DALLAS -- Fans chanted S-M-U when the Mustangs, three-touchdown underdogs against No. 11 Houston, took a lead that big in the first half.They were chanting again in the final moments of a 38-16 victory Saturday, one of the biggest for a program thats been mostly moribund in three decades since getting shut down by crippling sanctions under the NCAAs so-called death penalty.It means everything, said redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Hicks, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score. We just needed one. Weve been saying it all along. Now we got that one, and now we have to flip the script and get ready for Tulane.But let coach Chad Morris and his gang enjoy this one for maybe a day at least. Morris, a Dallas native, took the job after the program collapsed following several promising seasons under June Jones.The laid-back former NFL coach took the Mustangs to their first bowl game since the programs shutdown -- and they went to four in a row.But a losing season in 2013 was followed by an embarrassing start in 2014, and Jones abruptly quit two games into the season. With a season-ending win at Connecticut in 2014, SMU avoided a second winless season since 2003. It was the seventh one-win campaign, though, since 1990.Morris debut last season was as rough as Jones in 2008, but the Mustangs showed promise early this year by staying with high-scoring Texas teams Baylor and TCU before fading in the second half of both games.There was no fade against the Cougars in SMUs fourth win in 20 tries against Houston since returning from the death penalty. The first game was a 95-21 loss.The last time the Mustangs (3-4, 1-2 American) beat a team ranked 11th or higher, they were No. 4 and finishing off a near-perfect 1982 season (11-0-1) with a 7-3 victory over sixth-ranked Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl. SMU tied No. 7 Texas A&M in 1994.After the game, to see our student body and our former players and some of the alumni out there, I dont know how long I stayed out there taking pictures with them, Morris said. But the `Thank yous. `Coach, we thank you. Weve been waiting on something like this, to give us life back in this program. They were so close a few years ago and it went down from there.The Mustangs lost senior quarterback Matt Davis to a season-ending knee injury, and Hicks threw nine interceptions in his first four starts. Now he has 486 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions the past two games. The first game was a 43-40 overtime loss to Tulsa two weeks ago.When we came off the field against Tulsa that was as hurt of a locker room as Ive ever been part of, Morris said. For two weeks weve had to respond. And I shared with them that if we could all respond the right way, great things were coming.Great things came quickly.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org Jamal Adams Jets Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Ny Jets Jerseys For Sale . 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BOSTON -- When Syracuse coach Dino Babers thinks about last weeks victory over Virginia Tech, he thinks about his teams future, not its past.Any time you take over a new program, theres going to always be that game that everyone goes back to that turns the program, he said this week. And hopefully three, four, five years down the road, people will point back to this game.Fresh off a 31-17 upset of the then-No. 17 Hokies, Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) travels to Boston College (3-3, 0-3) to play its former Big East rivals. And Babers is hoping his biggest win yet in his first year as the Orange coach will be just the first of many.You have to embrace the energy, he said. But now when you come back to practice, you need to go back to work and you need to grab your lunch pail, put your hard hat on and go back to work. And remember why that moment in time happened, where a bunch of young men got together and played a really, really good football game.The Eagles are coming off an off-week after losing their previous two ACC games to Virginia Tech and Clemson by a combined score of 105-10 and extending their conference losing streak to 11 games. This weekend could be one of their best chances to end it: the last conference team BC beat was Syracuse.Of course, that was two seasons ago, on Nov. 29, 2014.BC coach Steve Addazio said he is not consumed with ending the skid. But he is running out of chances: After the Orange comes North Carolina State, and then BC plays No. 7 Louisville and No. 13 Florida State before finishing up with non-conference Connecticut and then the ACC finale against Wake Forest.(There is) pressure to win Saturday, he said. Every game has unbelievable importance. Doesnt matter who were playing, they get all your focus.Here are some other things to look for in Saturdays game:WE ARE FAMILYIn last weeks upset of Virginia Tech, Syracuse had 561 yards of offense and scored 31 points against the nations third-ranked defense. Babers said the victory made the Orange a family, and he has too make sure it stays together.ddddddddddddQuarterback Eric Dungey was the ACC offensive back of the week after posting a career-high 417 yards of total offense -- the first player in school history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game. His five 300-yard passing games is one shy of the Syracuse single-season record.Linebacker Zaire Franklin also earned ACC honors, with 10 stops, including one for a loss.He seems to be the apex of their defense, Addazio said.MORE HONORSBoston College will retire linebacker Luke Kuechlys number during the game. After leading the nation in tackles for two straight seasons, Kuechly graduated as the most decorated player in BC history, collecting the Nagurski, Butkus and Lombardi awards. With the Carolina Panthers, he has recorded more than 100 tackles in each of his first four NFL seasons. He was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.DEFENSE RISINGMaligned the entire season before last weeks breakthrough victory, the undermanned Syracuse defense rose to the occasion. The Orange defenders forced two Virginia Tech turnovers and kept the Hokies out of the end zone three times on five drives inside the Syracuse 20-yard line. Opponents are still averaging 6.5 yards per play.EFFICIENTSyracuse was 4 for 5 on fourth down against Virginia Tech.On fourth down or in the goal line, in the red zone, theyre not afraid to throw the ball, Addazio said. Its not like, `Hey, were going to line up, were going to go get a foot or go get a yard. They might throw it; they might run it; they might QB sneak it. Theres all kinds of things going on there.CONNECTIONSPaul Pasqualoni, who coached the Orange from 1991-2004, is on the Boston College staff as the defensive line coach. Addazio worked for Pasqualoni at Syracuse from 1995-98.---AP Sports Writer John Kekis contributed to this story from Syracuse, New York. ' ' '