SMU @ South Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 15, 2014 ) South Florida 14, Southern Methodist 13

With consecutive wins in its pocket following a three-game losing streak, USF aims to make it three in a row when it hosts SMU in an American Athletic Conference game Saturday. The Bulls have never won three consecutive games under coach Willie Taggart and last accomplished the feat when they won four straight in 2011.

Taggart, in his third season in charge of the program, is looking well past simply winning a third consecutive game. "We're focusing on accomplishing our goals and one is to win our conference," Taggart told the official school web site. "We know we can't do that if we don't take care of the team that's in front of us." A home victory over Syracuse, followed by knocking off UConn on the road has USF's confidence soaring and Taggart is pleased with his team's resiliency, telling reporters: "Our guys have responded the way we've wanted them to." SMU is looking to snap a four-game skid in which it has yielded at least 48 points in each game.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: USF -11.5

ABOUT SMU (1-5, 0-2 AAC): The Mustangs come off an open date and first-year coach Chad Morris told the Dallas Morning News that while the results haven't been kind to SMU, the effort has been there. "This football team has shown that it can battle with some of the best teams in the country," Morris said. "We've just got to find a way to finish four solid quarters." While the offense has clicked consistently, averaging 423.8 yards and 30.8 points per game, the defense ranks last in the AAC and 125th among the 127 FBS teams in the nation by allowing an average of 570.7 yards.

ABOUT USF (3-3, 1-1): Taggart has noted the Bulls' ability to bounce back this season as a major difference between this year and previous seasons on his watch. "Adversity (has) always been our Achilles' heel and it usually is when a program is not winning," he said. "(Now) it's like, 'Bring it on.' They've executed and that's made the difference." Running back Marlon Mack has been the key on offense, averaging 114.8 rushing yards per game to rank 16th in the nation, and is on pace to become the fifth player in program history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Defensive pressure will be a key in this game as USF ranks third in the AAC with 17 sacks, while SMU only has eight.

2. SMU has come away with points in each of its last 20 red zone opportunities.

3. Led by Mack, the Bulls' rushing offense ranks third among AAC teams, averaging 233 yards per game, trailing only Navy (335.4) and Houston (279.2).

PREDICTION: SMU 44, USF 31