Houston @ SMU preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 7, 2017 ) Southern Methodist 22, Houston 35

No. 17 Houston takes one of the nation's top offenses on the road for a key American Athletic Conference game at SMU on Saturday. Houston is on the cusp of clinching a least a share of the West Division and has already secured their sixth straight bowl berth, but the Cougars are only focused on the upcoming game.

"We haven't won anything yet," Houston coach Major Applewhite told the media Monday. "We haven't won the West, we haven't won the conference, there's no bowl games being handed out. Everything is still ahead of us, so it's a matter of what you want and what you're willing to put in." The Mustangs forced three turnovers last week and will need another big defensive effort to stop a Cougar team leading the nation in total offense (571.1 yards) and second in scoring (49.8 points). Houston quarterback D'Eriq King leads the nation with 236 points responsible after having a hand in seven scores last week to tie an American single-game record. Saturday's game will feature the league's leaders in touchdown receptions in Houston's Marquez Stevenson (eight) and Keith Corbin (seven) and SMU's James Proche (eight).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Houston -14

ABOUT HOUSTON (7-1, 4-0 American): King (league-high 2,403 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 413 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns) has at least two passing scores and one rushing score in each game this season. The Cougars will likely be without receiver Courtney Lark (32 catches, 509 yards, five touchdowns), who injured his knee last week but will not require surgery. Linebacker Austin Robinson leads the American with 84 tackles while defensive tackle Ed Oliver (13.5 tackles for loss) is day-to-day after missing last week's game with a bruised right knee.

ABOUT SMU (3-5, 2-2): Quarterback Ben Hicks has thrown for 1,325 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions and became the school's leader in career total offense (7,720) during last week's overtime loss to Cincinnati. Reggie Roberson Jr. (28 catches, 463 yards, four touchdowns) is the only other player with multiple touchdown catches for the Mustangs, who are struggling to run the ball (98.6 yards). Defensive end Delontae Scott (eight tackles for loss, three sacks) has played solid this season and helped disrupt Cincinnati's offense last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. King is fourth on the American's single-season list for touchdowns responsible for and needs seven more to break McKenzie Milton's 2017 record of 45 for Central Florida.

2. SMU has allowed eight non-offensive scores, including touchdown returns on all four of Hicks' interceptions.

3. SMU DT Jake Hall and Houston LB Emeke Egbule are among the 11 players leading the nation with three fumble recoveries.

PREDICTION: Houston 38, SMU 24