2021 SMU Mustangs football team

American college football season

2021 SMU Mustangs football
Fenway Bowl, vs. Virginia, Canceled
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Record8–4 (4–4 AAC)
Head coach
  • Sonny Dykes (4th season; regular season)
  • Jim Leavitt (interim; bowl game)
Co-offensive coordinatorGarrett Riley (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinatorA. J. Ricker (2nd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorJim Leavitt (1st season)
Base defense3–4
Home stadiumGerald J. Ford Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 American Athletic Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^   8 – 0     13 – 1  
No. 17 Houston y   8 – 0     12 – 2  
UCF   5 – 3     9 – 4  
East Carolina   5 – 3     7 – 5  
Tulsa   5 – 3     7 – 6  
SMU   4 – 4     8 – 4  
Memphis   3 – 5     6 – 6  
Navy   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Tulane   1 – 7     2 – 10  
South Florida   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Temple   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, competed as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Mustangs were led by fourth-year coach Sonny Dykes—on November 29, it was announced that Dykes would leave the program to become the head coach at TCU.[1] He finished at SMU with an overall record of 30–18.

After finishing their regular season with an 8–4 record, the Mustangs accepted a bid to play in the Fenway Bowl, where they were due to face the Virginia Cavaliers. On December 26, the Cavaliers withdrew from the game, due to COVID-19 issues; the bowl was subsequently canceled.[2]

Preseason

Media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.[3] Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.

Media poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Cincinnati 262 (22)
2 UCF 241 (2)
3 SMU 188
4 Houston 181
5 Memphis 168
6 Tulsa 153
7 Tulane 132
T–8 East Carolina 85
T–8 Navy 85
10 Temple 46
11 South Florida 43

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 46:00 p.m.Abilene Christian*ESPN+W 56–923,373
September 116:00 p.m.North Texas*
ESPN+W 35–1229,121
September 182:30 p.m.at Louisiana Tech*CBSSNW 39–3715,326
September 2511:00 a.m.at TCU*FS1W 42–3446,672
October 23:00 p.m.South Floridadagger
  • Gerald J. Ford Stadium
  • University Park, TX
ESPNUW 41–1723,355
October 92:30 p.m.at NavyNo. 24CBSSNW 31–2428,563
October 216:30 p.m.TulaneNo. 21
  • Gerald J. Ford Stadium
  • University Park, TX
ESPNW 55–2622,843
October 306:00 p.m.at HoustonNo. 19ESPN2L 37–4425,676
November 611:00 a.m.at MemphisESPNUL 25–2830,191
November 1311:00 a.m.UCF
  • Gerald J. Ford Stadium
  • University Park, TX
ESPNUW 55–2823,175
November 202:30 p.m.at No. 5 CincinnatiESPNL 14–4837,978
November 273:00 p.m.Tulsa
  • Gerald J. Ford Stadium
  • University Park, TX
ESPN2L 31–3417,158
December 2910:00 a.m.vs. Virginia*ESPNCanceled

[4][5]

