DALLAS (FWAA) The SMU Mustangs recovered from a 30-9 deficit to start the fourth quarter, tied the game late in regulation and then won in overtime over Tulsa, 43-37, to remain undefeated. For its dramatic rally to post a 6-0 record for the first time since 1982, SMU earned the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 5.
The announcement came on "Playbook" on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week will be unveiled during the program, which airs weekdays from 1-4 p.m. ET. The FWAA's All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.
This is the second time for SMU to win the FWAA's National Team of the Week honor. The first came this same week in the 2011 season after the Mustangs ended TCUs 22-game home win streak with an overtime win that gave them their best start to a season (4-1) in 25 years at that time.
Shane Buechele threw a 25-yard touchdown to James Proche in the third overtime on a catch that was initially ruled incomplete along the sideline but reversed upon review, a game-winning play that sent the SMU students onto the field in celebration. Buechele, the former Texas quarterback, finished 23-of-40 passing for 280 yards with both of his scores to Proche, who had 11 catches for 153 yards. The Mustangs took each of their final three possessions in regulation more than 70 yards for touchdowns to tie the game at 30.
Xavier Jones ran for 121 yards and two game-tying touchdowns, the first on a four-yard run on fourth down with 1:02 in regulation to complete the rally to tie. SMU was 6-for-7 on fourth-down conversions 4-for-4 in the fourth quarter alone and one in overtime. Jones· second short score forced the second overtime. Tulsa missed two field goals in overtime.
SMU, 6-0 for the first time since 1982, and Ohio State are the only teams that are 6-0 with all the wins over FBS teams. The win was the Mustangs first as a ranked team since 1986 and marked its second-largest rally to win in school history.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 5 were:
Baylor (5-0): The Bears won their first conference road game in two seasons, 31-12, at Kansas State with a dominating defense. Baylor grabbed two takeaways, had two sacks and 15 tackles for loss · its most in a conference game in more than a decade · to help claim the program·s first win at Kansas State.
Florida (6-0): Lamical Perine capped off a 24-13 home win over Auburn with a 88-yard touchdown run with nine minutes left, and Kyle Trask passed for 234 yards and a pair of first-half touchdowns to keep Florida unbeaten in its best six-game start since 2015. The Gators held Auburn to just 269 total yards when the Tigers came in averaging 454.4 yards per game.
Stanford (3-3): Cameron Scarlett rushed for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Davis Mills won another game in place of injured starter K.J. Costello as Stanford topped Washington, 23-13, for its sixth straight home win over the Huskies.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. In addition to the members of the FWAA All-America Committee, one fan vote from Twitter decides the weekly honor.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com.