Somebody Has To Win

NT80 · September 8, 2007

North Texas (0-1) at SMU (0-1)

7 p.m., Ford Stadium (no TV; KWRD-FM 100.7, KNTU-FM 88.1, KTCK-AM 1310)

10:38 PM CDT on Friday, September 7, 2007

By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News

khairopoulos@dallasnews.com

Line: SMU by 17

Somebody has to win

North Texas and SMU lost by a combined 128-19 to Big 12 teams in their openers.

At least one team's pride will be soothed tonight in the Safeway Bowl, the unofficial name for the renewed rivalry. Former Mean Green coach Matt Simon once challenged SMU to a game in a supermarket parking lot.

The regional rivals are playing for the second time since 1992. North Texas' 24-6 win in Denton last year contributed to the Mustangs missing a bowl berth.

If the Mustangs win tonight, it can restore faith that preseason bowl talk wasn't nonsense. A loss could be devastating to coach Phil Bennett's team with two nonconference road trips looming. UNT wants to see some of the magic of new coach Todd Dodge, since Oklahoma didn't allow UNT to show much of anything last week.

SMU, which has a short turnaround coming off its loss Monday to Texas Tech, tries to kickstart its offense, looking for its first touchdown.

The Mustangs will be without DT Charlie Berry (stinger) and RB Cedrick Dorsey (thigh bruise).

North Texas wins if ...

WRs Casey Fitzgerald and Brandon Jackson make big plays and the defense stuffs the run and musters a pass rush against SMU's Justin Willis.

SMU wins if ...

Willis and the receivers click against a shaky secondary and RB DeMyron Martin provides consistent gains.

Prediction

SMU 34, North Texas 21