Personnel

2021 SMU Mustangs football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 Jordan Kerley So
QB 2 Preston Stone Fr
RB 4 Tre Siggers  Sr
WR 5 Danny Gray Sr
WR 6 Austin Upshaw Sr
RB 7 Ulysses Bentley IV So
QB 8 Tanner Mordecai  Jr
WR 9 Beau Barker So
WR 10 Dylan Goffney Fr
WR 11 Rashee Rice Jr
QB 12 Derek Green Jr
WR 13 Roderick Daniels Jr. Fr
TE 14 Nolan Matthews-Harris So
QB 16 Josh Stupin  Fr
QB 18 Jacob Oehrlein Jr
WR 20 Jayleen Record Fr
WR 21 Reggie Roberson Jr. Sr
RB 22 Brandon Epton Fr
RB 25 T.J. McDaniel So
RB 26 Montaye Dawson Fr
RB 27 Zane Minors Fr
RB 28 Blake Bedwell  Fr
WR 30 Carter Campbell  Fr
RB 31 Tyler Lavine Jr
WR 33 Hudson Shrum Jr
RB 39 Orlando Jones Sr
WR 43 Charles Headen III  Sr
TE 44 Sam Morse Fr
WR 47 Nic Heck So
OL 51 Justin Osborne So
OL 52 Marcus Bryant So
OL 56 Branson Hickman  Fr
OL 57 Cobe Bryant Sr
OL 58 Tai Brooks So
OL 60 Henry Mossberg  Fr
OL 61 Dalton Perdue  Fr
OL 62 Marcus Smith  Fr
OL 64 Cameron Ervin So
OL 67 Dylan Cordell  Fr
OL 68 Jackson Ritz  Fr
OL 69 Ben Sparks  Fr
OL 70 Thalen Robinson  So
OL 71 Jaylon Thomas Sr
OL 74 Tyler Bailey  Fr
OL 75 Hayden Howerton Sr
OL 76 Keaton Schulz Fr
OL 77 Alan Ali Sr
OL 78 Beau Morris Sr
OL 79 Danielson Ike So
TE 81 Ben Redding Sr
WR 82 Parker Stone So
TE 83 Simon Gonzalez  So
TE 86 Tommy McIntyre Sr
TE 88 Grant Calcaterra  Sr
TE 89 Gage Haskin  Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
S 0 Bryan Massey So
CB 1 Brandon Crossley Jr
DB 2 Cam Jones Jr
LB 3 Delano Robinson Sr
CB 4 Jahari Rogers  Fr
CB 5 Ar'mani Johnson Sr
S 6 T.Q. Jackson So
CB 7 Bryce McMorris Fr
LB 10 Ty DeArman So
S 11 Chevin Calloway Sr
S 12 Isaiah Nwokobia Fr
S 13 Roderick Roberson Jr. So
LB 14 Richard Moore Sr
LB 15 Keke Burns So
S 16 Trevor Denbow Sr
S 18 Chace Cromartie Jr
DB 20 Ra-Sun Kazadi Jr
S 21 Donald Clay So
DB 22 Karl Taylor  Fr
LB 23 Shaine Hailey Sr
LB 24 Jimmy Phillips Jr. Sr
LB 25 Izaiah Kelly Fr
CB 26 Sam Westfall Jr
LB 27 Ben Furgal So
LB 30 Brian Holloway Sr
LB 31 Preston Ellison Sr
LB 32 Toby Ndukwe Sr
DT 33 Junior Aho Jr
CB 34 John Porter Jr
LB 35 Nick Lerew Jr
DB 36 Jadarius Thursby Fr
LB 38 Carter Link  Fr
DT 39 Darren Brown Jr
DE 40 Elijah Chatman Jr
LB 41 Isaac Slade-Matautia  Jr
LB 42 Deuce Palmer So
CB 43 Cross Kittrell Fr
DL 44 Kadarius Smith Sr
DE 45 Jayden Jones Fr
LB 46 Trent Strong  Fr
DT 47 Stone Eby Fr
LB 48 Will Benton So
DE 49 Parker Forque Fr
LB 50 Trevion Sneed Fr
DE 51 Warren Walls So
LB 53 Garrett Madison So
DE 54 Christopher Reese  Sr
LB 55 Gary Wiley Sr
LB 56 Jack Young So
DT 57 Mike Williams Sr
LB 59 Will Goldberg So
DE 86 Je'lin Samuels Fr
DE 89 Alex Sickafoose So
DE 90 Nelson Paul Jr
DT 91 Terrance Newman Sr
DL 92 Stephon Wright  Jr
DE 93 Bobby Duncam  Fr
DL 94 Erin Smith  Fr
DE 95 Will Jones Sr
DE 96 DeVere Levelston Jr
LB 97 Turner Coxe Sr
DL 98 Jay Bell Sr
DE 99 Harrison Loveless Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
LS 46 Spencer Luce Jr
LS 48 Will Benton So
LS 49 Cole Voyles Jr
LS 89 Gage Haskin  Fr
P 91 Matt Fraanje  Fr
K 92 Blake Mazza Sr
K, P 93 Brendan Hall Fr


Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: September 17, 2021

Depth chart

† As of September 17, 2021
Defense
[6]


