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Through 3 Quarters
The SMU Mustangs were the heavy favorites here for a reason. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Navy Midshipmen 45-17 three quarters in. SMU took a hit to their ego last week, so a victory here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.
RB Ulysses Bentley IV has led the way so far for the Mustangs, as he has rushed for two TDs and 144 yards on 20 carries in addition to catching four passes for 68 yards. Bentley IV's performance is making up for a slower game against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
SMU has been a nightmare for Navy's offensive line with four sacks already. We'll see if SMU can continue to haunt the offensive line.
Who's Playing
Navy @ No. 22 SMU
Current Records: Navy 3-3; SMU 5-1
What to Know
The SMU Mustangs are 1-4 against the Navy Midshipmen since November of 2015, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit Saturday. The Mustangs and Navy will face off in an American Athletic battle at 7:30 p.m. ET at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SMU struts in flaunting some offensive muscle with an average of 37.67 points per game.
The night started off rough for SMU last week, and it ended that way, too. They found themselves the reluctant recipients of an unpleasant 42-13 punch to the gut against the Cincinnati Bearcats. It was supposed to be a close game, and SMU was supposed to come out on top, but neither of those things ended up happening. No one had a standout game offensively for SMU, but QB Shane Buechele led the way with one touchdown.
Meanwhile, the contest between the Midshipmen and the Houston Cougars last week was not a total blowout, but with Navy falling 37-21 at home, it was darn close to turning into one. Despite the loss, Navy got a solid performance out of QB Dalen Morris, who passed for two TDs and 206 yards on 18 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 46 yards. Morris' 60-yard touchdown toss to WR Ryan Mitchell in the second quarter made for one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
This next matchup looks promising for SMU, who are favored by a full 13 points. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the squad has never dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Both of these teams will be looking to put their recent losses behind them and walk away with a victory. We'll see which team satisfies their hunger and which team leaves with an empty stomach.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium -- Dallas, Texas
- TV: ESPN2
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Mustangs are a big 13-point favorite against the Midshipmen, according to the latest college football odds.
Bettors have moved against the Mustangs slightly, as the game opened with the Mustangs as a 14.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Navy have won four out of their last five games against SMU.
- Nov 23, 2019 - Navy 35 vs. SMU 28
- Sep 22, 2018 - SMU 31 vs. Navy 30
- Nov 11, 2017 - Navy 43 vs. SMU 40
- Nov 26, 2016 - Navy 75 vs. SMU 31
- Nov 14, 2015 - Navy 55 vs. SMU 14
