SMU Mustangs @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football Preview

Mustangs look to pull out road upset against Golden Hurricane

Date: Saturday, October 27, 2007, 2 pm Central

Location: Skelly Field, (35,542); Tulsa, Okla.

Television: KTXA 21, Dallas; Cox Cable Channel 3, Tulsa

Season Records: SMU 1-6, 0-3 C- USA / Tulsa 4-3, 2-2 C- USA

The Series: SMU leads, 10-4; The Mustangs won last year in Dallas, 34-24, after trailing 24-7 at the half. The Golden Hurricane has won the last two meetings in Tulsa.

Injuries/personnel report

SMU:

- offensive guard Tommy Poynter (ankle) – out for season

- safety David Haynes (knee) – out

- safety Bryce Hudman (unknown) - unknown

- safety De’Von Bailey (unknown) - unknown

Tulsa:

- no info

SMU vs. Tulsa Overview

Jesus, take the wheel. SMU’s season could get ugly.

After a second consecutive overtime loss at home, this time to struggling Tulane, SMU’s losing streak stands at five. Its bowl dreams are all but shattered and talk of a long-awaited turnaround season is over.

Tuesday, SMU head coach Phil Bennett said the team’s frustration level is “high.”

SMU's Zack Sledge settles in for the touchdown catch from Justin Willis that sent the Tulane game to overtime.

He won’t talk publicly about his job status. “It’s a non-issue at this point,” Bennett said. “We are sitting here with five games [to play] and my first and foremost focus is to get this team to beat Tulsa. Anything I talk about besides that is a distraction. And I’m not into distractions right now.”

When asked if this year’s 1-6 record was the toughest spot he’d been in at SMU, Bennett paused and grinned. “I’ve been in some pretty tough spots here,” he said.

“It’s sure not playing out the way that I’d hoped. But I will say this: I still believe in these kids. I believe in the coaches.”

Bennett’s record is 18-47 in his sixth season on The Hilltop.

This week, Tulsa coach Todd Graham has an opportunity to end SMU’s bowl hopes for a second year in a row. Last year, it was Graham’s Rice Owls who delivered the decisive blow, 31-27, in Houston.

Graham’s record is 11-9 in his second year of head coaching, including a 7-6 bowl season at Rice. Graham was an assistant at Tulsa before coaching the Owls.

Tulsa, though coming off a 44-23 loss at UCF, is very much alive in the league race, at 2-2. After SMU, only Rice, Tulane and defending champion Houston remain for the Golden Hurricane.

Tulsa’s 545 total yards per game is tops in C-USA and third-best in the country after Texas Tech and Oregon. SMU’s defense rates near the bottom of the league.

Still, there are reasons to believe this match-up could be interesting.

SMU can move the ball, ranking fifth in C-USA in total offense, with over 400 yards per game. And while the Mustangs’ D has given up beaucoup yards and points, guess whose defense isn’t much better? That’s right, grasshopper. Tulsa’s.

“This is not a real strong league right now, defensively,” Bennett said. “A lot of people are scoring a lot of points, getting a lot of yards and the games are still close.”

“Obviously, we’re going to have to score points [at Tulsa.]”

Tulsa Offense vs. SMU Defense

Advantage: Tulsa

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NOTICE:
This section contains information that may not be suitable for SMU fans with heart conditions, ulcers or other chronic ailments aggravated by bad news.

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In the backfield, junior Tarrion Adams (6-1, 210) averages 100 yards per game, including a career-high 183 in a win over UAB.

Tulsa is the second leading scorer in C-USA, with 36.7 points per game.

The O-Line has one returning starter, junior guard Justin Morsey (6-2, 282). Senior tackle Walter Boyd (6-2, 324), who moved over from defense last spring, played center last week at UCF. Tulsa had trouble protecting Smith at UCF, allowing five sacks. Under pressure, Smith finished with a season-high four picks.

SMU’s defense ranks tenth in the league, allowing 489.4 yards per game, (294.9 passing and 194.6 rushing.)

After the Tulane game, Bennett called SMU’s tackling “atrocious.”

Bennett said Tulane’s Matt Forte, who rushed for a C-USA record 327 yards in regulation, was hit at the line of scrimmage on each of his runs.

Mistakes are being made by players with little experience, Bennett said, and some players in are in different roles than projected. “It’s an experience factor,” he said. “It’s not an effort factor.”

Things might get worse Saturday as SMU scrambles to plug holes after injuries in the secondary.

Bryce Hudman and Bryan McCann led the Mustangs last week with eight tackles each.

SMU Offense vs. Tulsa Defense

Advantage: SMU

SMU players set career marks all over the place last week:

• Justin Willis - 354 yards passing
• Columbus Givens - 10 receptions
• Emmanuel Sanders’ 155 yards receiving

The Mustangs were also 5-5 in red zone scoring chances.

