Photo Courtesy: Dominic Ceraldi
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
SMU Mustangs vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Saturday – October 29 – 2:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Chapman Stadium – Tulsa, OK
Records Before the Game
SMU Mustangs (3-4, 1-2 American)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-4, 1-2 American)
This is not where the Mustangs were planning to be. The team is 3-4 and tied with Tulsa for 6th place in the American Conference. SMU will need to play big and get a win on the road this weekend to stay relevant in conference. Both teams will need to get to six wins to become bowl eligible.
Conference is Still Wide Open
Only two games separate the top 5 teams in the conference this week. SMU or Tulsa with a win can move closer to the top, but at best the winner of this game will land in 4th place after this weekend.
SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs can do two things on the road in Oklahoma. One, they can go into Tulsa and beat the Golden Hurricane by 20 or lose a very winnable game and fall into last place in conference and fail to get a bowl bid this season. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai is the key for the offense. He will need to get the ball out of his hands and into the hands of wide out Rashee Rice. The key is to allow Rice to get the ball in space and allow him to get the ball down field. Run after catch is the x-factor for the Mustangs offense.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Golden Hurricane quarterback Davis Brin will need to stay ahead of the yard sticks. What I mean is, he will need not to fall into long 3rd downs against the Mustangs if he wants to beat the Mustangs at home. Keep an eye on running back Steven Anderson. He has 300 yards on 73 carries and 5 touchdowns. The x-factor for the Golden Hurricane will be the defense. They will need to create turnovers to keep the game in reach.
Prediction
ESPN has the Mustangs with a 63.9% chance of winning on the road in Oklahoma. Last week I took SMU by a touchdown. The Mustangs had the Bearcats and let them go! I’m taking SMU by 10 this week.
Final Score
Mustangs – 24
Golden Hurricane – 14