FS
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WLB ILB ILB SLB
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
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SS
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CB
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DE NT DE
⋅ ⋅ ⋅
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CB
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Offense
[6]
WR
Reggie Roberson Jr.
Jordan Kerley
⋅
WR
Danny Gray
Austin Upshaw
⋅
LT LG C RG RT
Jaylon Thomas Hayden Howerton Alan Ali Justin Osborne Marcus Bryant
Dalton Perdue Cameron Ervin Branson Hickman Ben Sparks Beau Morris
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
TE
Grant Calcaterra
Tommy McIntyre
Nolan Matthews
WR
Rashee Rice
Roderick Daniels Jr.
⋅
QB
Tanner Mordecai
Preston Stone
Derek Green
Special teams
PK Blake Mazza
PK Brendan Hall
P Matt Fraanje
P Brendan Hall
KR Ulysses Bentley IV
PR Jordan Kerley
LS Cole Voyles
H Derek Green
RB
Ulysses Bentley IV
Tre Siggers
Tyler Lavine

Game summaries

Abilene Christian

Abilene Christian at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
Wildcats 0 360 9
• Mustangs 7 28147 56
  • Date: September 4
  • Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
    University Park, TX
  • Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes
  • Game attendance: 23,373
  • Game weather: Temperature: 95 °F (35 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SE 7 MPH
  • Referee: Tim Rich
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Ted Emrich (play–by–play), Stanford Routt (analyst) and Morgan Uber (sideline)
      
Scoring summary
111:19SMUGrant Calcaterra 21–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(3 plays, 44 yards, 1:04)		SMU 7–0
210:55SMUGrant Calcaterra 8–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(11 plays, 68 yards, 4:51)		SMU 14–0
07:41SMUDanny Gray 30–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(5 plays, 64 yards, 1:47)		SMU 21–0
05:01SMUDanny Gray 27–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(4 plays, 31 yards, 1:16)		SMU 28–0
03:06ACUBlair Zepeda 47–yard field goal
(5 plays, 60 yards, 1:50)		SMU 28–3
00:29SMURashee Rice 30–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 2:37)		SMU 35–3
310:33SMUNolan Matthews 8–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 65 yards, 4:27)		SMU 42–3
04:38ACUKobe Clark 11–yard pass from Stone Earle (pass failed)
(16 plays, 75 yards, 5:55)		SMU 42–9
00:46SMUNolan Matthews 31–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:52)		SMU 49–9
411:44SMUBrandon Epton Jr. 2–yard run (Brendan Hall kick)
(1 play, 2 yards, 0:04)		SMU 56–9
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –32 66[7]
Statistics ACU SMU
First downs 14 27
Total yards 332 490
Rushing yards 119 171
Passing yards 213 319
Turnovers 4 1
Time of possession 28:22 31:38
Team Category Player Statistics
Abilene Christian Passing Stone Earle 13/28, 160 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Peyton Mansell 2 carries, 33 yards
Receiving Kobe Clark 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 24/30, 317 yards, 7 TD
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 10 carries, 48 yards
Receiving Danny Gray 4 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TD

North Texas

North Texas at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
Mean Green 3 360 12
• Mustangs 0 71414 35
  • Date: September 11
  • Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
    University Park, TX
  • Game start: 6:05 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 57 minutes
  • Game attendance: 29,121
  • Game weather: Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 10 MPH
  • Referee: Jon Noli
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Ted Emrich (play–by–play), Stanford Routt (analyst) and Morgan Uber (sideline)
    
Scoring summary
109:29UNTEthan Mooney 19–yard field goal
(6 plays, 25 yards, 1:33)		UNT 3–0
213:52UNTEthan Mooney 22–yard field goal
(10 plays, 81 yards, 3:28)		UNT 6–0
03:50SMURashee Rice 62–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(2 plays, 63 yards, 0:41)		SMU 7–6
311:13SMUDanny Gray 58–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(3 plays, 81 yards, 0:55)		SMU 14–6
06:12UNTIsaiah Johnson 23–yard pass from Jace Ruder (DeAndre Torrey pass failed)
(13 plays, 78 yards, 4:58)		SMU 14–12
05:01SMUGrant Calcaterra 29–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(4 plays, 77 yards, 1:06)		SMU 21–12
411:17SMUUlysses Bentley IV 19–yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 80 yards, 3:10)		SMU 28–12
07:37SMUUlysses Bentley IV 85–yard rush (Blake Mazza kick)
(1 play, 85 yards, 0:14)		SMU 35–12
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –22.5 75[8]
Statistics UNT SMU
First downs 23 20
Total yards 506 536
Rushing yards 122 225
Passing yards 384 311
Turnovers 5 4
Time of possession 36:06 23:54
Team Category Player Statistics
North Texas Passing Jace Ruder 32/51, 366 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing DeAndre Torrey 16 carries, 71 yards
Receiving Roderic Burns 12 receptions, 141 yards
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 21/33, 311 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 10 carries, 141 yards, TD
Receiving Rashee Rice 4 receptions, 99 yards, TD

