Tulsa @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 8, 2014 ) Southern Methodist 28, Tulsa 38

Tulsa will look to pile up the points when it travels to SMU on Saturday in a matchup of two of the three American Athletic Conference teams without a win in league play. The Golden Hurricane is sixth in the country in passing offense (364 yards) after a wild 66-42 loss to unbeaten Memphis last Saturday in which Dane Evans threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns.

The junior standout will be staring at a Mustangs defensive unit that gives up 44.1 points per game, fewer than only five other FBS teams. "When they do score, they score fast," SMU coach Chad Morris said Tuesday when asked about Tulsa, where he once served as the offensive coordinator. "They are very aggressive. They throw the football. They're the No.1 team in our conference in passing." The Mustangs' defensive issues have been more notable on the ground and that was the case last week in a 38-14 loss to USF, which rode 201 rushing yards by Quinton Flowers to the runaway win. Evans threw for five touchdowns to lead the Golden Hurricane to a 38-28 victory over SMU in 2014.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: Tulsa -3.5

ABOUT TULSA (3-4, 0-3 AAC): Including the Mustangs, the Golden Hurricane's four remaining opponents are a combined 4-9 in league play, opening the door for a positive stretch run. "A bowl game is definitely one of our main goals right now, but that will come with winning the next game," safety Michael Mudoh told the Tulsa World. "We're not going to go from three wins to six wins in one week." Keyarris Garrett had a career-high 268 receiving yards in the loss to Memphis and has vaulted all the way to fifth on the school's all-time list with 2,587.

ABOUT SMU (1-6, 0-3): Quarterback Matt Davis struggled in completing 9-of-24 passes last Saturday while throwing his first interception since Sept. 4. However, he had his breakout game last year at Tulsa with a season-high 212 yards through the air and another 181 (with two touchdowns) on the ground. The junior ranks fourth in the AAC in total offense behind Evans and two others.

EXTRA POINTS

1. SMU's six losses have come against teams with a combined 36-8 record.

2. Evans' 42 career passing TDs is tied for fifth in school history.

3. Mustangs WR Courtland Sutton has at least one touchdown in six of seven games this year.

PREDICTION: Tulsa 48, SMU 38