The Reclamation Initiative | The Coaching Career of Nico Augustine

[Captain Canada]

Gophers top 20!

Ify Cashman is having a hell of a freshman year but I still think Cheese wins the Heisman.
Adding a 4 star at WR and RB then a 5 star in both to am offense that is already stacked. Next year will be dangerous.

I think if Ify Cashman had less turnovers, he would have a really good case. Still feeling confident that the Heisman is Lonzo's though.

don't fold now

Staff pulled up with a 5-star

We do this, we not new to this.

[Captain Canada]

Saturday, December 9, 2028 | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)

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ACC Championship Game Preview: vs #3 Pittsburgh (10-2, 6-2)

SMU Team Stats
Points: 48.1
Points Allowed: 14.6
Total Sacks: 74
Red Zone Conv.: 58%
Turnover Diff.: +17

Pittsburgh Team Stats
Points: 34.1
Points Allowed: 20.8
Total Sacks: 32
Red Zone Conv.: 57%
Turnover Diff.: +2

Pittsburgh 2029 Schedule
Wk 1 -- W 45-7 vs Delaware
Wk 2 -- L 45-27 vs West Virginia
Wk 3 -- W 48-7 at UCF
Wk 4 -- W 42-7 vs FCS School
Wk 5 -- W 14-3 at Virginia
Wk 6 -- W 38-26 vs Louisiana
Wk 7 -- W 48-17 at Boston College
Wk 8 -- W 45-27 at NC State
Wk 9 -- L 52-6 vs SMU
Wk 10 -- W 34-20 vs Florida State
BYE
Wk 12 -- W 27-17 at North Carolina
Wk 13 -- W 35-21 vs Virginia Tech

SMU Impact Players
QB Alonzo Cheeseman, Rs Fr -- 3,666 passing yards | 43 touchdowns, 7 interceptions | 74% completion percentage | 657 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns
HB Brian Volson, Fr -- 170 carries | 848 rushing yards | 5.0 AVG | 13 touchdowns | 27 catches, 242 receiving yards, touchdown
DT Trent Landry, So -- 42 tackles | 31 tackles for loss | 19.0 sacks | 3 forced fumbles | fumble recovery

Pittsburgh Impact Players
QB Ify Cashman, Rs Fr -- 3,942 passing yards | 31 touchdowns, 13 interceptions | 63% completion percentage | 381 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns
HB Jay Griggs, Jr -- 209 carries | 1,028 rushing yards | 4.9 AVG | 7 touchdowns
EDGE Brian Roberts, So -- 49 tackles | 13 tackles for loss | 6.5 sacks

Injury Report
SMU: OT Mohammed Iwuoma (Torn Pectoral) - Out for season | C Leati Higgins (Torn Pectoral) - Out for season
Pittsburgh: None

Key Matchup
CB Manu Hook. vs WR Donte Trahan

[redsox907]

time to spin the block on Pitt

[djp73]

Finish.

[Captain Canada]

(10-2, 6-2 ACC) @(12-0, 8-0 ACC)

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Early shootout leads SMU to back-to-back ACC championships, Pitt can't keep up


‣ Behind Alonzo Cheeseman's masterclass performance, the Mustangs repeat as ACC champions.

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Scoring Summary

FINAL	1	2	3	4	T
#1 SMU	14	27	7	3	51
#3 Pittsburgh	17	14	3	0	34

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1st Quarter
(9:43) Salesi Niang, 23-yard field goal [SMU 0 - 3 PITT]
(8:59) Tomas Smoker, 78-yard pass from Alonzo Cheeseman (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 7- 3 PITT]
(8:45) De'Zie Jones, 84-yard pass from Ify Cashman (Salesi Niang kick) [SMU 7 - 10 PITT]
(4:56) Brian Kortovich, 9-yard pass from Ify Cashman (Salesi Niang kick) [SMU 7 - 17 PITT]
(4:16) Marquis Avant, 49-yard pass from Alonzo Cheeseman (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 14 - 17 PITT]

2nd Quarter
(10:33) Miguel Benitez, 33-yard field goal [SMU 17 - 17 PITT]
(7:49) Brian Volson, 24-yard run (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 24 - 17 PITT]
(6:32) Jay Griggs, 59-yard pass from Ify Cashman (Salesi Niang kick) [SMU 24 - 24 PITT]
(5:15) Tomas Smoker, 54-yard pass from Alonzo Cheeseman (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 31 - 24 PITT]
(1:57) Miguel Benitez, 28-yard field goal [SMU 34 - 24 PITT]
(1:13) Tomas Smoker, 66-yard pass from Alonzo Cheeseman (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 41 - 24 PITT]
(0:48) Donte Trahan, 74-yard pass from Ify Cashman (Salesi Niang kick) [SMU 41 - 31 PITT]

