Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver has been cleared to play Saturday against SMU, as first reported by Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Oliver missed Houston's last game with a bruised knee, which he suffered against Navy. The two-time All-American and 2017 Outland Trophy winner faced a similar situation in last season's matchup against SMU, where he played with a sprained MCL.

Prior to his injury, Oliver had 51 tackles and three sacks. He also had 13.5 tackles for loss to go along with a forced fumble and nine quarterback hurries. The 51 tackles is tied for tenth in the American Athletic Conference.

A healthy Oliver could spell trouble for a banged-up SMU offensive line that has struggled to open up holes for its running backs in the last three games. The Mustangs have recorded just 142 yards over that span.

Offensive lineman and three-year starter Chad Pursley missed SMU's game against Cincinnati with an injury, but Sonny Dykes said that he was optimistic about Pursley's chances to play Saturday.

As Oliver usually lines up inside, he'll place extra stress on the Mustangs' interior line, which is the most inexperienced part of the unit. That means that SMU's running game might once again have issues getting going.

In two games against the Mustangs, Oliver has seven tackles, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble.