UNIVERSITY PARK — Rhett Lashlee’s message to his SMU this week before the start of conference play could’ve been decided before the season began.
Whether the Mustangs started 4-0 and were ranked top-10 in the country or lost all four of their nonconference games, Lashlee said this week would’ve been a reset regardless.
At 2-2 with a somewhat disappointing start to the season after two close losses to Baylor and TCU, his Mustangs are embracing the clean slate.
“There’s no panic anywhere,” Lashlee said. “There’s urgency, but there’s urgency every week. We told them before the season, and we told them again … when you turn the page to the conference season, it’s a new season regardless. We have an opportunity on Saturday to get a win at home. If we get that win, we’ll be 1-0, tied for leading the conference just like that.”
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The Mustangs open their second year of ACC play against Syracuse Saturday afternoon at Ford Stadium. After going 8-0 and reaching the title game last year in their first season in the conference, SMU enters its sophomore year with higher expectations. The Mustangs know after their underwhelming start, the path ahead is their only one back to the College Football Playoff.
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SMU had the chance at a clean slate five weeks ago when its season began, but a perfect start was derailed by injuries and poor execution down the stretch of close games.
But after a bye week before conference play begins, the Mustangs feel they’re both recovered and battle-tested to take on the most challenging stretch of their schedule ahead.
“We were a little beat up more than we normally are three or four weeks into the season, so to some degree, it came at a good time,” Lashlee said. “Jordan Hudson got to play. Didn’t even practice before the game. Literally was cleared Saturday morning of the game. Getting those guys back in the routine and as healthy as we can is important in the conference.”
Like the first game of a season, Saturday’s matchup against Syracuse comes with some unknowns. The Orange have exceeded expectations over the last two seasons under Fran Brown, going 10-3 last season and starting 3-0 this year, including a 34-21 win over Clemson on the road.
But quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles tendon, and it derailed Syracuse’s momentum. The Orange lost 38-3 to Duke in their first game without him.
SMU expects better adjustments in new quarterback Rickie Collins’ second game under center.
“Sometimes you have those games where things just steamroll against you, and it kind of gets out of control. It’s still the same team, even if they have a new quarterback, that went on the road and was beating Clemson by 20 midway through the fourth quarter. They’re a dangerous team,” Lashlee said. “When there’s a new QB, now they have a better idea of what he can do. They’ll be better for it, and there’s still a lot of unknowns for us in how they’ll use him.”
Syracuse will use Saturday’s game to figure out some of its challenges, and the Mustangs must do the same. Their margin for error is shrinking, and they need to hit their stride soon to have any chance at reaching the milestones they hit last year.
SMU will play six games straight before its next bye. That stretch includes a trip to Clemson for a rematch of last year’s conference title game and a clash with No. 3 Miami for the first time since the two teams became conference foes. Not to mention, the Mustangs will face a now-4-0 Louisville team later down the line.
This is the last fresh start SMU will get. If it can capitalize, all of its goals are still ahead of it.
“We have high expectations for ourselves,” Lashlee said. “We have higher expectations than people outside the building do. Last year, we were 3-1. The year before we were 2-2 at the same point. Both years, we played in the conference championship game.
“We control everything that’s in front of us.”
Prediction
This game may have played out differently if Angeli was starting for the Orange. However, Syracuse’s early-season struggles are far more detrimental than SMU’s.
The Mustangs have blown two fourth-quarter leads and shouldn’t even be in a position to do so a third time Saturday. With Kevin Jennings and a number of other starters healthy again, SMU has the clear talent advantage, especially on offense.
SMU can feed off a sold-out crown on Family Weekend to cruise to a much-needed, confidence-building win over a solid Syracuse team.
Score: SMU 35, Syracuse 17
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