1989 SMU Mustangs football
ConferenceSouthwest Conference
Record2–9 (0–8 SWC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTom Rossley (1st season)
Offensive schemeRun and shoot
Defensive coordinatorDale Lindsey (1st season)
Base defense3–4
Home stadiumOwnby Stadium
1989 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 13 Arkansas $ 7 –1 –010 –2 –0
No. 20 Texas A&M 6 –2 –08 –4 –0
No. 14 Houston 6 –2 –09 –2 –0
No. 19 Texas Tech 5 –3 –09 –3 –0
Baylor 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
Texas 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
TCU 2 –6 –04 –7 –0
Rice 2 –6 –02 –8 –1
SMU 0 –8 –02 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1989 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Forrest Gregg, the Mustangs were returning to competition for the first time since 1986. An NCAA investigation into continued misconduct in the football program had resulted in the Mustangs receiving the "death penalty", which resulted in the 1987 season being cancelled and indirectly resulted in the team not having enough players to field a team in 1988. After playing most of the past several seasons at Texas Stadium, the Mustangs moved back to their old home of Ownby Stadium on campus, where they had not played since 1948.

The Mustangs recorded a record of 2-8, finishing last in the Southwest Conference where they failed to record a victory. Both of those wins came against opponents from the lower Division I-AA level, as SMU beat Connecticut and North Texas. The team allowed 499 points on defense and gave up 50 or more three times, including their game against conference rival Houston where they gave up 95.

"Ponygate"

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.[1][2]

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 4 years and could only hire 5 assistant coaches instead of the usual 9. 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.[3][4]

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.[4][5] 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.[6]

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.[7][8] Gregg was personally asked to take the head coaching position by Stalcup.[9] The first player Gregg recruited was quarterback Mike Romo from San Antonio.[10]

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.[11] In their first game since November 22, 1986, the Mustangs lost 35–6 to Rice; the Owls' victory snapped a 18 game losing streak.[12]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 2Rice
L 6–3523,227
September 16Connecticut*
  • Ownby Stadium
  • Dallas, TX
W 31–3020,548
September 23Texas
  • Ownby Stadium
  • Dallas, TX
L 13–4523,733
September 30at TCU
L 10–2826,023
October 14Baylor
  • Ownby Stadium
  • Dallas, TX
L 3–4921,434
October 21at No. 16 Houston
L 21–9520,009
October 28North Texas*dagger
W 35–921,186[13]
November 4at No. 20 Texas A&M
L 14–6348,948
November 11at No. 1 Notre Dame*
L 6–5959,075
November 18No. 20 Texas Tech
  • Ownby Stadium
  • Dallas, TX
L 24–4821,885
December 2at No. 9 Arkansas
L 24–3847,112
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

1989 SMU Mustangs football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR Greg Ballard
WR Korey Beard
WR Andy Bergfeld
WR Michael Bowen
OL Kyle Carroll
QB, P Casey Clyce
QB Dan Freiburger
OL Tre Giller
WR Mitch Glieber
WR Brent Harraman
OL Matt Hart
RB Rongea Hill
RB Stuart Ison
TE, P Marklen Kennedy
RB Marty Kidd
WR Simeon Knight
RB Kevin Love
QB Mike Romo
OL Oscar Rosales
RB Omar Thompson
OL Curtis Eldridge
WR Derwin Ware
OL Matt Wisenbaker
RB Jason Wolf
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB Jason Bednarz
WR Korey Beard
DL Steve Benotti
DB Malcolm Borlenghi
DB Cary Brabham
DB Richie Butler
LB Chris Collins
DB Ron Hagen
LB Darren Harrington
LB Bill Kiely
DL Geoff King
DB Marcus Malonson
DB Mark Martinez
DL Uzo Okeke
LB Mike Ostos
WR Korey Beard
WR Korey Beard
WR Korey Beard
DL Kenny Rea
DB Marcello Simmons
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Matt Lomenick
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured Injured
    • Redshirt Redshirt

    Season summary

    at No. 16 Houston

    SMU Mustangs at No. 16 Houston Cougars – Game summary
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Mustangs 6 8 7021
    No. 16 Cougars 24 35 221495

    at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

    • Date: October 21
    • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
    • Game attendance: 20,009
    • Box score
    Game information

    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.[10]

    at No. 1 Notre Dame

    SMU Mustangs at No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Mustangs 0 6 006
    No. 1 Fighting Irish 7 35 10759

    at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

    Game information
    External videos
    video icon Full game

    References

    1. ↑ Asher, Mark. NCAA cancels SMU's 1987 football. The Washington Post, 1987-02-26.
    2. ↑ Whitford, David (2013) [1989]. A Payroll to Meet. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-8032-4885-4.
    3. ↑ Frank, Peter H. (February 28, 1987). "SCOUTS SEEK S.M.U. PLAYERS". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
    4. 1 2 Jenkins, Sally. SMU May Sit Out Through '88; Inability to Compete Under Sanctions Is Cited. The Washington Post, 1987-02-28.
    5. ↑ SMU considers scrapping its 1988 football season, too. Chicago Sun-Times, 1987-02-28.
    6. ↑ Frank, Peter. "'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. p. 1C.
    8. ↑ "Forrest Gregg eager to resurrect Mustangs". Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. January 15, 1988. p. 15.
    9. ↑ Drape, Joe (August 1, 2012). "Coach Who Revived S.M.U. Looks Back With Pride". The New York Times. pp. B20. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
    10. 1 2 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". The Athletic. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
    11. ↑ 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. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
    12. ↑ Richards, Darryl (September 3, 1989). "SMU GLAD TO BE BACK - RICE ALSO LIKES IT". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
    13. ↑ "SMU rips North Texas 35–9". Austin American-Statesman. October 29, 1989. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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