 Frisco Bowl. SMU finished the season with an overall record of 7–6.
  7. ^ The 2020 Frisco Bowl was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues and ruled a no contest.[2]
  8. ^ Dykes served as SMU's head coach for the 2021 regular season, before leaving to take the head coaching job at Texas Christian University. Jim Leavitt was appointed interim head coach for the 2021 Fenway Bowl, however, the game was cancelled.

References[edit]

General
Specific
  1. ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/smu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/m-footbl-factbook-11-complete.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ Wilson, Dave (December 14, 2020). "Frisco Bowl canceled after COVID-19 issues with SMU; UTSA shifts to First Responder Bowl". www.espn.com. ESPN.