Max says the SMU defense has improved enough that the Mustangs should be able to slow the high-powered Memphis offense (photo by Max Franklin).

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The Mustangs now are back to .500 after an exhilarating victory last week against Tulane that improved their record to 4-4. In the win, SMU showed resilience, toughness and maturity. SMU came out firing on all cylinders as the defense appeared to have the triple option solved. Tulane couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half, and SMU quarterback Ben Hicks and the rest of the offense moved the ball at will. Running back Braeden West had over 100 yards on the ground in the first half, and wide receiver James Proché was making plays, finishing with 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Things looked to be smooth sailing for the Mustangs after two quarters. But Tulane fired out with 21 unanswered points to take a 31-21 lead, and in the third quarter, the Mustangs looked utterly lost. The offense couldn’t do a thing, and picked up a grand total of 12 yards in the third quarter. It looked like the Mustangs had reverted back to the old ways, until Hicks and the rest of the offense got it together and put on a comeback from being down two possessions, capped off with a West touchdown that permanently gave SMU the lead. After the win, the Mustangs will look for their third straight victory this week in Dallas against Memphis.

The Tigers will come into Gerald J. Ford Stadium this Saturday with a 5-3 record. How impressive are those five wins? Not very. Memphis’ best win is at home against Temple, while the rest of their wins came against bad teams such as Kansas, Bowling Green State, Tulane and Southeast Missouri State. Against good teams, the Tigers haven’t fared very well. All three losses have been blowouts to Ole Miss, Navy and Tulsa. The Tigers have a winning record, but they have not yet proven their worth, and now they face a hot SMU team on the road. This is a big game for both teams as they both embark on their journey to a bowl berth.

Most recently, Tulsa blasted Memphis, 59-30, as Tulsa’s ground game absolutely gashed the Memphis rushing defense. Tulsa averaged 6.7 yards per carry and collected a whopping 362 yards on the ground. Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans had plenty of success through the air, as well, as he tossed two touchdowns. Memphis is very porous in all elements of its defense, especially up front. SMU will need another explosive game out West if the Mustangs want to move to 5-4. Hicks needs to spread the ball around, precisely like he did last week, bainly mainly between Proché and Courtland Sutton. SMU’s offense definitely should have success.

But on the other side of the ball, the Tigers are really talented. Memphis is a pass-first team, ranking 23rd in the nation in passing yards per game with 290.8 yards. The Tigers also can score, and score a lot: they average 37.5 points per game, ranking 25th in the nation in that category. Quarterback Riley Ferguson, who has thrown for more than 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns thus far, leads the offense. He has completed 62 percent of his passes and has just thrown eight picks. He has been sacked 25 times this season, and it’s almost guaranteed SMU will try to take advantage of Memphis’ banged up offensive line. Defensive ends Justin Lawler, Jarvis Pruitt and the rest of the pass rushers will need to beat up Ferguson and make him think twice before letting it fly.

One of the main reasons Ferguson has been so successful is he has a ton of options to whom he can throw. The wide receiving corps is phenomenal, with Anthony Miller and Phil Mayhue leading the way (combined 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns. Memphis also has five other receivers who all have at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown for the season. The running game is not anything special, but Doroland Dorceus is a great runner, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and with five touchdowns.

The most interesting storyline for SMU so far is the upward trajectory of Hicks, as he continues to improve, adding a game-winning drive to his ledger last week. More great performances from the likes of Sutton, Proché and West are expected, especially against Memphis’ weak defense. If the SMU defense plays like it did last week, and gets after Ferguson, the Mustangs will be able to make enough stops to contain this high-octane offense. This game will be a shootout, and I like SMU’s defense to be able to make enough stops to hold off Memphis.

Nate’s Take: SMU 41, Memphis 35