The Mustangs from SMU ride into the Liberty Bowl to take on the 17th-ranked Memphis Tigers in an AAC Conference West Division showdown. The game is slated to get underway on Saturday, November 18th at high noon. The inner-conference match-up can be seen on ESPNEWS for your viewing entertainment. As of this article, the Tigers are a -11.5 point favorite and the contest’s total sits at a lofty 77 points.
This AAC game looked like a match-up that could have division title aspirations a few weeks ago. Instead, the Mustangs have lost two straight matches. In their second loss, SMU suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Navy Midshipmen 43-40 last Saturday. The back to back defeats dropped them to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the American Athletic Conference. Now, the Mustangs trail the Memphis Tigers by two games.
The Memphis Tigers just keep on winning. Last week, they took down the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 41-14 on the road. The triumph was the Tigers fifth in a row. In fact, the only loss that Memphis has on their record is to the unbeaten Central Florida Knights. Overall, the Tigers sit 8-1 and are 5-0 in conference action.
These two schools met on the gridiron in 2016. In that game, the Memphis Tigers busted out the whopping stick and clobbered the SMU Mustangs 51-7. The victory marked the third-straight time the Tigers have come out on top over the Mustangs.
SMU Mustangs (6-4)
The Mustangs let a very winnable game get away from them last weekend. To their dismay, they allowed allowing a quarterback making his first career start to run rampant over them. Navy’s Malcolm Perry ran for 282 yards and four touchdowns and the Midshipmen held off a furious challenge by the Mustangs to win the game late. SMU made it close in the second frame but could not overcome the 34-11 halftime deficit.
SMU quarterback Ben Hicks played very well in the loss to the Midshipmen. He completed 56 percent of his throws for 261 yards through the air. He also tossed the rock for four touchdowns and only served up one pick. Unfortunately, his efforts were overshadowed by the first-time starter for Navy. In 2017, Hicks has performed admirably. He has completed 218 passes for 2,849 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Even though the Mustangs like to move the ball through the air, they still keep balance with a formidable rushing attack. Three capable tailbacks have carried the load by rushing for almost 1,750 yards and 18 scores. Xavier Jones is their go-to guy, rushing the ball 141 times for just over 800 yards and seven trips to the promised land. Two other backs have about the same yardage and have pitched in another 11 touchdowns.
Wideout Trey Quinn has turned into a pass-catching machine this season. The junior has reeled in 96 of Ben Hicks’ throws for just over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. He is the player that the offense looks to move the chains on third downs. On the other side, teammate Courtland Sutton has also done quite well. As the second option, Sutton has nabbed 55 balls for 875 yards on a team-high 11 trips to glory.
You can’t talk about defense and the SMU Mustangs in the same sentence. That’s because they don’t play any. Overall, they rank 102nd in the country in points surrendered (32 ppg), and 121st in total yards allowed (469 ypg). Amazingly, their secondary and their front seven both rank 110th and 111th in the FBS. Obviously, quarterback Riley Ferguson is hoping to have a field day against this outfit.
(17) Memphis Tigers (8-1)
The Memphis Tigers beat the Connecticut Huskies last Saturday 41-14. It was their fifth straight win and kept them atop their division in the AAC. By halftime, the Tigers only led 21-14 but outscored the Huskies 20-0 in the second half for a comfortable 27-point triumph.
Once again, quarterback Riley Ferguson proved why he is one of the premier passers in college football. Ferguson connected on almost 70 percent of his throws for just under 300 yards. He also hit receivers for four touchdowns and had no interceptions. As of now, he has completed 218 passes for 2,881 yards with 27 touchdowns and only seven picks.
Two tailbacks handle the running duties for the Memphis Tigers. Darrell Henderson is doing his part to keep defenses honest with 783 yards and four scores. His partner-in-crime Patrick Taylor Jr. also has toted the rock 97 times for another 461 yards and a unit-high eight trips to pay-dirt.
There is little doubt that Memphis boasts one of the most electrifying wide receivers in the nation. Senior Anthony Miller has been outstanding from the word go. The talented pass-catcher has caught 67 passes for just over 900 yards with a team-high 11 touchdowns. Three other receivers have collaborated for 74 catches for almost another 1,000 yards and seven more touchdowns. The Memphis Tigers’ passing game should have a big game against the SMU defense this weekend.
The Memphis Tigers defense is a lot like the SMU Mustangs. Unfortunately, they struggle to stop anybody from wreaking havoc on the scoreboard. In 2017, the Tigers are yielding 31 points to opposing offenses (96th). Even worse, the unit as a whole is letting schools rack up 449 yards a game (111th). The Mustangs offense is explosive and the Memphis defense should face one of their toughest tests of the year in this game on Saturday.
Prediction
Las Vegas wasn’t shy about letting bettors know that they expect a lot of points in this AAC Conference match-up. Frankly, I can’t blame them a bit for setting this total at 77. Quarterbacks Riley Ferguson and Ben Hicks are some of the best the country has to offer. Both should have field days against the other’s defenses. For that reason, I’m suggesting to the Get More Sports readers that they don’t be afraid of this total and play the over. When this game is 28-21 at halftime, you won’t be disappointed.
I also think that the Memphis Tigers’ 11 point line here is just too much. Yes, I believe they will win this game at home but not by that much. SMU can run and pass effectively and that should be enough to keep this showdown tight until the end. Take the Mustangs to cover the spread and watch these two offenses dominate at noon on Saturday. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
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Trends
The Mustangs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
The Over is 6-2 in the Mustangs last 8 road games.
The Tigers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
The Over is 9-1 in the Tigers last 10 home games.
