Surprise star of the weekend: SMU WR Trey Quinn

If you’ve been watching SMU’s first few games of the season, you’re used to seeing Quinn as an integral part of the Mustangs’ aerial assault. So to say his significant role in SMU’s win over UConn might be a bit of a stretch, but if you don’t pay attention to SMU, let us alert you to the fact that the LSU transfer caught 15 passes for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 49-28 victory on The Hilltop. The Mustangs are now 4-1, and just two victories from bowl eligibility, which amounts to a white-hot start under third-year head coach Chad Morris, who promised the Mustangs would get turned around and is delivering on that promise. He and his staff have done it almost entirely with commits from within the state’s borders, but Quinn is absolutely the kind of sure-handed target for which to make an exception. The Lake Charles, LA., native now has 37 receptions for 431 yards and four touchdowns in five games. With defenses doubling Courtland Sutton, who just may be the best receiver in college football, quarterback Ben Hicks is in need of trustworthy targets. Morris and his staff have developed a few that continue to grow into bigger roles, especially James Proche, but no coaching staff will tell you they have enough or too many options at any position. Quinn has stepped up to offer an invaluable security blanket, and the season’s really just getting started. So while Saturday may have been the breakout, don’t be surprised to see days like this again down the road. It wasn’t a one-man show on Saturday. Quinn was great, but so was Hicks and a host of other offensive playmakers. Plus, the defense was led by massive efforts from Kyran Mitchell (9 solo tackles, 4 TFL) and Justin Lawler (5 solo tackles, 4 TFL). Every contribution mattered, and will matter going forward, but a key to taking the SMU offense to the next level was finding a trustworthy target to complement Sutton, and the Mustangs have their man. Now it’s time for a few more people to know about him because you can be sure SMU’s upcoming opponents have noticed.