Tag: SMU Mustangs

Where did Penn State drop in USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after Week 6?

Where is Penn State ranked in the new USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after the loss to Iowa?

As expected following a tough loss on the road this weekend, Penn State fell back a few spots in the updated USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. The good news is Penn State is still in the top 10 amid some reshuffling of the deck in the poll this week.

Penn State fell from No. 4 down to No. 8 in the fresh coaches poll on Sunday. Penn State fell behind Big Ten East foes Ohio State (No. 6) and Michigan (No. 7) as both the Buckeyes and Wolverines moved up one spot to take advantage of Penn State’s first stumble of the season. Iowa moved up to No. 2 following their victory over the Nittany Lions, taking full advantage of a surprising loss Saturday night by Alabama.

The Crimson Tide fell from the top of the coaches poll down to No. 5 after suffering a last-second loss at Texas A&M on Saturday night. Georgia took full control of the top spot in the coaches poll this week with 64 first-place votes. There was one first-place vote from the coaches for the Hawkeyes.

Joining the Hawkeyes, Buckeyes, Wolverines and Nittany Lions inside the top 10 this week is Michigan State. The undefeated Spartans moved into the top 10 by being bumped up two spots this week. Michigan State lept over Oregon, who was idle this week and fell to No. 10. Michigan State also moved into the top 10 after BYU fell out due to a loss at home to Boise State.

A former Penn State opponent, Auburn, fell out of the top 25 this week with their home loss to top-ranked Georgia.

Here is a look at the complete USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after Week 6.

Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Georgia 6-0 1,624 (64) +1
2 Iowa 6-0 1,537 (1) +1
3 Oklahoma 6-0 1,452 +2
4 Cincinnati 5-0 1,418 +2
5 Alabama 5-1 1,363 -4
6 Ohio State 5-1 1,254 +1
7 Michigan 6-0 1,237 +1
8 Penn State 5-1 1,124 -4
9 Michigan State 6-0 1,064 +2
10 Oregon 4-1 1,004 +1
11 Kentucky 6-0 994 +3
12 Oklahoma State 5-0 910 –
13 Notre Dame 5-1 817 –
14 Ole Miss 4-1 741 +3
15 Coastal Carolina 6-0 708 –
16 Wake Forest 6-0 580 +4
17 Florida 4-2 543 +1
18 Texas A&M 4-2 396 +8
19 Arkansas 4-2 386 -3
20 BYU 5-1 342 -10
21 NC State 4-1 321 +1
22 Arizona State 5-1 294 +3
23 SMU 6-0 269 +1
24 San Diego State 5-0 156 +3
25 Clemson 3-2 155 -4

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 19 Auburn; No. 23 Texas.

Others receiving votes:

Auburn 98; Baylor 91; Texas 74; Pittsburgh 36; Texas-San Antonio 30; Mississippi State 18; Iowa State 18; Appalachian State 18; Boston College 11; Air Force 9; Tennessee 8; Liberty 8; Nevada 7; UL Lafayette 3; Houston 3; Fresno State 3; UCLA 1.

[vertical-gallery id=8149]

[lawrence-related id=8191,8183,8157,8151]

[listicle id=8198]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Oklahoma State, Texas, Baylor make Big jump in week 4 Big 12 Power Rankings

The Oklahoma State, Cowboys, Baylor Bears, and the Texas Longhorns rise in this week’s Big 12 power rankings after emphatic wins to start conference play.

What a week it was around the Big 12 as two teams lost their non-conference matchups. There was a huge blowout and three teams won to remain undefeated.

Baylor and Iowa State played the game of the week, a thrilling affair that saw Iowa State rally from down 12 in the final quarter and a half to give themselves a chance to tie with a two-point conversion at the end. The pressure got to Cyclones’ quarterback Brock Purdy who had to heave the ball into the end zone with the hopes a player could make a play. It would be for not as the Baylor Bears pulled off an early upset in Big 12 play.

Texas looks like they have their answer at quarterback and Spencer Sanders had a fantastic game to keep Oklahoma State undefeated.

Let’s take a look at how the conference stacks up in this week’s Big 12 power rankings.

SMU topples Louisiana Tech on Tanner Mordecai’s Hail Mary as time runs out

Tanner Mordecai threw 5 TD passes, the last on a Hail Mary to win the game for SMU as time ran out

All that separated Tanner Mordecai and SMU from a victory Saturday was 33 yards and the clock below 10 seconds against Louisiana Tech.

The Mustangs trailed 37-33 at Mordecai readied to take the snap with 6 seconds to go in the American Conference contest.

No problem.

Watch as Mordecai unloads and the deflection finds Reggie Roberson in the end zone for the winning score as time runs out.

The 39-37 victory was achieved as Mordecai went 36-for-48 with 395 passing yards and 5 touchdown passes.

If the name Tanner Mordecai sounds familiar, it is because the quarterback spent three seasons at Oklahoma — he saw action in 10 games — before transferring to SMU.

SMU celebrated its stunning victory.

Former Sooners QB breaks SMU record in season opener

Former Sooners quarterback Tanner Mordecai didn’t take long to prove he’s the right man under center for SMU.

Former Sooners quarterback Tanner Mordecai did not take long to prove he’s the right man under center for SMU. Mordecai tossed a program-record seven touchdowns in the Mustang’s 56-9 dismemberment of Abeline Christian on Saturday. A mark that also ties the American Athletic Conference single-game record per smumustangs.com.

The veteran quarterback looked comfortable in his Mustangs debut, throwing for 317 yards and no interceptions before being relieved by backup quarterback Derek Green. After spending three seasons as the backup in Norman, Mordecai appears to have rejuvenated his career back home in Texas. 

His decision to transfer to SMU was made easier by his familiarity with Mustangs’ quarterback coach Garett Riley. The brother of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. After the first week of fall camp, Mordecai spoke to the media and explained that he excepted to win the starting job. His new teammates must have respected his confidence as he was also named team captain heading into the season.

In his 12 games for the Oklahoma Sooners, the four-star recruit tossed four touchdowns to just one interception. His best game of the 2020 season came against Texas, where he completed five of his seven passes for 52 yards in relief of Spencer Rattler. Mordecai played the final three series of the first half against the Texas Longhorns after Rattler was benched following his second turnover of the half.

When Mordecai announced last year that he would be entering the transfer portal, Riley told the media that he believes the quarterback is “ready to be a starter” and “will make somebody very happy.”

So far, Garrett Riley and head coach Sonny Dykes are very happy indeed. While it’s unrealistic to expect Mordecai to throw for seven touchdowns each week, his continued success should push SMU into the conference’s upper echelon in 2021.

Could the AAC be a landing spot for remaining 8 Big 12 schools?

As the landscape of college football shifts and the Big 12 looks to be on the brink of collapse, can the AAC add members of the Big 12?

Undoubtedly, the pending move of the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns to the Southeastern Conference has sent shock waves throughout college football.

The remnants of the Big 12 are in turmoil and look ripe for the picking from the rest of the Power Five. And while a Power Five destination would be the most preferred for the remaining Big 12 schools, there’s no guarantee the remaining eight will find a new home among college football’s elite.

Instead, some schools may find themselves a part of an expanded American Athletic Conference. Per a report from Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic (subscription), the AAC appears ready to pick off the weaker members of the Big 12 herd in their own conference expansion plans.

Multiple sources believe (Michael) Aresco, the AAC commissioner, is committed to trying such a tactic. And it makes total sense from the AAC standpoint. This is a league that has been pushing for respect and a seat at the table alongside the Power Five conferences. Being an aggressor and potentially adding members would also better position the AAC to gain autonomy in the NCAA legislative process, as the Power Five leagues have. Back in May, prior to news of a potential 12-team College Football Playoff that would include access for all 10 FBS leagues, the AAC’s board of directors sent an eight-page letter to the Autonomy Five (the official name of the Power Five) conferences to request the AAC be included as an autonomy conference, a designation it felt it was “unreasonably” excluded from. This has been the case since 2014, when Division I voted to allow the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC the ability to adopt legislation for their own membership only in specific areas. – Auerbach

Schools such as Baylor and TCU don’t have natural landing spots in conference realignment. However, AAC members SMU and Tulsa provide a template for where the Bears and the Horned Frogs could fit the best. If the Big 10, Pacific Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, or the SEC choose not to add any of the remaining eight from the Big 12, the AAC would be a solid home to the conferences’ lesser-valued programs.

As this continues to unfold, it’s looking more and more likely that the Big 12 is headed toward its final days as a conference. There have been few reports about potential expansion by the Power Five conference. And any expansion would feel underwhelming relative to the loss of Oklahoma and Texas.

Trio of Oklahoma Sooners named to 2021 All-Transfer Team

The transfer portal has been kind to the Oklahoma Sooners over the years and that didn’t change in 2021 as they added several starters this offseason.

The transfer portal has become a unique weapon in the arsenal of Oklahoma Sooners Head Coach Lincoln Riley. The portal was instrumental in putting the Oklahoma Sooners on their current trajectory after landing Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. And the hits keep on coming.

Yesterday, 247 Sports released their All-Transfer Team heading into the 2021 season, and several Sooners, including one former Sooner, were featured on the list.

Ironically, the pipeline from the Tennessee Volunteers provided the Sooners with three of their biggest 2021 acquisitions in the same offseason. It hires former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, as their new head coach. Heupel’s Volunteers could have greatly benefitted from having Eric Gray, Wanya Morris, and Key Lawrence on the squad, but that’s what happens when coaches run a program into the ground.

Tennessee’s loss was Oklahoma’s gain in the 2021 transfer portal as they found two starters in Gray and Morris and a potential future starter in Lawrence.

Let’s take a look at the players to make the team.

