2 min read • December 15, 2022
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The SMU Mustangs went 7-5 this season and punched their ticket to the New Mexico Bowl versus BYU (7-5). SMU is favored by 3.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. But Rashee Rice’s and Jaylon Thomas’s injuries could cause the team to struggle on offense.
Rice has played with injuries for about nine weeks and is missing the bowl game to ensure he can be close to fully healthy for the senior bowl. The injury won’t require surgery but does require time to heal.
Rice had a monster senior year for SMU, totaling 96 catches for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the team. He accounted for 41% of his quarterback Tanner Mordecai’s passing yards.
“Rashee Rice really wants to play, but he’s not going to play. I know after the last game he said he planned on playing. He did, he does,” Coach Rhett Lashlee said. “The good news is, I don’t think he hurt his toe anymore by playing the last nine weeks of the season on it since we’ve been able to check it out since our last game.”
The second leading receiver for SMU is Jordan Kerley, who had 31 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns. This is about 40 percent of the production Rice provided the team.
SMU will also be without offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas against BYU.
“Jaylon Thomas will not play in the bowl because he underwent surgery on his shoulder,” Lashlee said. “He played the last few weeks injured, played really, really well. For his future, it was best to get it fixed now. He’ll make a full recovery, and that way he will be ready for when it comes draft time.
The loss of Thomas could be costly for the team’s ability to establish the run game on early downs.
SMU is favored by 3.5 points against BYU, and the over/under is 64.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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