#11 6-1 HOUSTON VS. SMU 2-4
WHEN: 6 P.M. SATURDAY • WHERE: GERALD J. FORD STADIUM, DALLAS • TV: ESPN2 • RADIO: 950 AM
Key players: UH — QB Greg Ward Jr., WR Linell Bonner, DL Ed Oliver; SMU — QB Ben Hicks, RB Braeden West, LB Anthony Rhone. Series history: Houston leads 20-10-1. Who has the edge:
Offense — Houston. The Cougars’ offense continues to rank among the best in the country, producing 42.7 points (11th), 505.1 total yards (16th) and 305.1 passing yards (20th) per game. SMU is much further down the list, with 23.2 points and 415 yards per outing, but it proved capable of piling up points two weeks ago in a 43-40 overtime loss to Tulsa.
Defense — Houston. The Cougars returned to dominance against the run, holding Tulsa below 100 rushing yards (94) one week after rolling over for Navy’s ground attack. They’re No. 10 in total yards (299) and No. 3 in rushing yards (87.1) allowed per game. The Cougars also returned a fumble for a TD and came up with a key goal-line stand in the final seconds of the win over Tulsa.
Special teams — Even. K Josh Williams converted all four of his field-goal attempts from 39, 44, 25 and 22 yards against Tulsa. He’s 11-of13 on the season. The Cougars average 25.8 yards per kick return after Brandon Wilson and D’Eriq King combined to return five for 84 yards against Tulsa. Notable: The Cougars topped SMU 49-28 last year in Houston for their ninth win in 10 years in the series. The Mustangs’ only breakthrough in that span was a 72-42 win four years ago in Dallas. Ward threw for 243 yards and ran for 82 yards and four TDs in last season’s victory. About Houston: The Cougars (6-1, 3-1) got back on track, rebounding from their 46-40 loss to Navy with a 38-31 win over Tulsa, but it was far from convincing. The unranked Golden Hurricane tied the game at 31 with 3:31 left, and the Cougars needed two huge defensive plays in the final minutes to pull off the win.
About SMU: The Mustangs (2-4, 0-2) picked up their only wins this season against North Texas (34-21) and Liberty (29-14). West, a Seven Lakes product, is their leading rusher with 521 yards and three TDs on 97 carries.