Former Oklahoma commit pledges to stay in North Texas

Former Oklahoma Sooners commit Jordan Hudson has chosen to play for Lincoln Riley’s brother, Garrett and SMU.

It appears that former Oklahoma Sooners commit in the 2022 class Jordan Hudson has made his decision on where he will play next season. The talented wide receiver from Garland, Texas, decided to back out of his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners. Hudson has traded one Riley for another. Lincoln Riley’s brother Garrett is currently the offensive coordinator for the Southern Methodist Mustangs.

The SMU Mustangs have done a good job of plucking talent with Sooner ties this past offseason. Hudson will join Tanner Mordecai and Grant Calcaterra who transferred from OU to SMU. Hudson chose SMU over Oklahoma, Texas, and Alabama. He will now be part of a top-tier offense in Dallas, Texas. Hudson won’t have to venture too far from his hometown of Garland to play his collegiate football.

“I like (assistant) coach (Ra’Shaad) Samples, the whole coaching staff,” Hudson told 247Sports ahead of his decision. “I played with a couple of the guys coming in. My teammates, if I were to go there, the kinship would be there. Coach Samples, the way he has been recruiting me and going through the process, it’s been good, he is just my guy.” – Jordan Hudson

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.

 

Four-star wide receiver Jordan Hudson commits to SMU over Alabama and Texas

On Sunday, Jordan Hudson shut down his recruitment once again, committing to SMU. The four-star wide receiver decided to stay just 22 minutes away from home.

Jordan Hudson has had quite a couple of weeks. Everything kicked off with a decommitment from Oklahoma. Rarely does one of the top offensive players in the country, especially from the state of Texas, back off from the opportunity to play for Lincoln Riley.

Next, predictions for the hometown SMU Mustangs began to fly in from 247Sports’ connected insiders. Being a Garland, TX native, Hudson would be the highest-rated SMU commit since the composite began at the turn of the century.

Hudson then released a top three school list, including SMU, with Alabama and Texas tagging along. Oklahoma was taken out of consideration despite being committed for nearly a year.

On Sunday, Hudson shut down his recruitment once again, committing to the Ponies. The four-star wide receiver decided to stay just 22 minutes away from home.

Steve Sarkisian had his opportunity to impress Hudson, getting him to Austin for an unofficial visit. He posed in an icy white uniform alongside Director of Recruiting Brandon Harris.

SMU will now have its two highest rated recruits in history on the field at the same time. Four-star quarterback Preston Stone used to hold the title but will now be throwing to an elite wide receiver. Sonny Dykes has recruited the Dallas area phenomenally since taking over.

On the 247Sports composite, Hudson is the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 113 player overall in the country. Within the state of Texas, he skims inside the top 25 at No. 23.

Four-star WR Jordan Hudson announces top three schools, commitment date

Jordan Hudson cleared up who was remaining in his recruitment. As expected, SMU and Texas were included, but the wildcard is Alabama.

Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma recently lost a commitment from one of the top receivers in the country. Jordan Hudson was loyal to the Sooners’ soil for nearly 11 months before reopening his recruitment.

SMU and Texas quickly emerged as leaders for the four-star wide receiver. Both have gotten visits from Hudson, the Mustangs as an official, the Longhorns unofficially. 247Sports crystal ball predictions have flooded in for the hometown Dallas school as well.

On Saturday, Hudson cleared up who was remaining in his recruitment with a top-three school list. As expected, SMU and Texas were included, but the wildcard is Alabama. Yes, you can stop us if you have heard this one before. Nick Saban is going after the top prospects from the state of Texas.

Hudson simultaneously announced July 4 would be his commitment date.

If Texas is able to pull off the recruiting victory, flipping a prospect from across the Red River would be an incredible achievement. Rarely do recruits flip flop between the rivals. Hudson could be the second one within two cycles.

July 4 has the potential to be a massive day for the Longhorns. Four-star safety Bryce Anderson is possibly announcing his commitment as well. Texas A&M is the key opponent there.

Two wins over your main rivals in the recruiting field would be massive for Steve Sarkisian.

On the 247Sports composite, Hudson is the No. 113 player and No. 12 wide receiver in the country. Within the state of Texas, he cracks the top 25 at No. 23.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

 

Penn State’s all-time record against every American Athletic Conference member

Penn State has a lopsided history in games played against current AAC members, but Navy has hung tight historically.

Penn State does not have a tremendous amount of history against most members of the American Athletic Conference. But Penn State has a lopsided history in their favor against one member, the Temple Owls, and a slightly favorable all-time record against another, the Navy Midshipmen.

Games against other current members of the AAC have been limited to small numbers, with a handful of bowl matchups in the record books. The most recent meeting with the AAC came at the end of the 2019 season when Penn State topped Memphis in the highest-scoring Cotton Bowl to date.

All data referenced is credited to College Football Reference. Rankings referenced are AP Top 25 where available.

If you want more, check out Penn State’s all-time records against current members of the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.

Note: Penn State has never faced Tulsa.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.