3rd Quarter
(6:40) Dwayne Kasay, 5-yard pass from Alonzo Cheeseman (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 48 - 31 PITT]
(4:08) Salesi Niang, 34-yard field goal [SMU 48 - 34 PITT]

4th Quarter
(10:06) Miguel Benitez, 21-yard field goal [SMU 51 - 34 PITT]

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Team Statistics
QB Alonzo Cheeseman: 27-31, 514 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 10 carries, 55 rushing yards
QB Ify Cashman: 30-47, 509 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

HB Brian Volson: 15 carries, 71 rushing yards, touchdown, 2 catches, 25 receiving yards
HB Justice Spielman: 12 carries, 64 rushing yards
HB Jay Griggs: 12 carries, 82 rushing yards, 4 catches, 82 receiving yards, touchdown

WR Tomas Smoker: 3 catches, 198 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns
TE Dwayne Kasay: 12 catches, 153 receiving yards, touchdown
WR Marquis Avant: 7 catches, 102 receiving yards, touchdown
WR Donte Trahan: 10 catches, 206 receiving yards, touchdown
WR De'Zie Jones: 4 catches, 126 receiving yards, touchdown
TE Brian Kortovich: 5 catches, 70 receiving yards, touchdown

MIKE Kevin Lockridge: 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups
SS Larry Tu'ikolovatu: 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, interception, 2 pass breakups
WILL Thomas McCariens: 4 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
CB Manu Hook: 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, interception, pass breakup
CB Randall Speed: 11 tackles
WILL Nolan Addison: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
DT Levi Hall: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack

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[ShireNiner]

27-31, 514 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 10 carries, 55 rushing yards

Heisman winning statline. That is outrageous.

[Captain Canada]

27-31, 514 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 10 carries, 55 rushing yards

Heisman winning statline. That is outrageous.

Never doubted him for a second

[six7]

this is wat we came for

[redsox907]

make room in the trophy case

Cheese bringing home so hardware

[Captain Canada]

Ascension Complete: Cheeseman wins 2029 Heisman Trophy
ESPN Writer

NEW YORK – College football’s most iconic honor now belongs in Dallas.

On Saturday night, SMU redshirt sophomore quarterback Alonzo Cheeseman was named the winner of the 2029 Heisman Trophy, capping a season that redefined both his program and the national landscape. Awarded nationally to the most outstanding player in college football, the Heisman Trophy is the sport’s most illustrious and recognizable prize, a symbol of excellence shared by legends who shaped generations of the game.

Now, Cheeseman’s name joins the lineage. And few Heisman seasons have been as complete.

Cheeseman didn’t just lead college football’s number one team - he dominated every phase of the game.

His final statline reads like something pulled from a video game: 4,180 passing years, 48 passing touchdowns (good for the ACC single-season record), only seven interceptions thrown, a nation-leading 75% completion percentage and an impressive 188.6 QB rating. He also showcased his newfound talent on the ground with 712 rushing yards with a 6.4 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns added.

In the process, Cheeseman became SMU’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, rewriting the program’s offensive history in a single season.

He didn’t simply accumulate numbers - he delivered efficiency, explosiveness, and command. Week after week, SMU dictated games through his arm and legs, overwhelming opponents with balance and precision.

“There was no answer,” SMU defensive coordinator Kerry Abraham said. “You couldn’t take away the pass. You couldn’t contain him in the run game. You were just surviving.”

Cheeseman’s Heisman campaign separated itself not only with production, but with context.

He outperformed Arkansas quarterback Matt Zollers and Georgia wide receiver Tavares Bars, both seniors with prolific seasons of their own, by pairing elite individual play with team dominance. SMU rolled through the schedule, including a statement win over Pittsburgh earlier in the year, and ascended to the top ranking in the nation behind Cheeseman’s steady brilliance.

The Heisman has always valued winning - and no player embodied that more fully in 2029.

At the ceremony, Cheeseman stood composed, humbled by the weight of the moment.

“This trophy means everything,” he said. “But it doesn’t belong to just me. It belongs to my teammates who believed in me, to SMU for giving me a home, and to Coach [Nico] Augustine for taking me in when I was more lost than I could ever know, and for pushing me every single day to become the player I am now. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Augustine, who has overseen SMU’s rise from contender to national powerhouse, called Cheeseman “the standard.”

“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Augustine said. “This is what happens when talent meets preparation and humility.”

There is no time for reflection just yet.

SMU has just won the ACC championship game - a shootout with Pittsburgh and fellow Heisman candidate, quarterback Ify Cashman - and wait in the second round for the winner of the Oklahoma/Penn State matchup.

Cheeseman knows what’s at stake.

“This season isn’t finished,” he said. “We’ve got bigger goals.”

The Heisman Trophy may now belong to Alonzo Cheeseman - a permanent testament to his brilliance.

But with a championship still up for grabs, his story in 2029 feels far from complete.