To Reggie Roberson Jr., achieving greatness in a routine SMU practice can be proverbially defined as iron sharpening iron.

"I feel like I'm one of the best in the nation," Roberson said. "James [Proche] feels the same way. All of our receivers feel the same way. The DBs, they feel like they're the best in the nation."

What better setting to put talk into action that at a competitive practice. And there's tons of those with this year's SMU team -- which could explain why the Mustangs are off to their best start in three decades.

The old adage, iron sharpens iron, often comes up in football when an offense and a defense can line up against each other and push the intensity to levels that some teams can't reach. Practices can emerge into games of "Can you top this?" and, oftentimes, those can lead to bragging rights for the practice session, the day or even the rest of the week.

Those also can lead to strong practice sessions. And SMU coach Sonny Dykes, like any coach, knows that strong practices can lead to strong efforts in game situations.

"From a coach's perspective, we're improved over where we were last year," Dykes said. "We're playing a better style of football, playing harder on both sides of the ball. There are some growing pains, but I think people are appreciating the fact that the guys play hard, and it's an entertaining brand of football. We're having some success."

Roberson not only leads SMU but also the entire American Athletic Conference in receiving yards per game at 116. He is the only player in the conference with at least 450 receiving yards for the season.

Roberson also ranks second in the conference in receptions with 25. The guy he's chasing: Proche, who has 27.

"Every day, we go in, and before practice, you'll see us be like, 'Let's make each other better today'," Roberson said. "I feel like if they give me a good look and I give them a good look, then we're just going to be fine."

There's a level of competition inside the locker room -- a respectable level, not one of jealousy -- that has made his SMU wide receiver group one of the most underrated in college football. And in turn, what Roberson and Proche are doing on the field benefits SMU's secondary group, a team that played arguably its best game of the season last week on the road at TCU.

Iron sharpens iron. And that adage has led Dykes' program to its best start since 1984. Against TCU last week, Roberson caught four passes for a team-high 122 yards and did his part to help open the eyes of some who may not have been paying attention.

"We just went out there and did our jobs," Roberson said. "Coach called on all of us, and we went out there and made those plays going into the game. We knew we were going to have man-to-man matchups, and we just had to make the plays to win the game.

"That's what we did."

Every practice, Roberson, Proche, tight end Kylen Granson and the rest of the pass-catching options line up against cornerbacks Brandon Stephens, Chevin Calloway and Ar'mani Johnson; safeties Rodney Clemons, Pat Nelson and Trevor Denbow and the rest of the players on the secondary. There's a level of respect among them all, and there's a goal for each of them to be the alpha dog that day.

It's easy to tell how that attitude has translated through the first four games.

"If we just give each other our hardest every day and go out and just craft together, we're going to be great," Roberson said.

It's that mentality that SMU is hoping will aid in them staying undefeated by Saturday evening. The Mustangs travel to Tampa, Florida, to take on a USF team that will play as hungry as SMU was when it lined up against TCU.

Roberson expects to see the best out of USF's defensive backs. He also is planning to return the favor -- in addition to watching his teammates motivate each other to play at the highest level possible for four quarters.

"At the end of the day, every week, we're just trying to be 1-0," Roberson said. "Everybody's going to have a bullseye on your back when you're 4-0, but we're just going into this week prepared and try to go out there and beat them."

SMU (4-0) at USF (1-2)

3 p.m. CT, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida