1989 SMU Mustangs football team

"Ponygate"

Main article: Southern Methodist University football scandal

Throughout the late 1970s and mid-1980s the SMU football program had been investigated and punished several times by the NCAA for recruiting violations. The most egregious violation was a slush fund to attract players to play for the SMU football team. The repeated violations resulted in the football program ultimately receiving the death penalty, with the NCAA's infractions committee voting unanimously to cancel the Mustangs' 1987 season and the team's four scheduled home games in 1988.

The team was placed on probation until 1990, was banned from bowl games until 1989, and could not be televised on national television until 1989. The program would lose 55 scholarships over four years and could only hire five assistant coaches instead of the usual nine. The program was also barred from off-campus recruiting until August 1988 and paid campus visits were forbidden until the 1988–89 school year. As a result of the penalties, the program granted a full release to every player on the roster that resulted in other universities recruiting SMU players.

On February 27, 1987, two days after the sanctions were announced, acting athletic director Dudley Parker stated he was unsure if the program could field a team for the 1988 season. Two months later, on April 11, university president William Stallcup formally cancelled the 1988 season, citing concerns over injuries to potential players and having to rely on a high number of walk-ons with only a few scholarship players remaining.

Return to football

Hall of Fame lineman and SMU alum Forrest Gregg was hired as the program's head coach in January 1988; at the time, Gregg was the head coach for the Green Bay Packers and resigned and took a pay cut for the SMU job. Gregg was personally asked to take the head coaching position by Stalcup. The first player Gregg recruited was quarterback Mike Romo from San Antonio.

Gregg and his staff had to rebuild the football program practically from scratch. By the time of the team's week one game against Rice, only one scholarship player, senior wide receiver Mitchell Gleiber, remained from the 1986 team. The Mustangs' week one roster consisted of 89 players, with 73 being freshmen, and 41 were on scholarship. The starting lineup against Rice consisted of 15 freshmen, two sophomores, and three seniors. In their first game since November 22, 1986, the Mustangs lost 35–6 to Rice; the Owls' victory snapped a 18 game losing streak.

Schedule

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Personnel

• Forrest Gregg

Season summary

at No. 16 Houston

First quarter

• HOU – Roman Anderson 28-yard field goal. Cougars 3–0.
• HOU – Chuck Weatherspoon 2-yard run (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 10–0.
• HOU – Chuck Weatherspoon 54-yard run (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 17–0.
• SMU – Greg Ballard fumble recovery in end zone (kick blocked). Cougars 17–6.
• HOU – Paul Smith 62-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 24–6. Second quarter
• HOU – Patrick Cooper 7-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 31–6.
• SMU – Korey Beard 2-yard pass from Mike Romo (Collins pass from Lawson). Cougars 31–14.
• HOU – Brian Williams 40-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 38–14.
• HOU – Manny Hazard 3-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 45–14.
• HOU – Brian Williams 87-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 52–14.
• HOU – Manny Hazard 28-yard pass from Andre Ware (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 59–14. Third quarter
• HOU – Manny Hazard 46-yard pass from David Klingler (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 66–14.
• SMU – Kevin Love 26-yard run (Matt Lomenick kick). Cougars 66–21.
• HOU – Chuck Weatherspoon 22-yard run (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 73–21.
• HOU – Paul Smith 53-yard pass from David Klingler (Perry run). Cougars 81–21. Fourth quarter
• HOU – Paul Smith 74-yard pass from David Klingler (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 88–21.
• HOU – Patrick Cooper 16-yard pass from David Klingler (Roman Anderson kick). Cougars 95–21. Top passers
• SMU – Mike Romo – 27/54, 286 yards, TD, INT
• HOU – Andre Ware – 25/41, 517 yards, 6 TD Top rushers
• SMU – Kevin Love – 14 rushes, 53 yards, TD
• HOU – Chuck Weatherspoon – 15 rushes, 207 yards, 3 TD Top receivers
• SMU – Mitch Glieber – 5 receptions, 81 yards
• HOU – Paul Smith – 6 receptions, 255 yards, 3 TD SMU lost 95–21 to in-state rival Houston. The Cougars finished the game with 1,021 yards of offense, setting the record for most offensive yards in an NCAA game and the only time a team has gained 1,000 or more yards in a single game.

at No. 1 Notre Dame

First quarter

• ND – Ricky Watters 35-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 6:54. ''Notre Dame 7–0. '''Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards.''''' Second quarter
• ND – Pete Graham 1-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 14:22. Notre Dame 14–0.
• SMU – Andy Bergfeld 5-yard pass from Mike Romo (kick blocked), 11:37. ''Notre Dame 14–6. '''Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards.'''''
• ND – Andre Jones blocked extra point return, 11:37. Notre Dame 16–6.
• ND – Billy Hackett 34-yard field goal, 8:16. Notre Dame 19–6.
• ND – Ricky Watters 97-yard punt return (Craig Hentrich kick), 7:04. Notre Dame 26–6.
• ND – Anthony Johnson 4-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 4:02. ''Notre Dame 33–6. '''Drive: 64 yards.'''''
• ND – Safety, Casey Clyce steps out of end zone, 3:00. Notre Dame 35–6.
• ND – Walter Boyd 14-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 0:15. ''Notre Dame 42–6. '''Drive: 75 yards.''''' Third quarter
• ND – Rusty Setzer 2-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 10:51. Notre Dame 49–6.
• ND – Billy Hackett 32-yard field goal, 5:45. Notre Dame 52–6. Fourth quarter
• ND – Rod West 1-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 3:22. Notre Dame 59–6. ;Top passers
• SMU – Mike Romo – 28/54, 194 yards
• ND – Tony Rice – 5/8, 83 yards ;Top rushers
• SMU – Kevin Love – 4 rushes, 5 yards
• ND – Ricky Watters – 7 rushes, 69 yards, TD ;Top receivers
• SMU – Jason Wolf – 9 receptions, 63 yards
• ND – Raghib Ismail – 4 receptions, 65 yards

References

References

1. Asher, Mark. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121020151627/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1308230.html NCAA cancels SMU's 1987 football]. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 1987-02-26.
2. Whitford, David. (2013). "A Payroll to Meet". University of Nebraska Press.
3. Frank, Peter H.. (1987-02-28). "SCOUTS SEEK S.M.U. PLAYERS". The New York Times.
4. [[Sally Jenkins. Jenkins, Sally]]. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1987/02/28/smu-may-sit-out-through-88/4cd5e56e-6723-4072-9e2c-afc81fd1adfd/ SMU May Sit Out Through '88; Inability to Compete Under Sanctions Is Cited]. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 1987-02-28.
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121020151837/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3812954.html SMU considers scrapping its 1988 football season, too]. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', 1987-02-28.
6. Frank, Peter. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DF123FF932A25757C0A961948260 '88 football season canceled by SMU]. ''[[New York Times]]'', 1987-04-11.
7. Perkins, Eddie. (January 15, 1988). "The rebuilding starts for SMU, Packers". Milwaukee Journal.
8. (January 15, 1988). "Forrest Gregg eager to resurrect Mustangs". Tuscaloosa News.
9. Drape, Joe. (August 1, 2012). "Coach Who Revived S.M.U. Looks Back With Pride". The New York Times.
10. Crowe, Jerry. (September 3, 1989). "SMU Returns and Is Routed by Rice: In Mustangs' First Game Since Nov. 22, 1986, Owls Get a Rare Victory, 35–6". [[Los Angeles Times]].
11. Richards, Darryl. (September 3, 1989). "SMU GLAD TO BE BACK - RICE ALSO LIKES IT". [[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]].
12. (September 3, 1989). "Wild Rice romp mars SMU's return from the 'dead'". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
13. Arace, Michael. (September 18, 1989). "UConn aims to put loss out of mind". The Hartford Courant.
14. (September 24, 1989). "Longhorns pull away to trounce stubborn SMU". Abilene Reporter-News.
15. (October 1, 1989). "Horned Frogs down Ponies". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph.
16. (October 15, 1989). "Baylor smashes Mustangs, 49–3". Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
17. (October 22, 1989). "Houston rips SMU, 95–21; totals 1,021 yards". Wisconsin State Journal.
18. (October 29, 1989). "SMU rips North Texas 35–9". Austin American-Statesman.
19. (November 5, 1989). "Lewis paces Aggies over SMU 63–14". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
20. (November 12, 1989). "It's 'only' 59–6 as Irish pull punches". The Courier-Journal.
21. (November 19, 1989). "Gray carries Texas Tech past SMU". Chicago Tribune.
22. (December 3, 1989). "Hogs rally to subdue SMU". The Commercial Appeal.
23. "1989 SMU Mustangs Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
24. Vannini, Chris. (October 22, 2019). "'Everyone was in it together': 30 years after allowing 1,021 yards to Houston, the 1989 SMU team is still revered".