DeMyron Martin rushed for just 30 yards against Texas Tech last season. The Mustangs will need more production out of Martin if they want to have success this year. (John Schreiber)

The entire off-season has led up to this Monday. After the campaign of billboards, road signs and television ads, the Mustangs will now have to backup the hype with a strong performance on the field.

That will be a difficult task while facing a major conference opponent. Especially since Texas Tech has pretty much dominated the Mustangs since SMU was given the death penalty.

But this is not the same team that lost in Lubbock 35-3 last season. Many of the players are the same, but it will have a whole new look.

Last season quarterback Justin Willis had to play his first college game at Tech and did not appear comfortable throwing for just 69 yards and had his worst passer rating of the season.

It wasn’t until the third game of the season that Willis proved why he was the leader of the Mustangs. Now he will come into this season’s opener with that knowledge in hand.

The other key is that this game will be played at the Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Not to say that there wont be a fair share of Raiders in the stands, but a little home field advantage can go a long way, especially with more people excited about SMU football this season than the program has seen in a long time. Don’t be surprised to see a strong showing of SMU fans in the stands.

The offense returns with almost all of its potency from last year with only a few crucial losses. Wide receivers Bobby Chase and Reynaldo Pellerin along with tight end Ryan Kennedy are no longer with the team. But all three men have more than capable replacements.

Emmanuel Sanders and Columbus Givens are enough to keep a defensive secondary occupied, but that’s not all the Mustangs will send at the Radiers. Devin Lowery, Zack Sledge and Aldrick Robinson have proved that they can run and catch. And Vincent Chase has the size and the ability at tight end.

The serious question for this year’s team: How will the defense hold up?

Graduating three members of the defensive line was enough of a loss, but the possibility of the fourth not playing due to an injury hurts the Mustangs.

Cory Muse is the only returning defensive lineman the Mustangs have coming back this season, but due to an injury is unlikely to play.

This makes the NCAA’s ruling regarding transfer student Serge Elizee that much more interesting. Elizee had to appeal to the NCAA ruling which would allow him to forgo the usual policy of sitting out a season after transferring schools.

The Mustangs have two freshman listed at the top of the depth chart at defensive line. Justin Smart, a redshirt freshman from Marshall, Texas and Ryan Leonard a true freshman from Lewisville.

The ability for those two, along with other projected starters sophomore Chris Parham and junior Patrick Handy, to maneuver into the backfield and disrupt the Tech passing game is crucial for the Mustangs to have success.

SMU will have to play an almost perfect game on Monday to defeat the Red Raiders. That is possible and last year the team showed its ability to play a such a game.

The defense will have to slow down an offense that is known for putting up big numbers year in and year out. The Red Raiders have the ability to both run and throw the ball. The Mustangs’ defense will have to get Tech quarterback Graham Harrell out of sync early and the secondary can’t give up a big play.

But without the offense, the Mustangs won’t be able to put up a fight at all.

Even with a slowed offense, Texas Tech can still put points on the board and SMU will have to keep up.

This team can’t work themselves into the season like they did last year. They will have to come out strong and poised from the beginning. Tech has the ability to bury a team early and sit on them the rest of the game.

If SMU can stay in the game early, they will have a shot. But if the Red Raiders gain the early momentum it may be near impossible for the Mustangs to take it from them.

This game might be the epitome of a moral victory for the Mustangs. Even if the Mustangs don’t pull off the upset, a good showing could be a spring-board into games against North Texas, Arkansas State and TCU before the conference schedule starts.

If the Mustangs show up, they may have a shot to shock the nation.

Kick off is at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Justin Willis will be more prepared for this year’s game against Texas Tech with a full season’s experience. (John Schreiber)