Rhett Lashlee on the move to Power 4: “We are under no pressure, we are not supposed to win these games”

SMU OLB Isaiah Smith talks about BYU and the first two games for the Mustangs

SMU made a big leap this offseason, joining the ACC and consequently accepting a much more difficult conference schedule than in years past. Most programs would feel the need to prove themselves in their new environment. SMU’s head coach Rhett Lashlee claims that his Mustangs are not among them.

“Ten power games in a row are what we wanted,” Lashlee said. “That’s what we wanted. I think there’s been a lot of excitement around our program, which is great. There are a lot of overzealous people out there predicting what we should do. I mean, we’re not under any pressure. We’re not supposed to win these games, are we?

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“If you look at history, the four teams that came into the Big 12 last year, none of them had a winning record in their first year… We just have to relax and play. I think we have a good team. We’re not there yet.”

While that’s not the most inspiring message a head coach has ever delivered, it’s a painfully realistic one. After starting the season with two straight wins against subpar opponents, SMU will now dive headfirst into its grueling schedule.

With duels against State of Florida, Louisville And Boston College The Mustangs will be tested in their first season in the ACC, and Rhett Lashlee knows his team has no choice but to find a way to swim in those deep waters.

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“We’re in Week 3 right now, we’re still in that early season process of trying to find your identity and figure out who you’re going to be on both sides of the ball,” Lashlee said. “We’ve faced adversity early in the season and we’ve responded well. But some of these things are kind of confusing.”

“For me, we’re the underdog every week. No matter what the rules say. We’re not supposed to go in and beat everyone. On the other hand, our guys are confident. I think they know we can compete at this level. I think they feel good because we belong, so we have to go out there and show that, but we’re not under any pressure, just the pressure we put on ourselves.”

On Friday, SMU begins its 10-game series against Power Four opponents with a showdown against BYU at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.