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The Memphis offense is guided by senior Paxton Lynch, one of the premier passers in college football (photo by gotigersgo.com).

Well, the Mustangs did it. SMU got it done on Senior Day and drilled what looked to be a bad Tulane team, 49-21. At 2-9 the Mustangs will look to end their season on a positive note with a potential upset of a very good Memphis team.

SMU controlled the ball and Tulane couldn’t stop SMU running back Xavier Jones, who had an outstanding game, including a three-touchdown second quarter. He finished with 17 carries and 117 yards and the three scores. Quarterback Matt Davis also ran all over the Green Wave, compiling 321 total yards and a rushing touchdown. Tulane head coach Curtis Johnson said after the game, “That was one of the most disappointing games I’ve ever been around.” All in all, the SMU seniors got to go out on a positive note.

Memphis started the season 8-0 and looked to be an absolute buzzsaw, and even was being mentioned as a possible candidate for the College Football Playoff. The last three games, however, have been entirely disappointing for the Tigers, dropping all three to Navy, Houston (a game in which Memphis blew a big lead) and Temple. Yes, all three are very good teams, but Memphis was not impressive at all in any of the three. This still has been a monstrously successful season for head coach Justin Fuente, who is being mentioned in rumors all across the country for the many big-time head coaching vacancies, although finishing the season with four straight losses could hurt Fuente’s résumé.

The Memphis offense led by star quarterback Paxton Lynch who is 13th in the nation in passing yards per game at 327. The Tigers also average around 40 points per game, which checks in at 10th in the country. Their running game is average, averaging about 180 yards per game. That is 51st in the country.

Last season the Mustangs were thrashed by Memphis, 48-10, but SMU will be able to score some points on Memphis’ below-average defense. But can the Mustangs put up any resistance against this high-octane offense? Lynch is having a monster year and is getting a lot of NFL attention. For the year he has 3,448 yards and 21 touchdowns in the air, and has given away only three picks the whole season. His favorite three receivers are Mose Frazier (64 catches, 694 yards, three touchdowns), Anthony Miller (41 catches, 624 yards, four touchdowns) and Phil Mayhue (46 catches, 601 yards). The most amazing part about Lynch is how he can find different receivers. Nine different receivers have hauled in at least one touchdown this season. Some of those receivers have as little as six catches for the season.

The Memphis running game is stout as well; it has basically been a running back-by-committee. Doroland Dorceus, Jarvis Cooper, Jamarius Henderson, and Sam Kraft. Each has at least 70 yards and 300 or more rushing yards. Dorceus is definitely the lead back, with 580 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. But the running backs aren’t the feature of this offense. Memphis is a definitive air-raid offense. That portion of the game should be entertaining.

The Tigers come into the game looking to finish the season with a record of 9-3. SMU comes into the game looking to finish 3-9. So it’s completely opposite sides of the spectrum. I see an all-out shootout in which neither team can really stop the other. The issue is, Memphis’ defense isn’t horrible, while SMU has given up 44 points per game. With injuries in the SMU secondary, Lynch might have a post-Thanksgiving feast and dominate SMU. Unfortunately, the Mustangs won’t be able to finish the season on the fantastic Tulane game.

Nate’s Take: Memphis 63, SMU 27