1968 SMU Mustangs football team

1968 SMU Mustangs football
1968 SMU Mustangs football
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, W 28–27 vs. Oklahoma
Conference	Southwest Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 16
AP	No. 14
Record	8–3 (5–2 SWC)
Head coach	Hayden Fry (7th season);
Home stadium	Ownby Stadium

1968 Southwest Conference football standings
	Conf.					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 6 Arkansas +	6	–	1	–	0	10	–	1	–	0
No. 3 Texas +	6	–	1	–	0	9	–	1	–	1
No. 14	5	–	2	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
Texas Tech	4	–	3	–	0	5	–	3	–	2
Baylor	3	–	4	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Texas A&M	2	–	5	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
TCU	2	–	5	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Rice	0	–	7	–	0	0	–	9	–	1

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1968 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Hayden Fry, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a conference mark of 5–2, placing third in the SWC. SMU was invited to the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, where they upset number 10 Oklahoma.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 21	at Auburn*		Cliff Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	W 37–28	40,606	^[1]
September 28	at No. 11 Ohio State*		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	L 14–35	73,855	^[2]
October 5	NC State*		Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX	W 35–14	38,000	^[3]
October 12	at TCU		Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX (rivalry)	W 21–14	31,542	^[4]
October 19	Rice		Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (rivalry)	W 32–24	25,000	^[5]
October 26	at No. 19 Texas Tech		Jones Stadium Lubbock, TX	W 39–18	50,352	^[6]
November 2	at No. 11 Texas	No. 13	Memorial Stadium Austin, TX	L 7–38	66,397	^[7]
November 9	Texas A&M		Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX	W 36–23	42,000	^[8]
November 16	at No. 10 Arkansas		War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR	L 29–35	49,112	^[9]
November 23	Baylor		Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX	W 33–17	22,000	^[10]
December 31	vs. No. 10 Oklahoma	No. 20	Houston Astrodome Houston, TX (Astro-Bluebonett Bowl)	W 28–27	55,453	^[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[12]

Roster

1968 SMU Mustangs football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
G	`61`	Que Brittain	Jr
QB	`11`	Gary Carter	So
FB	`22`	Pinky Clements	Sr
TE	`85`	Ken Fleming	So
QB	`10`	Chuck Hixson	So
WR	`81`	Sam Holden	Jr
OT	`76`	Bill Jackson	So
WR	`23`	Jerry LeVias	Sr
OT	`72`	Terry May	Sr
G	`68`	Kemp McMillan	Jr
C	`57`	Stan Poulos	Jr
RB	`24`	Mike Richardson	Sr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
LB	`32`	Mike Armstrong	Jr
DL	`56`	Rufus Cormier	Jr
DL	`50`	R. D. Crenshaw	Sr
S	`47`	Daryl Doggett	Jr
DE	`94`	Tommy Fraser	Jr
DT	`62`	Jim Johnston	So
DB	`40`	Jimmy Livingston	Sr
DE	`89`	Mike Mitchell	Sr
DB	`45`	Mike Nekuza	So
LB	`38`	Bruce Portillo	Jr
LB	`31`	Joe Stutts	So
DB	`41`	Larry Tunnell	So
DT	`69`	Bill Wright	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Head coach

Hayden Fry

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Team players drafted into the NFL

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Jerry LeVias	Wide receiver	2	40	Houston Oilers
Mike Richardson (running back, born 1946)	Running back	7	171	Houston Oilers
Terry May	Center	11	274	Houston Oilers

^[13]

Awards and honors

Chuck Hixson, Sammy Baugh Trophy^[14]

References

^ "TD passes spark SMU past Auburn". The Victoria Advocate. September 22, 1968. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Buckeyes shoot down SMU's aerial circus". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 29, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "SMU's aerial circus shoots down Wolfpack". San Angelo Standard-Times. October 6, 1968. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Levias return wins for SMU". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph. October 13, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Mustangs overtake Owls, 32–24". The Abilene Reporter-News. October 20, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Is SMU for real? Ask the Raiders". The Paris News. October 27, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "'Horns crush SMU by 38–7". The Kilgore News Herald. November 3, 1968. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "SMU humbles Aggies, 36–23". The Odessa American. November 10, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Arkansas staves off late SMU bid, 35–29". Tulsa Daily World. November 17, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Mustangs trample Baylor by 33–17". The Marshall News Messenger. November 24, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Ponies run wild in 'Bonnet". The Shreveport Journal. January 1, 1969. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1968–69 NCAA Statistics (SMU)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
^ "1969 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
^ "Awards". www.touchdownclubofcolumbus.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.

[1] "TD passes spark SMU past Auburn". The Victoria Advocate. September 22, 1968. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] "Buckeyes shoot down SMU's aerial circus". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 29, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "SMU's aerial circus shoots down Wolfpack". San Angelo Standard-Times. October 6, 1968. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Levias return wins for SMU". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph. October 13, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "Mustangs overtake Owls, 32–24". The Abilene Reporter-News. October 20, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Is SMU for real? Ask the Raiders". The Paris News. October 27, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "'Horns crush SMU by 38–7". The Kilgore News Herald. November 3, 1968. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "SMU humbles Aggies, 36–23". The Odessa American. November 10, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] "Arkansas staves off late SMU bid, 35–29". Tulsa Daily World. November 17, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] "Mustangs trample Baylor by 33–17". The Marshall News Messenger. November 24, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] "Ponies run wild in 'Bonnet". The Shreveport Journal. January 1, 1969. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "1968–69 NCAA Statistics (SMU)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 24, 2025.

[13] "1969 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.

[14] "Awards". www.touchdownclubofcolumbus.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

SMU Mustangs football
Venues	Armstrong Field (1915–1922) Gardner Park (1919) Ownby Stadium (1926–1948, 1989–1994) Cotton Bowl (1930–1978, 1995–1999) Texas Stadium (1972–1973, 1979–1986) Gerald J. Ford Stadium (2000–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Houston Navy: Gansz Trophy North Texas: Safeway Bowl Rice TCU
Culture & lore	Peruna Best Dressed Band in the Land 1935 "Game of the Century" Death penalty 2022 Houston game
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold