When I was a kid, SMU football was among the elite programs in the country. I still remember going to my friend’s house and seeing Eric Dickerson pictures taped up to the wall. Ithink we all know how that ended. If you have not seen the 30 for 30 documentary on ESPN, Pony Excess, please check it out (one of the better episodes…not as good as Unguarded, but very good). After the death penalty, SMU struggled to get their program back up to relevancy in college football, but this is their third straight bowl game. The Pitt Panthers will give SMU a welcome to the Big East as they pass each other in the conference shuffle on their way to the ACC (still no word on when Pitt will be going, but it looks like at least like one more year in the Big East…at least).
Pitt and SMU will kickoff at 1PM on Saturday in the BBVA Bowl Game in Birmingham…hurry up…tickets are going FAST…ok, maybe not that fast. Even if no one watches, I’ll be watching because I love to punish myself and it will be a good primer for the Steelers game on Sunday.
SMU comes into the game at 7-5 and had a very good win against in-state rival TCU earlier in the year. I’m not sure if the stats mean a whole lot in this game. It probably will probably come down to who can come back from a long lay-off better and adjust to the changes that have occurred from the last game of the season (bothschools would like to take this time to thank Arizona State). For SMU, it is the distraction of whether coach, June Jones really wants to stay there after the ASU debacle, and of course, Pitt’s players have to find the same unity they did last year against Kentucky in the same game. It should be interesting to see what kind of offense and defense Pitt plays with Keith Patterson calling the shots.
We can only speculate how the teams will play this bowl game and whether they play up to their capabilities, so let’s stick with what we know. SMU is led by Junior quarterback, J.J. McDermott, who has thrown for 3,128 yards and an even 16/16 on TDs and INTs. The Mustangs are much like Pitt in the running back department. Junior Zach Line had toe surgery late in the year and SMU will be without his 1,224 yards and 17 TDs (much like Ray Graham’s absence due to injury for Pitt). Replacing Line, will most likely be Freshman, Rishad Wimbley. Not a lot of action this season for Wimbley, but he did account for 115 yards in his last game against Rice.
SMU likes to spread the ball out and that is noticeable when looking at their top two receiving targets. Junior Darius Johnson has 72 catches for almost 1,000 yards and 7 TDs, while Senior wideout, Cole Beasley will come in with 29 catches and 954 yards…adding in 2 TDs. This offense is 22nd in passing, 97th in rushing, and 71st in points for.
The defense seems to lack a big play element. They are solid in rushing the QB, but not great. Tied at 47th in the country with 26 sacks, so hopefully it will give Pitt’s Tino Sunseri a little more time than he has been used too. The Mustangs have only picked off 5 passes this year and are near the bottom of the FSB rankings in that area, tied for 111th. The defensive unit comes in at 52nd in points against, so despite missing a big play here and there, they are solid.
If you are looking at special teams, despite a poor year by the Panthers in punting, SMU seems to be struggling more than Pitt. Junior Matt Stone only averages 36.9 yards per kick. If Pitt can find a punt returner for this game, they could exploit this weakness.
Not many people are excited about this game, but when the whistle blows, the Mustangs and Panthers will have no choice but to come out ready. Pitt came together in a cloud of controversy last season and from all the quotes you can find, they could do it again. I say Pitt comes together, as many of them feel betrayed by Todd Graham, and on top of that, seem very excited about the hiring of Paul Chryst. Final Score – Pitt 24 SMU 13.
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