The Mustangs will look to get started strong in conference play on Saturday against UTEP. (John Schreiber)

Head coach Phil Bennett and his team are looking forward to the start of conference play this Saturday against UTEP. Why? Because it’s a chance for a fresh start, something the 1-3 Mustangs are more than willing to embrace at this point.

“If you can maintain a focus in this league and stay somewhat healthy…we can bring this team together with the improvement that we made Saturday,” Bennett said.

SMU has been out of sync during non-conference play due to an inexperienced defense and a sputtering offense, according to Bennett. Even the only win on the year, North Texas, had inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. Bennett said the knocks SMU took haven’t frustrated the players; rather they have improved through the struggles.

“We can make a run at this thing – without any question,” he said.

While the defense played better at TCU, Bennett said the unit is still a work in progress. He acknowledged they have not started the season well. The off-season losses to graduation and injury have the unit on a learning curve, but if the current group of starters stays healthy then Bennett believes the unit can be very competitive.

He liked the desire, technique and knowledge of the defense in the TCU game and expects them to build on that effort for conference play. While Bennett appreciated the effort of his players, he said the game was emotionally draining for him.

“I was an emotional wreck Saturday night. I was crushed,” Bennett said. “I really thought going into that game we’d win that game.”

The performance of DeMyron Martin was one of the things Bennett liked about the TCU game. Martin gained 100 yards on the night, and SMU was able to establish a running game for the first time all season. That’s no coincidence, said Bennett, because SMU was able to keep the game within reach so it was not forced to abandon the run early on like it had to against Texas Tech and Arkansas State.

“We weren’t down 21-0…and you are able to do that if you make some improvement defensively,” Bennett said.

SMU will face a UTEP team that is in transition. Both quarterback Jordan Palmer and wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins no longer power the Miners’ offense. Instead, UTEP is emphasizing the run game much more than when Palmer was at the helm. That has meant a few rough games for the normally high-octane offense, but Bennett expects the Miners to still be a challenge for his raw defensive unit.

“They’re doing a good job of coaching and putting their players in a position to be successful,” Bennett said.

Another difference from last year will be on the SMU side of the ball. Quarterback Justin Willis was suspended from the team hours after landing in El Paso for an off-the-field incident in which he attacked another student. Back-up Corey Slater was made the starter and SMU wound up losing a close game on the road, 24-21.

“That was very unfortunate. I do believe he could have been a difference in the game,” Bennett said. “But it happened, and I hope Justin’s focus on this game isn’t on last year but the focus is…we didn’t play as well as we wanted at TCU.”