Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 12: San Diego State falls out
By Zach Bigalke
6. SMU Mustangs (9-1/AAC)
- LAST RANK: 5th
- WEEK 11 RESULT: won 59-51 vs. East Carolina
- WEEK 12 OPPONENT: idle in Week 12
SMU continues to fly by the seat of their pants in 2019, with one close call after another marking the territory for the Mustangs. In Week 11, they survived a visit by East Carolina that ended in a 59-51 shootout. While the Mustangs emerged victorious, though, they drop a spot this week in the Group of Five Power Rankings after coming close to a second straight loss.
Against the Pirates, SMU’s defense coughed up 644 yards. Holton Ahlers threw for 498 yards and six touchdowns against the Mustangs secondary. While East Carolina never had a lead in Dallas, they tied the game back up early in the first quarter and then pulled within one point of SMU on four separate occasions later in the game.
Trading passes with Ahlers, SMU quarterback Shane Buechele threw for 414 yards with five touchdowns and one interception on 33-of-46 passing. Xavier Jones had a huge day on the ground, rushing for 157 yards and three ground scores. On a day when offense ruled the narrative, the Mustangs finished with 636 total yards as they went blow-for-blow with the Pirates.
SMU still needs Memphis to lose in conference play to have a shot at the AAC title. They take their final bye of the regular season in Week 12 before a huge divisional battle against Navy in Annapolis on November 23. The Mustangs close out the season at home against Tulane.