2006 season kicks-off in Lubbock (Photo by John Schreiber, The Daily Campus)

Football season is finally here and the Mustangs are ready to kickoff. It will be without a question the hardest game for the Mustangs all year. Texas Tech is the only team on SMU’s schedule ranked in the Top 25. It’s also a tough road game, the Tech fans are loud and rowdy. If the Mustangs begin to slip early, the crowd could keep them out of it.

So how does SMU go to Lubbock and come back to Dallas with a win?

For starters, the Mustangs must set the pace. The best way to contain the Tech offense is to break its rhythm early and often. Tech is starting Graham Harrell, who only appeared in five games last season for the Red Raiders, and if the Mustang defense can rattle the sophomore quarterback, the Mustang offense could get a rhythm going.

The Mustangs must also keep up with Tech. SMU doesn’t have the capacity to mount a late comeback; they will have to match Tech point for point. This will put some pressure on the defense to stop Tech’s air attack, which can be done.

This will also be a game of the freshman factors. The Mustangs have freshmen starting in two crucial positions: quarterback and kickers. Justin Willis has yet to take a snap in a college football game. This has an upside as well as a downside; the downside is we can’t be too sure what we’re going to get from Willis. But Tech also doesn’t know what he’s capable of.

The only thing people can be sure of is Willis’s mobility, but if Willis can prove he is more than just a scrambler, Tech’s defense could be in for more than they can handle.

At the kicker positions, players who have never performed on a collegiate level, with true freshman Kellis Cunningham and sophomore Thomas Morstead will perform all kicking assignments.

While the kickers can seem to be non-factors, they play a vital role in the coarse of a game. Punting and kickoffs determine field position, one thing the Mustangs would like to control, and field goals are a way to keep putting points on the board. If SMU can’t win the field possession battle or keep points on the board with field goals, their chances decrease exponentially.

But the biggest key for the Mustangs is leadership. Head coach Phil Bennett has put eight players in charge, and these are experienced players, and are experienced in leadership roles.

But it isn’t just up to the captains, all of the upperclassmen must use their experience, not only facing a tough Tech team, but they must also help calm the underclassmen and keep everyone focused.

The bottom line is that the Mustangs enter Lubbock with a chance. SMU will need a lot to work in their favor to pull it off, but it is possible.

The Mustangs are listed at as a 28-point underdog, if SMU can stay focused and play to its potential the ponies could be in for an upset.