At Louisiana Tech

Southern Methodist at Louisiana Tech
1 234Total
• Mustangs 7 9176 39
Bulldogs 7 7149 37
  • Date: September 18
  • Location: Joe Aillet Stadium
    Ruston, LA
  • Game start: 2:32 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 49 minutes
  • Game attendance: 15,326
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Cloudy
  • Referee: Patrick Foy
  • TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Chick Hernandez (play–by–play) and Ben Leber (analyst)
         
Scoring summary
106:22LTTre Harris 62-yard pass from Austin Kendall (Jacob Barnes kick)
(5 plays, 80 yards, 2:12)		LT 7–0
03:13SMURashee Rice 41-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 78 yards, 3:04)		TIE 7–7
206:49LTSamuel Emilus 11-yard pass from Austin Kendall (Jacob Barnes kick)
(13 plays, 99 yards, 6:00)		LT 14–7
03:30SMUDanny Gray 17-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza PAT blocked)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:19)		LT 14–13
00:00SMUBlake Mazza 29-yard field goal
(10 plays, 46 yards, 2:17)		SMU 16–14
312:09SMUJordan Kerley 18-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 78 yards, 2:42)		SMU 23–14
10:30LTTre Harris 11-yard pass from Austin Kendall (Jacob Barnes kick)
(5 plays, 75 yards, 1:39)		SMU 23–21
07:55SMUBlake Mazza 24-yard field goal
(5 plays, 22 yards, 2:24)		SMU 26–21
05:25LTAustin Kendall 3-yard rush (Jacob Barnes kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:30)		LT 28–26
00:24SMURashee Rice 5-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(3 plays, 9 yards, 0:54)		SMU 33–28
405:07LTMarcus Williams Jr. 6-yard pass from Austin Kendall (two-point pass conversion attempt failed)
(9 plays, 70 yards, 4:13)		LT 34–33
00:36LTJacob Barnes 47-yard field goal
(6 plays, 6 yards, 2:42)		LT 37–33
00:00SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 33-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai
(6 plays, 73 yards, 0:36)		SMU 39–37
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –12.5 66[9]
Statistics SMU LT
First downs 31 24
Total yards 578 483
Rushing yards 183 132
Passing yards 395 351
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 32:37 27:23
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 36/48, 395 yards, 5 TD
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 13 carries, 61 yards
Receiving Grant Calcaterra 7 receptions, 103 yards
Louisiana Tech Passing Austin Kendall 24/40, 351 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Marcus Williams Jr. 13 carries, 65 yards
Receiving Tre Harris 5 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD

At TCU

Southern Methodist at Texas Christian
1 234Total
• Mustangs 14 7147 42
Horned Frogs 14 767 34
  • Date: September 25
  • Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium
    Fort Worth, TX
  • Game start: 11:03 a.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 18 minutes
  • Game attendance: 46,672
  • Game weather: Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 2 MPH
  • Referee: Charles Lamertina
  • TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play–by–play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
        
