SMU MUSTANGS NOTES:
SETTING THE SCENE
• No. 17 SMU looks to cap off an historic season with a win over ACC-mate Boston College on Dec. 28 at Fenway Park. • The Mustangs closed out competition in the AAC in style on Dec. 2, capturing its 12th conference championship in program history with a 26-14 victory against then-17th ranked Tulane in Yulman Stadium. • SMU went unbeaten during its final year as a member of the AAC with the win, knocking off all nine conference opponents. • Kevin Jennings, making his first career start, got the job done, finishing with 203 yards passing and 63 rushing in the victory. • SMU broke into the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in 2023, coming in at 24 on Dec. 3. • The Mustangs jumped up to 17th and 19th in the most recent AP and AFCA Coaches polls, respectively.
QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs are 10-0 this year when they have scored at least 30 points in a game. • SMU has had at least seven receivers catch a pass in every game in 2023 and is the only team in all of the FBS with eight players with at least 300 yards receiving on the year. • The Mustangs’ sack total of 47 this year rank second in the NCAA and second most in program history for a single season. • SMU’s defense continues its supreme play this season, ranking in the top 20 in NCAA in third down pct defense (3rd), defensive touchdowns (1st), rushing defense (18th), scoring defense (12th), team passing efficiency defense (13th), team sacks (2nd), tackles for loss (13th) and total defense (12th). • The Mustangs took it to the conference opposition, posting an average margin of victory of 28.9 points (45.9-17.0) in conference games this year, the largest margin for any team in the NCAA in conference play in 2023. • SMU outscored its conference opponents 140-41 in the first quarter this year. • The Mustangs have scored at least 55 points four times this season, the most in program history for a single season. • The are looking for the 12th win of the year, which has been done only one other time program history with the 1935 National Championship team (12-1). • SMU is seeking its first bowl win since 2012, a 43-10 win against Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl. • The Mustangs tied an AAC record with 18 players getting selected to all of the AAC All-Conference Teams on Nov. 29.
THE SERIES
• This is the second meeting in the series, with SMU leading 1-0. • The teams only meeting was on Oct. 4, 1986, a 31-29 win for the Mustangs.
ABOUT THE EAGLES
• Boston College has a record of 6-6 this year.
SOME BOWLING HISTORY
• SMU will be appearing in its 21st bowl game in program history when they play Boston College. • The Mustangs have a bowl record of 7-10-1 in their history.
MAKE IT 12
• The Mustangs captured their 12th conference championship with a 26-14 win at Tulane on Dec. 2 in Yulman Stadium. • SMU has won 12 conference titles in the program’s history – 1923, 1926, 1931, 1935, 1940 (shared), 1947, 1948, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1984 (shared) and 2023.
FEELS LIKE THE GOOD OL’ DAYS
• SMU’s win against on Nov. 25 gave it an 8-0 record in conference play this season and made some history never seen before. •The 8-0 mark in conference play is the best since in the program’s prestigious history. • SMU has now won nine straight conference games, the longest streak conference winning streak since 11 straight overlapping the 1981 and 1982 seasons. • This was the first time in program history that SMU has won eight straight conference games in a single season.
BUILT DIFFERENT
• SMU had the best defense in the AAC in 2023. • The Mustangs ranked in the top three in the conference in several categories, including third down conversion defense (first), defensive touchdowns (first), first down defense (second), interceptions (third), passing yards allowed (first), rushing defense (second), scoring defense (first), team passing efficiency defense (first), team sacks (first), team tackles for loss (third) and total defense (first). • SMU’s defense is allowing 16.47 fewer points per game in 2023 compared to last season. • The Mustangs have held eight opponents to under 300 total yards in a game this year.
CLUB TAKEAWAY
• Club Takeaway is back and open for business again in 2023. • The Mustangs have at least one takeaway in 31 of the past 39 games, 40 of the past 49 games and 60 of the past 71 games. • SMU has forced at least one turnover in nine straight games.
OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR
• The Mustangs continue to show the offensive firepower that has become a staple over the last few years. • SMU’s 40.6 scoring average currently ranks second for the highest average for a season in program history with 2019’s team average, the second year Rhett Lashlee was the offensive coordinator for the Mustangs. • SMU ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA on offense in first downs (5th, 312), passing offense (19th, 285.1), passing yards per completion (6th, 14.82), red zone offense (10th, .929), sacks allowed (13th, 15), scoring offense (6th, 40.6), team passing efficiency (17th, 156.1) and total offense (14th, 465.5).
JUST POINTING IT OUT
SMU has been a scoring machine in the last several seasons. The Mustangs have posted the five highest-scoring seasons in program history in the last seven years.
