SMU defensive back Jonathan Lindley (right) tackles UNT’s Casey Fitzgerald (left). (John Schreiber)

The Mustangs’ conference opener is at home against a team struggling with injuries.: This may be as close to a must-win game as the Mustangs are going to get.

With the rough 1-3 start to the season, SMU has little room for error if it wants to make this the year things turn around and go to a bowl game.

The Mustangs have surprised the Miners the past couple of seasons.

Two years ago, a struggling team hosted a UTEP team that was poised and ready to represent the west in the Conference USA Championship game.

SMU came out and shocked the Miners, winning the game 40-27.

Last season, UTEP saw a different team of Mustangs than everyone else did. The game in El Paso was the only game that Justin Willis did not take a snap at quarterback.

But the Mustangs still put up a fight. After going scoreless in the first half, SMU charged into the second half on a mission and erased a 17-0 deficit to take a 21-17 lead.

If it weren’t for a halfback pass late in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs would have gotten a big road win, but as it was, SMU fell 24-21.

This season both teams are in different situations. The Miners no longer have their starting quarterback from the past few years, Jordan Palmer, and the Mustangs will have Willis in the lineup this season.

But there is a chance that the Mustangs could be missing a key component from the win two years ago: DeMyron Martin.

Last year, the UTEP game was the only game in a seven-game stretch that Martin played in. However, he saw limited time in that game, rushing 17 times for just 55 yards.

But two years ago, Martin was instrumental in the upset of UTEP, carrying the ball 30 times for 117 yards.

This weekend, SMU might be without him because of a tweaked hamstring. On Thursday, SMU head coach Phil Bennett said he was not sure if Martin would play on Saturday.

The Mustangs showed significant improvements last Saturday against TCU.

But it is anyone’s guess what team will show up. Will it be the team that allowed just 250 total offense yards against the Horned Frogs, or the team that gave up 613 total offense yards against North Texas?

The strange thing is when the Mustangs gave up over 350 more yards, they won, but the game when they gave up a season low, they lost.

This means this Saturday’s game will be dependent on the offense.

The offense showed its ability to put points on the board against UNT, but against TCU put up as many points for the Horned Frogs as it did for SMU.

This may be the time for the Mustangs to focus on what has worked so far this season.

On the one and only touchdown drive last weekend, the Mustangs did all three things that work. First was a 15-yard pass, then a 46-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders and finally a 15-yard run by Martin.

The Mustangs have a lot of weapons on offense, they just have to use them. Willis is a more than capable runner, and it comes in handy quite often. But there are also players on the team whose job it is to run the football.

Martin’s injury will hurt the running game, but backup James Mapps and the possible return of Cedrick Dorsey will fill the void. And even if Martin doesn’t play and Dorsey is not fully recovered from his injury, this is also a team built to throw the ball.

UTEP’s defense is banged up and injured. Three defensive linemen and both starting cornerbacks are injured. The Mustangs’ passing game must take advantage of that if they want to win the conference opener.

The Mustang defense has also shown signs of life. Even against a mediocre TCU offense, the defense looked like it was starting to get into a rhythm.

With the exception of Jonathan Lindley’s injury, the defense has gotten healthy and appears to be ready for C-USA.

There are just two things the defense needs to prove that it can do on a consistent basis: have a strong pass rush and not give up big passing plays.

That might be easier on Saturday for unusual reasons. UTEP’s quarterback Trevor Vittatoe was involved in what UTEP head coach Mike Price called a “serious” car accident on Wednesday night.

Vittatoe did not practice with the team on Thursday and his status for Saturday’s game is unknown.

But with all outside factors aside, the Mustangs have to show that they can come out and play well in the first quarter, not collapse on defense and make big plays on offense when they have to.

If this team can do that, things might turn around for the Mustangs in conference play.

The conference opener is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

SMU defensive end Cory Muse (left) tackles North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager (right). (John Schreiber)