Coming off a bye, the SMU Mustangs are looking to pick up their first win on the season against a team that at one time would’ve seemed absolutely unbeatable.
But now, though an SMU win would still be an upset, the Mustangs actually look like they have a fighting chance against Tommy Tuberville’s Bearcats.
Cincinnati is in a stay a disarray after losing convincingly to Ohio State, Miami (Fla.) and Memphis in its last three games, during which the Bearcats have been outscored 146-76. A season that started with aspirations of an AAC title has soured due to injuries, off-the-field issues and dreadful defensive play.
Of course, the Mustangs have dealt with and continue to deal with their fair share of problems on both offense defense, and enter this game as 14-point underdogs. But they looked much better on offense in their loss to East Carolina two weeks ago, and there’s no doubt that they are catching Cincinnati, who has lost both of its road games this year, at the most opportune time possible.
Saturday’s matchup will feature, statistically speaking, the two worst defense in the FBS when it comes to yards allowed. SMU ranks 126th in the country, allowing 557 total yards per game, while the Bearcats rank dead last, surrendering 573.6 yards per game to their opponents.
On paper, this certainly would seem to suggest that we’re in for a shootout on the Hilltop come Saturday.
Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel, a transfer from Notre Dame, has been mostly stellar this season, passing for 1,612 yards and 18 touchdowns so far in 2014. Thanks to his play, the Bearcats boast the 11th-best passing attack in the FBS.
However, he hasn’t been as sharp the past two games, throwing four touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 50 percent of his passes, and is listed questionable for this weekend while his bruised ribs continue to recover.
Meanwhile, SMU starting quarterback Garrett Krstich is coming off his best performance of the season against the Pirates, where he threw for 339 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 42 of his 67 passes.
The Mustangs’ offense put up 24 points against East Carolina after scoring just 12 points combined in their first four games. Going up against a defense that is allowing 40.8 points per game, 124th in the FBS, SMU has a realistic chance of putting up even more points on Cincinnati than it did against the Pirates. But along those same lines, the Mustangs’ scoring defense is worse than the Bearcats and everyone else in the country, allowing 49.4 points per game.
Make no mistake, an SMU win this weekend would still be pretty surprising, even with Cincinnati’s recent struggles. The offense needs to continue to progress and the defense has to find a way to somewhat stymie the Bearcats’ potent passing attack. Tom Mason and the Mustangs still have plenty of room for improvement, but this is undoubtedly their best chance at picking up a victory so far in 2014.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
