SMU at Arkansas State 8/31/19 - College Football Picks & Predictions

The SMU Mustangs visit Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas on Saturday August 31 to play the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the opening game of the college football regular season for both.

SMU was 5-7 in 2018 but several transfers have arrived and the Mustangs explosive group of receivers return giving fans in Dallas something to look forward to. Transfer Shane Buechele from Texas should start at QB for the Mustangs. Xavier Jones will lead the rushing attack, while James Proche leads the receivers returning from last season. SMU’s defense needs help in the back seven.

Six starters return for the Red Wolves on offense, but the offense will have a new starting quarterback in Logan Bonner. The receiving corps for the Red Wolves should be one of the best in the Sun Belt Conference led by Kirk Merritt, Omar Bayless and Jonathan Adams. The offensive line will return three starters that will block for Bonner and open holes for leading rusher Marcell Murray. The defense is suspect and weak in the secondary therefore the offense will be pressured to score plenty of points.

Transfer quarterback Shane Buechele will start for the SMU Mustangs. The leading rushers returning from last season will be Ke’Mon Freeman with 339 yards and six touchdowns and Xavier Jones who rushed for 311 yards and two touchdowns. The top receivers for the Mustangs are James Proche with 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns and Reggie Roberson Jr with 802 yards and six touchdowns.

Arkansas State will have Logan Bonner as the starting quarterback. In 2018, Bonner threw for 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception in limited action. Leading running back Marcell Murray returns. Murray rushed for 860 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018. The leading receiver returning for the Red Wolves is Kirk Merritt with 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns.