Will the Glory Days of the Legendary Pony Express Be Rekindled?

Fans of the SMU football have reason to be optimistic about a possible pony express rejuvenation as the Mustangs prepare for their debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Playing in a power five conference will be a major step forward for the once-mighty team that has struggled for decades to come back from the NCAA “death penalty.”  Furthermore, the Mustangs are coming off an impressive, 11-win season last year, and they have added significant new talent to their 2024 roster.

The Pony Express and SMU’s Former Prominence

SMU was consistently excellent in the early 1980s. In 1980, the Mustangs finished the season ranked No. 20 in the nation, and in 1981, they earned a 10-1 record and the No. 5 spot in the country.

In 1982, the Mustangs, led by the “Pony Express” running back duo of Craig James and Eric Dickerson, flirted with the national championship. SMU finished that season with an undefeated 11-0-1 record. The only blemish on their record was a tie against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who were ranked ninth in the country. At the conclusion of the season, the Mustangs were ranked No. 2 in both the AP poll and the Coach’s poll, the two human polls that comprised the 1982 NCAA football rankings.

Both members of the pony express tandem had prolific careers at SMU, and both went on to have stellar NFL careers. Eric Dickerson was an All-American for the Mustangs in 1981 and 1982. As a running back for the New England Patriots, Craig James was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1985. And, as the No. 7 all-time rushing leader in NFL history, Dickerson is in the Hall of Fame.

The 1987 NCAA Death Penalty

As featured in an episode of ESPN’s 30 for 30, mockingly entitled “Pony Excess,” the NCAA canceled the SMU football program in 1987 for repeated violations of NCAA rules, including payments made to players to entice them to play at SMU. The university itself opted not to field a team for the 1988 season.

The unprecedented and harsh sanction had long-term ramifications. Indeed, journalists have reported that the NCAA itself has been “stunned by the extent to which the death penalty decimated Southern Methodist University’s football program….” In an article published in Time Magazine in 2015, the fallout from the NCAA death penalty was likened to the nuclear option: “It’s like what happened after we dropped the atom bomb in World War II. The results were so catastrophic that now we’ll do anything to avoid dropping another one.” The cancellation of SMU football in 1987 resulted not only in ensuing decades of struggles on the football field but also negative economic consequences for the university as a whole.

Since resuming play in 1989, SMU has won fewer than 37% of its games, with a record of 143-247-3 over the course of 34 seasons. And, since the imposition of the death penalty, SMU went 33 consecutive seasons without finishing a season in the AP Top 25. The Mustangs finally broke that streak last season, finishing at No. 22.

Return to Glory?

In November 2021, SMU hired first-time head coach Rhett Lashlee. Lashlee is regarded as an offensive guru. Prior to becoming the Mustangs’ head coach, Lashlee was the offensive coordinator at SMU from 2018 to 2019, and he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami from 2020 to 2021.

In both of the seasons in which Lashlee has been at the helm, the Mustangs have finished with winning records. In 2022, they went 7-6. In 2023, SMU posted an impressive 11-3 record, including a 9-0 record in the American Athletic Conference. The Mustangs averaged 38.7 points per game, which was eighth in the nation. As a result, Lashlee received recognition. He was nominated as one of the finalists for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

The Mustangs concluded the 2023 season with a disappointing loss to future ACC rival Boston College in the Fenway Bowl. However, they have rebounded with vigor, and are preparing for the upcoming season.

Lashlee and his staff have added twelve transfers to the Mustangs’ roster for 2024. Two of these transfers are offensive linemen who played for Oklahoma last year. Nate Anderson is a redshirt junior. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. Savion Byrd is a redshirt sophomore. He started four games at left guard for the Sooners last season. His playing time was limited as a result of an injury suffered in the middle of the season. Additionally, Omari Abor transferred to SMU from Ohio State. Abor is an edge rusher who was a national top-100 prospect coming out of high school. Highly rated wide receiver Ashton Cozart is also joining the team, transferring in from Oregon.

The current incarnation of the pony express consists of a “three-pony stable” of talented running backs: Jaylan Knighton (senior), LJ Johnson, Jr. (junior), and Camar Wheaton (junior). Wheaton is a former five-star recruit who transferred to the Mustangs from Alabama last offseason. Knighton and Johnson were four-star recruits. Thus, in the words of the folks over at 247Sports, SMU has an “embarrassment of riches” at the running back position.

Preston Stone returns as the starting quarterback to lead the high-flying SMU offense. He threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdown last year.

In one preseason poll, the Mustangs are ranked 19th. SMU kicks off the 2024 campaign against Nevada on August 24. Their schedule features a fairly daunting four-game stretch against BYU, TCU, Florida State, and Louisville.

SMU football may finally be well-positioned to pony up for its fans in the way it regularly did back in the early 1980s.