We are five games into the 2006 season and so far, Mustang fans have seen a slew of highs and lows. Every game brings about new changes for the SMU squad, and after a three game winning streak, the Mustangs continue to get closer to a post-season bowl bid. The Mustangs enter October 3-2, the best five game start the SMU has had since a 3-2 start in the 1992 season. Here are the hot tips for what to look for in the coming weeks of Mustang football.
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SMU defense. The defense has been the most consistent aspect of the Mustang game all season. Safety Joe Sturdivant has had an amazing year, and his team-leading 10 tackles against Tulane Saturday bring his season total to 37, the most of any Mustang defender.
The defense has been able to keep a handle on the game while offense struggled early in the season. There’s no reason to think they won’t continue the trend, giving the Mustangs more opportunities throughout the season.
Jessie Henderson. Henderson is potent on kickoff returns. His 100-yard touchdown return Saturday not only turned the tide against the Green Wave, but also deflated a crowd that had slowly crept back into the game, as well as placing No. 9 in the “SportsCenter Top Ten Plays of the Day” Saturday night. It also marks the first time since last year’s game against Tulane that a Mustang player, ironically Henderson, returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Henderson now has 307 yards on eight returns, an average of 38.4 yards per return. As long as teams keep kicking to him, Henderson will continue to make them pay.
Justin Willis. Red-shirt freshman quarterback Justin Willis has shown incredible improvement over the course of the season. His 12 touchdown passes this season already have him ranked seventh in school history for single season totals in the SMU stat book. SMU coaches started Willis off slow this season, limiting his options and the plays the offense ran. They have started opening up the playbook and Willis has taken off with it.
Early in Saturday’s game Willis struggled to find his mark on passing, and many times his passes were either too high or too low for his receivers to catch them. Toward the end of the game, he was able to improve on his accuracy. If Willis can be more accurate at the start of the game, the offense will get downfield faster and open up more opportunities to score.
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DeMyron Martin. Sophomore running back DeMyron Martin suffered a dislocated bone near his fourth metatarsal and a small fracture next to his third metatarsal against the University of North Texas and has missed the past three games. The injury did not require surgery, and head coach Phil Bennett said last week it is possible Martin could return this weekend against UTEP. If he is not 100 percent early on this week, don’t expect him to see time against the Miners. The team is limited in how many players it can bring on away games, and a partially recovered Martin may not be as useful to Bennett as another healthier player.
When Martin returns, it will be interesting to see if he can jump back into the offense and make the same contributions to the running game that he made in 2005. If his recovery is successful, he will be a potent addition to a continually developing offense.
Bobby Chase. Senior and wide receiver Bobby Chase’s six catches Saturday brings his career total to 87. Chase has struggled so far this season, mostly because of the watered down offense used to break-in quarterback Willis. He didn’t get many opportunities early in the season and had a tough time getting into a rhythm. Chase needs to have a breakout game this weekend to solidify his place as a leader on the offense.
Kicking game. Kicker Thomas Morstead was 2 of 3 on field goal kicks Saturday, missing a 39-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. His 158 yards on four punts brings his season high to 889 yards on 21 attempts. Kicker Kellis Cunningham has had a more difficult time, with 3 of his 19 kicks going out of bounds, and only forcing six touchbacks.
Morstead has got to be able to make the high-pressure kicks when the team needs to get points on the board. Cunningham has to keep his kickoffs inbounds and more downfield.
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Lack of tight end use. SMU utilizes its running game through its running backs, and uses tight ends Ryan Kennedy and Vincent Chase primarily as blockers. SMU is deep in the tight end position, but needs to use these players in more than a blocking capacity. Kennedy has logged nine catches for 109 yards and four touchdowns, while Chase only has one catch for nine yards this season. The offense should utilize these players more and give them greater opportunities to be a factor in the game.
Third down conversion ratio. The Mustangs are having a hard time getting first downs on third down conversions. Saturday’s eight of 16 attempts brings SMU to 28 of 66 on the season, but this ratio must shrink in order for the Mustangs to capitalize on good field position and scoring opportunities.
