SMU vs. UAB

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 #10 game against UAB.

SMU vs. UAB Game Info

Date: HALLOWEEN - Tuesday, October 31, 2006 @ 6:30 p.m. Central time

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

Television: ESPN2

Season Records: SMU 4-4, 2-2 C-USA, UAB 3-5, 2-2 C-USA

Halloween Records: SMU 2-7-1, UAB 0-2

All-Time Series: SMU leads, 1-0, winning at Birmingham last year, 28-27.

Injury/Personnel Report

SMU:
WR Bobby Chase, hamstring, questionable.
DE Cory Muse, knee; probable.
RB DeMyron Martin, hamstring; probable.
RB Jessie Henderson, ankle; probable.

UAB:
WR Nick Coon, shoulder; out for season.
C Chris Barrett, knee; out.

SMU vs. UAB Overview

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, I realized - it’s crunch time for these 2-2 teams, baby. And get that blackbird outa here!

SMU comes off a 38-21 loss at ECU and head coach Phil Bennett sounded like he could use a good chainsaw to get his charges fired up.

“I didn’t think that we played at the level of intensity and passion that we’d played, probably, the last three weeks,” he said. “That was a little bit surprising.”

Well, fire up that Poulan – and don’t forget the hockey mask!

UAB looks to rebound after its second close, bloodsucking conference loss in a row - this time, 31-24, to Marshall.

Leering from the press box on Tuesday will be former Pony great Craig James, calling the game on ESPN2 with John Saunders and Doug Flutie.

Bennett’s record is 15-39 in five years at SMU. Watson Brown, in his 12 th season at UAB, is 62-70.

Skip Holtz, in his second season at ECU, is 7-10, and 41-31 overall.

SMU Offense versus UAB Defense

Advantage: SMU

One thing’s for sure: If SMU WR Bobby Chase is able to play, he’ll get some scary attention. Last year, Chase caught the game-winning 31-yard touchdown pass as time expired to lift the Mustangs over UAB.

QB Justin Willis still leads C-USA in passing efficiency (164.16), but Bennett said the redshirt freshman’s performance at ECU was not up to par.

“Justin was little bit rattled,” Bennett said. “He didn’t quite have the game that he’d been having in the past.”

Willis was 22-33 passing for 224 yards, including three touchdowns and no interceptions - but he fumbled twice.

WR Emmanuel Sanders looks to extend to seven his school-record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch.

RB DeMyron Martin (6-2, 225) is healthy and making his first home start of the year. He should see some daylight – the Mustangs outweigh UAB up front, 35 pounds per man.

But, the Blazers do have the third-ranked defense in C-USA, behind Tulsa and Houston. They’re led by LB Mastaki Smith with 46 tackles, DE Larry McSwain with five sacks and LB Joe Henderson with seven tackles for losses.

UAB Offense versus SMU Defense

Advantage: UAB

UAB’s O-line is big (over 300 pounds each) and experienced (seniors, except RS freshman C Jake Seitz.)

The Blazers play two quarterbacks: Chris Williams (5-11, 205) and Sam Hunt (6-3, 215).

The passer, Williams, has started in recent weeks. On the year, he’s thrown for 936 yards, with eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

Hunt is the option threat. The Blazers run the Dead-T, a version of the Wishbone.

Senior RBs Dan Burks (6-1, 218), Corey White (6-2, 235) and Marculus Elliott (5-9, 195) share time.

Against Marshall, Elliott had 129 yards on 14 carries. He leads UAB for the season, with 299 yards, (7.3 avg).

WRs Willie Edwards and Sylvester Mencer each have 23 receptions and over 300 yards receiving on the year.

UAB’s offense has taken off of late, averaging over 400 ypg, after just 257 ypg the first five games.

Not good news for SMU, which was scorched for 402 yards passing at ECU.

“Our linebackers did not play very good coverage,” said Bennett. “Twenty-seven of their [passes] were five yards or less.”

At free safety, RS freshman Bryce Hudman will start this week for senior Randall Goode. True freshman Bryan McCann will continue to see playing time at corner.

Bennett said 16 missed tackles led to two touchdowns and about 120 yards of offense last week.

“We’re a better team than that,” he said. “I expect us to improve this week, drastically, in that area.”

SMU is tops in rushing defense in C-USA (80 ypg) and last in pass defense (279 ypg).

Special Teams

Advantage: SMU

SMU’s Jessie Henderson, the nation’s leading kick returner (36.9 avg.), should be back from injury. Blake Warren had a touchdown punt return erased by penalty last week. Averaging 8.6 yards on 15 attempts, Warren’s longest is 54 versus Texas Tech.

For UAB, Kevin Sanders averages 6.6 yards on seven returns, with a long of 13.

SMU’s Thomas Morstead remains the top punter in C-USA, with a 43.7-yard average. Parker Mullins averages 41.7 for UAB.

Blazer Swayze Waters is 2-4 in field goals, with a long of 42. Mortstead is 7-11, his longest, 50 yards. He’s missed on a couple of mid-to-long range attempts in recent weeks.

Intangibles

Advantage: Ichabod Crane

It’s Halloween. It’s Tuesday night. It’s national television. What could be weirder?

I have no idea. Call it “even.”

There is this, however:

The Blazers have yet to win on the road. They’re 0-3. SMU is 3-0 at home.

Final Prediction

Don’t miss the second quarter. That’s when SMU and UAB bring it, outscoring their opponents, 131-75, combined.

DeMyron Martin will bust out: 125 yards and two TDs.

S Joe Sturdivant will come up with a big pick.

It will happen late in the game - after SMU’s secondary has given up 250+ yards. As Sturdivant streaks past UAB’s sideline - wait for it - he raises the two-fingered Pony ears and is heard to mutter, in the gathering gloom, “Quoth the Mustang, ‘Nevermore.’”

SMU 33 - UAB 27