NEU » road, another indication of the games gravi

SMU coach Chad Morris is still looking for a signature win to jump-start the Mustangs program. An upset of No. 11 Houston would certainly qualify.SMU hosts the Cougars on Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The Mustangs have lost three in a row, including an emotionally-draining 43-40 overtime defeat to Tulsa two weeks ago.It was as hurt as Ive seen the locker room (after the Tulsa loss) since Ive been here in 18 games, Morris said during his Monday press conference. I firmly believe this program is exceptionally close, extremely close. We just need a break.SMU (2-4, 0-2 AAC) had a bye week to get over the loss, but theres still plenty to fix if the Mustangs are to knock off the talented Cougars. Tulsa rushed for 315 yards against the Mustangs, who are 91st against the run, surrendering 195 yards on the ground per game. They are last in the AAC in total defense.It demoralizes you, Morris said of the inability to stop the run.Houston (6-1, 3-1 AAC) will test the Mustangs shortcomings on defense. The Cougars are averaging 200.0 yards on the ground and could get top running back Duke Catalon back.Catalon missed the last four games with a concussion, but was cleared to return to practice this week and could play Saturday.Houston coach Tom Herman told the Houston Chronicle this week that if Catalon shows signs of another concussion while at the school, they are going to shut him down.With Catalon out, even more of the offensive load has been put on the shoulders of quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who has already carried the football 100 times for 414 yards and six touchdowns in seven games. Ward also has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns.Hes our best player, Herman said of Ward. When the game is on the line, I want the ball in the hands of our best player. Were continuing to find ways to run the football without him having to read people or be the designed character. But if we need to win the game, well use him.Behind the 396 yards of offense from Ward, Houston was able to bounce back from its upset loss to Navy two weeks ago with a hard-fought win over Tulsa last week.The loss to Navy likely derailed the Cougars hopes of crashing the four-team playoff, but Houston is still in line for a New Years bowl. A showcase game against No. 7 Louisville on Nov. 17 is sandwiched between the Cougars remaining four AAC games.Herman says he isnt having any trouble keeping his team motivated.The motivation is easy because every week there is something about how we are overrated or not good enough, Herman told reporters this week. We were the underdogs, we were this and we were that. The chip on our shoulder never had to be manufactured. It was there organically from last year, which creates a toughness and edge about you.This year our team is tough and physical, but our team is learning how to be the hunter, not the hunted. We are learning to be the overdog instead of the underdog.The Cougars are heavy overdogs this week against an SMU team that has lost eight players for the season to injury, including senior starting quarterback Matt Davis to an ACL injury in the first game of the season.Were as healthy as we can be, Morris said.Freshman quarterback Ben Hicks has completed 51.9 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and nine interceptions since taking over for Davis.Hicks starts behind one of the youngest offensive lines in the nation and keeping him upright will be a priority against the Cougars, who have 19 sacks on the season.I expect it to be physical and the only thing we can control is how we respond, Morris said.Houston has won 10 of the last 11 games against SMU, including last seasons 49-28 victory. Ward picked apart the Mustangs in the win, completing 16 of 18 passes for 243 yards with a rushing and passing touchdown.No one has stopped him yet, Morris said of Ward.Vapormax Sleva . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Nike Vapormax Panske . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/ . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Vapormax Plus Bílé . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Vapormax Flyknit Pánská . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne.STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Coming off their biggest win under head coach James Franklin with some extra rest, Penn State players have had plenty of time to contemplate their looming game against No. 2 Ohio State.During the open weekend, they watched as Wisconsin nearly toppled the Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) on Saturday. But the Nittany Lions will need to use their own approach to stop Ohio States fourth-ranked scoring offense backed by the third-ranked scoring defense in the nation.Wisconsin played them extremely well, Franklin said. But they are traditional pro-style, pound-you offense and then their defense is playing so well that it allows them to play that and not have to drop back and throw the ball and do things like that. Obviously thats a different style than were playing right now. So that film for our offense isnt overly valuable.Penn States offense has improved and the running game was explosive with 372 yards against Maryland, but Ohio State has been consistently great nearly all season. With quarterback J.T. Barrett leading the way, the Buckeyes are averaging more than 516 yards of offense, 300 yards on the ground.Its not a favorable matchup for the Nittany Lions who are still unsure if starting linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell will play. Theyve missed the last five and four games, respectively, and as of Tuesday had not been cleared to practice. Franklin did say veteran players who require less practice can be cleared later in the week, however.We know they are important to this team, cornerback Grant Haley said. They have a lot of experience that they bring to the table.Getting Bell and Cabinda back would be big boosts. They both helped limit Ohio States offense the last time the teams met at Beaver Stadium. That 31-24 loss in double overtiime was the closest Penn States come to beating Ohio State in the 11 years since the Nittany Lions last home win in the series.dddddddddddd. Penn State is 0-4 since they won a memorable game where fans stormed the field in 2005.Since that game, Penn State has gone 11-25 against Top 25 teams and 0-9 against top 5 teams. Four of those losses to top 5 teams have come to Ohio State.They know this is a big game, Franklin said. We dont need to tell them that. They understand how big this game is. They see it all over social media and everything else and walking around town and on campus and from their families and ticket requests and all those things. They get it.By Tuesday afternoon, students who camp outside their entrance to the stadium had tents set up nearly to the road, another indication of the games gravitas. It prompted Franklin to mention the games atmosphere and expressed his desire for fans to show up and be heard.Urban Meyer quipped earlier this week about the planned white-out, where everyone in the 106,572-seat complex wears white.We have another tough task, a team thats 4-0 at home, Meyer said. I called it -- the last two times, wish they saved the white outs for other games, but I guess they used it for our game. Its one of the top five atmospheres, again, in college football.Haley has felt the ground rumble with white-out crowds in the past. He and his teammates will try to maintain the pulse at their feet by slowing the Buckeyes rushing attack and disrupting Barretts time to extend plays with his feet.We need to make them a one-dimensional team, Haley said. We obviously need to stop the run, quarterback runs, especially. ' ' '