Willis completed 28 of 36 passes with three touchdowns and one interception. His 306.6 yards of total offense per game rates second to Tulsa’s Smith in C-USA.

From left, defenders Damon Hurst, Wilton McCray, Bryan McCann, Will Bonilla and David Haynes get a breather last Saturday at Ford Stadium in Dallas.

“I thought Justin Willis probably played his most complete game,” Bennett said. “[He] played under control, made the plays that we needed to make.”

When asked if Willis’ performance had answered questions anyone may have about his play this year, (i.e. increased interceptions), Bennett bristled. “I don’t think Justin has to answer anybody’s questions,” he said. “He sure doesn’t to me. He’s a winner.”

To those who might criticize Willis, Bennett pointed out that Willis is nearing SMU’s all-time record for career touchdown passes – as a sophomore. “I dare you to criticize him,” Bennett said.

Bennett wasn’t pleased with the Mustangs’ 78 yards in penalties – especially Sanders’ flip into the end zone on a catch that put SMU up, 17-7, in the second quarter. After the 15-yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff, the Mustangs stopped Tulane and, luckily for Sanders, he returned the punt a career-long 31 yards.

Still, Bennett didn’t play Sanders for the remainder of the quarter.

Sanders is second is C-USA in receiving yards (85 per game) and receptions (6.6 per game).

James Mapps led SMU rushers last week with 34 yards on nine carries and DeMyron Martin picked up his 10 th career rushing touchdown.

With Tommy Poynter out, Bennett said Joe Holmes will back up both guard positions and Lucky Delay will back up both tackles.

Tulsa’s 3-4 defense allows 485 per game, ninth in C-USA, and ranks 11 th in scoring, giving up 39.9 points per game.

If SMU can eliminate turnovers, points should flow. But giveaways have been a big factor in the Mustangs’ 0-3 record on the road, where they’ve coughed it up nine times, including five picks and four fumbles.

“We will not beat Tulsa if we go up there and lose the turnover battle,” Bennett said. “Plain and simple.”

Senior linebackers Chris Chamberlain (6-2, 225) and Nelson Coleman (6-2, 235) lead Tulsa with 76 and 64 tackles, respectively. Chamberlain’s 51 solo stops rank third nationally. Coleman is a C-USA first-team pick from last year.

Senior nose guard Brandon Jones (6-2, 281) anchors the line.

SMU vs. Tulsa Special Teams

Advantage: SMU

Bennett said kicker/punter Thomas Morstead was “back on track” after his performance Saturday. Morstead kicked field goals of 30 and 37 yards, punted four times for a 42-yard average and pushed his school-record PAT mark to 56. He’s 7-10 on field goals for the year, with a long of 37.

For Tulsa, junior kicker Jarod Tracy has hit six of 11 field goal attempts, with a long of 45. Freshman punter Michael Such has 39.3-yard average after 25 tries.

SMU’s Jessie Henderson has a 21.3-yard average on 25 kickoff returns. Tulsa’s Charles Davis has a 19.4 average on eight returns. Tulsa’s Trae Johnson and Davis have combined for an 8-yard average on six punt returns. Sanders has averaged 7.9 on 15 attempts for SMU.

Bennett said the Mustangs’ special teams play was improved against Tulane, though he was disappointed in kickoff return coverage. SMU allowed 118 yards on seven returns, almost 17 yards per return.

Intangibles

Advantage: Tulsa

It’s the big white elephant sitting on the 50-yard-line: Bennett’s time at SMU may be up - and the players know it. If Tulsa gets out to an early lead, the disappointment and frustration of a season gone bad may overwhelm the Mustangs.

SMU vs. Tulsa Prediction

While both offenses have the advantage, Tulsa’s edge is greater.

The Golden Hurricane blows, 49-30.

Quotable Bennett

• On next year’s recruits: “We’re still getting a lot of good kids that are coming to the games. We had a good group this week … I asked one of them after the game if [he] thought he could have made a few tackles. He just shook his head, yes.”

• On Sanders: “I’d never question Emmanuel’s leadership. He’s not a big talker. He has fun at practice. He works at it. He likes being here.”

SMU Football - Did you know?

• SMU’s five-game losing streak is the third-longest of Bennett’s tenure. The Mustangs lost 15 in a row over 2003-04 and seven in a row to open 2002.

• Willis’ mark of 38 career passing touchdowns is second only to Chuck Hixson’s 40 set from 1968-70.

• With OU and Oklahoma State off this week, Tulsa is the place to be for football in the Sooner state.

• Tulsa has the smallest enrollment in Division-1A, (based on 2006 figures), with 2,795 undergraduates and 4,084 total students. SMU is eighth smallest, with an enrollment of 6,489 and 11,152, respectively.