Photo Courtesy: Michael Kolch
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Prairie View Panthers vs SMU Mustangs
Saturday – September 16 – 6:00p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, TX
Records Before the Game
Prairie View Panthers (1-1)
SMU Mustangs (1-1)
Last week SMU went into Norman, Oklahoma to play #20 Oklahoma Sooners. In the first quarter the Mustangs showed that they could hang with the big dogs on their home field. After the 1st quarter the score was 7 – 3 in favor of OU. The Mustangs started to falter in the middle of the second quarter. The defensive line began to struggle with stopping the run. Late into the 4th quarter both offense and defense couldn’t get on track. This happened to the Mustangs for years. The Panthers of Prairie View are coming to Dallas to play the Mustangs at home. I’m not taking anything away from the Panthers, but this should be an easy game for the Mustangs.
Why you should watch this game
It’s Saturday night and the team really needs a non-conference win against a team that has nothing to lose. This is where you find out how good your team can play as favorites.
Why you shouldn’t watch this game
The season is changing, and you promised your son that you would attend his football game on the road. Well, you can keep up with SMU on the ESPN app.
Prairie View A&M Panthers
Prairie View is a sneaky good team. They have a problem putting together 4 quarters, especially on the road. In their first game on the road, they beat Texas Southern by 3 in overtime. Last week, they fell to Abilene Christian at home by 29. You never know what team is going to show up for the Panthers. Players to watch: QB Trazon Conley, RB Ahmad Antoine and wide receiver Brian Jenkins, Jr. These guys will be handful for the Mustang defense Saturday.
SMU Mustangs
SMU needs a win Saturday! I don’t care who they’re playing. Last week the loss to Oklahoma was big for this team. Traveling to Norman allowed the players and coaching staff a deeper look at this team moving forward. The week before the Mustangs beat Louisiana Tech by 24 points. Keep in mind that SMU has plenty of home grown talent. They need playing time to mesh as a team, especially when your defense is stacked. Players to watch: QB Preston Stone, RB LJ Johnson, Jr. and WR Jake Bailey.
Prediction
ESPN has the Mustangs with a 99.0% chance of winning at home. This game will be a bit closer than anyone thinks. SMU cannot take this team lightly. They have nothing to lose. I have SMU by 17!
Final Score
Mustangs – 34
Panthers – 20
