Brought to you by: Big Shucks
By Zach Walker
These are the three most pivotal plays/situations from the SMU Mustangs’ game.
A summary of the Stephen F. Austin game: The Mustangs got off to a good start to the season, bagging a win against SFA, but though this was a solid point win, it’s hardly a gauge of what to expect from the Mustangs’ this season. Mainly my reason for hesitation is because Ben Hicks’ inconsistency. They got on top of the Lumberjacks quick enough and with enough force as to not leave Hicks in the fire for long, but his showing was not an encouraging sight. They ran through the three depth charted quarterbacks, and there wasn’t a shiny dime in the pocket. I don’t doubt that this was cob webs and first game-itis but Hicks is the catalyst, he’s the trigger man of Chad Morris’ offense, they go as far as Hicks can get them. Next Saturday, against North Texas, Hicks is going to need to be more dialed in. The defense looked good. Justin Lawler and Jordan Wyatt looked sharp. It was a beatdown, but there is a lot to mop up.
#1: 3rd and 8, from the SFA 13 Yard line: Pretty strong, meticulous drive by the Mustangs’ for their opening offensive possession of the season. Braeden West with some good stuff, Xavier Jones getting back into the fold, and Ben Hicks very wound up, like he’s got to throw some rust out of the ol’ corkscrew. The first Courtland Sutton catch was a tasty snag, a catch in traffic, over a linebacker, ripping the ball from the air and securing the first down. His second catch wouldn’t be anything like his first. Hicks would find Sutton in a tunnel screen, and the biggest threat to Sutton was his right tackle Bryce Wilds, as he would simply walk in for the first points of the season for the Mustangs. Score after this play: SFA 0 – SMU 7
#2: 1st and 10, from the SMU 27 Yard line: Following the Sutton touchdown, the Jacks’ Alize Ward would return the kickoff fifty-nine yards to the Mustangs’ side of the field. After gaining a few yards to the Twenty-seven yard line, the Jacks’ Jake Blumrick would JUST get the ball off as being tackled, and the ball soared right into the streaking arms of Jordan Wyatt, who would weave a trail through the field, picking up a solid block from Kyran Mitchell to end up in the endzone for eighty-three yard touchdown pick-six. Score after this play: SFA 0 – SMU 14
#3: 2nd and 25, from the SFA 6 Yard line. Jordan Wyatt is a playmaker, and that might be a bit of an understatement. Also, a pretty solid actor. The reason that the Jacks were tip-toeing their own endzone was because, in some fashion, after the first down play, Wyatt ended up on his back practicing a snow angel and he drew a flag for unsportsman-like on guard A.J. Brown. Quarterback Foster Sawyer took the shotgun snap, faked the handoff, and stood with a foot on his own goal line. Jordan Wyatt would blind-side slam the quarterback, force the fumble, and recover his own change in the endzone for his second touchdown of the game. Score after this play: SFA 0 – SMU 35
My various game scribblings: (Actual ramblings, just transferred to digital)
James Proche (WR #3) has some f***ing HANDS.
This running back group of Braeden West(#6), Xavier Jones(#5), and Ke’Mon Freeman(#13) look to be a really solid group, and managed very well, almost pitcher-like managing of carries/drives.
These linebackers (Kyran Mitchell, Jordan Williams, Anthony Rhone) really like to slam.
These refs seem a little punitive. And uneven….
Trey Quinn (WR #18) looks like new Beasley.
Mikial Onu (SS #4) is REAL aggressive.
I still can’t get comfortable with that left-footed rugby kick. (Of Jamie Sackville P #47)
Gosh. Blumrick (SFA QB #10) had taken a battering.
