SMU knew its season opener against Baylor would be a tough one, but the Mustangs thought they could play a competitive and close game in Waco. Instead, Baylor routed SMU 45-0 in one of SMU’s worst offensive performances of the June Jones era. SMU managed 67 total yards on 65 plays including negative 28 rushing yards. The Mustangs also gained just 7 first downs.
Baylor jumped out to a 24-0 in the first quarter with quarterback Bryce Petty leading the way despite suffering a back injury early in the game. He subsequently struggled with his accuracy and touch, but still threw for 161 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. He did not return to the game in the second half and was later diagnosed with two cracked transverse processes in his back.
“It’s nothing that serious. Everything’s good,” Petty said after the game. “I’m already feeling a lot better.”
Baylor still racked up 574 yards on offense, 261 of which came on the ground. The Bears were given short fields because of SMU’s offensive mistakes, which helped them quickly put the game away. SMU’s offensive line struggled the most, allowing eight sacks versus Baylor’s relentless pressure.
“We scripted a lot of things to get the ball out quickly but we did not do what we needed to do to win,” SMU head coach June Jones said. “It’s hard for a quarterback to step back and throw anything when he doesn’t have time.”
Neal Burcham started at quarterback and was under siege, but he did not turn the ball over. Matt Davis also saw time at quarterback and was flustered even more by the lack of protection. He threw a ball up for grabs while trying to avoid a sack, but Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard intercepted it.
“I had planned on playing two quarterbacks, and I knew it was a limited package for Matt and what he wanted to do,” Jones said. “When our protection broke down, I could tell he was not sure of what he was doing. He didn’t have a chance.”
Kolney Cassel relieved Davis and Burcham in the fourth quarter. The three SMU quarterbacks threw for 91 yards and averaged a paltry 2.3 yards per pass. SMU’s longest passing play went for 15 yards, and only two others topped 10 yards.
SMU’s goal was to play bend-but-don’t-break defense, and for the most part it did. The Mustangs clamped down in the red zone and forced Baylor to attempt three field goals, two of which were missed. Baylor also started two possessions inside the SMU 6 yard line and scored touchdowns on both, but not without a fight from SMU. Baylor also committed 11 penalties.
“I thought we played really hard [on defense], and our defensive line and front seven was pretty good,” Jones said. “We ran out of gas there at the end when we put the backups in, but all in all I thought the D-line played hard and linebackers played hard. I thought we did a good job except for a couple that got loose.”
SMU’s defense still has room for improvement, especially in the young secondary. But better offensive line play must be the focus for the Mustangs as they prepare for Saturday’s road game against University of North Texas. Baylor’s defensive line is the most talented line SMU will face all season, but the Mustangs cannot be dominated at the line of scrimmage again. If they are, Saturday’s game will be another long one for SMU’s offense.
