Finally Back: Lashlee Prepared for What SMU is Facing in ACC

With return to the biggest level, Mustangs hoping they have what's needed in most important area

SMU Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee talks to his players on a time out against the Tulane Green Wave during the second half at Yulman Stadium. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — The SMU Mustangs are back playing in a big-time conference, officially todat. They came into the ACC alone because Stanford and Cal won't be coming until the first of August due to existing contracts.

The celebration ran late Monday afternoon in downtown Dallas and the ACC Network was there interviewing everybody involved, but a big chunk of the time was devoted to football. That brought Ponies coach Rhett Lashlee in.

He likes where the team is situated going into the first season, particularly at what many people consider the most important position group on the field, the offensive line. This group often spells problems for teams moving up in level of competition. It's an area where Lashlee has developed preparing for the move to the ACC.

"I've been in this league before," Lashlee, the former offensive coordinator at Miami, said on ACC PM on ACCN. "We knew what to expect and started preparing for that."

Lashlee spoke with Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum from the ACC Network, and they were joined for football by former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lane.

It was a day-long celebration of SMU returning to a major conference since the old Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995. The Mustangs weren't invited to join any other big conference and dropped down to what became the Group of 5, which is a lower-rung division.

"This is special when you think of our fan base and what they went through for 29 years," Lashlee said "SMU was in a top conference. The SWC is as good as any conference in the country. They were at the top then."

People forget that over a four-year period in the early 1980's, the Ponies were the winningest team in college football playing games in Texas Stadium back then. Lashlee mentioned a couple of times they had been in the Cotton Bowl. "That's the house Doak Walker built," he said a couple of times, which is a pretty accurate statement.

Now SMU has upgraded Ford Stadium to as good as anyone in the league with a new end zone, Lashlee has mentioned whenever he gets the opportunity. Now he's got the resources and is in a fertile recruiting territory with Texas high school football and especially the DFW Metroplex.

"It's just different," Lashlee said about the talent available. "They run their programs a lot like college programs."

That's pretty accurate for every sport the Mustangs have. Practice for football starts in 23 days. Now it's up to Lashlee to win games.

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