SMU takes on #17 Houston on Saturday at Ford Stadium. Last time Houston traveled to Ford Stadium as a ranked team, it lost 38-16 to the Mustangs.

Time: 6:30

Line: Houston -14

Weather: Sunny with highs in the 70s

Where to watch: ESPNU

Keys to the game

Stop D’Eriq King: Houston’s quarterback has become one of the nation’s best players and is the centerpiece of an offense that is averaging more than 570 yards per game. Stopping him is going to be key to stopping Houston’s offense. King bears a similarity to Greg Ward Jr., who was sacked seven times in a loss to SMU in 2016. If the Mustangs want to win Saturday, it’ll have to put that kind of pressure on King. It’ll also have to dedicate a player to spying the quarterback, because he has proven he can make things happen in both the air and on the ground.

Get the running game going: SMU’s running game has been absolutely abysmal the past three games. Houston is a team that’s allowing more than 150 yards per game on the ground, and if Ed Oliver sits out, there could be some big holes up the middle.

It’s worth noting that SMU will be dealing with some injuries of its own. The offensive line was banged up in practice and lineman Chad Pursley’s status is still unknown for Saturday. But if they can get him back, and Oliver can’t play, there could be some holes up the middle for the Mustangs.

Limit mistakes: Interceptions have led to defensive touchdowns in each of the last two games for the Mustangs. Houston is a team that is good at forcing turnovers, so that’s something SMU will have to avoid. That means that Ben Hicks (if he starts) will need to make smart throws. It also means that SMU’s running backs will have to protect the football.

SMU can’t give the explosive Houston offense more chances with the football.

Score prediction: Houston wins 45-28 in a game that’s never really close.