SMU Coach Puts Pressure On Offense To Lift Standard Post-Bye

The SMU Mustangs are enjoying their bye week sitting at 4-1, but we know that Rhett Laslee's team hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders.

One week the offense is flying; the next week it isn't. Plus, they haven't played a clean game often enough, with the win over Boston College the one time they haven't had a turnover.

Kevin Jennings has put up great numbers, as have other offensive weapons like Kendrick Raphael, but we haven't seen them hit all the right notes in a game.

So that is why the bye week has perhaps come at the right time for the Mustangs.

Yes, they are 4-1, but they are far from the finished product, so what better time than now to dissect your game, identify where you can improve, and then execute for the rest of the season?

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And quarterback coach D'Eriq King has laid down the challenge to the offense to find their groove.

"Yeah, we emphasize that all offseason, let's find our identity early," King said. "We know who we are scheme-wise, player-wise, personnel-wise. For us, just having a clean game, all 11 guys doing right on every play.

"I think our identity, we always want to be fast and physical. So, we've been talking about this offseason or this bye week, let's make sure that identity is showing up on tape. We got all the pieces, no reason we can't go out there and put a good product on the field every week. Don't matter if it's raining, snowing, sunny, it doesn't matter. We got to go out there and put up points, and those guys will, they'll get it done."

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So that is the challenge being put on this offense to iron out its deficiencies and to get this train properly rolling in 2026.

Now, at 4-1, most fans will take that, but they want more.

They want the points, the great defense, but they also want a clean game. 

You won't get it every week, and interceptions have been one of Jennings' bugaboos over the past 18 months. Against Boston College, we saw what this offense can do, even when it isn't playing well. They were hard to beat.

So that is the blueprint for the Mustangs moving forward.

The challenge has been put to the offense. Can they meet it?