UNIVERSITY PARK -- At one point during last week's win against Houston Baptist, SMU had eight freshmen on the field.
The sight pleased coach Sonny Dykes.
In his first season with SMU, Dykes has rejected the deception of the quick fix for the short term by trying to establish a foundation that will last for the long run. To that end, Dykes is doing what many of his peers avoid.
SMU is playing freshmen. Lots of freshmen.
A total of 23 freshmen -- of the first-year and redshirt varieties -- have appeared in SMU's first five games.