UNIVERSITY PARK -- You could hardly recognize SMU when it took the field against No. 11 Houston on Saturday night.

The Mustangs wore dark gray jerseys and pants and gray helmets that popped with a bright pink Mustang.

But even more startling was SMU's transformation on the field. A team that won only three games the previous two seasons dominated No. 11 Houston, 38-16, at Ford Stadium.

The defining moment of the Chad Morris era was fittingly celebrated with fans storming the field.

Some dangled on the goalposts, others just ran around throwing their hands in the air. But the majority surrounded the team in a big circle with Morris in the middle.

This was the moment Morris and his staff have been longing for since taking over a team coming off a 1-11 season. He saw steady improvement in the first 18 games of his rebuilding project but only three victories.

His young team had grown tired of moral victories, which came in the form of close games against ranked opponents. When he walked into the lockerroom after an overtime loss to Tulsa two weeks ago, he saw widespread dejection.

But the coach noticed something far more significant in his players when they returned to the practice field. The disappointment seemed to have magnified his players' hunger to nail that elusive statement win.

He played on that over the bye week, telling his players, "It just takes one [win] to start a revolution. It just takes one win to put some wind in our sails."

Consider the revolution on. It was SMU's first victory over a ranked opponent since an overtime win over No. 20 TCU on Oct. 1, 2011. And it was the Mustangs' first win over a team ranked 11th or higher since the 1983 Cotton Bowl, 7-3 over No. 6 Pittsburgh.

SMU's last victory over a ranked team at home was Sept. 10, 2005 versus No. 22 TCU (21-10).

The lopsided upset over the Cougars resulted in a dramatically different mood.

"While this might have shocked a lot of people and shocked the country, it didn't shock those guys," Morris said of his players and coaching staff.

"This has been a building process, building from the ground up. For us to come in and get a signature win like this is huge. When we came off the field against Tulsa, that was as hurt of a locker room as I've ever been part of. For two weeks we've had to respond. And I shared with them that if we could all respond the right way, great things were coming."

The victory was special in many ways. About 300 recruits attended the game, and watched as the team bonded with fans on the field and then among themselves in the lockerroom.

SMU's 22-point margin over a ranked team is its largest since a 44-14 win vs. No. 19 Texas on Oct. 26, 1985.

SMU (3-4, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) led from the start, driving 88 yards to score on quarterback Ben Hicks' 1-yard run with 7:25 left in the first quarter.

Hicks' 31-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Gaines and a 2-yard strike to Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone gave SMU a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Although the Mustangs fumbled at their 10-yard line to set up Houston's first score, SMU countered with Hicks' touchdown throw to James Proche 13 seconds before the first half ended.

Hicks completed 16 of 31 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. His offensive line dominated Houston's vaunted front, surrendering no sacks for the second straight game.

The line also opened holes. Braeden West, from the Houston area, ran for 115 yards and one touchdown. And Courtland Sutton had seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.

"I thought our guys were ready," Morris said. "For two weeks, our guys have had an edge about them. They've had this edge for the past two weeks. That showed me that they cared, that they believed. It also showed me that it was going to take just one big win.

"It took a collective effort, It was everybody coming together, and you could see what's to come ahead. That lockerroom is crazy."

Twitter: @BillNicholsDMN

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Five takeaways: Chad Morris earns signature win as SMU dominates Houston in upset

After SMU's upset victory, Mustangs fans troll Houston with #HTownTakedown

Former SMU players, national media react to Mustangs' #HTownTakedown

SMU stuns No. 11 Houston 38-16 by shutting down QB Greg Ward

Courtland Sutton climbing his way toward career records at SMU

Check out the pink Mustangs on SMU's helmets for UH game

Photos: SMU, with its pink pony helmets and slate-gray uniforms, stuns No. 11 Houston