SMU's most volatile position in recent history finally looks stable, assuming the Justin Willis situation is resolved positively. Willis' three-game run steering SMU to wins was as impressive a streak as SMU has seen since Chuck Hixson. It took two games for him to get comfortable, or else this would probably be an A. Corey Slater came into a rough position against UTEP, but proved he too can lead the offense judging by his strong second half.

More was expected from this group. Injuries have certainly played a part, but while we've bragged about the depth at the position, the backs haven't backed it up on the field. SMU should have gained more than 806 yards and three touchdowns to this point from its stable of backs. With a healthy DeMyron Martin and a potent passing game, SMU should be able to set up the run with the pass, freeing up some space for Martin and Co.

Catch a few of the dropped balls on important downs, and this turns into a A real quickly. SMU's receivers made Willis' life easier, and he paid them back with a plethora of touchdowns. Seven different players have caught a touchdown pass, and Emmanuel Sanders gets a 'A' all by himself for becoming Willis' favorite scoring target.

A year ago we wouldn't have even put them on the grading sheet because we didn't know they were on the field. Ryan Kennedy's become a part of the offense again, and has been a wonderful outlet for the young quarterbacks. Kennedy has 11 receptions, and four of them have gone for touchdowns. Welcome back.

Injuries have been a factor here, too, but breakdowns against North Texas kept this from being a higher grade. We repeat the grading on the running backs as SMU should be running the ball better at this point.

SMU's defense leads Conference USA in tackles-for-loss and sacks, and is ninth and 17th nationally in the respective categories. Justin Rogers' move to defensive end has paid off with five sacks. Adrian Haywood has to be among the early leaders for C-USA Defensive Player of the Year with eight traps, including nearly taking the handoff from the opposing quarterback on several occasions. Brandon Bonds continues to play heads-up with two fumble recoveries and contributions by reserves Patrick Handy and Troy Therien vs. UTEP bolster the perfect grade.

Wilton McCray (40), Tony Hawkins (36) and Reggie Carrington (36) are 2-3-4 in total tackles at midseason and have combined for 13 tackles-for-loss. This group is on its way toward being the best set in C-USA. Some breakdowns on the short passing game prevent the unit from stepping up to an A.

SMU is still fighting some inexperience and getting beat too much on deep balls. But it's steadying itself behind the leadership of Joe Sturdivant (53 tackles and two interceptions to lead the team in both categories). SMU is 116th in Division I-A in pass defense, giving up 273.5 yards per game, but hasn't been scorched yet, even at Texas Tech.

Thomas Morstead is among the nation's top punters right now with a 43.9-yard average. Morstead's placekicking has been steady. Throw in Jessie Henderson and his 100-yard kickoff return to help SMU hold off Tulane, and SMU has gone from special teams as a liability to a game-changing strength. The grade drops, however, from an A because of the blocked punt for a touchdown vs. North Texas and a punt return for a TD against UTEP that even coach Phil Bennett called "inexcusable."

We won't cut Bennett and his staff any slack for being so conservative on offense earlier in the year while waiting for Willis to develop. The team appeared unprepared and unmotivated in the 'trap' game at North Texas. But kudos are in order for keeping their composure as a staff to hold off Tulane, and for the emotional comeback against UTEP. The staff deserves some credit for blowout wins over Sam Houston State and Arkansas State, games they took control of when they had the chance.

SMU's 3-3 record fits for this point in the season. The three wins came against teams SMU expected to beat. A 4-2 mark would have shaped the second half of the season differently, but winning at Tulane made up for the loss at North Texas. The UTEP game, counted as a loss by many in the preseason, was winnable despite a tough situation made tougher by injuries during the game. As with just about every conference game, two or three plays can make or break each game. While SMU will need to win four of the final six games to earn a winning season, that is within reach, especially with four of the final six at home.