This year’s football season doesn’t just rest in the hands of Justin Willis. The SMU defense and running backs will also play an important role in the success the Mustangs will have this season.

At the Conference USA football media blitz held in New Orleans at the end of July, head coach Phil Bennett was there to discuss the upcoming season and everything necessary to make it a successful one. And while it doesn’t rely only on Willis, he is a crucial part of the equation. And after an outstanding year last season, Bennett still sees room for improvement.

“His ability to make plays is obvious, but right now his ability to be efficient has got to improve,” Bennett said. “When you’re efficient you get us in the right play, you make the right throw, and you execute your offense.”

An offense that scored just over 27 points a game last season is expected to do more this season and shows a capability to do so.

“If we’re going to win this conference, we have to get into the 30s [points per game] and we’ve got to be able to keep it at 21 or less,” Bennett said.

Last season the defense allowed 24.5 points a game, including allowing an opponent to score 30 or more points four times during the year.

The offense has the ability to score more points a game with the return of Willis, Emmanuel Sanders, Columbus Givens, DeMyron Martin and the list goes on. The defense, on the other hand, will have to prove itself after key losses in the off-season.

Cory Muse will be the only player returning on the defensive line that held opponents to just 107.5 rushing yards a game, which led all of C-USA.

“Cory’s got to play at a higher level,” Bennett said. “Last year he played with a bum knee, he’s ready to go. He’s got to set the pace.”

Last season Muse missed four games, but was still ranked third in the conference in sacks. The Mustangs will need both his talent and his senior leadership for this year’s defense.

Bennett wants to see an improvement out of each position.

“If we can get an upgrade of five percent at every position, that’s compound interest; this team can take off,” Bennett said.

One position that will get more than just a five percent improvement is at running back. With Martin back with new determination, expect to see the DeMyron from two seasons ago. Although Martin was out last season, James Mapps and Cedrick Dorsey were able to show the talent that they have.

“A guy I think we neglected last year was Cedrick Dorsey; Cedrick’s going to get an opportunity,” Bennett said. “Obviously I think DeMyron’s worked hard and is in his best shape, but its gonna be about who is producing; if you’re producing you’ll play.”

One position that doesn’t get much playing time, but could still be important, is the backup quarterback. Last year Corey Slater filled that role and competed with Willis for the starting job, and against UTEP had his chance. After a non-existent offense in the first half the Mustangs made a comeback in the second half but still fell short.

A backup quarterback has “to understand that they may only get a third of the reps, but they have to take mental reps,” Bennett said.

Bennett felt that although Slater may not have been well prepared for starting the game in El Paso, he was never comfortable with his role as the backup.

“A backup quarterback has to be a special guy,” Bennett said. “He has to know that he is one play away from being in the game.”

With the departure of Slater there are two leading candidates to be one spot behind Willis.

“I like two guys. I like [Zach] Rhodes, and I like the freshman Logan Turner,” Bennett said. “We’re gonna play Zach, a multiple [positions] guy, at the same time with Justin [Willis] and [our opponents] are going to have to decide what to do.”

But that is discussion about the backups. For the first time since 2002-03 when Richard Bartel started consecutive seasons, the Mustangs will return their starting quarterback from the previous year.

The Rice game to end the 2006 season still lingers in the coaches’ and players’ heads. Whether it was the first time that SMU didn’t score from the goalline, or the second time the Mustangs were unable to push the ball into the end zone, or taking the lead late only to see the Owls regain the lead for good with four minutes remaining, a bitter taste was left everyone’s mouths.

“Our whole thing since we finished the Rice game has been extra, we’ve gotta do extra,” Bennett said. “We’ve gotta go above and beyond where we’ve ever been. Because if we don’t, we’ll stay at 6-6.”

If the Mustangs do stay at 6-6 there will still be a chance of a bowl game, but don’t expect this year’s team to leave it to chance. They not only want to get to a bowl game, but they want to contend to win the west division and Conference USA.