SMU vs. Sam Houston

CUSA-fans.com has a new staff of team correspondents this fall to help bring you, the fan, more detailed Conference USA football coverage. Today, our SMU Correspondent, Rick Atkinson, gives you a preview of the SMU Week #3 matchup with Sam Houston State University.

Sam Houston @ SMU Game Info

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2006 @ 7 p.m.

Location: Ford Stadium, (32,000), Dallas, TX

Weather Forecast: 88 degrees; partly cloudy, humid; wind S at 10-15.

No Television

Season records: SMU (0-2, 0-0 C-USA), SHSU (1-0, 0-0 Southland Conference)

All-Time Series: 0-0-0.

Injury/Personnel Report
SMU: starting RB DeMyron Martin, out 4-6 weeks; dislocated bone in right foot.
SHSU: starting QB Wade Pate, out; separated shoulder.

SHSU @ SMU Overview

Last week's loss to North Texas was perhaps SMU's most damaging and unexpected defeat since returning from the death penalty in 1989. Excitement around the program had been high, even after the 32-point loss at No. 25 Texas Tech in Week 1.

That excitement, for the most part went up in smoke in a post-game fireworks show Saturday night at UNT after the Mustangs' 24-6 loss.

It was only the fourth UNT win in 32 tries against SMU.

Not since a 1997 loss to 0-10 TCU, costing SMU a bowl, have long-suffering Mustang fans taken such a sickening punch to the abdomen.

A UNT alum, who didn't attend the game, said The Mean Green may not really be that good since "SMU is so bad right now."

Like I said, he didn't see the game. He just deduced from the score the Mustangs are headed nowhere - again. That's the damage done by a loss like this - locally, regionally, and nationally.

"Right now, our goal is simple," said SMU head coach Phil Bennett Tuesday. "It's to find a way to win. Period."

"I don't' believe for a minute that [the UNT loss] is something that we cannot overcome."

SMU's opponent this week, Division I-AA SHSU, thumped Arkansas-Monticello, 41-3, in its opener at home last Saturday.

This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

Since moving up to Division I-AA in 1986, the Bearkats have played 21 games against Division I-A opponents, winning two.

SMU last played a Division I-AA team in 1999, a 58-16 win over Cal State-Northridge.

Bennett, in his fifth year at SMU, owns a career record of 11-37.

Todd Whitten, in his second season at SHSU, has a career mark of 49-30. He was head coach at Tarleton State for six years.

SMU Offense vs. SHSU Defense

Advantage: Even

SMU's offensive woes continue. The Mustangs have scored nine points – one touchdown and a field goal – after two games. Penalties and a lack of execution are to blame, Bennett said.

Inexperience at quarterback, he said, is a bigger problem than expected. Redshirt freshman QB Justin Willis is still not seeing his reads, said Bennett.

"We've got to settle our quarterback down," he said. "We've got to get him in a position where he's comfortable in what he's doing."

"The speed of the game for him right now is very fast."

Willis was 15-19 for 112 yards and one interception last week. Backup Corey Slater saw action in the second quarter, going 5-10 for 47 yards and an interception. Bennett said Willis is still his starter, depending on practice this week. Both will likely see action Saturday.

RB DeMyron Martin stormed for 55 yards in the first quarter at UNT before his injury. The Mustangs managed just 56 yards rushing the rest of the way. James Mapps, Cedric Dorsey and Johnnie Fitzgerald will try to pick it up this week, behind an O-line, hopefully, producing more room to run.

With 74 receiving yards against UNT, senior wide out Bobby Chase passed the 1200 career yards mark, the 15 th player in SMU history to do so.

The Bearkats run a 4-2-5 defensive scheme. Bennett called the SHSU secondary "aggressive." All five secondary starters are seniors: Derrick Harris, Tony Jones, Chadd Oliphant, Braylon Linnear, and Scorpio Babers.

They might give young quarterbacks (read Willis and Slater) problems.

SHSU's leading tackler is backup DB Byran Richmond, with seven.

SHSU Offense vs. SMU Defense

Advantage: Even

SHSU's starting QB, Wade Pate, was 22-30 for 259 yards and three touchdowns last week. Due to injury, he's replaced by Texas Tech transfer Phillip Daugherty (6-3, 222).

Former OU QB Rhett Bomar has not yet been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Bearkats.

Senior WR Michael Malone (6-3, 206) will be one to watch. Malone caught six passes for 99 yard and three touchdowns against Arkansas-Monticello.

RB Chris Poullard had 11 carries for 59 yards.

SMU's defense shut out UNT in the first half last week, then allowed a critical 80-yard touchdown drive in the third after the Mustangs cut the UNT lead to 1. The Mean Green repeatedly converted third and long in the second half, when SMU badly needed a stop.

UNT's time of possession was 38:41 to SMU's 21:19.

SMU's defense also allowed UNT WR Johnny Quinn nine catches for 132 yards.

Senior safety Randall Goode is SMU's leading tackler after two games, with 18.

Special Teams

Advantage: Even

UNT blocked the Mustangs' first punt attempt for a touchdown and came close a couple more times. The first one was gang-busters. They nearly killed the punter, Thomas Morstead. (figure of speech for dramatic effect only.)

Morstead later missed a PAT that would have tied the game in the third. His punting average is a solid 41.2 yards.

Jessie Henderson's 63-yard kickoff return last week was brought back by a personal foul penalty. The Mustangs got nothing on the possession.

( Henderson leads C-USA with a 40-yard return average and is third in the NCAA.)

For SHSU, Chris Parks has a 41-yard punting average. Derrick Harris has one kickoff return for 51 yards. SHSU kickers missed three FG attempts last week, with one block.

Intangibles:

Advantage: Even

It's the Ponies' home opener. Embarrassed by UNT, you'd think they'd be pretty ornery and ready to whip SHSU.

But this team's psyche was demolished at UNT. Bowl talk is silenced. Just winning a game – any game – is the goal, and a tough one at that. Another colossal, early breakdown, like a blocked punt for a TD, and who knows where this thing goes?

SHSU will be sky high for the upset.

SMU fans have been through a lot the last twenty years. Some have about had it. Disgusted by last week's performance and weary of hoping, many will skip the game. I'm guessing attendance may be quite low.

And that's a shame. (I'll be there, though!)

Final Prediction

So far in 2006, the talent level of SMU opponents has decreased each week - Texas Tech, UNT, and now, SHSU. The problem is - the Mustangs' performance level sinks each week, as well.

Saturday, SMU sinks lower than imaginable.

SHSU gets a win for the ages, 20-18.

(Take heart, Pony fans. I haven't been right yet.)