SMU’s 2006 football schedule is scary, and that’s a good thing.

̢۬The schedule, finalized and released today by Conference-USA, is highlighted by a Halloween matchup against UAB that will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

‘They’ll be looking to get after us after last year,” coach Phil Bennett said of the UAB game. SMU upset UAB with a last-second touchdown pass from Jared Romo to Bobby Chase for the team’s first win on the road since 2002.

This season’s schedule is markedly different from 2005. SMU plays 12 games rather than 11, and 10 of those games will be in the state of Texas.

The season will begin with the Mustangs on the road. They open the season at Texas Tech and the next week travel up I-35 to face North Texas.

SMU opens its home schedule against Sam Houston, who fills in for the usual TCU game, which was bumped from the 2006 schedule because TCU could not fit it in. The next game, the Mustangs host Arkansas State before heading back on the road for the beginning of conference play.

“I’m not excited about four of the first six games on the road,” Bennett said. “Other than that, I think it’s a great schedule.”

Tulane will host the Mustangs for the conference opener in what is sure to be an emotional game, taking place only six days after the Superdome is scheduled to re-open.

The ‘Stangs then travel to El Paso to play UTEP.

The C-USA home opener will be a rematch against Marshall, who upset SMU in overtime at Marshall last season 16-13. The Mustangs then head to the East Coast to face East Carolina.

Back home Oct. 31, SMU will host its first weekday game since 1999 when UAB comes to town, and the first game broadcast by any ESPN network from Ford Stadium.

The team will then take 10 days off before playing back-to-back home games against C-USA bowl teams in Houston and Tulsa and then traveling to Rice for the final regular season game.

The conference championship game is scheduled for Dec. 2.