There was a lot to smile about in the SMU football locker room after Saturday's 48-21 American Athletic Conference-opening victory over USF. Here are five keys to the victory:
Established road warriors
SMU is 5-0 on the year, but head coach Sonny Dykes likes the fact that his team is now 3-0 on the road. The Mustangs earned wins at Arkansas State, at TCU and now at USF.
"It was a great win, a great road win. It's hard to win on the road in our league," Dykes said. "Anytime you can do it, especially to start the league schedule, it's a good thing."
SMU now has remaining road tests against Houston (Oct. 24), Memphis (Nov. 2) and Navy (Nov. 23). The team hasn't won four consecutive road games since the mid-1980s.
Sackmasters in South Florida
It can be argued that the first half of Saturday may have been the best defensive effort SMU has put out in years. The school-record 10 sacks against the Bulls support that claim.
Gary Wiley started things off with a sack. Then Terrance Newman followed. And then Delontae Scott.
From there, Nelson Paul, Pono Davis, Demerick Gary and Zach Abercrumbia tallied a sack. Toby Ndukwe got two in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter. Then Richard McBryde and Elijah Chatman teamed up for one -- in the same drive as Ndukwe's sacks.
"Ten sacks," Dykes said, almost in amazement. "That's obviously a pretty special night when you sack the quarterback 10 times.
"Our defense played lights out in the first half. I thought they really played well. They had a couple of short fields, and they were able to get [USF] stopped. I saw some good things defensively."
SMU now has 23 sacks through five games this season. The Mustangs had 25 sacks all of last season.
All respect to Mr. Jones
Just in case you forgot, Xavier Jones is pretty good.
Shane Buechele, Reggie Roberson Jr. and James Proche have received much of the publicity with SMU's offense as of late -- and rightfully so, as they've been outstanding. But Jones' 155-yard, two-touchdown performance was a reminder of how potent he can be for SMU and against opposing defenses.
Jones' efforts Saturday put him fourth all-time on SMU's career rushing touchdowns list. He passed Doak Walker with his two scores and now has 32 for his career.
"It was fun to watch Xavier run," Dykes said. "I thought Xavier ran the ball hard, and I thought our offensive line performed really well. It was encouraging to see that.
"I think Xavier has really played his best two games the last two weeks. I'm encouraged to see him continue to get better and make some strides."
Jones now will chase Reggie Dupard, who accounted for 41 touchdowns between 1982-85. But the bigger task for Jones will be to continue helping his team win each week.
'Club Takeaway' remains hot!
SMU calls it "Club Takeaway." When the defense records an interception or a recovered fumble, there's a next-level celebration that actually includes a bottle-popping ceremony and confetti.
Think of a champagne cork popping.
Club Takeaway had two opportunities to remain in business, so to speak, on Saturday. Rodney Clemons had two first-quarter interceptions that resulted in 14 points for the offense. Clemons became the first SMU player with multiple interceptions since Horace Richardson did it back in 2016 against East Carolina.
Here's a stat that both Dykes and defensive coordinator Kevin Kane will be proud of: SMU has had at least one takeaway in 16 consecutive games. In 10 of those games, the Mustangs have had multiple takeaways.
Proche doing Proche things
Wide receiver James Proche entered the week leading the American Athletic Conference in receptions. He added to his totals with a seven-catch, 96-yard day. Proche also caught two touchdown passes in the win.
Proche continues to be a reliable target for Buechele. He was targeted eight times and made seven catches, but none were more dazzling than his reception in the second quarter -- a one-handed grab good for 39 yards and set up the Mustangs' third touchdown of the game.
"That's kind of his deal," Dykes said of Proche's one-handed catch. "I see him do it all the time in practice, so when he does it in games, it doesn't really surprise me."
That third touchdown, as a matter of fact, went to Proche on a 6-yard reception from Buechele. For the season, Proche now has 34 receptions, 376 yards and five touchdowns through five games.
