SMU Football: Can Sonny Dykes, Mustangs turn it around in Year 2?

Youthful defense gains experience

Despite the numbers, the Mustangs defense wasn’t a complete disaster. Under defensive coordinator Kevin Kane, the Mustangs produced the second-best defense Sonny Dykes has had in his entire coaching career, and he did it without very many seniors.

Although the defense ranked in the lower half of the AAC in almost every category, they are young and can improve, and there is a lot of room for said improvement.

In their seven losses, SMU gave up 40 or more points four times. In their defense (pun intended), two of those games were against Power Five teams (Michigan and TCU), and one against a team who thinks they are a Power Five (Central Florida).

There were times where their youth showed. For example, they gave up 50 points to UConn.

Outside of those five games, the Mustangs gave up 30 or less in every other game last season. Thirty points per game seems like a lot, but when you are a defense on an up-tempo air-raid team, you’re going to give up points because you will probably be on the field more than your offense.

Time of possession is not an objective when you go fast. The solution? Turnovers.

There are three types of turnovers for a defense: interceptions, fumble recoveries and forcing punts. SMU was middle of the pack in interceptions (No. 6), in the top-tier in fumble recoveries (No. 4), but near the bottom in getting teams of the field on third down (11th).

Here’s the good news: most of their top performing defenders come back next year. They return two of their top three pass rushers in Delontae Scott and Texas A&M transfer Richard Moore.

Most of their top defensive backs return as well. That includes Rodney Clemons who tied for the team lead in passes defended and Illinois transfer Patrick Nelson who tied for the team lead in interceptions. For a team that looked good at times of defense, coordinator Kevin Kline has a lot to work with this season.