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PonyFans.com is proud to welcome, as a new columnist, Nate, who is 13 years old, in seventh grade, might want to be a sports writer and knows more about football than a lot of people who already make their living covering sports. Nate will preview each game throughout the season, looking at a key player, matchup or statistic that could prove relevant in each upcoming game … and he'll go out on a limb and pick the score of each game. Feel free to post comments and constructive criticism, and to give suggestions for upcoming games!

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SMU is coming off a sloppy win against Memphis last week and now is 1-1 in conference games. I have seen major improvements from this team as the year has gone on (i.e. receivers catching, defensive improvement).

I won’t be able to say much about the Memphis game as I have about others, because I watched about 10 minutes of the first quarter as I had basketball practice smack-dab in the middle of the darn game. My dad was giving me updates of the game during water breaks at my practice. When he told me SMU was ahead, 34-3, I was in complete shock (obviously, joyful shock). After practice, I asked what the final. He said “34-29 SMU,” and I said, “excuse me?” I later found out Memphis came back because some sloppy mistakes: Garrett Gilbert threw a pick-six, although the score was called back because of a penalty. Traylon Shead was stripped of the ball and there was a fumble on a JaBryce Taylor punt return. But the strange nature of those plays made the score closer than the game seemed to be.

Nate says the SMU defense should be able to contain the Temple offense (photo by Patrick Kleineberg).

“They had the play where they got the strip (of Shead) and that fluky fumble on the punt. Garrett threw that interception, and that’s not typical,” senior cornerback Kenneth Acker said. “He has played great all year and doesn’t turn the ball over. So there were a few freak plays that made the score closer.”

Strong start: I saw some good things. On the second play of the game, Gilbert threw a 79-yard touchdown to Keenan Holman, and the defense got a couple three-and-outs.

Gilbert: Another great game: 27-of-43 for 321 yards and two touchdown passes. I know I’m nitpicking, but my one complaint with him is that he doesn’t get many yards per completion (6.3). Don’t get me wrong: I love him as our quarterback. He is putting up great numbers; for the season, he has completed 208 of 329 passes (63.2 percent) for 2,069 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and six interceptions, and a very strong quarterback rating of 124.1. He is greatly improved from last year — too bad we only have him for two years.

Alright, Temple, here I come. SMU is 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in the new American Athletic Conference. I know the chances of a conference championship are small, but thank you, UCF for beating Louisville. I thought Louisville was going to run away with the AAC, but maybe not. If the Mustangs have any shot at winning this conference and going to a BCS bowl, they have to win out (which I don’t see happening) and Louisville needed to lose just one. Also, those Houston and UCF games are looking tougher and tougher.

Temple is 1-6 and coming off of its first win of the season, 33-14 over Army. This will be the first time SMU has played Temple in 70 years (the teams tied each time, in 1942 and 1946). Temple coach Mark Rhule is in his first season at Temple and is a Penn State grad and letter winner.

Quarterback Connor Reilly has led a feeble offense that has averaged only 18 points a game (112th in the nation). P.J. Walker, who has come in for a couple of games hasn’t done much better, is a mobile freshman who is expected to start Saturday. Temple averages just 203 passing yards per game (90th) and 146 rushing yards per game (88th). SMU should be able to contain the Owls’ offense.

Acker gave some thoughts about the SMU defense and how it has improved.

“I think we’re growing up as a defense,” he said. “We’re more in tune. Every game is a must-win game for us — our backs are against the wall. We know how we have to play. I don’t know if we’re where we want to be, because you can always do some things better. But we’re OK.”

The defense, led by linebacker Tyler Matakevich, only gives up a respectable 26 points a game (65th in the country). They compare favorably to the Mustangs’ defense, which has given up a horrifying 40.9 points per game (122nd), although the level of competition has been nowhere near equal. That would be lower without the turnovers that led to late points for Memphis last week, although it still is too much.

This Temple team has proven to be bad — the Owls lost to Fordham (30-29) and Idaho (26-24). They hung with Notre Dame decently before losing, 28-6, and lost a respectable game to a Houston team that’s now 5-1, 22-13, so Temple might be better than its record.

This is another must-win game for the Ponies, who will have enough problems finishing the season 4-2 to get to a bowl with Cincinnati, Houston and UCF still on the slate. The Mustangs should be able to beat Temple if they consider themselves a bowl-worthy team. I predicted a blowout last week, and it pretty much was, as it was 34-3 at one point, but SMU let Memphis back into the game. June Jones will get his point across to the guys that they can’t let teams back into games like that and expect to win every time. I think SMU will look to put the Owls away early, as they started to against Memphis, and hopefully the Ponies will close it out. SMU can’t mess around, and I think the Mustangs will be leaving Ford Stadium with a second straight win, and then will start to get rested in their third bye … ? (No issues with it — but it’s just weird.) Then it’s time to get ready for Connecticut in two weeks.

Nate’s take: SMU 34, Temple 10