# 1982 SMU Mustangs football team

The 1982 SMU Mustangs football team represented the Southern Methodist University in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the first year for the team under head coach Bobby Collins and the Mustangs finished undefeated at 11–0–1, and were Southwest Conference champions (7–0–1).
A tie in their regular season finale against No. 9 Arkansas on November 20 caused the voters in both polls to drop SMU from second to fourth, costing the Mustangs the national championship. The tie was attributed in part to a lengthy and highly questionable pass interference call on Arkansas late in the game that allowed SMU to score the game-tying touchdown, a call that announcer Keith Jackson stated on air was a bad call by the officials. Trailing by a point, head coach Collins opted not to go for the two-point conversion and the lead, and they kicked the extra point to knot the score at seventeen with under three minutes remaining. There was no further scoring, as SMU missed a long field goal attempt in the final seconds.
Repeating as SWC champions, the Mustangs earned the automatic bid to the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, where they defeated sixth-ranked Pittsburgh 7–3. Played in near-freezing conditions, it was the final college game for the "Pony Express" running back tandem of Eric Dickerson and Craig James, as well as for Pitt quarterback Dan Marino.
After SMU's tie to Arkansas, Penn State moved up to second and then defeated No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to secure the top spot in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, despite a slightly less impressive final record of 11–1.
The Mustangs were runner-up in the final AP Poll, but the Helms Athletic Foundation, in the final year in which it selected a national college football champion, split the honor between SMU and Penn State. On the season, the Mustangs outscored their opponents by a combined score of 354 to 160.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 11 | Tulane* | No. 8 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX | W 51–7 | 33,814 |
| September 18 | at UTEP* | No. 6 | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | W 31–10 | 33,509 |
| September 25 | TCU | No. 6 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX (rivalry) | W 16–13 | 43,321 |
| October 2 | North Texas State* | No. 7 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX (rivalry) | W 38–10 | 30,118 |
| October 9 | at Baylor | No. 6 | Baylor StadiumWaco, TX | W 22–19 | 30,000 |
| October 16 | Houston | No. 5 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX (rivalry) | W 20–14 | 31,817 |
| October 23 | at No. 19 Texas | No. 4 | Texas Memorial StadiumAustin, TX | W 30–17 | 80,157 |
| October 30 | Texas A&M | No. 4 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX | W 47–9 | 50,008 |
| November 6 | at Rice | No. 2 | Rice StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | W 41–14 | 25,000 |
| November 13 | at Texas Tech | No. 2 | Jones StadiumLubbock, TX | W 34–27 | 45,954 |
| November 20 | No. 9 Arkansas | No. 2 | Texas StadiumIrving, TX | T 17–17 | 65,101 |
| January 1, 1983 | vs. No. 6 Pittsburgh* | No. 4 | Cotton BowlDallas, TX (Cotton Bowl) | W 7–3 | 60,359 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Coaches Poll | 11 | — | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |

## Game summaries
### Tulane

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Green Wave | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 8 Mustangs | 7 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 51 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 7:12 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 92 °F (33 °C)
* Game attendance: 33,814
* TV: Superstation WTBS
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Tulane | SMU |
| 1 | | | | | SMU | Craig James 42-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 13:58 | | | | SMU | Eric Dickerson 14-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | SMU | Lance McIlhenny 8-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 0 | 21 |
| 2 | | | | | SMU | 33-yard field goal by Jeff Harrell | 0 | 24 |
| 3 | 5:15 | | | | SMU | Eric Dickerson 25-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 0 | 31 |
| 4 | | | | | SMU | Reggie Dupard 3-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 0 | 38 |
| 4 | 7:54 | | | | Tulane | Elton Veals 1-yard touchdown run, Tony Wood kick good | 7 | 38 |
| 4 | | | | | SMU | Reggie Dupard 46-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick no good | 7 | 44 |
| 4 | | — | — | — | SMU | Interception returned 7 yards for touchdown by Jackie Wilson, Jeff Harrell kick good | 7 | 51 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 7 | 51 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tulane | Passing |
| Tulane | Rushing |
| Tulane | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
SMU romped to a season-opening victory over Tulane with a school-record 519 yards rushing. Senior Eric Dickerson ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and went over 3,000 career rushing yards. Craig James added 110 yards and a touchdown. It was the 10th time Dickerson and James each ran for more than 100 yards in the same game.

### At UTEP

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Mustangs | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Miners | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Sun Bowl Stadium • El Paso, Texas
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 6:40 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 33,509
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SMU | UTEP |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 31 | 10 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
| UTEP | Passing |
| UTEP | Rushing |
| UTEP | Receiving |

### TCU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Horned Frogs | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 6 Mustangs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 43,321
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | TCU | SMU |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 16 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| TCU | Passing |
| TCU | Rushing |
| TCU | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
In the Battle for the Iron Skillet, SMU beat TCU 16–13.

