The SMU/Texas Tech game will be aired on Fox Sports Southwest Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.

Not sure why this game’s getting airtime, I’ll be shocked if the Mustangs can put up anything against the Red Raiders, but I’m glad I don’t have to drive to Lubbock to catch the game.

By the by, SMU’s home opener against Texas State is tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Ford Stadium.

I’ll be there, will you?

“After going through all of the tapes, I felt like Bo and Braden had a better understanding of the offense,” Jones said in a release. “I think they’re executing a little bit better, so we’re going to give them the reps. We will continue to give the other guys reps too, but those guys will get the focus.”

The move shuts out two-year starting quarterback Justin Willis, who sat out of spring practice after being suspended from the team, and later reinstated.

It’s a surprising move, I think. Starting Willis this year and redshirting Mitchell and Smith would have given the new SMU staff an additional year to work with the new quarterbacks. Nobody would question Jones if he started Willis, even if Willis and the team performed poorly. It would have been chalked up to a transition year.

Now, if the Mustangs don’t perform well, people are going to question what would have been if Willis was QB.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Daryl “Moose” Johnston were on hand for about an hour of new new head coach June Jones’ third day of practice. The weather certainly cooperated with temperatures in the mid-80s and a nice breeze.

Although he played at Oklahoma and UCLA, Aikman has become a Mustangs enthusiast.

“I have no ties to the university,” Aikman said, “but with it being in my backyard from where I live, I’m a fan of the school.”

Jones is also an NFL veteran quarterback. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1977 to 1981.

I do know that former People Newspapers Society and Real Estate editor Paige Phelps (pictured on the right, with an unfortunate dye job) won a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Media Award in 2006 for a series of stories she wrote about the Gordie Foundation. Unfortunately those stories pre-date this incarnation of our website, and thus I cannot link to them.

Details after the jump:

WHAT: FREE special screening of the new documentary, HAZE, presented by The Gordie Foundation and Southern Methodist University’s Student Life Division. The film examines the issues surrounding the college drinking culture in America and addresses the death of college freshman Gordie Bailey, whose tragic passing following a fraternity initiation ceremony at the University of Colorado gained national media attention in 2004. HAZE is presented by The Gordie Foundation, the only nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to providing youth with the necessary skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, binge drinking, peer pressure and hazing.

Evidence of the severity of this public health crisis is presented through graphic images filmed at campus parties, during emergency medical calls, and from police files, including details on the circumstances surrounding the death of Gordie Bailey. The film was produced by Watt Imagination! and Leslie and Michael Lanahan, Dallas residents and parents of Gordie Bailey.

HIGHLIGHTS: A special on-screen introduction by actress Robin Wright Penn, national spokesperson for The Gordie Foundation, will precede the film. HAZE includes interviews with national experts on the subject of alcohol abuse on college campuses including: Joseph Califano Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare and Founder/Chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University; T.J. Sullivan, CEO of CampusSpeak; Rick Barnes of the North American Interfraternity Council; Barry Seaman, former TIME magazine reporter and author of Binge: Excess in the Age of Disconnection; and Dr. Henry Wechsler, College Alcohol Study, Harvard School of Public Health.

IN ATTENDANCE: Leslie and Michael Lanahan will speak before the screening. Their hope is that the documentary will help prevent further tragedies like Gordie’s death and make college campuses a safer place for youth across the country.

TICKETS: 50 tickets FREE to the public.

TO RESERVE: Only 50 tickets will be available to the general public and will be given out on a first come, first served basis. To reserve tickets, please call The Gordie Foundation no later than August 29^th at 214-823-0235 or email contactus@gordie.org.

McClements is the third head coach in the history of the program. He is a former professional soccer player.

Morstead led the conference and was ninth in the nation last season with a 44.6-yard average. The Mustangs ranked second nationally in net punting last season.

SMU opens the regular season Friday, Aug. 29, at Rice. It will be the first game with June Jones as head coach.

“The fans have spoken and we have listened. Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence,” said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. “When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that.”

The helmet will feature a red Mustang logo, trimmed in blue, blue and red stripes and a red facemask. SMU wore white helmets during the famed “Pony Express” era and continued using the helmets until the 2003 season when the Mustangs switched to a navy helmet.

The jerseys, which will come in red, white and SMU blue, will feature a Mustang logo at the base of the collar, shoulder stripes and “SMU” stitched above the white numerals. SMU will wear white pants with red and blue stripes for both home and away games.

SMU will officially “unveil” the uniforms at the annual Football Kickoff Luncheon on August 20th at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

I’m excited. Also, from looking at the uniforms, it looks like SMU will switch from Nike to Adidas. Not sure if this still the way the do it, but when I was at SMU, each coach decided what brand athletic gear his/her team would wear.

The Ponies are going back to their traditional white helmets with the red and blue stripes down the middle (good call) similar to what they wore up until 1997. SMU kept the white helmets, but ditched the stripes in 1997. The Ponies went to a navy helmet in 2003.

The new unis are a little different looking, too. Not bad. And I suppose it’s kind of cool that the June Jones era will begin with an entirely different looking team. Especially after a 1-11 year.

Stallcup is probably best known for serving the university as president ad interim immediately following the NCAA death penalty.

From The Daily Campus:

Dr. William B. Stallcup Jr. spent four decades of his life serving SMU. First he was a student, then he became a teacher and administrator. He eventually became the president ad interim following the NCAA death penalty ruling in 1986.

“A dedicated teacher, Bill Stallcup repeatedly answered the call to serve as an administrator in times of special need,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner said. “He provided leadership most importantly as interim president during a troubled time. SMU’s transition to brighter days would not have been possible without his leadership, integrity and dedication. In the history of SMU, he stands out as an exemplary steward of positive change.”

Our condolences to the Stallcup family.

And by the way, poster “JC,” you’re wrong about SMU taking the logo from Ford. They took it from us. [Sorry, it's a .pdf, but scroll down or search "Ford Mustang" in the document, you'll get the story]

Also, I don’t think SMU will be putting its lawyer pants on to fight Mustang Realty, they’re a pretty big athletics sponsor at the school.