Who:                    USF Bulls vs. SMU Mustangs
What:                  American Athletic Conference football game
When:                 Saturday, November 19, 2016
Where:               Gerald Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Why:                   Conference Championship implications

The University of South Florida Bulls head to Dallas to face the Mustangs of SMU for just the fourth matchup in the history of these programs. The Bulls have the edge in the series, 2-1, the last game being a 38-14 blowout of the Mustangs in Tampa.

USF brings their 8-2 (5-1) record to the game after winning a nail biter against Memphis, last week. SMU sits at 5-5 (3-3), their last game a win over ECU, 55-31.

USF Offense
The Bulls have the tenth ranked scoring offense in the FBS, averaging 44 points per game. That offense is led by quarterback, Quinton Flowers, and strong running attack from Marlon Mack. Flowers has over 1,100 rushing yards this season, with 13 touchdowns on the ground. He also adds to those impressive stats, 220 passing yards per game 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He’s ranked 16^th in the nation for his rushing yards per game of 113. Mack is ranked 34^th in the same category, shares the leadership of the 6^th ranked rushing attack in the nation, averaging 94 yards per game, with 12 rushing touchdowns. Receiver, Rodney Adams, leads the team in catches, racking up 671 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season.

SMU Defense
The Mustang defense ranks 98^th nationally, allowing 32 points per game. They rank 72^nd against the run and 102^nd against the pass. Justin Lawler, Darrion Millines, and Kyran Mitchell, all have over 50 tackles this season. Lawler also leads the team with 6 sacks and Mitchell ranks 4^th on the team with 3.5. Millines is second on the team with five interceptions, one shy of Horace Richardson, who has six.

SMU Offense
Averaging 27 points per game, the SMU offense ranks 74^th. They lean on the pass more than the run, where quarterback, Ben Hicks has 15 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and over 2,200 yards on the season. Receiver, Courtland Sutton, leads the team in catches, for 934 yards and 7 touchdowns. Running backs, Braeden West and Ke’Mon Freeman, share carries. West averages 86 yards per game with six touchdowns. Freeman has 54 yards per game, with 3 touchdowns this season.

USF Defense
The Bulls defense has been challenged of late, allowing more than 40 points in their past two games. They allow an average of 31 points per game, 88^th best in the country. They are especially susceptible to the run, allowing 224 yards per game on the ground. That’s the 108^th worst average in the nation. They’re not much better against the pass, where they give up 256 yards per game, ranking them 94^th in this category. Their defense is led by Auggie Sanchez, who has amassed a total of 85 tackles, this year, six of them sacks, which also leads the team. He’s ranked 49^th in tackles and 53^rd for sacks, nationally. Ronnie Hoggins, Nigel Harris, and Deatrick Nichols, each have two interceptions apiece.

Expectations
The USF defense is open to attack from the ground and the air. The SMU offense, though, may not be well enough equipped to take advantage of the weakness of their foe. The Bulls offense should be expected to continue their high scoring trend, leaving the advantage tilted their way. The visiting team are 13 point favorites against the Mustangs.

Kickoff is at 7 PM EST and can be viewed nationally on CBS Sports Network.

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