SMU Mustangs

Shane Buechele set career highs with six touchdown passes and 457 passing yards as No. 19 SMU improved to 7-0 with a 45-21 win over Temple on Saturday.

SMU will now try to get to 7-0 for the first time since 1982, when Eric Dickerson and Craig James led to an 11-0-1 season. The Mustangs are at home Saturday against Temple (5-1, 2-0) in a matchup of AAC division co-leaders.

DALLAS (AP) -- Shane Buechele is having the kind of season so many envisioned after the quarterback started all 12 games as a true freshman in the Big 12 Conference three years ago.

With an open date next, there is some extra time to ponder the changing momentum and an incredible comeback -- both in the last game, and in the program overall in three decades since resuming play after the NCAA death penalty.

Not since the Pony Express days with Eric Dickerson and Craig James has SMU been undefeated this deep into a season. 

With a win over the Golden Hurricane (2-2, 0-0), SMU would be undefeated halfway through the regular season. The last time the Mustangs got to 6-0 was 1982, when they went on to an unbeaten season (11-0-1) with running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James.

"Given our history, SMU's history, being a very successful program for a long time like it was in the `70s and `80s, and then obviously having the death penalty, it's just been a long climb back," said head coach Sonny Dykes.

Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this season, replacing preseason No. 1 Clemson after the Tigers had a close call.

Xavier Jones ran for two first-quarter touchdowns and Shane Buechele threw three second-quarter touchdown passes as SMU rolled to a 41-0 lead early in the second half and held on to post a 48-21 win over South Florida in the American Athletic Conference opener for both schools Saturday.

A win on Saturday would show the Mustangs haven’t spent the last week celebrating and overlooking USF. It would also have them at 5-0 for the first time since 1983.

The Mustangs defeated TCU 41-38 last Saturday in Fort Worth. It was the first time SMU beat the Horned Frogs since 2011 and they did it wearing special uniforms with “Dallas” on the front of the jersey and the “Triple D” city logo on the SMU helmet.

Shane Buechele threw for 288 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another score as SMU held on to beat No. 25 TCU 41-38, ending a seven-game losing streak in the rivalry and improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1984.

While No. 25 TCU is trying to start a season 3-0 for the 10th time in 17 seasons, SMU has already reached that mark for the first time since 1984.

The Horned Frogs have won seven in a row, by an average margin of four touchdowns, in the series matching former SWC rivals.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price are showing their support for their local universities ahead of the SMU-TCU football game on Saturday.

Shane Buechele threw for two touchdowns and TJ McDaniel rushed for 159 yards and three scores as SMU sprinted to a 47-17 victory over Texas State on Saturday evening.

SMU hasn’t started a season 3-0 since 1984 – just a few seasons before the NCAA hammered the program with the death penalty. Saturday night is also a chance for the Mustangs to get halfway to bowl eligibility.