SMU Mustangs vs. North Texas Football Preview

Mustangs look to bounce back against North Texas

Date: Saturday, September 8, 2007, 7 p.m. Central

SMU's offensive linemen get instruction from coach Ronnie Vinklarek during the Texas Tech game.

Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas (32,000)

No Television

Season Records: SMU 0-1, 0-0 C-USA, North Texas 0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt

The Series: SMU leads, 27-4-1; North Texas won last year in Denton, 24-6.

Injury/Personnel Report:

SMU: DECory Muse, groin strain, probable; DT Charlie Berry, stinger, unknown.

North Texas: no info

SMU vs. North Texas Overview

Apologies to the Pepperdine lawyer, Mike Leach, who in spite of forecast troubles here had no problem restocking his Texas Tech lineup, as displayed by the 49-9 pasting administered to SMU.

Regrets also to the one or two who may have bet copious amounts of dinero on my feeble prognostication. (Don’t attempt contact. I’ve moved again.)

With some Pony fans scoping out suitable overpasses from which to leap, let me just say there’s lots of football left to play, Tech is darned good and I still like this SMU team.

Now, with the short week, I, with the Mustangs, must move on.

Both SMU and North Texas are reeling a bit from rough Big 12 encounters. The two teams gave up a combined 1,221 yards of total offense and need “W” healing badly.

“I think there’ll be two teams … that got stung pretty good this week, that need to come back and play hard and try to play well,” said SMU head coach Phil Bennett on Tuesday.

“Obviously it’s a big game for us. It’s a big game for them. A year ago they beat us. Some people called it an upset. They did enough to win the game.”

SMU’s loss in Denton last year was a huge blow to the Mustangs, but Bennett said he’s not looking for revenge. “I just want to become a better football team,” he said.

North Texas was drubbed, 79-10, last week at OU - the highest score ever hung on a Mean Green squad. Call it a point for every win new head coach Todd Dodge had while leading green-clad Southlake Carroll High School to four state titles.

With a 79-1 record at Carroll, Dodge earned the moniker “coaching genius” in many circles. But if you’re still not sure, he’s got a DVD out to prove it.

Though currently unaccustomed to having his green drawers handed to him in such crude fashion, he’ll get used to it. New Carroll-like North Texas uniforms may help ease the transition.

Finally - whoever loses this game could be looking 0-4 square in the face.

SMU Offense vs. North Texas Defense

Advantage: SMU

Bennett said SMU’s offense struggled early against Tech with new wristband play-calling. After the system adversely affected two trips to the red zone, he said, it was scrapped. Bennett called it a coaching mistake to not go to signals sooner.

“It was an experiment that I didn’t like,” he said. “It didn’t help us. It did the opposite of what we thought it was going to do. I thought it was gonna speed us up and give us a rhythm and we struggled with it, for whatever reason.”

Running back DeMyron Martin, with eight carries for 37 yards, was used little in the second half as SMU fell behind.

North Texas’ defense returns nine starters. Safety Aaron Weathers, their leading tackler for two years, had nine stops at OU.

“I thought their kids played hard, defensively,” Bennett said. “They just had some match up problems with [OU receiver] Malcolm Kelly. Their inside seven I think is tough.”

North Texas gave up 265 yards on the ground last week and 403 yards passing.

North Texas Offense vs. SMU Defense

Advantage: SMU

Senior running back Jamario Thomas led the nation in rushing as a true freshman but has been slowed by injuries for two years. Freshman Micah Mosley led North Texas at OU with 15 yards on five carries. Thomas carried five times for 10 yards.

SMU’s defense held Tech to 80 yards rushing and should be a stiff test for the Mean Green ground attack.

But North Texas may get it going through the air. With Mean Green all-time leading receiver Johnny Quinn gone, senior Brandon Jackson is expected to shine. Jackson had seven catches for 84 yards at OU.

Junior wideout Casey Fitzgerald also caught seven - for 126 yards - including a 69-yard touchdown.

Danny Amendola (far side, near first down marker) hauls in one of his 10 catches for the Red Raiders.

SMU gave up 473 yards passing to Tech.

North Texas will likely go with two quarterbacks again. True freshman Giovanni Vizza, who threw the touchdown last week, finished 4-11 passing for 124 yards with two picks. Starter Daniel Meager tallied 108 yards, completing 15 of 27.

“It was obvious Todd had two different game plans for each of them.”

Bennett said since OU got the early big lead, Dodge probably didn’t show much offense the rest of the way. Bennett’s been watching Southlake Carroll tape instead.

“Todd is a systems guy,” Bennett said. “He believes in what he does. It’s part of the reason he’s been successful wherever he’s been.”

North Texas was 2-16 on third down conversions at OU.

ESPN asserted this week that SMU’s use of an “all-out” blitz call foolishly gave away defensive plans.

Bennett said the call simply means “blitz-the-formation” and every formation’s blitz is different. “It worked effectively except for one play when we missed a tackle on [Tech receiver] Amendola,” he said. Bennett said he’s used the system for 25 years.

Bennett praised Ryan Leonard, Youri Yenga and Chris Parham as young defensive linemen who did well against Tech.

“I wasn’t displeased with the effort,” Bennett said. “We had some kids get a learning curve [Monday.]”

SMU’s leading tackler is safety David Haynes with 11.

SMU vs. North Texas Special Teams

Advantage: SMU

Thomas Morstead leads C-USA in punting after one week with a 47-yard average on five tries. Junior Truman Spencer averaged 41 yards on 10 punts for the Mean Green.

Morstead was 3-3 on field goals last week with a long of 37. True freshman walk-on Thomas Moreland nailed his first ever attempt for North Texas, a 29-yarder.

SMU’s Jessie Henderson sizzled on kickoff returns, averaging 32 yards on four attempts, with a long of 46. Three players averaged 14 yards per return for the Mean Green.

Punt returner Sanders had one muff for SMU and averaged six yards on four attempts. North Texas’ Evyn Roman had two returns for five yards.

Wretched Reminder: The last time SMU had a punt blocked was last year at North Texas.

Intangibles

Advantage: Even

SMU’s loss at North Texas last year could’ve derailed the Mustangs’ entire season. There should be plenty of determination to avoid a repeat.

The Mustangs’ crowd will likely be down, though, in number and enthusiasm, after another disappointing showing against Tech. Dodge-mania could roll with an early break or two.

SMU vs. North Texas Prediction

Martin, Willis and the defense come up big.
SMU, 34-14

Quotable Bennett

• After watching SMU-Tech game tape: “I knew Graham [Harrell] was a good player but he really put some balls in there on crucial downs that were special.”
• On keeping the Mustangs’ up after Tech: “I think that’s part of my job. I told the coaches this morning, these guys are gonna look for direction from us. We’re in this together. I’ve never been a guy who puts this thing on the players. The mindset of this team will start with me and it will end with me.”

SMU Football - Did you know?

• Eric Dickerson, Lance McIlhenny and others from SMU’s 1982 undefeated SWC championship team plan to attend Saturday’s game.
• SMU has never lost two in a row to North Texas.