The 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl will pit 7-3 SMU against 7-4 UTSA. Here is the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Preview.
SMU Mustangs (7-3)
SMU won their first five games of the season, but limped to the finish line with a 2-3 finish. They lost to Cincinnati, Tulsa and Houston, all of which are solid teams. The Mustangs defeated two over .500 teams in the AAC this year in Memphis and Tulane.
They have a great offense that averages 38.6 points per game. Their passing offense averages 318 yards per game, while they gain 176.5 yards on the ground per game.
Shane Buechele has put up huge numbers for the Mustangs, as he has passed for 3,095 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions on 65.4 percent completion. He has utilized a lot of different pass-catchers this season, as SMU has five receivers with over 400 receiving yards. Wide receiver Rashee Rice leads the way with 48 receptions for 683 yards and five touchdowns.
Ulysses Bentley IV gets most of the work out the backfield for SMU. He has 170 carries for 913 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground this season. Tyler Levine and T.J. McDaniel both have around 300 rushing yards backing Bentley IV up.
The Mustangs allow a lot of points per game at 30.9. They give up 241.9 yards per game through the air and 180.3 rushing yards per game. Linebacker Delano Robinson leads the team with 77 total tackles. They have two star defensive backs in Brandon Stephens, who has 10 passes defended, and Brandon Crossley, who has four interceptions.
UTSA Roadrunners (7-4)
The Roadrunners were sitting at 4-4 before rattling off three straight wins to finish 7-4. Every team they lost to finished the regular season with a .500 record or better. Their only win over a team with an above .500 record was their victory over Louisiana Tech.
UTSA has an offense that averages 28.9 points per game. They have a running game that averages 214.7 yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the country. Their passing offense puts up 199.2 yards per game.
Frank Harris has led the team at the quarterback position. The junior has passed for 1,422 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions on 63.8 percent completion. Two receivers have over 500 receiving yards on the season in Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus. Franklin has 44 catches for 579 yards and six touchdowns. Cephus has been right behind him with 55 catches for 521 yards and four touchdowns.
At running back, Sincere McCormick is a star for the team. He has 226 carries for 1,345 yards and 11 touchdowns. Harris is a quarterback who can help out the running game too. He has chipped in with 77 carries for 437 yards and eight touchdowns.
The defense allows 25.2 points per game, which is below average for the FBS. They rank 52nd in rush defense, giving up 152.7 yards, while the Roadrunners rank 59th against the pass, as they allow 228.1 passing yards per game. Safety Rashad Wisdom leads the team in tackles and interceptions with 82 and four respectively. Linebacker Jamal Ligon has also made an impact with 72 tackles and four sacks.
Prediction
SMU’s great passing offense will be too much for UTSA. Buechele will have a huge day and will lead the Mustangs to victory.
SMU Mustangs 38 UTSA Roadrunners 24
Make sure to check out our college football page for more content!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!