The 1948 SMU Mustangs football team represented the

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

(SMU) as a member of the during

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference also included schools from Oklaho ...

during the

1948 college football season The 1948 college football season finished with SMU halfback Doak Walker as the Heisman Trophy winner and six teams in contention for the national championship: # Bennie Oosterbaan's Michigan compiled a 9–0 record, defeated six ranked opponen ...

. Led by 11th-year head coach Matty Bell, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 9–1–1 with a mark of 5–0–1 in conference play, winning the SWC title. SMU was invited to the

Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its Cotton Bowl (stadium), namesake ...

, where they defeated

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. Junior

Doak Walker Ewell Doak Walker II (January 1, 1927 – September 27, 1998) was an American football player who was a halfback and kicker. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, winning the Maxwell Award in 1947 and the Heisman Trophy in 1948. H ...

was awarded the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

. Walker established several other SWC records that still stand.

Schedule

Rankings

Awards and honors

, Heisman Trophy, All-America selection

Team players drafted into the NFL

References

SMU SMU Mustangs football seasons Southwest Conference football champion seasons Cotton Bowl Classic champion seasons

SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football team is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park, Texas, University Park, Dallas County, Texas. The Mustangs compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, NC ...

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