### North Texas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mean Green | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 7 Mustangs | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 30,118
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | North Texas State | SMU |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 38 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| North Texas State | Passing |
| North Texas State | Rushing |
| North Texas State | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |

### At Baylor

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| Bears | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
at Baylor Stadium • Waco, Texas
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 30,000
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SMU | Baylor |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 22 | 19 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
| Baylor | Passing |
| Baylor | Rushing |
| Baylor | Receiving |

### Houston

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 5 Mustangs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 31,817
* TV: USA
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Houston | SMU |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 20 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Houston | Passing |
| Houston | Rushing |
| Houston | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |

### At Texas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 30 |
| No. 19 Longhorns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
at Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, Texas
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 2:50 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 80,157
* TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (play–by–play), Frank Broyles (color commentator) and Tim Brant (sideline reporter)
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SMU | Texas |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 30 | 17 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
| Texas | Passing |
| Texas | Rushing |
| Texas | Receiving |

### Texas A&M

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| No. 4 Mustangs | 16 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 47 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
* Game attendance: 50,008
* Referee: Wendell Shelton
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play) and Steve Davis (color commentator)
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Texas A&M | SMU |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 9 | 47 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Texas A&M | Passing |
| Texas A&M | Rushing |
| Texas A&M | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
Eric Dickerson ran for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns on 14 carries.

### At Rice

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Mustangs | 0 | 20 | 7 | 14 | 41 |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
at Rice Stadium • Houston, Texas
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 25,000
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SMU | Rice |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 41 | 14 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |
| Rice | Passing |
| Rice | Rushing |
| Rice | Receiving |
In the Mayor's Cup, SMU beat Rice 41–14.

### Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Razorbacks | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 2 Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 2:50 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 65,101
* TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (play–by–play), Lee Grosscup (color commentator) and Tim Brant (sideline reporter)
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Arkansas | SMU |
| 1 | | | | | Arkansas | Gary Anderson 3-yard touchdown run, Martin Smith kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | SMU | Eric Dickerson 6-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | | | | | SMU | 49-yard field goal by Jeff Harrell | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | | | | | Arkansas | 27-yard field goal by Martin Smith | 10 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | Arkansas | Gary Anderson 3-yard touchdown run, Martin Smith kick good | 17 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | SMU | Lance McIlhenny 7-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 17 | 17 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 17 |
Going into this game, SMU needed a victory or a tie to claim the SWC championship and secure a trip to the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas, on the other hand, needed a victory over the Mustangs plus a win over Texas the following week. The game proved to be marred by controversy due to questionable officiating.
Late in the fourth quarter Arkansas led SMU 17-10 with time winding down. From the Mustang 43 yard line, SMU quarterback Lance McIlhenny lofted a pass to receiver Jackie Wilson down the left sideline, with Wilson being defended by Arkansas cornerback Nathan Jones. The pass was long, and Jones was in fact in front of Wilson as both players went to the turf together. Jones was flagged for pass interference, and since that penalty was a spot foul instead of 15 yards at that time in college football, the ball was placed near the Arkansas 15 yard line. SMU would score the game-tying touchdown a few plays later, and the game ended in a 17-17 tie, handing the Mustangs the conference championship. Play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson would even say on live television that the pass interference penalty on Jones was "just a terrible call". The officiating crew was suspended after this game and the NCAA issued an apology to Arkansas. This egregious call directly influenced the NCAA to change the rules for pass interference over the following summer so that a pass interference penalty would be 15 yards and not a spot foul.
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Arkansas | Passing |
| Arkansas | Rushing |
| Arkansas | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |

### Vs. Pittsburgh (Cotton Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Panthers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 4 Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Cotton Bowl • Dallas, Texas
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 60,359
* Referee: Jimmy Harper
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play–by–play), Pat Haden (color commentator), and Pat O'Brien (sideline reporter)
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Pittsburgh | SMU |
| 3 | | | | | Pittsburgh | 43-yard field goal by Eric Schubert | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | | | | | SMU | Lance McIlhenny 9-yard touchdown run, Jeff Harrell kick good | 3 | 7 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 3 | 7 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Pittsburgh | Passing |
| Pittsburgh | Rushing |
| Pittsburgh | Receiving |
| SMU | Passing |
| SMU | Rushing |
| SMU | Receiving |

## Awards and honors

* Eric Dickerson, consensus All-American, third in the Heisman Trophy voting, despite splitting time with Craig James.

## NFL Draft

Six Mustangs were selected in the 1983 NFL draft, which lasted twelve rounds (335 selections).
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
| Eric Dickerson | Running back | 1 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Russell Carter | Safety | 1 | 10 | New York Jets |
| Wes Hopkins | Safety | 2 | 35 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Gary Moten | Linebacker | 7 | 175 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Craig James | Running back | 7 | 187 | New England Patriots |