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American college football season
The 1978 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season . Led by third-year head coach Ron Meyer , the Mustangs compiled an overall record 4–6–1 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the SWC.[ 1]
With sagging attendance in recent years, including a dismal 6,918 against conference foe Rice, SMY athletic director Russ Potts orchestrated "Mustang Mania." Potts wanted to make SMU more visible in the Dallas area . Average attendance at SMU home games jumped from 25,644 in the previous year to 51,960 in the 1978 season. This was the highest average attendance for SMU home games since 1950 .[ 2] [ 3]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 9 TCU W 45–1441,112
September 16 vs. Florida * W 35–2534,101 [ 4]
September 23 at No. 3 Penn State * L 21–2677,404
October 7 at No. 14 Ohio State * T 35–3587,712
October 14 at Baylor W 28–2136,500
October 21 No. 11 Houston * L 28–4264,871
October 28 at No. 7 Texas L 3–2265,289
November 4 Texas A&M L 17–2057,208
November 11 at Rice W 58–014,000
November 18 at Texas Tech L 16–1945,101
November 25 Arkansas L 14–2744,647
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
1978 SMU Mustangs football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
DB
27
Charles Bruton
So
DL
99
Eric Ferguson
Fr
DB
9
Mark Gibson
So
DL
80
Byron Hunt
So
DL
61
Charles Hunt
Jr
DB
20
James Mobley
Fr
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Team players in the NFL [ edit ]
Player
Position
Round
Pick
NFL club
D. K. Perry
Defensive back
8
200
New York Giants
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold