SMU freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell gets sacked by TCU defense in the September 20th game. (Stuart Palley)
After a two-game road trip the Mustangs return home for two games, starting tomorrow night against Tulsa.
SMU’s season has started similar to last year. The Mustangs lost the first game, won their second game and lost the next four. Tulsa on the other hand has started the season red hot.
The Golden Hurricane lead Conference USA and the nation in several offensive categories including scoring offense. Tulsa is 5-0 and has scored more than 60 points in each of their last two games.
Even with the current four-game losing streak the Mustangs aren’t going to make any changes.
“What you do is you don’t change what you’re doing,” head coach June Jones said. “The only way to get through these things is to continue doing what you do and get better at it.”
What the Mustangs are doing right now has them last in the NCAA, No. 119, in rushing yards averaging 34.17 yards per game and No. 92 in total offense with 323.17 yards per game.
“We have to be able to run the football,” Jones said. “For whatever reason we’re not, and that’s on everybody.”
Tulsa is ranked first in total offense with 596 yards per game, scoring offense with 56.4 points per game and fifth in passing offense with 350.6 yards per game.
“They’ve got it all, they do a great job in their scheme,” Jones said. “You can see they’re confident in what they do.”
Tulsa’s strong start has them knocking on the door of the Top 25. In this weeks’ AP poll the Golden Hurricane just missed out making the list receiving 85 votes, 12 behind No. 25 Ball State.
SMU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has endured growing pains starting as a true freshman.
Mitchell has thrown for 1,594 yards and 13 touchdowns in six games, enough to make the Mustangs 12th in the country in passing offense. But he has also thrown 15 interceptions and has been sacked 16 times. Not all of the has been Mitchell’s fault.
The offensive line is inexperienced with freshmen Kelvin Beachum, Jr., Blake McJunkin, and Vincent Chase starting in his first year converting from tight end to offensive line.
The Mustangs are getting better, but it might be too little too late, and this weekend they are facing one of the best teams in the conference.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Ford Stadium.
