The Mustangs have been good on both sides of the ball, but one thing is still sticking in his paw after four games.
The SMU Mustangs sit at 3-1 after the first four games of the college season, and it is clear that Rhett Lashlee's team is doing a lot of things right.
On offense with Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs have scored at least 27 points in every game, with back-to-back 30+ point games coming into this week's clash against Boston College.
Defensively, the Mustangs have been getting after it, only allowing more than 24 points once, so they keep things relatively tight.
Special teams were a little sideways last week against Missouri State, but for the most part, the Mustangs have been there or thereabouts when it comes to being in good form.
But for Lashlee, if you are going to give yourself credit for how good the offense and defense have been through the first four weeks, you have to acknowledge the biggest issue of all for the Mustangs -- turnovers.
"If you're going to look in the mirror and be honest with who you are in a good way, you got to be honest with who you're not or who we've become," Lashlee said. "We talked about after the game, well, who are we as a team? We're minus five in the turnover margin.
"We've turned it over eight times in four games on offense, once on special teams, and we've only taken it away four times. It's not a combination for winning."
To be sitting at 3-1, and to be, according to Lashlee, -5 in the turnover differential, that isn't a recipe for success this season.
It will eventually come back to bite SMU at the most inopportune time. So, it has to get fixed.
From the fumbles to Jennings' interceptions, it all has to slow down because the Mustangs have only had one game that they have won by more than 10 points. So, they have been close encounters, and a costly turnover here or there could tip the scales the wrong way.
But Lashlee knows that, and yes, SMU is in good shape on both sides of the ball, but against better opposition, it might not matter if you keep gifting your opponents extra possessions.