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES NOTES:
FIRST-AND-10
» Boston College returns to Bowl Season with its first-ever appearance at the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against SMU at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28. » The Fenway Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN. Chris Cotter (playby-play) andformer BC linebacker Mark Herzlich (analyst) are in the booth with Sherree Burruss (reporter) on the sideline. » Coverage on the Boston College Sports Network begins 30 minutes prior to kickoff on WEEI 93.7 FM. Jon Meterparel (play-byplay) is joined on the call by former BC linebacker Pete Cronan in the booth and quarterback Scott Mutryn on the sideline. » The Eagles are 14-13 all-time in bowl games. Their last win was the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl over Maryland. The Fenway Bowl marks BC’s 30th all-time bowl appearance. » Boston College trails the all-time series, 0-1, with the lone meeting a 31-29 win for SMU in Dallas in 1986. » SMU, along with Cal and Stanford, join BC in the ACC in 2024. The Eagles and Mustangs will meet four times as conference opponents, beginning in 2024 with a game in Dallas, through 2029. » The Eagles started 2023 1-3 and followed with five-straight wins to be bowl eligible. BC last rallied from 1-3 to reach a bowl in 2017. » BC is bowl eligible for the third time in head coach Jeff Hafley’s four seasons and earned eligibility after game nine; the fastest to bowl eligibility by the Eagles since a 6-2 start in 2018. » Thomas Castellanos is third in the country for rushing yards by a QB at 957, which is 44th among all rushers. His 11 rushing TDs are tied for 35th in FBS and tied for fifth most by a quarterback. » Lewis Bond has 48 receptions, 611 yards and seven touchdowns; one of just six ACC receivers to surpass 45/600/7 this season.
BC-FENWAY HISTORY
» Boston College called Fenway Park its home field for the majority of 21 seasons from 1936-45 and again 1953-56. » BC last played at Fenway Park in 2017 as the road team against Connecticut; a 39-16 win. The Eagles first appearance back at Fenway since Alumni Stadium was dedicated in 1957 was a 19-16 neutral site defeat to Notre Dame in 2015. » BC’s first game at Fenway Park was a 28-6 win over Norwich University on Halloween in 1914. » The Eagles went 6-0 at Fenway in its undefeated 1940 season, including a win by No. 4 BC over Holy Cross in front of a capacity crowd to send the Eagles to the Sugar Bowl. Two years later, BC played all nine regular season games at Fenway; posting an 8-1 mark en route to an Orange Bowl appearance. » In 76 games played at Fenway Park, the Eagles are 55-16-5. » BC men’s ice hockey (Jan. 7), baseball (May 19) and football all played games at Fenway in 2023. The hockey team defeated UMass at Frozen Fenway and baseball took down Notre Dame in its annual ALS Awareness Game.
BOWL SEASON NOTES
» All-time, the Eagles have been selected for 30 bowl games and are 14-13 in completed bowl contests. » BC last reached bowl eligibility in 2021 and attended the Military Bowl before the game was cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols. » In Jeff Hafley’s first season, BC earned bowl eligibility, but opted out of the bowl game after completing the Covid-impacted 2020 season without a positive test within the program » BC last played in a bowl following the 2019 season; falling to No. 21 Cincinnati at the 2020 Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl. » In 2018, BC played Boise State in the Servpro First Responder Bowl, and led 7-0, before the game was called off due to lightning. » BC’s last bowl game win was over Maryland at the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl.
NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL
» The Fenway Bowl marks the only postseason football game in the New England region. This year marks the second game in bowl history after the Covid-19 pandemic postponed the bowl’s debut by two years. » Boston College’s roster features 22 players from New England, including 20 from Massachusetts and 14 from Greater Boston.
TOTAL OFFENSE
» BC is moving the ball at a clip of 382.7 yards per game after averaging 310.3 in 2022. » The Eagles have surpassed 400 yards of offense in five games, surpassing last season’s total of three. » BC posted a season-high 563 yards at Georgia Tech (10/21). » The run game is up from 63.2 (last in FBS, last in ACC) to 193.5 (18th, 3rd) yards per game this year. » BC ran for a season-high 321 yards at Army (10/7) for its third of four 200-yard games this year. The Eagles twice went over 100 yards in 2022 and have gone over 100 in each game this season. » Thomas Castellanos ranks 41st in the country and fourth in the ACC with 258.6 yards of total offense per game. » His 3,103 yards of total offense are the fifth most in a single season in BC history and the most by a sophomore; passing Doug Flutie’s 1982 season.
