Key info to know ahead of Baylor, SMU showdown
The Baylor Bears hit the road to face the SMU Mustangs on Saturday 11 a.m. CT. After losing the season opener against Auburn, this feels like a must-win game for the Bears.
Here's what you need to know prior to this weekend's showdown, thanks to BaylorBears.com.
About SMU
• SMU comes into the matchup with the Bears after a dominating season-opening win over East Texas A&M on Saturday in Dallas.
• The Mustangs posted a 42-13 win over East Texas A&M on Saturday in Dallas, taking an early 21-0 lead before allowing a score from East Texas A&M. SMU rolled to 400 yards of total offense, including 140 rushing and 260 passing, holding ETA to 351 yards, with 107 rushing and 244 passing. QB Kevin Jennings was 22-for-30 with two scores, RB Chris Johnson rushed for 44 yards on six carries with a TD, and TJ Harden rushed eight times for 42 yards. Romello Brinson caught seven balls for 121 yards and a TD. Jalen Cooper added five catches for 73 yards and a TD. Brandon Miyazono had a team-high eight tackles and Ahmaad Moses had a 95-yard interception return for a TD.
• SMU went 11-3 and 8-0 in the ACC last year, its first in the league, including resounding wins over TCU and Louisville. The Mustangs return six starters on offense and two on defense, including QB Kevin Jennings, three on the offensive line and its tight end, and a pair in the secondary defensively.
• SMU is led by head coach Rhett Lashlee, who is in his third season leading the Mustangs, and has posted a strong 30-12 mark over his career. He took over the program after two seasons as the OC at Miami (Fla.), two seasons as the OC at SMU (2018-19), a season as the OC at UConn (2017), four seasons as the OC at Auburn (2013-16), a season as the OC at Arkansas State (2012) and a season as the OC at Samford (2011). A former Arkansas QB, Lashlee led the Mustangs to the CFP Playoffs last year, with an 11-3 record and posted an 8-0 mark in ACC play. It marked SMU's second consecutive 11-3 record, with Lashlee also leading SMU to a 7-6 mark in his debut season in 2022.
• Lashlee is assisted by DC Scott Symons, OC/Chief of Staff Casey Woods and special teams coordinator Kyle Cooper, along with Associate Head Coach Rob Likens. Symons is in his fourth year as the DC, previously leading the Liberty defense from 2019-21, which followed a 2018 season at Memphis coaching inside linebackers and a 2014-17 run as the DC at West Georgia (NCAA D2). Woods, who also coaches tight ends, is in his fourth season as SMU, spending two years at Missouri (2021-22), which followed three years at UAB, and a pair of stints with Lashlee at Auburn and Arkansas State. Cooper is in his third season at SMU after two seasons at Miami (2020-21) and two seasons in a previous stint at SMU (2018-19). Likens has been on the SMU staff since the 2022 season, with previous stints at Miami, Arizona State - including as OC from 2018-19 - as the OC at Kansas (2015-16) and Cal (2013-14).
• Damon Evans is in his first year as the AD at SMU, taking over the helm in Highland Park after serving as the AD at both Maryland and Georgia. Colleen Sorem and Brian Ullman serve as Executive Deputy ADs, Lauren Adee, Alex Gary and Dawn Rogers are Deputy ADs.
Series History
• Baylor leads the all-time series with SMU, 39-36-7, including as 19-18-4 mark in games played in Dallas.
• The Bears have won 13 straight vs. the Mustangs, with the last loss coming in 1986 in Waco. Baylor and SMU played annually from 1916-1995, and then six times in the 21st century.
• Over the 13-game win streak in the series, the Bears have outscored SMU, 556-151, an average score of 42.8-11.6.
The last time these two played
• The No. 23/19 ranked Bears routed SMU in the last meeting in the series, 40-13 in 2016 at McLane Stadium, recovering from a pair of early Mustang field goals to score 26 unanswered points over the second and third quarters to expend a 20-point lead that grew to 40-13 following a pair of fourth-quarter TDs from KD Cannon/Seth Russell and JaMycal Hasty.
• The Bears rolled to 536 yards of total offense in the win, including 261 passing a 275 rushing. SMU collected 405 yards of total offense, throwing for 229 and rushing for 176. Russell threw for two TDs on 26-of-47 passing, with Cannon collecting 10 grabs for 93 yards. Blake Lynch had six catches for 95 yards and a score. Terence Williams rushed 19 times for 81 yards, Hasty rushed seven times for 64 yards, Shock Linwood toted it 18 times for 59 yards and Russell added seven carries for 43 yards and a TD. Chris Callahan drilled a pair of sub-40 yard field goals.
• Orion Stewart picked off a pair of passes and Davion Hall had a 62-yard interception return. Patrick Levels had a game-high 12 tackles, with Hall and Steward each adding eight stops, along with Raaquan Davis. • SMU got 229 yards passing on 17-of-44 with three interceptions from Ben Hicks. Braeden West carried it 15 times for 89 yards, Ke'Mon Freeman had 19 carries for 81 yards and James Proche had seven catches for 84 yards.
• In the last meeting in Dallas, the Bears, ranked No. 4/4, cruised to a 56-21 win in 2015, opening up a 36-21 lead in the third quarter and using a 28-point run in the second half to post the rout. The Bears totaled 723 yards of total offense, including 423 passing and 300 rushing, holding SMU to 369 yards and 166 passing. Russell threw for five TDs, Jay Lee caught three TDs and Russell and Devin Chafin each scored TDs on the ground.
This should be a very entertaining game. The Bears need to get a win to avoid falling to 0-2, but the Mustangs want to keep momentum up heading into ACC play. We'll see if the Bears can hang around in their first ranked matchup of the year.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.