When was the Pony Express at SMU?

The Pony Express Leads 1982 SMU Football Back To The Cotton Bowl.

Who were the Pony Express at SMU?

Eric Dickerson and Craig James will forever be linked. Linked in college football lore for their prolific offense known as “The Pony Express,” in which the two star running backs worked out a system to rotate and share carries.

Who were the SMU Pony Express?

The 1982 SMU Mustangs football team represented the Southern Methodist University in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the first year for the team under head coach Bobby Collins and the Mustangs finished undefeated at 11–0–1, and were Southwest Conference champions (7–0–1).

What famous running back went to SMU?

Eric Dickerson
Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson was the No. 1 running back recruit coming out of high school in the country. He eventually committed to Southern Methodist University, where he shared a backfield with running back Craig James.

What was the name of the player who told on SMU?

David Stanley. In June 1986, John Sparks, a producer at Dallas–Fort Worth ABC affiliate WFAA-TV, received a tip from a former athletic department employee named Teresa Hawthorne about further wrongdoing at SMU. Sparks’ investigation eventually led him to David Stanley, a former Mustangs linebacker from Angleton, Texas.

Who was in the Pony Express football?

Future NFL running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James, combined with blue chip running back Charles Waggoner, were nicknamed the “Pony Express” for their running attack; with McIlhenny leading the offense. In 1982, he led the Southwest Conference in passing efficiency with a 133 rating.

When was the last time SMU was ranked?

Although finishing unranked in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings, SMU was invited to its first bowl game in 25 years, defeating the unranked Nevada Wolf Pack with a final score of 45–10 in the 2009 Hawai’i Bowl, the team’s first bowl win since 1984.

Did Dickerson take money?

Dickerson explains how he was under significant pressure to go to Texas A&M, even revealing that he received a suitcase filled with $50,000 allegedly from the institution to get him to commit there.

What was the date that the NCAA gave SMU the death penalty?

February 25, 1987
On February 25, 1987, the NCAA suspends the Southern Methodist University football program for 1987 season for repeated rules violations but stops short of imposing the so-called “death penalty.” Still, the sanctions are the most severe levied by the NCAA against a major college football program.

What year did SMU go 11 0 in football?

The 1982 SMU Mustangs football team represented the Southern Methodist University in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the first year for the team under head coach Bobby Collins and the Mustangs finished undefeated at 11–0–1, and were Southwest Conference champions (7–0–1).

Was SMU a runner-up to Penn State?

The Mustangs were runner-up in the final AP Poll, but the Helms Athletic Foundation, in the final year in which it selected a national college football champion, split the honor between SMU and Penn State. On the season, the Mustangs outscored their opponents by a combined score of 354 to 160.

When did the SMU Mustangs football team play?

The 1982 SMU Mustangs football team represented the Southern Methodist University in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season.

Is SMU football back from the death penalty?

The Mustangs were 10-1 in 1981, 11-0-1 during the 1982 season and 10-2 the year after. Now, as one of just three schools that are already bowl eligible this season, SMU looks like it has recovered from the death penalty.