Baylor @ Southern Methodist preview
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2014 ) Southern Methodist 0, Baylor 45
Fourth-ranked Baylor wants to put the focus back on the field when it opens its season Friday night at old Southwest Conference rival SMU. The Bears have been in the headlines recently, not as a national champion contender but because of the school's handling of a former player's sexual assault accusations.
"Everybody has a mindset of playing SMU and we're not worried about any off-the-field issue because we know we're a great program," senior safety Terrell Burt told reporters. "We're focused on the season so we can win the championship." The back-to-back Big 12 champions look to junior quarterback Seth Russell to lead an offense that has led the FBS in total offense and scoring for the past two years. The Bears return a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and the Big 12's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in lineman Shawn Oakman. New coach Chad Morris brings a new offense to SMU, which was outscored by more than 30 points per game last season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Baylor -35
ABOUT BAYLOR (2014: 11-2): Russell (48-of-85 for 804 yards, eight touchdowns in eight games) has the tools to continue the Bears' streak of high-scoring offenses after averaging 581.5 yards and 48.2 points last year behind graduated Bryce Petty. Corey Coleman (64 catches, 1,119 yards, 11 TDs) and KD Cannon (58, 1,030, eight) are the country's only returning 1,000-yard receiving duo. Baylor's experienced defensive line - featuring a five-man rotation - has combined for 340 career tackles and 33.5 career sacks and allowed 3.15 yards per rush last year.
ABOUT SMU (2014: 1-11): Junior Matt Davis started the final five games of 2014 and led the Mustang offense - which was ranked last nationally in scoring (11.1 points) and second-to-last in total offense (269 yards) - with 855 passing yards and a team-best 613 rushing yards. "This offense fits him," said Morris, who was hired at SMU after four seasons as offensive coordinator at Clemson. "It will really showcase his talent. I'm excited to see what he can do." The Mustangs, who have lost 11 straight to Baylor, will rely on a new group of receivers, young running backs and a revamped defense featuring Anthony Rhone at a new linebacker-safety hybrid position to improve on last year's record.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oakman (19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2014) needs three sacks to break the school record of 15, held by Daryl Gardener (1992-95) and Chris McAllister (2010-13).
2. Baylor is 15-3 against in-state opponents during the past four seasons and has won eight straight against Texas teams.
3. Morris recruited Davis - who redshirted at Texas A&M in 2012 before playing his freshman season at Tyler (Texas) Junior College - as the offensive coordinator at Clemson.
PREDICTION: Baylor 48, SMU 10