SMU Mustang players to watch in tonight's game against Baylor

[Wimbo]

As some of you know I am a SMU homer (and alum). Cole Beasley is one of the guys I said to watch for last year. Here are a few players to watch from SMU this year. They play Baylor tonight at 6:30pm ET.

Ja'Gared Davis - LB - Senior - last year: Started all 13 games... Named second-team All-C-USA... Had 83 tackles, including a team-high 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks... Tied for team lead with two interceptions... Had six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown... Led the team with nine stops in the BBVA Compass Bowl win... Earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording eight tackles, 2.5 for loss including 1.5 sacks, an interception, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown against UTEP... Posted a career-high 11 tackles at Houston... Had six or more tackles in six of eight C-USA games; Pre-season All-Conference USA... Named first-team All-Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

Margus Hunt - DE - Senior - 6'8" 280#. Named the No. 1 athletic "freak" in college football by CBSSports.com - last year: Named All-C-USA honorable mention... Was a dominant force in the BBVA Compass Bowl win, notching three sacks and five total tackles... Had 28 tackles, including 7.5 for loss on the year... Had a team-high four blocked kicks on the year... Blocked a pair of PATs in the season opener at Texas A&M... Recorded blocked field goals against UTEP and Northwestern State.

Darius Johnson - WR - Senior - last year: Named first-team All-C-USA... Named MVP in back-to-back bowl games... Wrapped up 2011 with a seven-catch, 120-yard, one-TD performance in SMU's BBVA Compass Bowl win over Pitt... Had 79 catches for 1,188 yards and eight TDs on the season... Ranked fourth in the league in yards per game (86.0) and sixth in receptions per game, averaging 6.0... Broke out with an eight-catch, 127-yard game against Northwestern State and followed that up with a two-TD, 10-catch, 116-yard day at Memphis... Put his stamp on the TCU win, notching 152 receiving yards for his third straight 100-yard game and tying career highs with 12 catches and two receiving TDs... He returned to the century club with a seven-catch, 135-yard performance in the Tulane win... Notched eight grabs for 123 yards and a TD in the regular season finale against Rice.

Zach Line - RB - Senior - last year: Named first-team All-C-USA... Suffered a foot injury in the Navy game and missed the last three games of the season... Still led Conference USA and ranked seventh in the nation in rushing at 122.4 yards a game and 5.88 yards per rush... Posted eight 100-yard rushing games in 10 games played... Ranked ninth nationally and first in C-USA in scoring with 10.20 points per game... Set a school-record for rushing touchdowns in a game with five against Northwestern State.... Notched 17 rushing TDs on the year... Had 1,224 yards for the year... Also caught 15 passes for 139 yards... Named one of 10 Doak Walker Award semifinalists.

Also of note: Ex- University of Texas QB, Garrett Gilbert will make his debut as a SMU Mustang tonight after transferring to SMU last year. He has 2 seasons of eligibility remaining, and should be interesting to watch. He was the one of the best QB recruits in the country coming out of high school in 2008.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Thanks for the info.

Should be a fun game to watch.

 

[Aikbach]

SMU has a bright upside, should have a good season.

Those black Baylor jerseys don't seem like a very bright idea on the part of Baylor on a hot Texas afternoon.

 

[RS12]

Hunt top 50 pick

 

[Wimbo]

SMU has a bright upside, should have a good season.

Those black Baylor jerseys don't seem like a very bright idea on the part of Baylor on a hot Texas afternoon.

SMU put up crazy offensive numbers last year with a terrible QB... looked like he was throwing a shot-put rather than a football. This year they have a real passer - should be interesting.

 

[Aikbach]

SMU put up crazy offensive numbers last year with a terrible QB... looked like he was throwing a shot-put rather than a football. This year they have a real passer - should be interesting.

Best of luck to them outside of today

 

[Aikbach]

Sloppy game for penalties thus far.

 

[Aikbach]

Florence isn't flashy but he does the job, i like him. Baylor's in good hands.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Florence can play...ever since he stepped in for RG3 3 years ago, you could tell he had something. It's too bad that this is his final year of eligibility though, just because he had to come in and play one half last year. If Baylor could've kept him for 2013, they could've had something big brewing

 

[Aikbach]

Florence can play...ever since he stepped in for RG3 3 years ago, you could tell he had something. It's too bad that this is his final year of eligibility though, just because he had to come in and play one half last year. If Baylor could've kept him for 2013, they could've had something big brewing

Yeah but they speak glowingly of the 6 '4 sophomore named Bryce Petty that is sitting behind him.

Briles will never have trouble recruiting quarterbacks, especially after RG3.

 

[Aikbach]

Baylor got away with a facemask earlier in that drive, nice fumble return though

 

[The30YardSlant]

$MU is pretty awful. Gilbert is a scrub, no other way to say it.

 

[RS12]

Hunt top 50 pick

Sure didnt play like it tonight. Got handled one on one too often.

 

[Aikbach]

The Bears currently have 508 yards of offense. It is the eighth game in a row dating back to last season that the BU offense has eclipsed the 500-yard mark.

Pretty cool.

 

[Aikbach]

Bryce Petty is going to be a player too, stoked about the quarterback play at Baylor for the next couple of years.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think the death of Baylor may be a bit premature. :laugh2:

 

[Aikbach]

I think the death of Baylor may be a bit premature. :laugh2:

We shall see, i agree with you but don't know this team's ceiling.

They will be the first Big 12 team to face WVU, will be quite the test.

 

[Doomsday101]

We shall see, i agree with you but don't know this team's ceiling.

They will be the first Big 12 team to face WVU, will be quite the test.

Not predicting National Championship but I do think they have some pretty good talent on that team, a good QB and a HC who knows how to put up points. He did it in Houston and is now doing it at Baylor.

I think Baylor is capable of making it to a bowl game. Thing is the more they can win and make bowl games, the more exposer the program will get and the easier it becomes to recruit players

 

[Aikbach]

Not predicting National Championship but I do think they have some pretty good talent on that team, a good QB and a HC who knows how to put up points. He did it in Houston and is now doing it at Baylor.

I think Baylor is capable of making it to a bowl game. Thing is the more they can win and make bowl games, the more exposer the program will get and the easier it becomes to recruit players

8 to 10 wins is a possibility, another Alamo Bowl or Cotton Bowl...outside shot at BCS bowl if all goes well.

 

[Doomsday101]

8 to 10 wins is a possibility, another Alamo Bowl or Cotton Bowl...outside shot at BCS bowl if all goes well.

You got to start some where when trying to build a program. Winning gets you TV exposer and TV exposer and winning gets you prospects who will be more interested in going to Baylor.