The Southern Methodist University football team will continue its 2024 season with a home game against Houston Christian University tonight at 7:00 p.m.
The team will look to build on a win to open the year.
SMU was down 24-13 to Nevada with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first game of the season. The team looked to make an impressive comeback with a few scoring drives. The Mustangs scored 16 points in the final period while holding Nevada scoreless, leading them to a 29-24 victory to begin the year.
The team will now look to carry this momentum against HCU on August 31 and win a home opener for the fifth season in a row.
SMU was one of the best teams in the FBS while playing at home during the 2023 season, averaging an astonishing 52.3 points per game en route to a 6-0 record on the year, per SMU Athletics.
The impressive play at home was a large factor in the team’s overall record of 11-3 during the 2023 season and a conference record of 8-0, which resulted in the Mustangs finishing the year as the 22nd-ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Saturday’s game is just the second time SMU and HCU have met. According to SMU Athletics, the Mustangs won 62-27 at home in their last matchup on September 29, 2018.
SMU is in its first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which prompted the university to begin a massive fundraising campaign. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, donors pledged more than $159 million to the university.
Rick Hart, Director of Athletics at SMU, said the university received “overwhelming support from our donors, alumni, and the entire SMU community,” adding that they are “incredibly grateful” for those involved.
“This record-breaking fundraising year is a testament to the belief in our vision for SMU Athletics and our commitment to excellence as we enter the ACC. The unprecedented contributions from the First Week Society and all who gave to support our mission will have a lasting impact on our programs, our student-athletes, and our university,” he added in a press release.
