SMU coach Sonny Dykes was brought in to continue the burgeoning offensive tradition at SMU after Chad Morris. But even though both run a spread offense — and even though Dykes brought in up-and-coming offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee — the transition was rockier than expected.
The Mustangs quietly fell to No. 80 in total offense and No. 53 in scoring offense. Ben Hicks, the leading passer in program history, lost his job to freshman Will Brown, and then regained it once the team struggled. In losses, a talented SMU offense was held to just 19.6 points per game.