Nate says that in order to win at Tulane, the SMU offensive line can go a long way toward helping the defense if it can protect quarterback Ben Hicks and open up running lanes, thereby reducing the amount of time the defense has to spend on the field (photo by Pat Kleineberg).

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Wow. Just simply … wow. On a night where the Cubs clinched a spot in the World Series (for the first time in 71 years) and Penn State took down Ohio State in Happy Valley, the SMU Mustangs added to the madness as they absolutely dominated the then-No. 11 Houston Cougars in a blowout, 38-16. Aside from being a neutral journalist, I also am a Mustang fan, and that was one of the more fun and exciting nights in my 16-year lifetime. I got to rush Ford Field for the first time since 2009, when the Mustangs won their sixth game of the year to clinch a bowl for the first time in 25 years.

In my book of memories as an SMU fan, Saturday night definitely tops the time when the Mustangs beat TCU in Fort Worth a few years ago, because what I witnessed was a less talented, but fearless and prideful, group of players playing focused, physical football. The Mustangs worked better as a unit than the Cougars did. SMU came to the game with a plan.

The best postgame quote came from SMU head coach Chad Morris, who said, “I know it may have shocked the country but I can tell you, there’s 111 guys and a coaching staff that it didn’t shock a bit.”

The Mustangs played like they belonged on the field with Houston, and in fact, they controlled the Cougars. Looking back on the keys to the game from last week’s article — SMU executed all of them almost to perfection. I said they needed to keep quarterback Ben Hicks standing. He wasn’t sacked once, even given the constant blitzes and stunts. SMU needed to get the ground game going, and the Mustangs rushed for 178 yards (4.4 yards per carry). Wide receiver Courtland Sutton had to make plays, and in order for that to happen, the secondary receivers had to contribute. Sutton had seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, because James Proché and Jeremiah Gaines combined for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The Ponies had to win the turnover battle, and they did, by one. Lastly, the offense had to finish drives within the red zone, and it scored on all four red zone trips with three touchdowns and a field goal.

What the defense did can not go unmentioned. Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. averaged 69 rushing yards per game this season, but he had just three rushing yards Saturday night, thanks in part to the seven sacks by the SMU defense. Houston averaged just 1.8 yards per carry, as the front seven won the battle up front. The SMU secondary made plays, forcing two fumbles downfield, both of which were recovered by the Mustangs. Defensive end Jarvis Pruitt had three of the seven SMU sacks, part of a sensational performance by the Ponies’ defensive line.

But the Mustangs have to move on and now have a chance to make some noise in the American with the confidence the Mustangs are playing with and a win like that against the best team in the conference. It starts Saturday against the 3-4 Tulane Green Wave.

Tulane will host the Mustangs at Yulman Stadium after losing two straight games to Memphis and Tulsa, including an uninspiring 50-27 loss to the Golden Hurricane. To say there are some weaknesses that SMU can exploit would be an understatement. Tulsa’s offense gashed the Tulane defense for 330 rushing yards. Granted, Tulsa has one of the top rushing attacks in the nation, but still, Tulane is weak up front and can be moved off the ball. Look for running backs Braeden West and Ke’mon Freeman to get going early. Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans also picked apart the Tulane secondary for 236 yards and three touchdowns. If Ben Hicks can perform close to the level at which he played against Houston, the offense will dominate and could put up some crooked numbers. Sutton and Proché will give the Tulane secondary lots of fits.

On the offensive side of the ball, Tulane simply doesn’t pass the ball. The Green Wave averaged 99 pass yards per game, the second-lowest average passing yards among teams in the FBS. Tulane plays with a smash-mouth style of football that is hard to stop. This style has produced the 16th-ranked rushing attack in FBS, averaging 251 rushing yards per game. The rushing attack is led by the three-headed monster of running backs Dontrell Hilliard (529 yards and seven touchdowns), Josh Rounds (465 yards and five touchdowns) and Lazedrick Thompson (288 yards and four touchdowns). Quarterback Glenn Cuiellette isn’t much of a passing threat at all, with a 41 percent pass completion percentage. He poses a small ground game threat with 148 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Tulane is likely the worst team SMU has remaining on its schedule and this is a game that SMU needs to win. SMU needs to go 3-2 the rest of the way, and the Mustangs still have Navy, Memphis and USF on the slate. This is a must-win game for the Mustangs if they hope to go to a bowl game. Morris has to refocus his players after last week’s incredible game. There can’t be a letdown from last week to this week. The defensive front seven has to keep its assignments and handle the rushing attack Tulane throws at it. If SMU can keep its defense off the field and get the ground game going, this should be a relatively easy win for SMU in the Big Easy.

Nate’s Take: SMU 45 Tulane 24