Week 13: SMU at Memphis

Memphis has made a stunning turnaround, recovering from a 2-4 finish to becoming bowl eligible and playing for a possible share of the East Division crown. While Memphis can't earn a trip to the league title game (it has lost to UCF and East Carolina, the two teams it could possibly tie), it is assured of one of the six bowl slots the league is guaranteed.

SMU is in a nothing-to-lose frame of mind as its season was reduced to being one played for pride when coach Phil Bennett got the midseason boot.

The Tigers, led by resurgent quarterback Martin Hankins, have won four of their past five. During the second-half run, Hankins has passed for 1,771 yards and 13 touchdowns, finding a comfort level in the spread offense and taking advantage of a strong receiving corps.

While Hankins, a senior, didn't surpass 300 passing yards for the fifth straight time, he did throw for 298 yards. He is averaging 354.2 yards passing and has completed 63 percent of his passes during the five-game stretch.

Sophomore receiver Duke Calhoun, who had two 70-yard receptions in last weekend's 22-9 win over UAB, became the school's record-holder in 100-yard receiving games with seven. Among those he surpassed included St. Louis Rams receiver Isaac Bruce and former NFL receivers Earnest Gray and Reggie Copeland.

Tiger running back Joe Doss gave the ground game a boost by scampering for 168 yards and a touchdown in the win over UAB. It was only the second time this season a Tiger back had eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. Doss had the other, picking up 175 in a victory at Rice.

Defensively, the Tigers have overcome major losses at linebacker and have put together consecutive weeks in which they held opponents to fewer than 150 rushing yards. In last weekend's victory over UAB, which snapped a seven-game Blazer win streak, the Tigers limited UAB to 105 rushing yards. After yielding 641 yards in a loss to East Carolina earlier this month, the Tigers have allowed an average of 322 yards in back-to-back wins.

SMU will end the Bennett Era with what remains a potent pass-catch combination in quarterback Justin Willis and receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Willis, a sophomore, is averaging 233.5 yards passing per game and ranks ninth in the league in rushing at 54.5 yards per game. Willis was knocked from the game last weekend against UCF.

Sanders, also a sophomore, ranks third in the league in receptions and eight in receiving yards.

Willis's season has been plagued by turnovers. Although he has tossed 21 touchdowns, he has been intercepted 16 times. He's also lost seven fumbles. He is coming off one of his worst outings as a Mustang, completing 11-of-24 for 112 yards and no touchdowns. Against UCF, he also was intercepted and lost a fumble.

Memphis coach Tommy West is warning his team that it entered its season finale a year ago at UTEP with a `nothing-to-lose' attitude and scored a lopsided win at UTEP.

“They're a very dangerous team,” West said. “They're a team capable of being really good. Coming into the beginning of the year, I think they thought this was their year.”

Memphis by 14