1997 SMU Mustangs football team

American college football season January 2019 February 2026 1997 SMU Mustangs football Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division WAC 6–5 5–3 Mike Cavan 1st Darrell Dickey 1st Pro spread Eric Schumann 1st 4–3 Cotton Bowl The 1997 Western Athletic Conference Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Mike Cavan, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for second place in the WAC's Mountain Division. Ten years after the NCAA's 1987 "death penalty" on SMU football, SMU's 1997 campaign was the program's first winning season since the football program resumed operations in 1989. The Mustangs played their home games at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Schedule 1997 AP Central September 6 6:00 p.m. y l y Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS 15–23 36,521 https://www.newspapers.com/article/hattiesburg-american-ole-miss-holds-on-t/152115237/ Hattiesburg American Ole Miss holds on to beat SMU, 23–15 September 7, 1997 July 27, 2024 Newspapers.com September 13 7:00 p.m. w y y Arkansas Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 31–9 23,500 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-mustangs-stun-hogs/152116560/ The Shreveport Times Mustangs stun Hogs September 14, 1997 July 27, 2024 Newspapers.com September 20 7:00 p.m. l y Navy Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 16–46 20,011 September 27 2:00 p.m. l BYU 23 Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX KSL 16–19 OT 23,701 October 4 7:05 p.m. l y New Mexico University Stadium Albuquerque, NM 15–22 33,128 October 11 2:05 p.m. w y Utah Robert Rice Stadium Salt Lake City, UT 20–19 26,611 October 25 2:00 p.m. w Wyoming Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 22–17 22,403 November 1 2:00 p.m. w Rice Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX rivalry 24–6 20,024 November 8 2:00 p.m. w y UTEP Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 28–14 21,280 November 15 1:30 p.m. w y Tulsa Skelly Stadium Tulsa, OK 42–41 15,234 November 20 7:05 p.m. l y TCU Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX rivalry ESPN 18–21 19,094 Personnel Coaching staff Mike Cavan succeeded Tom Rossley as SMU head coach. Rossley coached SMU from 1991 to 1996 and left with a 15–48–3 record.https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/tom-rossley-1.html Tom Rossley Coaching Record Cavan became SMU's third head coach in the post-"death penalty" era for SMU. Cavan, a former starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, was previously head coach at Valdosta State from 1986 to 1991 and East Tennessee State from 1992 to 1996. This is Cavan's first head coaching job at a Division I-A school. Name Position Seasons atSMU Alma mater Mike Cavan Head coach 1 Georgia (1972) Warren Belin Linebackers 1 Wake Forest (1990)Darrell Dickey Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks 1 Kansas State (1984) Derek Dooley Wide receivers 1 Virginia (1991) Troy Douglas Running backs 1 Appalachian State (1988) Steve Malin Defensive ends 4 East Texas State (1993) David McKnight Tight ends 1 Georgia (1969) Eric Schumann Defensive coordinator, defensive backs 1 Alabama (1977) Randy Williams Offensive line 1 Valdosta State (1991)Source:http://www.smu.edu/~athletics/football/asst.html SMU Football: Assistant Coaches www.smu.edu 12 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/19970614104958/http://www.smu.edu/~athletics/football/asst.html 14 June 1997 dead Roster 1997 SMU Mustangs f 70 Jr Austin Adami C 21 Jr Kelsey Adams RB 5 Jr Albert Johnson Albert Johnson (gridiron football) WR y 46 So Jeff Pennington RB 28 So Rodnick Phillips RB 12 So Chris Sanders Chris Sanders (quarterback) QB y 42 Sr Chris Bordano LB y 25 Sr Chris Campbell DB 97 Sr Jon Wilson LB *Mike Cavan After the season Coaching changes Offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey left SMU to take the head coaching job at North Texas in 1998; Greg Briner, previously the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Georgia, succeeded Dickey as offensive coordinator.http://www.smumustangs.com/football/briner.asp SMU Football: Assistant Coach www.smumustangs.com 12 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/19990507162140/http://www.smumustangs.com/football/briner.asp 7 May 1999 dead Offensive line graduate assistant Paul Etheridge was promoted to tight ends and offensive tackleshttp://www.smumustangs.com/football/etheridge.asp SMU Football: Assistant Coach www.smumustangs.com 12 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/19990507171101/http://www.smumustangs.com/football/etheridge.asp 7 May 1999 dead David McKnight moved to running backs coach.http://smumustangs.com/football/mcknight.asp SMU Football: Assistant Coach smumustangs.com 12 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/19990825073240/http://smumustangs.com/football/mcknight.asp 25 August 1999 dead NFL draft In the 1998 NFL draft, linebacker Chris Bordano was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round and 161st overall.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/smu/drafted.htm SMU Drafted Players/Alumni Pro-Football-Reference.com References External links 1997 SMU stats at Sports-Reference.com SMU Category:SMU Mustangs football seasons SMU Mustangs football