Scoring summary
114:08SMUDanny Gray 68-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza PAT failed)
(3 plays, 77 yards, 0:46)		SMU 6–0
10:48TCUKendre Miller 20-yard rush (Griffin Kell kick)
(6 plays, 54 yards, 3:12)		TCU 7–6
08:44SMUTanner Mordecai 4-yard rush (Ben Redding two-point conversion rush)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:04)		SMU 14–7
07:14TCUDerius Davis 13-yard pass from Max Duggan (Griffin Kell kick)
(3 plays, 75 yards, 1:30)		TIE 14–14
213:31TCUZach Evans 46-yard pass from Max Duggan (Griffin Kell kick)
(6 plays, 86 yards, 2:23)		TCU 21–14
10:49SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 29-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:42)		TIE 21–21
314:19SMUUlysses Bentley IV 1-yard rush (Blake Mazza kick)
(2 plays, 3 yards, 0:25)		SMU 28–21
10:27TCUGriffin Kell 40-yard field goal
(8 plays, 43 yards, 3:45)		SMU 28–24
07:09SMURashee Rice 11-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 3:18)		SMU 35–24
00:22TCUGriffin Kell 30-yard field goal
(4 plays, 3 yards, 1:00)		SMU 35–27
412:19SMUJordan Kerley 26-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 3:03)		SMU 42–27
04:05TCUTaye Barber 21-yard pass from Max Duggan (Griffin Kell kick)
(7 plays, 91 yards, 1:45)		SMU 42–34
Pregame line Over/under
TCU –9.5 65.5[10]
Statistics SMU TCU
First downs 29 20
Total yards 595 446
Rushing yards 350 170
Passing yards 245 276
Turnovers 3 1
Time of possession 33:52 26:08
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 17/28, 245 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 20 rushes, 153 yards, TD
Receiving Danny Gray 4 receptions, 130 yards, TD
TCU Passing Max Duggan 16/28, 276 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Zach Evans 15 rushes, 113 yards
Receiving Taye Barber 5 receptions, 114 yards, TD

South Florida

South Florida at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
Bulls 0 3140 17
• Mustangs 10 71014 41
      
Scoring summary
110:50SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 21-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(12 plays, 75 yards, 4:10)		SMU 7–0
4:40SMUBlake Mazza 26-yard field goal
(11 plays, 65 yards, 4:21)		SMU 10–0
212:05SMURashee Rice 10-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(13 plays, 97 yards, 4:41)		SMU 17–0
4:37USFSpencer Shrader 29-yard field goal
(14 plays, 63 yards, 7:28)		SMU 17–3
312:50USFJaren Mangham 1-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:10)		SMU 17–10
8:56SMUBlake Mazza 30-yard field goal
(11 plays, 63 yards, 3:54)		SMU 20–10
4:25SMUTre Siggers 13-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(5 plays, 58 yards, 2:30)		SMU 27–10
0:29USFJaren Mangham 1-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 3:56)		SMU 27–17
49:32SMUDanny Gray 4-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(4 plays, 50 yards, 1:44)		SMU 34–17
5:09SMUDanny Gray 5-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 30 yards, 3:04)		SMU 41–17
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –21 68.5[11]
Statistics USF SMU
First downs 19 30
Total yards 336 463
Rushing yards 113 162
Passing yards 223 301
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 27:11 32:49
Team Category Player Statistics
South Florida Passing Timmy McClain 14/22, 223 yards
Rushing Brian Battie 7 rushes, 46 yards
Receiving Jimmy Horn Jr. 5 receptions, 102 yards
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 29/42, 301 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Tre Siggers 20 rushes, 86 yards, TD
Receiving Danny Gray 7 receptions, 74 yards, 2 TD

At Navy

Southern Methodist at Navy
1 234Total
• No. 24 Mustangs 7 1437 31
Midshipmen 7 1430 24
     
Scoring summary
113:28SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 66-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(4 plays, 75 yards, 1:32)		SMU 7–0
3:57NAVYChance Warren 28-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick)
(7 plays, 50 yards, 3:37)		TIE 7–7
213:45NAVYKai Puailoa-Rojas 37-yard pass from Tai Lavatai (Bijan Nichols kick)
(6 plays, 71 yards, 2:51)		NAVY 14–7
7:42NAVYDiego Fagot 20-yard fumble return (Nijan Nichols kick)NAVY 21–7
7:29SMUBryan Massey 95-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick)NAVY 21–14
1:54SMUTre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(11 plays, 69 yards, 4:04)		TIE 21–21
37:26SMUBlake Mazza 37-yard field goal
(9 plays, 36 yards, 4:02)		SMU 24–21
0:23NAVYBijan Nichols 50-yard field goal
(13 plays, 42 yards, 7:03)		TIE 24–24
48:19SMUJordan Kerley 22-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
9 plays, 65 yards, 3:52)		SMU 31–24
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –13.5 56[12]
Statistics SMU NAVY
First downs 22 12
Total yards 404 241
Rushing yards 80 177
Passing yards 324 64
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 27:41 32:19
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 30/40, 324 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Tre Siggers 14 rushes, 49 yards, TD
Receiving Reggie Roberson Jr. 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD
Navy Passing Tai Lavatai 4/7, 64 yards, TD
Rushing Tai Lavatai 24 rushes, 53 yards
Receiving Kai Puailoa-Rojas 1 reception, 37 yards, TD

