SMU @ North Texas

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's visit to North Texas.

SMU @ North Texas Game Info

Date: Saturday, September 9, 2006 @ 6 p.m.

Location: Fouts Field, (30,500), Denton, TX

Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy, 85 degrees F, 20% chance of rain, wind S 5-10.

No Television

Season records: SMU (0-1, 0-0 C-USA), North Texas (0-1, 0-0) Sun Belt

All-Time Series: SMU leads, 27-3-1

Injury/Personnel Report:
SMU: No serious injuries
UNT: LB Phillip Graves, strained MCL; out

SMU @ UNT Overview

SMU and UNT are coming off good thumpings on the road against Big 12 tough guys, No. 25 Texas Tech and No. 3 Texas, respectively. The good news for the Mustangs and The Mean Green: it's a long season and neither club will face a tougher team the rest of the way.

SMU's 35-3 loss at Tech was not what this not so prolific prognosticator expected.

But, it wasn't just Peruna kool-aid drinkers who were surprised by the score.

At a Fina station just outside Lubbock on Sunday morning, in the tiny berg of New Deal, a young, female attendant said this: "I'm surprised [SMU] got beat that bad."

Me too, sister.

Somehow, word had reached the plains of West Texas that SMU was going give Tech a game.

But, the Red Raiders are GOOD, folks. As the season progresses, holding them to 35 will look pretty good.

But, I digress.

This week's game with UNT is a dangerous one for SMU. UNT players, coaches, fans, students and alumni and are sky high. They know a UNT win would make their season and most definitely wreck SMU's. Signs have adorned the campus in Denton since August.

Some UNT faithful feel SMU kept them out of C-USA, and out of the SWC before that, when former SMU coach Hayden Fry was leading The Mean Green.

SMU won the last meeting with UNT, 28-14, in Dallas in 1992. The Ponies have played in Denton only once before, in 1990, when The Mean Green picked up one of their three series wins, 14-7.

Darrell Dickey, in his ninth year as head coach at UNT, has a 39-56 record.

Phil Bennett owns a mark of 11-36 into his fifth season at SMU.

Bennett and Dickey are long time friends.

UNT's offensive coordinator, Ramon Flanigan, is SMU's all-time total offense leader.

SMU Offense vs. UNT Defense

Advantage: SMU

SMU managed 189 yards total offense and 10 first downs last week, twice failing to score points after taking over deep in Tech territory. Not good.

Bennett noted Tuesday that unforced errors, (penalties and fumbles), were the major problem.

The Ponies were also 3-13 on third down conversions.

Although QB Justin Willis didn't have big numbers, (9-16-69-0), Bennett said the redshirt freshman handled himself well under pressure and was not intimidated at all in his first collegiate action.

Willis broke off a nice 22-yard run on the Mustangs' first possession and wasn't sacked once. Bennett said Willis needs to stay in the pocket a bit longer, though, and get to his second reads. He said protection was there and Willis will get better at it.

DeMyron Martin was held to just 30 yards on twelve carries last week.

"We had him thinking too much," said Bennett, of the read-zone rushing plan. "I still think DeMyron is a heck of a player."

Johnnie Fitzgerald (5-25) found a little room, bouncing it outside on a couple of plays.

No deep balls were completed by the Mustangs. WR Bobby Chase led the team with three catches for 25 yards.

For UNT, sophomore linebacker Germaine Dawson stepped in at Texas for the injured Phillip Graves. Dawson led The Mean Green with three pass breakups. He also collected eight tackles, second on the team.

UNT defense started just one senior against the Longhorns, defensive lineman Sky Pruitt.

Linebacker is The Mean Green's most experienced position on defense. Former walk-on Derek Mendoza leads this corps with 17 career starts.

UNT Offense vs. SMU Defense

Advantage: SMU

SMU best be ready to deal with RB Jamario Thomas (5-11, 210), the nation's leading rusher in 2004, (189.9 avg.). He's healthy again after missing four games last season with a hamstring injury. Thomas was held to 38 yards on 14 carries last week – against the monster that is the UT defense. He's gonna have some big days.

UNT's senior WR Johnny Quinn has caught a pass in 37 consecutive games, the second longest active streak in Division I-A. He played against Texas with a cast on his broken left hand and made three catches.

The Mean Green's starting QB is not known as of Tuesday. Sophomore Matt Phillips saw action last week as did junior Woody Wilson (5-6-65), who came on at the end of the first quarter, eventually leading UNT on its only scoring drive of the day. Last season's starter, sophomore Daniel Meager, is now back in the mix, too, after injury.

Like SMU last week, UNT's third down conversion performance was poor– 2-12, with the majority of attempts coming in long-yardage situations.

For SMU, DT Adrian Haywood got good pressure on Tech's QB and DE Cory Muse picked up a sack. Otherwise, Tech's huge O-line was dominant. SMU's D-line and linebacking corps should have a more productive Saturday this week.

Safety Randall Goode led SMU with eight solo tackles. On the other side, Joe Sturdivant had a pick.

Special Teams

Advantage: SMU

SMU's kicking game was solid at Tech. New punter Thomas Morstead punted for a 43.3 yard average, with a long of 57. He also kicked a 38-yard FG and was just short on a 49-yarder into the wind.

True freshman Kellis Cunningham put kickoffs in the end zone.

Senior Blake Warren's 54-yard punt return to the Tech 26 in the third quarter was the second longest of his career. He's now 127 yards shy of Doak Walker's career school record of 750 yards.

UNT's punter Truman Spencer averaged 41.2 yards on 8 punts at Texas. Kicker Denis Hopovac missed a short field goal on his only attempt.

Intangibles:

Advantage: UNT

This is UNT's Super Bowl, Daytona 500, World Series and trip to the Dairy Queen rolled into one. Win and the campus will spontaneously combust.

With the talent advantage, there is pressure on the Mustangs not to lose this game. Regional respectability is on the line. SMU made huge strides in this area with last year's win over TCU and can ill afford a setback.

UNT could get up and, with a weird play or two, win this thing - especially if SMU's offensive jitters continue.

It's also homecoming for SMU's Willis, who starred for Denton Ryan High School. More pressure?

Final Prediction

The Mustangs will regroup and perform well in a tough game Saturday.

SMU's offensive line has something to prove. Look for holes this week for Martin and Fitzgerald. One of them will reach 100 yards.

Willis will get comfortable and have a big day passing. He'll also get loose for another long run - this one for 6.

The defense, led by Haywood and Muse, will record multiple sacks and keep Thomas under wraps.

Another pick for Sturdivant and corner Devin Lowery has a good day.

SMU, 24-9. (Hey, bet the girl in New Deal believes it.)