1997 WAC football standings
v · d · e Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Mountain Division
New Mexico x
6
–
2
9
–
4
Rice
5
–
3
7
–
4
SMU
5
–
3
6
–
5
Utah
5
–
3
6
–
5
BYU
4
–
4
6
–
5
UTEP
3
–
5
4
–
7
Tulsa
2
–
6
2
–
9
TCU
1
–
7
1
–
10
Pacific Division
No. 17 Colorado State x †
7
–
1
11
–
2
Air Force
6
–
2
10
–
3
Fresno State
5
–
3
6
–
6
Wyoming
4
–
4
7
–
6
San Diego State
4
–
4
5
–
7
San Jose State
4
–
4
4
–
7
UNLV
2
–
6
3
–
8
Hawaii
1
–
7
3
–
9
Championship : Colorado State 41, New Mexico 13
† – Conference champion AP Poll
The 1997 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the Mountain Division. They played their home games at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas . Under first-year head coach Mike Cavan and ten years after the NCAA's 1987 "death penalty" on SMU football , SMU finished the 1997 season with a 6–5 record and completed their first winning season since the football program resumed operations in 1989.
Schedule [ ] Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 6 6:00 p.m. Ole Miss * L 15–2336,521 September 13 7:00 p.m. vs. Arkansas * W 31–923,500 September 20 7:00 p.m. Navy * L 16–4620,011 September 27 2:00 p.m. No. 23 BYU KSL L 16–19 OT 23,701 October 4 7:05 p.m. at New Mexico L 15–2233,128 October 11 2:05 p.m. at Utah W 20–1926,611 October 25 2:00 p.m. Wyoming W 22–1722,403 November 1 2:00 p.m. Rice W 24–620,024 November 8 2:00 p.m. UTEP W 28–1421,280 November 15 1:30 p.m. at Tulsa W 42–4115,234 November 20 7:05 p.m. at TCU ESPN L 18–2119,094 *Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time
Roster [ ]
1997 SMU Mustangs football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
C
70
Adami, Austin Austin Adami 5.0 ! Jr
RB
21
Adams, Kelsey Kelsey Adams 5.0 ! Jr
WR
5
Johnson, Albert Albert Johnson 5.0 ! Jr
RB
28
Phillips, Rodnick Rodnick Phillips 3.0 ! So
QB
12
Sanders, Chris Chris Sanders 3.0 ! So
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
LB
42
Bordano, Chris Chris Bordano 7.0 ! Sr
DB
25
Campbell, Chris Chris Campbell 7.0 ! Sr
LB
97
Wilson, Jon Jon Wilson 7.0 ! Sr
Special teams
Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) Ineligible
Personnel [ ] Mike Cavan succeeded Tom Rossley as SMU head coach. Rossley coached SMU from 1991 to 1996 and left with a 15–48–3 record.[1] death penalty " era for SMU. Cavan was previously head coach at Valdosta State from 1986 to 1991 and East Tennessee State from 1992 to 1996. This is Cavan's first head coaching job at a Division I-A school.
After the season [ ] Coaching changes [ ] Offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey left SMU to take the head coaching job at North Texas in 1998; Greg Briner, previously the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Georgia , succeeded Dickey as offensive coordinator.[3] [4] [5]
NFL Draft [ ] In the 1998 NFL Draft , linebacker Chris Bordano was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round and 161st overall.[6]
References [ ] External links [ ] 