Tulane

Tulane at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
Green Wave 7 0127 26
• No. 21 Mustangs 17 14717 55
  • Date: October 21
  • Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
    University Park, TX
  • Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 22,843
  • Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 6 MPH
  • Referee: Hank Jones
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) & Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
         
Scoring summary
19:56SMUBlake Mazza 22-yard field goal
(14 plays, 50 yards, 5:04)		SMU 3–0
6:08SMUTre Siggers 1-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 81 yards, 2:30)		SMU 10–0
1:04SMUTanner Mordecai 1-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(11 plays, 88 yards, 3:07)		SMU 17–0
0:22TULNShae Wyatt 10-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Merek Glover kick)
(3 plays, 75 yards, 0:42)		SMU 17–7
213:25SMUTommy McIntyre 24-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 96 yards, 1:57)		SMU 24–7
0:53SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 22-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 91 yards, 4:24)		SMU 31–7
312:18TULNShae Wyatt 11-yard pass from Michael Pratt (pass failed)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:42)		SMU 31–13
3:33SMUTre Siggers 9-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(11 plays, 91 yards, 5:04)		SMU 38–13
1:28TULNDuece Watts 4-yard pass from Michael Pratt (pass failed)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:05)		SMU 38–19
49:05SMUBlake Mazza 38-yard field goal
(6 plays, 13 yards, 3:56)		SMU 41–19
6:50TULNTyjae Spears 9-yard run (Merek Glover kick)
(8 plays, 82 yards, 2:15)		SMU 41–26
6:01SMUTyler Lavine 44-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(2 plays, 44 yards, 0:49)		SMU 48–26
2:39SMUBrandon Epton Jr. 9-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 37 yards, 2:47)		SMU 55–26
Pregame line Over/under
SMU -14.5 70.5[13]
Statistics TULN SMU
First downs 18 31
Total yards 428 612
Rushing yards 194 174
Passing yards 234 438
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 25:37 34:23
Team Category Player Statistics
Tulane Passing Michael Pratt 11/22, 234 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Tyjae Spears 14 rushes, 85 yards, TD
Receiving Jha'Quan Jackson 2 receptions, 93 yards
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 30/42, 427 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Tre Siggers 15 rushes, 81 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Danny Gray 8 receptions, 140 yards

At Houston

Southern Methodist at Houston
1 234Total
No. 19 Mustangs 7 13143 37
• Cougars 17 6714 44
  • Date: October 30
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:37
  • Game attendance: 25,676
  • Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 6 MPH
  • Referee: Charles Lamertina
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
          
Scoring summary
111:20HOUNathaniel Dell 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40)		HOU 7–0
9:26HOUNathaniel Dell 48-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(2 plays, 56 yards, 0:33)		HOU 14–0
2:20HOUDalton Witherspoon 50-yard field goal
(9 plays, 55 yards, 4:32)		HOU 17–0
0:00SMUJordan Kerley 43-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:20		HOU 17–7
211:41HOUDalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal
(7 plays, 69 yards, 3:19)		HOU 20–7
7:28SMUTre Siggers 50-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(1 play, 50 yards, 0:09)		HOU 20–14
2:45SMURashee Rice 6-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (kick blocked)
(7 plays, 35 yards, 3:07)		TIE 20–20
0:00HOUDalton Witherspoon 30-yard field goal
(12 plays, 62 yards, 2:45)		HOU 23–20
314:45SMUBryan Massey 100-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick)SMU 27–23
9:22HOUNathaniel Dell 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(11 plays, 72 yards, 5:23)		HOU 30–27
5:46SMUTre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36)		SMU 34–30
413:36HOUKeSean Carter 4-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(14 plays, 75 yards, 7:10)		HOU 37–34
0:30SMUBlake Mazza 45-yard field goal
(10 plays, 58 yards, 1:34)		TIE 37–37
0:17HOUMarcus Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)HOU 44–37
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –1.0 62
Statistics SMU HOU
First downs 18 23
Total yards 355 489
Rushing yards 50 77
Passing yards 305 412
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 24:22 35:23
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 24/37, 305 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Tre Siggers 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD
Receiving Danny Gray 5 receptions, 73 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 27/37, 412 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Ta'Zhawn Henry 21 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 9 receptions, 165 yards, 3 TD

