Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: The SMU football program has never fully recovered from the NCAA "death penalty" in 1987, posting just one winning campaign since returning to the field in 1989, but it appeared ready to turn the corner in 2007. After going 5-6 in 2005 and an even 6-6 in 2006, there was a lot of optimism heading into last season.

The Ponies though, faltered under the high expectations and took a giant step back, finishing a dismal 1-11. SMU posted its lone victory against North Texas (45-31) in the second game of the season and finished the campaign on a 10- game losing streak. The team failed to win any of its eight Conference USA contests, although the Mustangs were competitive in most of them. Of the squad's eight league setbacks, five came by seven points or fewer, including three in overtime. The narrow misses however, were not enough to save head coach Phil Bennett's job, as he was released following the poor campaign. SMU made some major headlines this offseason, as the program brought in a high profiled coach in June Jones, who led Hawaii to a 12-1 record and a trip to the Sugar Bowl in 2007. Turning around this program won't be easy, but Jones has the experience and support to get the job done.

"My goals for this team are not in numbers. They're in learning how to win, learning how a winning team acts. Putting together those intangibles and learning how to handle those things."

OFFENSE: At Hawaii, Jones implemented a pass-happy, spread offense and he plans on using that same approach at SMU. While it may take some time for the players to grasp the offense, there is some talent to make things work right away.

It all starts with junior quarterback Justin Willis, who threw for 2,944 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. The 6-1, 210-pound Willis also led the team with 699 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The one issue surrounding Willis is that he missed all of spring practice after being suspended and has a lot of catching up to do following his reinstatement in the middle of May.

The return of junior wideout Emmanuel Sanders gives Willis and the Ponies a big play threat, although depth at the wide receiver spot is now a concern due to the new spread offense. Still, the 6-1, 175-pound Sanders is a big time talent and he led SMU with 74 catches for 889 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago.

In the backfield, senior DeMyron Martin is scheduled to be the feature back and he brings with him a lot of experience. The 6-2, 234-pound Martin is a tough runner in between the tackles and with more touches he should easily improve on his 458 rushing yards from a year ago.

The biggest concern for the offense comes on the line, where three starters, including both tackles, must be replaced. Several redshirt freshmen are expected to fill some of those voids, but they could struggle with little to no experience.

DEFENSE: The Mustangs finished 116th in total defense and 117th in scoring defense last season, so there is no place to go but up for this unit. Up front, the Ponies are hoping sophomore Youri Yenga can emerge into the pass rusher they desperately need. The 6-2, 225-pound end has good speed and a non- stop motor and he will look to improve greatly on his 2.5 sacks from 2007.

The linebacking corps returns just one starter, senior Will Bonilla, but he is a good one. The 5-11, 225-pound Bonilla isn't all that big, but he makes up for that with speed and intensity and he led SMU with 82 stops last season. Sophomore Justin Smart and Pete Fleps will start along side Bonilla and there is a lot of excitement surrounding those two young players.

In the secondary, junior Bryan McCann highlights a unit that is in desperate need of improvement after allowing over 300 passing ypg in 2007. The 6-0, 176- pound corner has the speed to shut down opposing wide outs and he could be primed for a spot on the all-league team after notching 59 stops and team-best four interceptions a year ago.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Thomas Morstead handled all the kicking duties last season and he will once again take on that challenge. The 6-5, 233-pound Morstead led the conference with a whopping 44.6 yards per punt, earning a spot on the First-Team All-Conference. He wasn't as successful kicking field goals, connecting on just 13-of-20 attempts, although three of those did come from beyond 50 yards.

OUTLOOK: There is a lot of excitement surrounding SMU for the first time in a long time and it is all due to the hiring of Jones. The Mustangs won just one game last season, but they were rather competitive and could rebound in a big way in 2008. C-USA has several talented teams, but Jones feels like his SMU club can compete with them.

"This conference is very, very solid. Anybody can beat anybody on any given Saturday. There are two or three teams that might have a little bit higher talent level, but it looks like anybody can compete as long as they show up and play hard."

The Mustangs may not end up with a winning season due to the numerous changes in schemes and an inexperienced line, but they should be competitive and fun to watch under Jones.