SMU entered its bye week as low as it's been all season. The Mustangs felt they had squandered too many opportunities to win in their 35-22 loss to Houston.
"There's a lot of hurt in that locker room," a somber Chad Morris said directly after.
Even in the wake of the disappointing defeat, there is some recent history to give SMU optimism as it practices this week.
Recent, as in 2016, when SMU lost to Tulsa in overtime just before that season's bye week. The game had gone back-and-forth for all 60 minutes of regulation, with SMU kicker Josh Williams tying it up with a 25-yard field goal as time expired.