At Memphis

Southern Methodist at Memphis
1 234Total
Mustangs 0 10015 25
• Tigers 0 7147 28
     
Scoring summary
21:57SMUDanny Gray 48-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 80 yards, 2:25)		SMU 7–0
0:16MEMEddie Lewis 2-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 1:41)		TIE 7–7
0:00SMUBlake Mazza 47-yard field goal
(2 plays, 26 yards, 0:00)		SMU 10–7
38:47MEMAsa Martin 1-yard run (Joe Doyle kick)
(5 plays, 41 yards, 2:33)		MEM 14–10
2:41MEMJavon Ivory 27-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick)
(11 plays, 90 yards, 2:53)		MEM 21–10
411:01MEMSean Dykes 40-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick)
(9 plays, 71 yards, 5:15)		MEM 28–10
8:36SMUDanny Gray 27-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Tanner Mordecai pass to Rashee Rice)
(8 plays, 66 yards, 2:18)		MEM 28–18
5:53SMUTyler Levine 1-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(5 plays, 32 yards, 1:19)		MEM 28–25
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –3.5 72
Statistics SMU MEM
First downs 16 25
Total yards 323 468
Rushing yards 61 36
Passing yards 262 432
Turnovers 3 1
Time of possession 23:05 36:55
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 19/28, 262 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Tre Siggers 12 rushes, 53 yards
Receiving Danny Gray 4 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
Memphis Passing Seth Henigan 34/53, 392 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Marquavius Weaver 10 rushes, 17 yards
Receiving Calvin Austin 8 receptions, 88 yards

UCF

Central Florida at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
Knights 14 077 28
• Mustangs 21 17710 55
  • Date: November 13
  • Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
    University Park, TX
  • Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:27
  • Game attendance: 23,175
  • Game weather: Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 2 MPH MPH
  • Referee: Hank Johns
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
         
Scoring summary
113:23UCFRyan O'Keefe 18-yard pass from Mikey Keene (Daniel Obarski kick)
(4 plays, 32 yards, 0:31)		UCF 7–0
10:38SMUGrant Calcaterra 15-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 84 yards, 2:37)		TIE 7–7
5:33UCFParker Navarro 6-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick)
(3 plays, 15 yards, 1:05)		UCF 14–7
4:32SMUUlysses Bentley IV 56-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(3 plays, 69 yards, 1:01)		TIE 14–14
0:12SMUTre Siggers 10-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 62 yards, 3:17)		SMU 21–14
28:16SMUBlake Mazza 29-yard field goal
(12 plays, 64 yards, 4:00)		SMU 24–14
5:00SMUTre Siggers 16-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(5 plays, 51 yards, 1:21)		SMU 31–14
1:01SMURashee Rice 8-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(11 plays, 85 yards, 2:41)		SMU 38–14
312:47UCFMark-Antony Richards 58-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick)
(5 plays, 75 yards, 2:13)		SMU 38–21
3:23SMUReggie Roberson Jr. 24-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 88 yards, 2:13)		SMU 45–21
414:22SMUTre Siggers 4-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 35 yards, 3:38)		SMU 52–21
12:10UCFMark-Antony Richards 4-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:12)		SMU 52–28
8:17SMUBlake Mazza 43-yard field goal
(8 plays, 50 yards, 3:53)		SMU 55–28
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –7.0 62
Statistics UCF SMU
First downs 15 36
Total yards 333 631
Rushing yards 124 241
Passing yards 209 390
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 26:11 33:49
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing Mikey Keene 18/35, 174 yards, TD
Rushing Mark-Antony Richards 8 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Jaylon Robinson 2 receptions, 50 yards
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 37/54, 377 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 14 rushes, 97 yards, TD
Receiving Dylan Goffney 10 receptions, 88 yards

At No. 5 Cincinnati

Southern Methodist at Cincinnati
1 234Total
Mustangs 0 0014 14
• No. 5 Bearcats 14 13147 48
     
