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WATCH: Rhett Lashlee on SMU's bye week

On3 imageby:Billy Embody•10/07/23•

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watch-rhett-lashlee-smu-bye-week-press-conference
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee. (Matt Visinsky - On3)

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee met with the media on Wednesday to share how the bye week is going for the Mustangs ahead of the matchup with East Carolina. Check out the video above as Lashlee talked with reporters.

Lashlee sees the SMU offense as a continued work in progress, but the Mustangs do have an identity they’ve established. How does the team continue to improve down the stretch in AAC play?

“Usually around that third, fourth game, we’re five in, you have a good idea of what your identity is on offense,” Lashlee said. “What your guys are most comfortable doing, what we do best, so you try to build around those strengths. If it’s something you need to be able to do you fix it, if it’s something that’s not necessary you throw it away. I think everybody probably does that this time.

“To your point, it’s not a full overhaul, we’re still top couple in the league in most categories. So you’re not throwing everything out, but how do we get better? And sometimes that is refining what you’re good at and maybe not doing as much or what maybe you’re not good at.”

SMU heads to East Carolina on Thursday in an ESPN matchup that’ll be the second AAC contest for the Mustangs. SMU beat Charlotte last week, 34-16.

“Their schedule has been brutal. They’ve played a really tough schedule. They’ve played really competitive,” Lashlee said. “One thing you know about Mike (Houston)’s teams is they’re going to play extremely hard, they’re going to be really disciplined and physical, and they’re gonna play great defense. And that’s what you see. Statistically, they’re in the upper half of the league in most defensive categories. They’re breaking in new quarterback and some of those things that take time.

“They’re like us, they’re getting an off week and so they’re getting a chance to evaluate what they do, where they want to take it. And a lot of times teams come out of those off weeks, specifically on offense, in a better place because of that.”

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