The Mustang football team (0-9, 0-6 WAC) will travel east thisweekend to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-5, 2-3 WAC) inRuston, La. Following a disappointing 11-20 homecoming loss toFresno State last weekend, SMU carries on with its search for thefirst win of the season.
“Right now, I would be lying to you if I thought we werejust going to go out and outscore somebody. … I meanwe’ve got to have a strategy of how to win,” head coachPhil Bennett said.
He also said that the challenge between the Mustang defense andthe Louisiana Tech offense will be a tough one to tackle.”The challenge,” Bennett said, “is going to beour defense playing against their offense. … It’sgoing to be a challenge in the fact that I think that we’regoing to have to be zeroed in, we’re going to have to tacklewell, and really make sure that we don’t give up any bigplays.”
The Bulldogs are averaging 26.3 points per game and have gained4,018 total yards on the season, the bulk of which stem from seniorquarterback Luke McCown, sophomore running back Ryan Moats and aslew of receivers that are averaging 311.7 yards per game and havecaught 16 touchdowns inthe year.
“McCown is a really good player they’ve got good,quick, fast wide receivers, but I really like their running back. Ithink Moats is a guy who catches [the ball], he runs it, and Ithink he’s the hidden dimension in what they’redoing,” Bennett said.
With eight touchdowns and an average of more than 100 yards pergame, Moats will pose a challenge to the Mustang defense, as willthe arm of McCown, who has thrown for 15 touchdowns and has a 57.7pass completion percentage on the season.
“We’ve played some very talented quarterbacks, and Ithink McCown is in that mix,” Bennett said. “The thingI like best about him is his decision-making.”
Indeed, the Jacksonville, Texas, native is not one to make manymistakes, as he possesses a touchdown to interception ratio of 15to 10, even against tough defenses such as Miami (Fla.), LSU andMichigan State.
Another unique match-up will be the weak Louisiana Tech defenseagainst the last-place offense of SMU.
“Hopefully [the result of this match-up will be] in ourfavor,” senior offensive lineman Sterling Harris said.”They have the last [ranked] defense in the league, andwe’re looking to go in there, play a good game and takeadvantage of it.”
“I think it’s going to be an interesting match-up.It’s going to be a 117 [ranked] defense against a 117[ranked] offense, and that’s the story line,” Bennettsaid.
First-year quarterback Chris Phillips will make his third startthis season, and Bennett hopes he will continue to improve as heplays in more real games.
“I’m cautious of not putting him in positions thathe can’t succeed,” Bennett said.”I want him togrow as a quarterback.”
The team knows that, as they travel into Louisiana with an 0-9record, their mindset and focus most remain strong.
“You just have to dig in and work even harder,”Harris said, “especially when things don’t go your way… When you face diverse situations, you have to bear downand start working harder.”
Saturday’s game marks the third meeting between the twoschools. The Bulldogs won the 2001 opener 36-6 atShreveport’s Independence Bowl but fell victim to theMustangs in Dallas last year, 37-34, to give SMU it’s firstwin of the 2002 season.
Kick-off against the Bulldogs is at 2 p.m. on Saturday at JoeAillet Stadium in Ruston, La.
