Injuries weren’t just limited to the backfield, as SMU also lost wide receiver Reggie Roberson for the season. This is the big one, as Roberson was far and away the teams best wideout. In his last game against Memphis he went off for 243 yards and two touchdowns, despite playing in one less game still stands as the team leader in yards and touchdowns. His impact on the game was huge for SMU. Now filling in those shoes will have to be sophomore Rashee Rice and junior Danny Gray. Rice has 24 catches (team high) for 411 yards receiving and an touchdown and Gray has 19 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Kyle Granson has 17 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns. It’s another break for the defense having to just focus on covering those guys and Granson, instead of having to worry about all of them and Roberson.
It isn’t all on the shoulders of the offense for SMU either, the defense has quietly been pretty stingy and opportunistic. SMU holds opponents to 25.4 points a game and in five games have six interceptions and four fumble recoveries good for a plus four turnover differential on the year. The Bearcats are going to have to protect the football and they are going to have to give Ridder a clean pocket. SMU has sacked quarterbacks 15 times already and leading the way is sophomore defensive tackle Elijah Chatman, who has three. Senior linebacker Delano Robinson leads the team with 36 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. Robinson is a guy the Bearcats will have to find a way to block. In the secondary sophomore cornerback Brandon Crossley leads the team with three interceptions, while he’s only started one game, he’s been a big play guy.
Overall, I think this is certainly a winnable game for the Cats, but it is going to have to be a great game on both sides of the ball and a mistake free game or SMU will send them home with a loss. SMU is actually favored by 2.5 and that sounds about right to me. I don’t like that UC hasn’t played since the beginning of October, but that’s a product of the COVID year, you just have to hope they have remained sharp in practice and it doesn’t take much to shake off the rust. Ridder has a lot to prove and it can start Saturday night with a big game, I say Bearcats win a nail biter 38-35. Go Cats!
