The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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130 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY ANDREW VAILLIENCOURT SMU will be the clear underdog when it travels to Ann Arbor to face Michigan. In order to pull off an upset, the Mustangs will need its high-powered offense to show up and stun the stout U-M defense, no matter how unlikely that sounds. Ranked No. 15 nationally last season while averaging 478.5 yards per game, the offense returns several key starters, includ- ing redshirt junior quarterback Ben Hicks. Hicks tied for ninth in the country for touchdown passes last season (33) and ranked 18th with 3,569 passing yards. He will have to deal with the loss of his top two receiving targets — Courtland Sutton and Trey Quinn — to the NFL. The pairing combined for a whopping 2,321 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2017 and both were first-team All-American Athletic Conference honorees. Redshirt junior James Proche is the top returner after catching 40 passes for 816 yards and six touchdowns last year. No other wideout on the roster caught more than 10 passes in 2017. Redshirt junior wide receiver Myron Gailliard is expected to step up as the next pass catcher after playing in all 13 games a year ago, making nine catches for 169 yards and a score. One position SMU shouldn't have to worry about is running back. That will be taken care of by redshirt junior Xavier Jones, who ran 182 times for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He set a school record for rushing touch- downs (10) by a freshman in 2015. However, multiple injuries limited him the following campaign, causing him to take a medical red- shirt. His bounce-back season in 2017 landed him on Phil Steele's All-AAC second team. Senior Braeden West and junior Ke'Mon Freeman will back up Jones. Freeman led the Mustangs with 11 touchdowns on the ground last year, while the two combined for 1,111 yards on the ground in 2017. West filled in for Jones during the 2016 season and showed he can be just as effective, run- ning for 1,032 yards in eight starts that year. SMU doesn't utilize tight ends much in the passing game, but will have to replace last season's starter, Raymond Epps, who caught one pass, which went for a touch- down. Junior Ryan Becker is the best bet to be the starter at tight end after doubling Epps' catch total last season. One of those also went for a touchdown. The offensive line brings back both starting tackles and two guards, sophomore Hayden Howerton and fifth-year senior Nick Natour, who started six and seven games, respectively. Howerton took over at left guard for Natour after he suffered a season-ending injury. Redshirt junior Bryce Wilds will once again hold down right tackle and fifth-year senior Chad Pursley will handle the blind side. The Mustangs will have to replace All- AAC honorable mention center Evan Brown. SMU boasted one of the best offenses in the country last year, but the defense was a completely different story. The defense ranked No. 121 (out of 129 teams), allowing 476.7 yards per game. So while the offense could score with any team in America, the defense could allow touchdowns at a similar rate. The unit returns seven starters, includ- ing all four members of the secondary. Ju- nior safety Mikial Onu started all 13 games and led the Mustangs with 105 tackles. He chipped in two interceptions, a forced fum- ble and seven passes broken up. Fifth-year senior Jordan Wyatt is the team's best cornerback, but tore his ACL before the team's bowl game, forcing him to miss all of spring practice. The Dallas Morning News calls Wyatt SMU's "highest- impact player on defense and the Mustangs' most pro-ready player." Fifth-year senior Kyran Mitchell leads the returning linebackers after finishing third on the team in tackles (73) in 2017. He tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (15.5) and added 4.5 sacks, which tied for second on last year's squad. The Mustangs will be under new leadership (former Cal coach Sonny Dykes) this fall, but the offense should still be the strength while the defense may continue to struggle. Notes Former head coach Chad Morris left SMU before the team's bowl game to take the Arkansas head coaching job … Both senior kicker Josh Williams and junior punter Jamie Sackville return for 2018 … Sackville averaged 40.6 yards on 59 punts last year … Redshirt junior linebacker Richard Moore was the team's "breakout star" in spring ball accord - ing to The Dallas Morning News; he sat out last season after transferring from Texas A&M. ❑ The Mustangs Will Feature A High-Powered Offense 2018 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2017 Result Sept. 1 at North Texas W, 54-32 Sept. 7 TCU L, 56-36 Sept. 15 at Michigan — Sept. 22 Navy L, 43-40 Sept. 29 Houston Baptist — Oct. 6 at Central Florida L, 31-24 Oct. 20 at Tulane W, 41-38 Oct. 27 Cincinnati W, 31-28 (OT) Nov. 3 Houston L, 35-22 Nov. 10 at Connecticut W, 49-28 Nov. 16 Memphis L, 66-45 Nov. 24 at Tulsa W, 38-34 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Ben Hicks, R-Jr., QB — Enters his third year as a starter … Completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 3,569 yards with 33 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season … Set the school record for touchdown passes in a season in 2017 … Is second in school his - tory with 6,499 career passing yards … Holds the SMU all-time mark for touchdown passes (52). Defense: Jordan Wyatt, 5th- Sr., CB — A preseason first-team All-AAC honoree by Athlon … Re - corded 49 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, eight passes broken up and a team- high four interceptions in 2017 … Ranked as the No. 147 player to watch in college football this season by NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter … All-AAC honorable mention last season … Has five career defensive touchdowns — four of them interception returns — the most ever by a Mustang. Redshirt junior running back Xavier Jones has already rushed for 1,849 yards and 20 touchdowns during his college career. PHOTO COURTESY SMU GAME 3 • SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS • SEPT. 15 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: U-M leads 1-0 First Meeting: U-M 27, SMU 16 (Sept. 28, 1963, at Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Sonny Dykes 0-1 at SMU (1st year, coached 2017 bowl game) and 41-46 overall (8th year) 2017 In Review: 7-6 overall, 4-4 American Athletic Final 2017 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 16 (7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2017 (Frisco Bowl vs. Loui - siana Tech, L 51-10) American Athletic Conference Championships (last): 0 (11 total conference titles, all in the Southwest Conference, with the last in 1984) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Ben Hicks (3,569 yards, 33 TD, 12 INT) Rushing: Xavier Jones (1,075 yards, 9 TD) Receiving: James Proche (816 yards, 6 TD) Tackles: Mikial Onu (105) Sacks: Kyran Mitchell, Tyeson Neals (4.5) Interceptions: Jordan Wyatt (4)