Scoring summary
112:54CINTyler Scott 53-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick)
(1 play, 53 yards, 0:07)		CIN 7–0
5:32CINJerome Ford 4-yard run (Alex Bales kick)
(6 plays, 25 yards, 2:58)		CIN 14–0
213:37CINDesmond Ridder 40-yard run (kick failed)
(6 plays, 78 yards, 3:02)		CIN 20–0
8:19CINAlec Pierce 17-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick)
(8 plays, 71 yards, 3:40)		CIN 27–0
310:59CINDesmond Ridder 5-yard pass from Jordan Jones (Alex Bales kick)
(7 plays, 92 yards, 4:01)		CIN 34–0
5:44CINAlec Pierce 17-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick)
(8 plays, 42 yards, 3:59)		CIN 41–0
411:06CINJordan Jones 11-yard pass from Evan Prater (Alex Bales kick)
(12 plays, 74 yards, 6:22)		CIN 48–0
8:32SMUTre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(6 plays, 63 yards, 2:34)		CIN 48–7
1:17SMURashee Rice 3-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(9 plays, 46 yards, 3:43)		CIN 48–14
Pregame line Over/under
CIN –9.5 65.5
Statistics SMU CIN
First downs 15 24
Total yards 199 544
Rushing yards 133 249
Passing yards 66 295
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 24:39 35:21
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 15/26, 66 yards, TD
Rushing Ulysses Bentley IV 11 rushes, 68 yards
Receiving Rashee Rice 7 receptions, 21 yards, TD
Cincinnati Passing Desmond Ridder 17/23, 274 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jerome Ford 19 rushes, 82 yards, TD
Receiving Tre Tucker 7 receptions, 114 yards

Tulsa

Tulsa at Southern Methodist
1 234Total
• Golden Hurricane 0 14146 34
Mustangs 10 7014 31
SMU in action against Tulsa
Pregame line Over/under
SMU –6.5 62.5
Statistics TLSA SMU
First downs 22 23
Total yards 374 405
Rushing yards 130 107
Passing yards 244 298
Turnovers 2 2
Time of possession 31:12 28:48
Team Category Player Statistics
Tulsa Passing Davis Brin 18/33, 244 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Shamari Brooks 18 rushes, 71 yards
Receiving Josh Johnson 6 receptions, 117 yards, TD
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 26/46, 298 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Tyler Lavine 8 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Receiving Roderick Daniels Jr. 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP————RV2423211923RVRV———
CoachesRVRVRVRVRV2423191624RVRV———
CFPNot released——————Not released

Weekly awards

  • The American offensive player of the week
Tanner Mordecai (week 1 vs. Abilene Christian)[14]
Tanner Mordecai (week 3 vs. Louisiana Tech)[15]
Tanner Mordecai (week 8 vs. Tulane)[16]
Tanner Mordecai (week 11 vs. UCF)[17]
  • The American special teams player of the week
Bryan Massey (week 5 vs. Navy)[18]

References

  1. ^ "TCU announces SMU's Dykes as new coach after campus arrival". Fort Worth Business Press. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Adelson, Andrea (December 26, 2021). "Military, Fenway Bowls Canceled Because of COVID-19 Issues". ESPN. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "Cincinnati Chosen as Favorite in American Preseason Media Poll". theAmerican.org. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  4. ^ "2021 SMU Mustangs Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "2021 Football Schedule". SMUMustangs.com. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "2021 SMU Mustangs Football Depth Chart". Ourlads.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  7. ^ "Abilene Christian Wildcats vs SMU Mustangs". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "North Texas Mean Green vs SMU Mustangs". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "SMU Mustangs vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "SMU Mustangs vs TCU Horned Frogs". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "South Florida Bulls vs SMU Mustangs". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "SMU Mustangs vs Navy Midshipmen". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Tulane Green Wave vs. SMU Mustangs". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "SMU's Mordecai, UCF's Davis, Memphis' Doyle Take Weekly Football Honors". American Athletic Conference. September 6, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  15. ^ "SMU's Mordecai, Cincinnati's Pace, Memphis' Austin Take Weekly Football Awards". American Athletic Conference. September 20, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "SMU's Mordecai, Houston's Mutin, Jones Take Weekly Football Honors". American Athletic Conference. October 25, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "SMU's Mordecai, Tulsa's Wright, East Carolina's Daffer are Weekly Football Honorees". American Athletic Conference. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Cincinnati's Ford, UCF's Bethune, SMU's Massey Earn Weekly Football Honors". American Athletic Conference. October 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
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