SMU linebacker Jason Jackson chases TCU wide receiver Jeremy Kerley in the 48-7 loss Sept. 20. (Stuart Palley)
This weekend the Mustangs will have to face another Conference USA opponent.
In their third C-USA game of the year the Mustangs will once again be on the road. Away from Ford Stadium, SMU has lost to Rice and Tulane already this season.
But the team made improvements in the second half against Tulane. After trailing 31-7 at halftime, the Mustangs came back, just not all the way, losing 34-27.
“We would have liked to play the whole game (like the second half), but for whatever reason, we were uptight,” SMU head coach June Jones said. “Like we were playing for the Super Bowl or something.”
Once again this week is not the Super Bowl, but it could be the best chance the Mustangs have had this season, other than against Texas State, to get a win.
UCF has struggled much like the Mustangs. Winning the one game they should have and losing to an in-state rival, a BCS bowl conference team and a C-USA opponent on the road.
After winning the 2007 C-USA Championship the Knights have not done much in 2008.
The Mustangs offense, and defense looked like it started to click in the second half against Tulane.
After getting down early, SMU came out and outscored Tulane 20-3 in the second half. But still wasn’t able to put together one more drive to tie the game. The defense played its best half of football all season.
“I thought we played more aggressively (on defense),” Jones said. “We didn’t hit anybody, really, in the first half. In the second half, Derrius (Bell) made some plays, we made some plays, got a couple of turnovers, and were more physical on the run part of it. That probably was the biggest difference.”
In Jones’ offense the defense’s job is to get the ball back into the hands of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, and UCF knows that.
“The best way to keep a team like that off the field is to have the ball,” UCF head coach George O’Leary said at a press conference Tuesday. “We have to worry about 10-yard movements, not big plays, just moving the chains and get that possession time on our side. They are going to have some completions out there by the nature of there offense, but we have to make sure there are no yards-after-catch.”
UCF currently ranks last in scoring offense in the conference as well as total offense. But the Mustangs rank last in total defense and scoring defense.
“They’re kind of like us – just trying to find a way to win a game,” Jones said. “They’re talented, I can tell you that – they’ve got some players, and George (O’Leary) does a great job of keeping them from beating themselves. They’re playing the same schemes – they haven’t changed anything. I think they lost some senior leadership off their team from last year. I think they’ve got it on their defense, but they haven’t seemed to quite put that together yet.”
Mitchell is still having problems throwing the ball to his teammates. While he has thrown for 12 touchdowns in five games, he has also thrown 12 interceptions.
Turnovers have been a problem for the Mustangs this season. SMU has turned the ball over 15 times in five games and have only forced 10 from their opponents, with five of those coming against Texas State.
The key is getting off to a strong start. So far this year SMU has been outscored 53-27 in the first quarter, and 114-50 in the first half.
The Mustangs also need to get the running game going. Jones’ offense does focus on passing more than running the ball. But against TCU, SMU had -8 total rushing yards and against Tulane the Mustangs’ leading rusher was punter Thomas Morstead who rushed for 34 yards on a fake punt. If the Mustangs’ passing game is going to get better the rushing game needs to as well.
Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. in Orlando. The game is televised on CBS College Sports and broadcasts on KTCK 1310 The Ticket.
