Bobby Chase led the Mustangs in receptions last week, but still has not caught a touchdown pass from Justin Willis.
The UTEP coaches are hoping to play up the SMU game this year. They are doing this for two reasons, the cover of the Mustangs’ Media Guide, but more importantly the 40-27 beating SMU placed on the Miners last season. That loss kept UTEP out of the Conference-USA Championship game.
Coming into that game, SMU only averaged 19 points a game, they put up their season high, 40, that afternoon. When the Mustangs beat UTEP last season they were coming off a two game winning streak, this season SMU comes in with a three game winning streak.
This is the conference opener for the Miners, but the Mustangs have already beaten one team in their first conference home game and they look to do it again Saturday.
The Mustangs enter Saturday’s game after an emotional 33-28 win against Tulane in the re-opening of the Superdome. The Miners are also coming off a win, a 44-38 triumph over New Mexico State.
What appeared to be the Mustangs’ weakness at the beginning of the season, has carried them over the past three games. Quarterback Justin Willis has come into his own in the past three weeks. After only throwing for 181 yards in the first two games, Willis exploded with 248 yards against Sam Houston State. Willis had a minor drop off only tossing 151 yards against Arkansas State, but rebounded with 261 yards against Tulane.
The 261 passing yards were needed, every single one of them. The running game that was supposed to be the strong point for the Mustangs at the beginning of the season only put up 98 yards on the ground, and 76 of those came from Willis.
Both Johnnie Fitzgerald and Fred Turner were dressed, after not playing against Arkansas State, but neither was on the field for a single snap. Look to see them used against UTEP. At one point it was said that DeMyron Martin might be back for this game, he isn’t ready, but will be back against Marshall. Until then the Mustangs need a stronger game from red-shirt freshman James Mapps, who rushed for negative 14 yards last week.
Senior Bobby Chase led the team with six receptions, but didn’t make it to the end zone. Actually Chase has only caught one touchdown this season. The story of the receivers so far this season has been sophomore Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders has three touchdowns this season, one in each of the last three games, one shy of the school record for consecutive touchdown receptions.
The tight ends continue to be underused by SMU. Senior Ryan Kennedy has nine receptions for over a hundred yards and four touchdowns, but sophomore Vincent Chase has only caught one pass, which was against North Texas in the second game of the season. Both of Kennedy’s catches against Tulane were thrown by Willis on the run as a last resort. Kennedy made two hard catches look easy, and got the Mustangs first downs on both of them. Begging the question, why isn’t he being thrown to more often.
The Mustang defense lived up to their billing all the way until the fourth quarter. A defense that has seen opponents score drop from week to week was solid through three quarters of play. Tulane entered the fourth quarter with seven points, scored on an interception return.
In the fourth quarter things started to fall apart. The Green Wave ran a no-huddle offense that threw for 200 yards and scored 21 points.
The Mustangs defense will have to prove tougher against the passing game when they face UTEP and quarterback Jordan Palmer. Palmer has thrown for 1,172 yards in only four games this season, and includes 10 touchdowns.
Keys to the game
The Mustangs must run the ball in order to balance their passing game and keep pressure off Willis.
Third down conversions continue to be a problem for SMU. The Mustangs are a pitiful 28-66, and allow their opponents to achieve 36 times in 77 attempts.
Turnovers have not been too big a problem for SMU. Throwing four interceptions, while intercepting four passes. And SMU has only fumbled five times, while recovering seven. But they must continue this trend in order to be successful in the conference.
