SMU quarterback Justin Willis dives into the endzone for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of Saturday game at Ford Stadium.

After the second biggest game of the season the Mustangs will play the biggest next Saturday.

Bowl eligibility might not be enough to ensure a bowl berth for SMU, a seventh win might be necessary.

Both the Mustangs and the Owls will look to improve their 6-5 records to a more attractive 7-5.

The Mustangs have continued their up-and-down season over the past few weeks.

SMU continued its roller coaster season last week.

In the last six game the Mustangs have not lost two in a row, but they have not won two in a row either.

The Mustangs are a lackluster team on the road with a 1-4 record.

That is the first hurdle the Mustangs face this weekend. The second is the curse that SMU has in Houston against the Owls for the last 20 years.

The Mustangs have played Rice in Houston eight times since 1986 and have lost all eight times.

The Mustangs have achieved multiple individual goals and even some team records this year, but everyone is focused on the common goal of getting this team to a bowl game.

Head coach Phil Bennett has stressed to his team the idea of playing for the name on the front of the jersey and not the one on the back.

And that has shown true with the realization by the players that they have not achieved their goals yet this season.

Willis after breaking multiple SMU records continuously states that he will not be happy until the Mustangs get to a bowl game.

And even after achieving bowl eligibility Willis knows the Mustangs haven’t reached their goal.

“In our mind we need another game. Just to be sure we want to win seven,” said Willis.

Senior wide receiver Reynaldo Pellerin pointed out the need to keep everyone focused on the task at hand.

“That’s all it is, being bowl eligible,” said Pellerin, “we don’t have a bowl yet.”

In 1997 the Mustangs finished the season with a 6-5 record, bowl-eligibility, but were left out of the bowl picture. SMU doesn’t want that to happen this year with a 6-6 record and the team is aiming for a seventh win.

The Mustangs have not played a complete game since Halloween.

Against Houston, SMU dominated in the first half, but came out in the second half and gave the lead, and eventually the game, away.

The Mustangs played only one half against Tulsa as well, but they found a way to win. SMU was not playing good football in the first half, but was able to make up for it in the second.

If SMU wants to walk out of Rice Stadium with its seventh win and a secure bowl bid, they will need to play a complete game.

The Mustangs did not turn the ball over last weekend, and will need to do the same against Rice.

The defense will also have to remember how it played in the second half, and forget the first half against Tulsa. This defense proved that when it’s on its game the players can stop anyone.

Rice is going into the game with a new spread offense, but it should play more into the defense of the Mustangs.

Previous Rice teams have played a wishbone option that bunched everyone on the line and in the backfield.

The new offense will resemble something similar in design to what SMU has faced all season.

The offense proved it can stack points up in bunches and when it is on it cannot be stopped.

If the offense and defense can play the way they did in the first half against Houston and the second half against Tulsa the Mustangs will have a complete game.

Hopefully resulting in a win against Rice.

SMU’s Columbus Givens (right) runs past the attempted tackle of Tulsa’s Bobby Blackshire (left) during Saturdays game at Ford Stadium.