SMU at Tulane, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. 3 p.m. CT, on ESPNews and 570 AM

A pair of teams looking to get back to .500 on the season will go head to head in New Orleans this weekend when SMU travels to Tulane. Both squads sit at 3-4 and are desperate for AAC wins to avoid the conference basement in 2016, where both teams were a year ago.

Last years matchup saw SMU get its second, and final, win of the season as the Mustangs took down the Green Wave 49-21 at Ford Stadium. This year both teams are improved and should play to a closer game this time around. While Tulane is a three-point favorite according to odds makers, SMU has much more momentum coming into the weekend.

The Mustangs dropped a close decision to Tulsa in overtime, which preceded one of the biggest wins in 30 years last week when they upset eleventh-ranked Houston 38-16. Tulane has gone the other direction in recent weeks, losing its last two games to Memphis and Tulsa.

This game might not feature the cream of the crop in the AAC, but there are still some intriguing matchups and players to watch. Nobody could make this case three weeks ago but SMU has a decided advantage in quarterback play in this game. Ben Hicks has put together back-to-back great games, while Tulane’s Glen Cuiellette only had three completions on 17 attempts last week. The opportunistic and improved SMU secondary will only give the Tulane passer even more fits.

The challenges Ben Hicks will face will come from a pair of all-AAC first team defenders in linebacker Nico Marley and defensive tackle Tanzel Smart. Tulane is giving up about 75 yards-per-game less than the SMU defense, which does not earn them the title of an elite defense, but Hicks and running back Braeden West will have to be prepared.

As with many football games, this game could be won and lost at the line of scrimmage. If defensive end Jarvis Pruitt and SMU can get after Cuiellette, Tulane will have no chance of moving the ball. However, if Smart, Marley and Tulane can force SMU to abandon the run, it will be up to Ben Hicks to prove he is capable of carrying a team.

SMU will be in good shape if the Houston win did not take away from it’s focus.

Prediction: SMU 27 Tulane 17