HONOLULU — Kyle Padron wasn’t even born when the NCAA imposed the death penalty on SMU’s football program. But the 18-year-old was there when the Mustangs came back to life.
“We have a football team again,” he said.
The freshman threw for an SMU-record 460 yards, leading the Mustangs to a 45-10 victory over Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl on Thursday night - SMU’s first postseason appearance in 25 years.
It was a triumphant return to the postseason and paradise for the Mustangs and second year coach June Jones, who left Hawaii after nine seasons and has revived an SMU program that suffered decades of losing after it was crippled by the NCAA death penalty handed down in 1987.
“It just feels good to be home,” said Jones, 16-1 at Aloha Stadium since 2006 and 4-1 in Hawaii Bowls.
SMU fans chanted “Thank you, June!” in the fourth quarter, but it was his young quarterback who shone and earned the MVP award.
“He showed a lot of composure ... He’s learning, and his best football is ahead of him,” Jones said.
It was a celebration for the ages in the SMU locker room, where players were dancing and screaming. Players couldn’t even hear Jones’ speech.
“I’m sure he said something great,” linebacker Chase Kennemer said.
The Mustangs were motivated by the fact that so many people doubted them. An online poll showed 91 percent of America picked them to lose.
“Everyone was counting us out right from the get-go, and we definitely used that as motivation,” Kennemer said.
Padron, who was 32 of 41 and completed two touchdown passes, was confident and composed on the biggest stage of his young career.
“I’ve grown a lot in the last few weeks,” Padron said after breaking Mike Romo’s school record of 450 yards passing against North Texas in 1989- the Mustangs’ first season playing after being shut down for two years.
He earned the starting job after Bo Levi Mitchell was injured in the seventh game of the season and was largely unknown coming out of Southlake Carroll in Texas, which produced quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Greg McElroy.
After going 1-11 the previous two years, the Mustangs (8-5) have their most victories since their last postseason game - also in Hawaii whenSMU beat Notre Dame 27-20 in the 1984 Aloha Bowl to finish 10-2.
The 12-point underdogs dominated from the start, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and building a 38-0 advantage by the third.
Padron had 303 yards passing in the first half, breaking SMU’s bowl record of 281 yards by Chuck Hixson in the 1968 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
The loss was the fourth consecutive in the postseason for the Wolf Pack (8-5), whose No. 1 rushing offense in the nation was grounded.
“They outplayed us, they outcoached us, they did an excellent job,” Nevada Coach Chris Ault said. “We were never involved for whatever reason.”
Sports, Pages 24 on 12/26/2009